For decades the brothers of the Sixth Order have fought a savage war against the Lonak clans amidst the frozen peaks of their Dominion. 

When word reaches the north of a fresh outbreak of the dreaded Red Hand, Brother Sollis, the finest swordsman in the Order, leads a small band to a long-abandoned castle in search of a potential cure but discovers a far greater threat lurking in the mountains. 

Enemies become allies as Sollis leads an increasingly desperate fight against an inhuman enemy steeped in the power of the Dark. 

Many Are the Dead is a new novella by Anthony Ryan, set before the events of Blood Song, the first book in his Raven’s Shadow series. Before diving into my review, I owe an absolutely MASSIVE thank you to Anthony Ryan for sending me a copy of this, personalized & signed! This was easily one of the coolest pieces of bookmail I’ve ever received as a blogger!

When we meet Master Sollis in Blood Song, he is a stern yet fair teacher. Singularly devoted to the Order, and a brilliant swordsman, he becomes Vaelin Al Sorna’s (the trilogy’s main character) mentor. Many Are the Dead is a standalone prequel, set ten years prior to Blood Song, and featuring an adventure with Sollis (then known as Brother Sollis) as the main character. This was fast-paced & brutal, fun to read, and more than a little bonkers!

The brothers of the Sixth Order are approached by Sister Elera, a healer with the Fifth Order. She’s seeking help in procuring a particular weed that may cure the Red Hand, a horrible disease of which there’s been a recent outbreak. Trouble is, the path they must take will lead them deep into Lonak territory. The Lonak & the Sixth Order have been warring for decades, but in order to survive an even greater threat, Sollis & co. will have to fight alongside the Lonak.

They meet Verkehla. She’s a very powerful Lonak shaman, and one of the more memorable characters in the whole Raven’s Shadow world. She’s foul-mouthed & frequently hilarious, and is literally out of fucks to give. I loved her in this story! And it was really cool to see this younger version of Sollis…quite a bit less rigid than we find him in the trilogy. 

There’s some epic battling in this novella, some weird & dark magic, and even hordes of attacking bears & wolves thrown in for good measure! This was a lot of fun to read, and a good reminder of what a great writer Anthony Ryan is. While I struggled with the pace of Queen of Fire, I think Blood Song and Tower Lord (oh fuck…especially Tower Lord) are two of the more solidly written fantasy novels I’ve read. This has made me even more excited for his upcoming Raven’s Shadow duology!