These are fun little novellas. It’s a pretty standard quest plot, man searching for redemption has to gather up seven demon-cursed blades of immense power. He picks up stragglers who become friends along the way.

But what sells these stories for me are the characters I guess. Guyime makes it pretty clear he’s no hero - he’s got a past and we get to learn a good deal of it in this book.

And the banter he has with Lakorath, the lie-detecting soul-hungry demon who possesses his blade is so much fun. Not to mention Seeker and her animal charming abilities.

I appreciate that the books are quick. I enjoy the world building but mostly I enjoy that it doesn’t overshadow the story.

I’m going to have to go seek out the next book I suppose. Thank you to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

I am a huge fan of Anthony Ryan. He hasn't written anything that has disappointed me. This series of novellas is no different. We continue on from where we left off after the first book and are swept quickly into the next part of Pilgrim and Seeker's journey. Pilgrim's character is fleshed out a little more in this one and I am looking forward to finding out more. There is no shortage of action and the pace moves pretty quickly, which is good and bad. It's great in that it keeps you on your toes. It's bad in that we don't get a lot of time to really develop the side characters. I prefer longer books that develop the characters well, and though the characters are wonderful and interesting, I think there would have been plenty for an entire series rather than cramming it into novellas. I still highly recommend this series and am anxiously awaiting the next book!

How can I help but love a book that's dedicated to Indiana Jones?

As in the previous installment, <i>The Kraken's Tooth</i> is chock-full of action and gives a complete, satisfying story in a compact package that can be devoured in one sitting. I enjoyed the fleshing out of Pilgrim/Guyime's backstory and hope the next volume will show us more of the wonderful Seeker's story.

Received via NetGalley.

I liked this book better than the first one.

One of the reasons is that there are a lot less characters, so the author gets the chance to focus a bit more on each of them. So they actually feel like people instead of cardboard cutouts. It helps that we already met Seeker and Pilgrim in thr first book, so the author doesn't have to reintroduce us to them. He can focus on fleshing them out more instead.

This is where comes my first complaint. Pilgrim is the only one deserving fleshing out and a back story, it seems. Oh, we dwelve into his past plenty in this book. We even learn how he got bound to his demin sword. Don't get me wrong, it's interesting and I welcomed the knowledge... I just wish the author would have done the same with Seeker.

As it stands, she is still the mysterious beast master who is looking for her kidnapped daughter. Deadly with a now, masterful in animal control, silent and not very fleshed out. We don't even get to learn her name, unlike Pilgrim. Oh, and we still haven't found her daughter, imagine that. I hope that the author pays her more attention in the next book, because she is an interesting character who deserves to come out of Pilgrim's shadow and get a voice of her own.

The world continues to be imaginative and intriguing. Therr are gods, demons, ancient heroes, and strange cartographers who are much older than they appear. I'm not entirely sure how all this fits together just yet, but I'm happy to stick along for the ride. As ling as the hints thrown here and there in the books end up fitting into a coherent picture in the end.

Can't help but notice that so far all Pilgrim and Seeker did in their quest was bring ruin and destruction to magical places that had stood for millennia. I hope that's not a trend. Otherwise by the time Pilgrim assembles all the cursed swords, the world would be in ruins.

PS: I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another good story from Anthony Ryan. It started a little slowly, but once again became a quest with multiple characters, with several new ones introduced. Good action scenes, and riddles to be solved, which I always enjoy. I admit to falling for the author's misdirection, just as some of his characters did, lol. Possibly it's a case of familiarity breeds contempt, but the MC's demonically possessed sword became annoying after a while (more annoying than I recall from book 1); not a huge thing, but still, enough to reduce my rating to 4.5 stars, in reality.

4.4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/the-krakens-tooth-by-anthony-ryan-review/

Second entry in the Seven Swords reunites us with Pilgrim and Seeker, fresh off their battle in the Execration against a mad god. While the Seeker remains shrouded in mystery, her path forward has become clear. She seeks a certain girl, sold into slavery, one that bears a striking resemblance to she herself. The Pilgrim however, has been unmasked. Guyime, known to history as the Ravager, seeks the Seven Swords—a collection of demon blades that imbue their wielders with power and unnaturally long life. A life that Guyime would escape.

