Best Anthony Ryan Books
Anthony Ryan built his reputation on Blood Song, a debut that spread almost entirely by word of mouth before becoming one of self-published fantasy's great success stories. The Raven's Shadow series showcases his strengths: tightly controlled first-person narration, a protagonist whose competence feels earned rather than granted, and battle sequences that hit with real weight. Ryan writes military fantasy with an insider's precision — formations matter, logistics matter, and the cost of violence accumulates across pages rather than disappearing between chapters. His worldbuilding is patient, releasing information through experience rather than exposition. Readers who love Joe Abercrombie's gritty realism or Brian McClellan's disciplined plotting will find Ryan a natural fit. If you want fantasy that respects the mechanics of war and the psychology of soldiers, Blood Song is one of the best entry points in the genre.
Where to Start with Anthony Ryan
- Best entry point → Blood Song
- Start the Raven's Shadow #0.7 series → Many Are the Dead
- What readers keep coming back to → Unfettered II: New Tales
- Highest rated by readers → Unbound
Best Anthony Ryan Books
- 1
Blood Song
Raven's Shadow • Book 1
by Anthony Ryan
★ 4.45 BLT Score (92.6K ratings)★ 4.41 Goodreads (92.6K) - 2
Many Are the Dead
Raven's Shadow #0.7
by Anthony Ryan
★ 3.96 BLT Score (935 ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (935) - 3
Unfettered II: New Tales
Gunnie Rose #0.0 - The Gunnie
by Shawn Speakman, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Michael J. Sullivan, Janny Wurts, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Mark Lawrence, Seanan McGuire, Peter Orullian, Aidan Moher, Erin Lindsey, John A. Pitts, Anthony Ryan, Scott Sigler, Django Wexler, Rachel Caine, Sarah Beth Durst, David Farland, Terry Brooks
★ 3.78 BLT Score (1.1K ratings)★ 3.92 Goodreads (1.1K) - 4
Unbound
Annwn Cycle #The Dead's Revenant • Book 1
by Shawn Speakman, Terry Brooks, Seanan McGuire, Mark Lawrence, Anthony Ryan, Tim Marquitz, Brian Staveley, Michael J. Sullivan, John Marco, Peter Orullian, Kat Richardson, Sam Sykes, Kristen Britain, Mazarkis Williams, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Harry Connolly, Delilah S. Dawson, David Anthony Durham, Jason M. Hough, Mary Robinette Kowal, Joe Abercrombie
★ 3.74 BLT Score (1.0K ratings)★ 3.96 Goodreads (1.0K) - 5
Deep Magic: Volume 2: A Speculative Fiction Collection: Deep Magic
Deep Magic • Book 2
by Jeff Wheeler, Kate Rudd, Amir Abdullah, Elizabeth Wiley, Samara Naeymi, Hannah Curtis, Adam Verner, Anthony Ryan, Ken Liu, Charlie N. Holmberg, Jeanna Mason Stay, Wulf Moon
★ 3.67 BLT Score (0 ratings)