peruseproject's review
5.0
4.5 - such a strong debut! This has everything I love in YA fantasy AND THEN SOME
0shelfcontrol's review
5.0
4.5 / 5 ⭐️s
This book was AWESOMEEE!!!
I thought I was falling out of love with YA books, but this one had me gripped!! It was so interesting and well written. Even thought its in third person I still loved it. So glad I bought the second one with the first so I can start it tonight lol.
I especially loved the acknowledgement of anxiety attacks that the author included. As an anxiety sufferer myself, I appreciate it. I mean, lets be honest, if you had a week to kill a highly guarded queen in order to save your younger sister from an ancient God, you’re telling me you wouldn’t be anxious?? Props to realism.
This book was AWESOMEEE!!!
I thought I was falling out of love with YA books, but this one had me gripped!! It was so interesting and well written. Even thought its in third person I still loved it. So glad I bought the second one with the first so I can start it tonight lol.
I especially loved the acknowledgement of anxiety attacks that the author included. As an anxiety sufferer myself, I appreciate it. I mean, lets be honest, if you had a week to kill a highly guarded queen in order to save your younger sister from an ancient God, you’re telling me you wouldn’t be anxious?? Props to realism.
michellestoll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
traciinbookstagram's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mikkareads's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. The writing is lush and gorgeous, dripping vivid descriptions and a resonating atmosphere. With attention to detail and vibrant settings, the author transports the reader into a deeply original realm that draws inspiration from West African folklore.
The narrative sets a gripping pace, laced with suspense and unexpected twists. I found myself racing through its nearly 500 pages – yet also wanting to slow down to enjoy the storytelling.
And the characters? Oh, the synopsis does not do them justice. With every chapter, the two protagonists, Karina and Malik, reveal themselves as authentic, complex beings who defy clichés – and get drawn into a destiny that asks them to commit the ultimate betrayal. Thus, their growing attraction is bitter-sweet, as the reader cleary sees that the story is headed for heartbreak either way.
There are vengeful spirits, there is ancient magic, but beneath all that lie very real strifes and struggles. The novel tackles weighty themes, such as war, grief, injustice and prejudice, giving the story depth and resonance beyond the surface-level fantasy adventure.
Above all, I want to praise the mental health representation in this novel. Malik, a refugee from a war-stricken country, is suffering from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. Never, ever does the author use this as a mere plot device, nor does she fall into the tired trope of the hero being 'cured' as part of their journey.
Instead, she paints a picture that rings very true – of his struggles, but also of his bravery and his worth, which is never diminished by him being portrayed as 'weak'.
The narrative sets a gripping pace, laced with suspense and unexpected twists. I found myself racing through its nearly 500 pages – yet also wanting to slow down to enjoy the storytelling.
And the characters? Oh, the synopsis does not do them justice. With every chapter, the two protagonists, Karina and Malik, reveal themselves as authentic, complex beings who defy clichés – and get drawn into a destiny that asks them to commit the ultimate betrayal. Thus, their growing attraction is bitter-sweet, as the reader cleary sees that the story is headed for heartbreak either way.
There are vengeful spirits, there is ancient magic, but beneath all that lie very real strifes and struggles. The novel tackles weighty themes, such as war, grief, injustice and prejudice, giving the story depth and resonance beyond the surface-level fantasy adventure.
Above all, I want to praise the mental health representation in this novel. Malik, a refugee from a war-stricken country, is suffering from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. Never, ever does the author use this as a mere plot device, nor does she fall into the tired trope of the hero being 'cured' as part of their journey.
Instead, she paints a picture that rings very true – of his struggles, but also of his bravery and his worth, which is never diminished by him being portrayed as 'weak'.
socrates90's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Read it, was hard to get into. Preferred one character's story over the other. The plot definitely drove this one!
lynnnnn's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ansleymg's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Song of Wraith and Ruin tells the story of two individuals from very different lives who’s destinies become intertwined. Malik is a poor middle child from the nation of Eshran, a nation overrun with war, poverty, and disease. He and his two sisters are sent by their mother to find work in the rich nation of Ziran. When the siblings arrive at the walls of Ziran and a series of events leads to their papers being stolen, a deal made with a storyteller to get into Ziran leads his younger sister to be kidnapped by an ancient spirit. The only way to get his sister back is to kill the princess of Ziran.
Meanwhile, the city of Ziran is preparing for the great Solstasia festival that is celebrated every fifty years. The sultana of Ziran and her daughter, Karina are butting heads about Karina’s freedom leading up to the festival. Karina’s mother is assassinated during the festival but Karina has a solution- A spell from an ancient book that will resurrect a person. All she needs is a few ingredients and the heart of a king. As the princess and Malik get closer to each other, they each have their ulterior motives: to kill the other.
This story was truly beautifully told. The representation of panic attacks in Malik and PTSD in Karina were so wonderfully done. The character growth shown in Karina throughout the book was one of my favorite parts. The reader gets to watch as she goes from young, immature, and angry to this powerful and vengeful queen. The magic system is so unique and the world building is simply immaculate. The book is fairly slow paced until the very end, in which everything seems to happen at once. A lot of the twists and turns taken in the end are difficult to believe within the world and it felt like they came out of nowhere. I think that there were just too many twists brought in at the end that it felt as if the author was trying very hard to surprise the readers. That would be my only criticism. I am still planning on reading the sequel, as the ending set up for a really interesting direction for the sequel. I also feel an enemies to lovers situation approaching, which is always a grand time.
4/5
Meanwhile, the city of Ziran is preparing for the great Solstasia festival that is celebrated every fifty years. The sultana of Ziran and her daughter, Karina are butting heads about Karina’s freedom leading up to the festival. Karina’s mother is assassinated during the festival but Karina has a solution- A spell from an ancient book that will resurrect a person. All she needs is a few ingredients and the heart of a king. As the princess and Malik get closer to each other, they each have their ulterior motives: to kill the other.
This story was truly beautifully told. The representation of panic attacks in Malik and PTSD in Karina were so wonderfully done. The character growth shown in Karina throughout the book was one of my favorite parts. The reader gets to watch as she goes from young, immature, and angry to this powerful and vengeful queen. The magic system is so unique and the world building is simply immaculate. The book is fairly slow paced until the very end, in which everything seems to happen at once. A lot of the twists and turns taken in the end are difficult to believe within the world and it felt like they came out of nowhere. I think that there were just too many twists brought in at the end that it felt as if the author was trying very hard to surprise the readers. That would be my only criticism. I am still planning on reading the sequel, as the ending set up for a really interesting direction for the sequel. I also feel an enemies to lovers situation approaching, which is always a grand time.
4/5