But to do that he must travel to Carthula and claim the Kraken’s Tooth, a mythical sword said to be lodged in the heart of a long dead Kraken. Accompanying him on this fool’s errand are: Seeker, whose path seems to parallel his own, for now; a powerful sorceress from an equally powerful clan; and her’s father’s slave, a man that never forgets anything he’s ever learned. But will this trio be enough to help Guyime through a maze built from his worst nightmares and memories, or will this fellowship crumble once their quarry is in sight?

Other than the previous Pilgrimage of Swords, the Kraken’s Tooth has nothing to do with any of Ryan’s other work (that I know of, at least). As with the first, I wouldn’t’ve minded a full novel dedicated to this, though it works well enough as an installment of novellas. I’m not a huge fan of novellas, particularly those I’ve seen from the author, but these two have so far broken the mold. Kraken’s Tooth tells a complete story, with no skimping on plot or fantasy. It’s light on details, yet still manages to convey more than enough to paint the Seven Swords in vibrant colors. I had no issue getting into or following the story, and if anything even less imagining it. Any character development does suffer from the lack of material, with details such as interpersonal relationships, reliability or anything more than brief flashbacks are absent. The characters themselves might as well be mannequins, except for Guyime, who has overcome his stoicism from Book #1 and now just seems gruff and distant (and maybe Seeker, who I’m assuming is supposed to just be mysterious, though it’s difficult to tell).

Other than the character aspect, I had no problem getting through Kraken’s Tooth. There was more than enough action and adventure to entertain, while the story holds a political undertone and throws in a bit of mystery and drama that didn’t hurt either. And as I’ve already mentioned, the world is well rendered—with just enough detail left out that the Carthula I imagined likely won’t be the same as anyone else’s—while still getting the most important aspects of the story across. It may be imperfect, but I’d definitely recommend the Seven Swords to any fan of mainstream fantasy, epic, grimdark, and more. I can’t wait to read the next installment and see where the story takes us next!

This is a sequel to the novella series that started with A Pilgrimage of Swords. You can find a review for the first book in the series here.

I really enjoyed this one. This novella series is really great when you want something that you don’t have to think too much and can just enjoy the characters, world, and action without worrying about getting through a ginormous tome and figuring out all the complexities of the world and plot.

This plot is pretty straightforward and that is not a bad thing in my opinion. Ryan does a good job of keeping the pace fast enough that things are happening frequently, but not so fast that you feel like there is no substance. That also doesn’t mean that everything that happens is obvious or easy to guess.

As we follow Pilgrim (or Guyime, but I like Pilgrim better) in his quest to find the Seven Swords we get to know him a little more through flashbacks and conversations. Pilgrim is a compelling character and as I continue to read this series I am more invested in his story. I want to know more of the history of his character as there are so many hints about his past as the story goes on. I also continue to really love the relationship between Pilgrim and Lakorath, the demon that has been trapped in Pilgrim’s Sword. Their relationship is complicated and their sometimes shared, often at odds goals drive the plot forward in a way that gives it meaning. Their conversations are often entertaining and informative. Who knew that a snarky demon companion could be so cool and often times hilarious?

Most of this story consists of a dungeon-crawl type narrative which was totally not what I expected, but worked really well. I almost felt like I was playing a game of Tomb Raider as Pilgrim and his group had to avoid traps, solve puzzles, and answer riddles to get to their destination.

This is a dark, dangerous world and throughout the story this is shown even more. Pilgrim and his group have to battle sorcerers, soldiers, and magical creations in order to achieve their goal. As we delve a little more into Pilgrim’s past we are also able to see more of the harsh realities of this world. If you like a grim and gritty world, this series may be for you.

As this is a novella at only 135 pages, it really left me with a feeling of wanting more in a good way. I think there are two types of novellas. Novellas that leave you wanting more because you want the next book in the series and novellas that disappoint you because there was just not enough in the small amount of pages to hold your interest or really get you invested. The Kraken’s Tooth was definitely the former. I was engaged throughout the narrative and I am already really looking forward to the next in this series!

