Raven's Shadow
#944.21 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 5 books Status Complete 2011–2020 Reading commitment Medium Anthony Ryan Last reviewed 2026-08-24
Overview
Raven's Shadow is a complete epic fantasy saga by Anthony Ryan following Vaelin Al Sorna, a warrior raised by a monastic fighting order, across a founding trilogy and a direct sequel duology, Raven's Blade, set later in his life. The opening novel, Blood Song (2011), begins with a ten-year-old Vaelin left at the gate of the Sixth Order, a brutal warrior caste, by his own father, and follows his training into a man burdened by rage at losing his birthright as a Battle Lord's son and by hints of a destiny that will reshape the Realm. The series is built around religious orders, political intrigue, and Vaelin's uneasy relationship with his own legend, which grows into myth even as he tries to escape it. Blood Song was named a leading UK bookseller's Science Fiction & Fantasy Book of the Year for 2013 and drew comparisons to Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind, with endorsements from fellow fantasy authors helping establish Ryan as a major new voice in epic fantasy.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (5 works) counts toward ranking
Raven's Shadow Anthony Ryan
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Blood Song | 2011 | core | 4.41 (93,676 ratings) |
 | Tower Lord | 2014 | core | 4.14 (40,247 ratings) |
 | Queen of Fire | 2015 | core | 3.72 (31,839 ratings) |
Complete epic-fantasy trilogy following Vaelin Al Sorna.
Raven's Blade Anthony Ryan
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Wolf's Call | 2019 | core | 4.26 (6,887 ratings) |
 | The Black Song | 2020 | core | 4.06 (252 ratings) |
Complete direct sequel duology to Raven's Shadow, continuing Vaelin Al Sorna's story in the same continuity.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Raven's Shadow? Raven's Shadow's Core Canon is 5 books.
- What is the reading order for Raven's Shadow? Publication order, starting with Blood Song. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Raven's Shadow finished? Complete (2011–2020).
- How much reading does Raven's Shadow take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 5 Core Canon books · ~2,721 pages).
- How is Raven's Shadow ranked? #94 in this site's official ranking, based on 172,901 reader ratings across 5 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #94?
Ranked #94 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.21 across 5 core books.
- Backed by 173k reader ratings.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.72 to 4.41.
- Less than 0.01 behind #93, Wheel of Time (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 5 books · Complete · 173k ratings · Ranks #94 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (5 Core Canon books)
- Blood Song (2011)
- Tower Lord (2014)
- Queen of Fire (2015)
- The Wolf's Call (2019)
- The Black Song (2020)
Awards (verified)
- No confirmed award wins found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Raven's Shadow and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Bound and the Broken Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.33
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- The Bloodsworn Saga Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.33
- The Rigante Epic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.31
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.21 across 172,901 ratings on 5 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Raven's Shadow admitted (Anthony Ryan) accepted 2026-08-24
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24
Rule: Core = the complete Raven's Shadow trilogy (Blood Song, Tower Lord, Queen of Fire) plus its complete direct sequel duology, Raven's Blade (The Wolf's Call, The Black Song), one continuous continuity following the same protagonist, five novels total.