It's intense, it's bloody, and it feels like you're actually THERE. And the action? Absolutely second-to-none. The elegance of the writing is at times astounding there are moments that blew me away or made me laugh in delight simply because of HOW they were written. The plot carries you along, and you can feel the complexities and undercurrents even as they are revealed a bit at a time, with many more mysteries yet unsolved. They feel so much more real and sophisticated than those books mentioned above. I simply can't believe how well-written it is for a new author. This author writes like someone who's done it for years and years. But this one had me hooked all the way through. Usually I'm hurrying it up near the end, already thinking about what I want to start next. There was never really a dull or boring moment in the book in fact, this is one of those rare books that I actually didn't want to end. It really reminded me of The Name of the Wind, only this book was a lot better.

The book continues on this pattern of long-flashbacks, interspersed with short interludes back in the modern day. Setting out on a voyage where he must fight to the death in gladiatorial combat, he begins relating the story of his life to a skeptical scribe. The first of the book starts with modern-day Vaelin, condemned prisoner and living legend. I have no idea where this author came out of, but this guy has the total package when it comes to writing. He gets right what those books didn't, and I can't really find a single complaint about it. It's better than Elantris, it's better than Name of the Wind, and it's a lot better than Promise of Blood. So does this one live up to the hype? Absolutely! This is possibly the strongest fantasy debut I've ever read. I had seen huge ravings about this book and had to check it out. This is yet another independent e-book that through sheer momentum got noticed and picked up by a publisher. A future that will alter not only the realm, but the world. But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. He cherishes the memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him.

Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the unified realm. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of 10 when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm. From 'a new master storyteller' comes the beginning of an epic fantasy saga of blood, honor, and destiny.

Raven's shadow series