Review will be live on Blog on 10-12, Currently live on Goodreads

Last year when Pilgrimage of Swords came out I gobbled it up from the library and loved it. I raved to my husband and friends to 'read this please!'. At the time I don't recall if I pushed out a review (I was probably several months into a high risk pregnancy) but I know I wanted to shout about it. So when I saw the chance to read The Kraken's Tooth I jumped.
Pilgrimage begins as a classic quest fantasy, but develops and twists in ways you won't see coming. The ending on this one was fantastic. By far my favorite characters were Pilgrim and Player, and the teases we got of Pilgrim were like catnip. I had to know more. He may feel, at first blush like your typically stoic hero with a soiled past but I genuinely felt a lot of the grief and anger he carried and because of that he felt well made and written.
The Kraken's Tooth picks up at the end of Pilgrimage with our primary heroes. This second book has changed the style of the writing a bit, and within the first couple of pages that becomes very clear. Pilgrim no longer goes by his moniker but by his actual name. The story feels more personal this time around, a bit more of the expected style for a today's Epic Fantasy. This doesn't hinder the story but going directly from one book to the next you can see the difference.
I can't speak too much to the plot, but I'll say (and this applies directly to Swords and Tooth) Anthony Ryan is clearly picking up very expected fantasy tropes and trying extremely hard to do them right. It works too, exceptionally well. I cringe when I see a lot of these same things used, but here, they work well.
Overall both stories keep an excellent world and atmosphere about them. Our characters feel solid and three dimensional even in the short amount of time we have them, and Anthony Ryan's use of fantasy tropes and clichés is fantastic. I highly recommend both of these.

My only criticism is that it wasn't longer! I didn't realize this was a novella. This is a great continuation of the story Anthony started in A Pilgramage of Swords and I'm looking forward to more. I love the world-building and want to know more about Guyime's past and Seeker's daughter.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Subterranean Press for an ARC of The Kraken's Tooth in exchange for an honest review.

So this was an ARC that I applied for without doing much research on, (because what even is reading the synopsis of a book for), clearly a lesson was learned this time. This is book two in a series, yes that's right people, book two.
So I could not in anyway give a real honest opinion on this if I read it without hunting down book one, so I did, I bought the e-book of A Pilgrimage of Swords. So yes this review will be done with prior knowledge of the last book.

The Kraken's Tooth picks up right where A Pilgrimage of Swords leaves off, but even with going into this book freshly after finishing the first, I was completely thrown off by the use of Guyime's actual name, and not the "name" he used in book one, but that's a me thing most likely, so take that with a grain of salt.

For me the first two chapters where kind of slow on the build up, but after that the momentum picked up and the action started to fall in, and I feel like the action was much more entertaining this time around. There was also some new magic elements brought in which were pretty interesting to me, I have never seen magic around map making so that was really interesting. There is another one but I 'll leave that for you to find out, I still found it a fascinating element.

What I liked most about this particular installment was more background into Guyime and some of the atrocious acts he took part in, or caused. One in particular broke my heart, wasn't strong enough to make me cry, but it did make me sad, and honestly I had the same reaction as Lakorath the sword, when it was revealed.

Which also I got more Sword talking in this one, which I loved! Please give me all the talking swords, I don't care if some are demon infested.

I will say though the final battle was very anticlimactic, all the previous battle and fight scenes in this were more entertaining then the final battle and the claiming of the sword was just very lack luster, in what I was thinking would go down. It might be due to part of how and why it happened and maybe the goal was to go for a softer approach but it was just kind of bland for me.

All in all, its not a bad book, it has lots of good action, and Guyime's past is intriguing, and I honestly want to know the connection between Seeker and her daughter to his hunt for the swords, so I'm sticking around till the end to see what happens in this series.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Kraken’s Tooth continues where A Pilgrimage of Swords leads off: with Pilgrim (AKA – Guyime) heading off with Seeker to find her daughter, as promised. This book was really similar to the first book in the series, and I thank author Author Anthony Ryan for that. After experiencing book 1, I was ready for more! I enjoyed reading the follow-up and am excited to see where the series goes from here.

I described Pilgrimage as adventure fantasy meets grimdark (see how I linked it there for your convenience?), and Kraken is much of the same. Pilgrim finds himself on yet ANOTHER quest with yet ANOTHER crew at his back (and sometimes at his front; and, actually, more often than not at his sides saving his ass from a demon with an attitude). It is a fun narrative, and one of the aspects of Kraken that I find so intriguing is that the stakes are higher this time. Pilgrim is not just out for himself as the was in Pilgrimage; he is helping someone he cares about, and that brings a little bit of a different tone in this book. Not that he was not willing to put himself in danger for the sake of others in the first book (as we came to find out), but in this book that is his goal from the beginning. And wouldn’t you know it, their goals (by chance!) are intertwined, and Pilgrim may be able to accomplish his goal while also getting Seeker what she is looking for. Talk about tension! Between the main story and subplots, this story is absolutely oozing with it.

