A review by starrysteph
A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

challenging dark hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A Song of Salvation is an imaginative space opera with a focus on moving from righteous rage to compassion, found family, and healing.

We’re following Zaira - part teenage girl and part reborn creator god - as she prepares to be sacrificed by the destruction god who has taken over her planet and people. When she unexpectedly escapes her execution, she stumbles into smuggler Wesley, who is just trying to save enough money to live amongst the stars for good. But the duo - alongside eccentric celebrity podcaster Rubin - have to somehow stop an intergalactic war first.

I thought the world-building was pretty smooth, but it was perhaps a mistake to market this as a standalone. I picked it up thinking I’d be just fine not having read the first two books set in this world, and I do feel as though that made things trickier. At the start, things were really thrown at you, and it felt like there were some assumptions as to the reader’s background knowledge of this galaxy and the warring players. Additionally, there were moments that I could tell were cameos (the descriptions and energy around a few small characters were wildly elevated compared to other scenes) – but weren’t meaningful to me without the background lore. 

Zaira is a bit cheekily overpowered - I mean, she’s a god - and that lessened the stakes for me as I was never truly concerned about the fate of our main trio. She repeatedly says she doesn’t know how to use her powers, but in action she comes through (and barely breaks a sweat) every time. I did like her journey of working through her rage and learning how to trust and heal. 

Rubin felt a little flat. He’s an over-the-top influencer, and that’s his only beat in every scene. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t reflect, and doesn’t really open up. 

Wesley was more captivating to me, likely because we saw more of his pain and he was given a fuller arc. I didn’t totally believe how quickly he fell for Rubin, but I thought their relationship was sweet. I really enjoyed his reckoning with his family and witnessing him begin to heal his trauma. 

Overall, the writing was fun. I was really interested in the world and tech and cultures. It was very repetitive and blandly direct at times, and I would have preferred more varied language. 

I always love a queernormative universe, and I love how this trio embraced fuller body types as well. 

CW: death, war, grief, genocide, colonialism & colonization, murder, child abuse

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)

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