A Pilgrimage of Swords

This is a great short read for anyone who is a fan of Anthony Ryan. It contains an easy to follow story line and has the great plot twists that one has come to expect from Ryan. I enjoyed the face pace of this novella and that the main character had his internal dialogue with a demon sword, giving the reader a sense of humor, but also the depths that the Pilgrim has taken to be independent of the swords voice. The ending really surprised me, but in a good way.

I have yet to read anything by Anthony Ryan that I haven't been quite taken with, this was no exception. My largest and only gripe is that a novela is far too short a medium for a story of this caliber.

The world, characters, and backstory that we get mere glances of would entice me to read a series of massive tomes expanding on all of it.

This is a very fine piece of work, and I would recommend it without reservation to anyone that can handle the heartbreak of it ending all too soon.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be released on September 30th.

Wow! Reminiscent of Tad Williams or Sean Russell, this book has everything I look for in an epic fantasy. The world building- especially the religious beliefs and how they’ve affected everything over the years- was masterful. It was well-thought out and delivered, without turning into the dreaded information dump. I loved the idea of the Mad God granting one prayer if you can survive the Execration. The stakes are high; the Mad God will only answer the prayer of one person.

I was immediately drawn in to the desolate feel of the setting, and the desperation of the characters. It was hard to really pick a favorite character because they all had their own, valid to them, reasons for the journey. Pilgrim was fascinating, complex and multi-faceted. His character was filled with conflict; was he a monster, or a man?

Seeker was also fantastic. She had a hyena companion! That is by far the most original animal sidekick (for lack of a better term) that I’ve read in any fantasy book. In fact, each character had something that set them apart from those in other fantasy books.

The book sucked me in; I finished it in a day. I highly recommend this book. I know I’ll be checking out other books by this author since I enjoyed A Pilgrimage of Swords so much.

I was honored to be given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Anthony Ryan, so it's no great surprise that I loved this novella. My only complaint is that it is too short. I wanted more, but what we are given in the short page count is something exciting, terrifying, and compelling.

You will not find a wasted word anywhere. Every piece of the novella either moves the story forward, teaches us some history or develops the characters. It moves at a breakneck pace and is hard to put down. The main character is interesting, flawed, but likable. I was extremely impressed by the amount of depth Mr. Ryan packed into this character with so few pages. I think the sword helps add a lot to his role too, and I found it to be one of the better characters in its own right. The ending was satisfying and left the door wide open for more. I think I heard that this might eventually turn into a series of full-length novels, and if they do, I will be first in line to buy them.

First of all, this short story is entirely separate from the Raven’s Shadow world so anyone can enjoy this and it’s a great way to acquaint yourself with Anthony Ryan’s writing. Secondly, since A Pilgrimage of Swords is published by Subterranean Press you can guarantee that it will be a small work of art. The cover art is fantastic and the story within is just as great.

Pilgrim is introduced to readers during the tail end of a caravan raid, though at this point he doesn’t have a name. He’s surveying the damages and his sword is talking to him… and he’s talking back. Rest assured, he’s not crazy his sword’s just possessed. We are shortly thereafter introduced to a woman who calls herself Seeker and her hyena, both of who are on the same journey as Pilgrim. They are seeking the Mad God in hopes that he will grant them a wish.

The plot of the story is well outlined in the synopsis and I see no need to rehash the topic. The journey to the Mad God is perilous and filled with the horrors of the blasted land now called the Execration. The group of travelers are an odd bunch – there’s Pilgrim and his demon sword, Seeker who hopes the Mad God will tell her where her daughter is, a couple who have called themselves after a pair of star crossed lovers, a masked actor, a scholar, and of course the young priest who is probably the last of his order. Not all are as they seem and for the most part they hold their cards close – what will they ask of the Mad God? It was fascinating to see these mysteries unravel as they get closer to their destination. Hidden talents and motives are revealed and not everyone makes it to the end.

I was suitably impressed with the story and the history of Pilgrim and his sword was particularly fascinating. As novellas tend to be, this was a tantalizing snapshot of a world and one that I would love to read more of. The ending left plenty of room for future books in the series, though I shan’t say more because it would spoil who lives through the book!