Another great thing about Kraken is that, because we already were introduced to this world and the characters in book 1 (though with a narrow scope), it gives Ryan and opportunity to expand and provide more detail. We get some more of the history and different areas of the world, and some more about Pilgrim and Seeker’s pasts. On the flip side, we are introduced to a few new characters with one-of-a-kind skillsets that are perfect for this journey to find the kraken’s tooth. The world is really captivating, and the characters are unique. It is really cool the way the author is slowly opening this world to readers, one 100 plus-page novella at a time. Each book is like one piece of the puzzle that (hopefully) creates a full picture by the time we open them all.

I had a lot fun with this book. With The Kraken’s Tooth, Anthony Ryan has brought us another action-packed story full of as much adventure as one can fit in 150 pages or less. I recommend fantasy fans pick this series up if they have not, already. This is going to be a fun ride.

As it turns out, my criticism of this book is exactly identical to book 1. Namely, it is far too short.

Granted, as a short story, that is to be expected but Anthony Ryan has created a world and story that will suck you in and having you turning page after page. The characters are surprisingly fleshed out and compelling, given the lack of pages, while still maintaining some compelling mysteries about their past. The plot moves along, a narrow focus for the book but enough hints of a greater overarching tale that keep a reader engaged and hungry for more.

Now the long wait for book 3!

I was given a free copy of Kraken’s Tooth by Anthony Ryan (author), Subterranean Press (publisher), and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Kraken’s Tooth is the fourth story that I have read by Mr. Ryan. I would characterize this novel as squarely within the confines of epic fantasy.

Blood Song, Mr. Ryan’s first novel, is one of the best debuts I have read by any fantasy author. This novel, which is the first in the Raven’s Shadow trilogy, introduced the reader to a remarkably interesting main character, the world-building that is top-notch, and an interesting coming-of-age story. When Tower Lord, the second in the Raven’s Shadow trilogy was published and I was able to read it, I expected it to be equally amazing as the Blood Song, but I was wrong. I think I read about fifty percent of the novel before I decided to stop reading. The reason was I did not find Tower Lord to be as engaging or compelling as Blood Song.

The fourth of Mr. Ryan’s novels that I read was the Waking Fire the first book in the Draconis Memoria trilogy because I was intrigued by its blurb. I stopped reading Waking Fire for the same reasons I stopped reading Tower Lord.

Before I started to read Kraken’s Tooth, I tried not to set any expectations due to my previous mixed experiences in reading his novels.

This review will not contain any spoilers.

As I made my way through the early chapters of this novella, I realized Kraken’s Tooth is second in a series and a sequel to A Pilgrimage of Swords. I had two thoughts at this point: i) no matter if a book is a stand-alone story, the first in a series, or another subsequent book in that series, the story contained in that book should complete; and ii) if what I am reading is compelling enough that I want to read the entire story, then I would stop reading the current story, and read the previous installments. While continuing to read Kraken’s Tooth, I determined the story was not compelling enough for me to stop reading this novella, read Pilgrimage of Swords, and then resume reading Kraken’s Tooth.

The story in Kraken’s Tooth depicts a part of a journey of a former king and character called Seeker. The former king possesses a sword containing a demon spirit and he is looking for several other swords. The Seeker is seeking her daughter that had been captured and possibly sold into slavery.

In this novella, the former king and Seeker are in a city because there may be some people who may have information about the current whereabouts of the daughter. The people, who may have the information, tell the former king and Seeker if they do something for them, they will provide the information.

Even though I did not read Pilgrimage of Swords, I was able to understand what was happening in Kraken’s Tooth as I read the novella. Kraken’s Tooth contains a complete story while letting the reader know the story of the former king and Seeker will continue.

Kraken’s Tooth is a solid novella with fleshed out characters and a somewhat entertaining story. I, however, do not find neither of the former king nor Seeker to be compelling. I also do not find the story to be engaging because it took me about two weeks to finish this novella. During this two-week period and after I started to read Kraken’s Tooth, I read four other novels, and then I finished Kraken’s Tooth.

This novella is well-written, contains no spelling or grammar typos, and the plot is not complex.

I will rate Kraken’s Tooth 2.5 stars.

I would like to thank Mr. Ryan, Subterranean Press, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For my fantasy reads, I generally go by the rule of longer is better, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. The Kraken’s Tooth is the second installment in Ryan’s Seven Swords series. I’m possibly biased because I’m a big fan of Ryan’s work, but this was another great read by him. It’s one of those small but mighty situations.

