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A review by bibliorama
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Enjoyment - 3
The second half I enjoyed better than the first. This book did put me into a major reading slump where I had to put it down for months before finishing it.
Start - 2.75
I started reading this back in February of 2022 and that's when it put me into a reading slump. Granted that mainly happened because of what happens to a certain characters mom early on in the book.I am very tired of the parents being killed off in YA. Especially since Karina and her mom had an interesting dynamic that I wish was explored more. It also doesn't help that her death happened right as I was beginning to be invested in their relationship. There wasn't much else in Karina's character that felt unique and outside of other YA books.
Characters - 3.5
Here's the interesting part about this book, it takes a very common trope in YA and flips it on its head. The trope is "poor girl trying to survive in a brutal world gets thrust into the wealthy (potentially royal) side of the world and she meets a bruding prince that is mysterious yet alluring." I'm thinking Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, Crier's War, that kind of setup. Which I liked those books when I read them, so this isn't a knock against that trope. The difference with this book is that Malik is our outsider who's trying to survive while not being accepted in this society and Karina is our brooding princess. I really like this changing of perspective. It gives the trope a different flair.
I really connected with Malik. He felt unique to the genre and is a character you don't see very often. It was nice seeing a teenage boy be represented in YA fantasy especially since he was also dealing with anxiety. I also thought that was depicted realistically. He is also going through a lot in this book. His sister has been kidnapped and to get her back he has to assassinate Karina. Plus he is thrusted into this game where his true identity has to be hidden because the Eshran people are highly discriminated against. That's a lot for one teenager to have on their plate, but when you add all of that with the second perspective of Karina, who is also dealing with a lot, it becomes too much.
This caused me to not connect as much to Karina, partly because she felt like a character that I have read and seen before in this genre already. It also didn't help that the specific scene that made me not want to continue reading happened in her perspective(being the murder of her mom).
What I wish would have happened is for this book to be from one perspective. I think it would have kept the plot more straightforward and allowed more time to deepen the characters. Plus it would have kept Karina a mystery where the reader is with Malik on whether or not she could be trusted.
Atmosphere - 3.5
I like the world and the history behind it, but it still felt surface level in some areas. Maybe this was caused by jumping perspectives, I never felt truly grounded in the character I was reading from.
Plot - 3.5
Like I said before, there's a lot for both teens to deal with and it felt like too much going on where we'd have to move through issues too quickly to fit it all in. I liked Karina's item fetch quest the least. I would have been okay with her doing that in the background.
Ending - 4
Listen, I know a four here might be surprising based on what I've said already, and maybe I was being too harsh on this book, but after not picking it up for a few months, I was able to get my mind in the right head space to finish. I needed to lower my expectations and just let it be what it is and that allowed me to enjoy my time reading the second half more. I still wish the changes that I wrote above were in the final version, but they aren't. So I tried to just let it be so I didn't get put back into another slump.
Style - 2.5
The style was pretty straightforward sometimes a little too much. As far as writing style goes, I didn't feel like there was much difference between Malik and Karina's perspectives. Sure the content that they were thinking about was different, but the way it was presented wasn't.
I might pick up the sequel through the library.
Overall - 3.25
~~~~~~~~~~
So I came back after months of dnfing, and I did finish it. That has to count for something. I enjoyed the back half more than the first half, but a more in depth review will come later. For now,
~~~~~~~~~~
My plan is to come back to this book eventually, but maybe that's just my completionist heart talking. I gave it two months and now I feel as though I'm in a reading slump. The main drive for this that I can pinpoint is thekilling off the mom trope. This was when my enjoyment plummeted. I think I would enjoy the story more if it was just from Malik pov rather than both him and Karina. He felt like a fresh perspective on some tried and true tropes where Karina felt very average. I think I would've enjoyed her plotline more as a mystery from Malik's perspective. One thing I will add, I like the twist on the trope of "from outside the world of the rich and powerful girl protag who comes in contact with the prince etc." I haven't seen a teenage boy take on this character trope and a female take on the mysterious prince trope. So I still think this would be a good story for a teen, particularly for black teenage boys who might not be finding themselves represented in YA fantasy.
The second half I enjoyed better than the first. This book did put me into a major reading slump where I had to put it down for months before finishing it.
Start - 2.75
I started reading this back in February of 2022 and that's when it put me into a reading slump. Granted that mainly happened because of what happens to a certain characters mom early on in the book.
Characters - 3.5
Here's the interesting part about this book, it takes a very common trope in YA and flips it on its head. The trope is "poor girl trying to survive in a brutal world gets thrust into the wealthy (potentially royal) side of the world and she meets a bruding prince that is mysterious yet alluring." I'm thinking Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, Crier's War, that kind of setup. Which I liked those books when I read them, so this isn't a knock against that trope. The difference with this book is that Malik is our outsider who's trying to survive while not being accepted in this society and Karina is our brooding princess. I really like this changing of perspective. It gives the trope a different flair.
I really connected with Malik. He felt unique to the genre and is a character you don't see very often. It was nice seeing a teenage boy be represented in YA fantasy especially since he was also dealing with anxiety. I also thought that was depicted realistically. He is also going through a lot in this book. His sister has been kidnapped and to get her back he has to assassinate Karina. Plus he is thrusted into this game where his true identity has to be hidden because the Eshran people are highly discriminated against. That's a lot for one teenager to have on their plate, but when you add all of that with the second perspective of Karina, who is also dealing with a lot, it becomes too much.
This caused me to not connect as much to Karina, partly because she felt like a character that I have read and seen before in this genre already. It also didn't help that the specific scene that made me not want to continue reading happened in her perspective
What I wish would have happened is for this book to be from one perspective. I think it would have kept the plot more straightforward and allowed more time to deepen the characters. Plus it would have kept Karina a mystery where the reader is with Malik on whether or not she could be trusted.
Atmosphere - 3.5
I like the world and the history behind it, but it still felt surface level in some areas. Maybe this was caused by jumping perspectives, I never felt truly grounded in the character I was reading from.
Plot - 3.5
Like I said before, there's a lot for both teens to deal with and it felt like too much going on where we'd have to move through issues too quickly to fit it all in. I liked Karina's item fetch quest the least. I would have been okay with her doing that in the background.
Ending - 4
Listen, I know a four here might be surprising based on what I've said already, and maybe I was being too harsh on this book, but after not picking it up for a few months, I was able to get my mind in the right head space to finish. I needed to lower my expectations and just let it be what it is and that allowed me to enjoy my time reading the second half more. I still wish the changes that I wrote above were in the final version, but they aren't. So I tried to just let it be so I didn't get put back into another slump.
Style - 2.5
The style was pretty straightforward sometimes a little too much. As far as writing style goes, I didn't feel like there was much difference between Malik and Karina's perspectives. Sure the content that they were thinking about was different, but the way it was presented wasn't.
I might pick up the sequel through the library.
Overall - 3.25
~~~~~~~~~~
So I came back after months of dnfing, and I did finish it. That has to count for something. I enjoyed the back half more than the first half, but a more in depth review will come later. For now,
~~~~~~~~~~
My plan is to come back to this book eventually, but maybe that's just my completionist heart talking. I gave it two months and now I feel as though I'm in a reading slump. The main drive for this that I can pinpoint is the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcohol and War
With the trigger warnings listed, I still find their presentation in the story and how they're addressed not overly graphic or glorified. They all fall in line with the world and I think a teen reading this book wouldn't have any issues.