Continuing the story from A Pilgrimage of Swords, the adventure keeps rolling and has surprising depth considering how short both are. Ryan is able to create a world that is interesting, has history, and has enough detail to imagine it, which can often take many hundreds of pages to convey. Added to that, the characters that the reader is adventuring with are even more interesting that the strange world they live in. The conversations between Guyime and Lakorath are particularly entertaining as is the slow unfolding of Guyime’s murky history. This book gets right down to the business of being a great story and is perfect if you want something to keep you entertained without the large commitment of time that so many of the good fantasy books require.

A great installment of Anthony Ryan's new novella series. Much like the first book, we are dropped into the story as our heroes continue to search for Seeker's daughter. We journey to an island city and get embroiled in a search for the Kraken's Tooth, another demon blade. Things are never easy, especially in this harsh world as a sacrifice is made and the past for Pilgrim must be faced.
A tightly written story which reads quickly but continues to provide flesh to the characters and the world.
When is the next one?

I did not read the book(s) prior to this because I did not know there were others. However, I am not going to let that sway my rating especially since I was confused a bit with things going on. But I will say I did enjoy this story and thought it was action packed and the world building was great!

I love Anthony Ryan's books at large, but in particular, I love the first book of each of his series. The first book is always about exploration, world building and a sense of new. The plot is slower and the characters traversing the world take time and we see every bit of it. In the later books the world is more known and scenery changes at a whim - a thousand miles and month can happen in a paragraph.

The Seven Sword novellas are all just the first book. There is a compact adventure of new in each story and we never move from the micro to macro. Reading this I feel like re-exploring adventure novels of old - Jules Verne's works, Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines", or their modern variants Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. This is not an indication of the plot or style, just the feel I get when reading this series.

Story: Our protagonist with his cursed sword continues on his quest to find the other six cursed swords in the world in order to (hopefully) break his. His companion, Seeker, in turn looks for her daughter who was captured by slavers years ago. If you read the first novella in the series it helps, but is not completely required to enjoy this story. Through an old contact they find themselves in the island city of Carthula where they believe they can find a clue to where the lost daughter is, as well as find one of the swords.

As in the first novel, we learn of the world as our protagonist goes through it - very much a "show, don't tell" approach. The writing is clean and tight, as is needed for shorter stories - enough so that this could be a standalone.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans, especially to those who enjoy the classical adventure style. Fans of Anthony Ryan should be very happy as well.

I am constantly amazed by the authors imagination and ability to build world's and fill them with characters of such depth and personality that in his previous books. There were just so many great elements ranging from the detailed story line, the diverse group of characters that each contributed journey and the story itself, and the author's writing style that changed this storytelling to something way beyond that made this an exceptional read.

Ryan's prose is great as usual, straight to the point with a fast pace that was constantly enjoyable and made a lot happen in this novel.

This was a strong book with great action, and one of my favorite duels that I have read! The large scale conflict was brilliantly described and became a vivid picture in my mind. I look forward to the next book coming out. From a fast-paced story with the right amount of breathtaking action sequences & curative dialogue to an engaging plot with an exciting series of events, and from well-crafted and fascinating characters to a masterfully established world with its many characteristics such as magic system, lore, cosmology and geography, as well as the world's many human inhabitants, their societies and their cultures, The Kraken's Tooth is everything a fantasy fan could ever wish for.

I was lucky and received an ARC of The Kraken's Tooth. I hadn't read Anthony Ryan before, and since this was the second novella in the Seven Swords series, I first tracked down the first novella, A Pilgrimage of Swords, and read that. It was a great introduction to the series, and an enjoyable read. I then started The Kraken's Tooth, and it was even better. Great characters, a great story, and great writing. Can't wait for future books in the series. Plus, this has made me realize that I've been missing Anthony Ryan's works, and will have to start working through his books.

For anyone with middle age children, I think these will also work and be enjoyed. I immediately show this to my 14 year old, and she thought it sounded interesting. I believe that she will enjoy it.

Much like its predecessor, Kraken’s Tooth, jumps right into the action and maintains that pace throughout the length of the story. It continues the journey of Guyime and Seeker, each looking to right their wrongs. Seeker continues the search for her daughter while Guyime searches for the other demonic weapons in an effort to destroy them. Despite its short length, this story is rich enough in detail that readers will be able to picture the landscape as they progress. And true to Anthony Ryan’s style, the fighting remains action packed and crisp. This follow up does its predecessor, A Pilgrimage of Swords, justice.