A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

Malik and his sisters, Eshran refugees, come to Ziran in hopes of a better life. Kirana, a princess who wants to escape the city and is still mourning the death of her father and sister, finds that she's truly imprisoned by a magical barrier keeping her world safe. Their lives collide during Solstasia, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, when Malik's sister is taken by a being called Idir, and the price for her return is Kirana's life.

If you love fantasy, magic, a dash of romance and fantastic world-building, look no further than this book, which is first in a planned series. The narrative switches back and forth between Malik and Kirana in every chapter, letting you see each of their motivations and development in the course of the show more story. The revelations of the world, its past history and current political situation, are beautifully done in a way that kept me guessing 'til the end. I am so excited to read the next book! show less

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is one of those "oh, my gosh" books. Written for middle school and older readers, I found the book to be rich in folklore and good reading for adults. The author's world is fascinating and her characters complex. And the story ... I kept finding myself surprised because it didn't wander into standard fantasy tropes. Just when I would think, "I know where this is going," the characters would go and do something else, but that something was totally what that person would do. An added bonus is I think I learned a little more about West African mythology.

Before I suggest that everyone who likes fantasy should read this book, I should quote the author's warning. "Please note this book depicts issues of mild show more self-harm ideation, fantasy violence, emotional and physical abuse, anxiety and panic attacks, parent death, and animal death. I have done my best to approach these topics with sensitivity, but if you feel this kind of content may be triggering, please be aware."

The sequel to this book is A Psalm of Storms and Silence, due out in the fall of 2021. I rarely preorder a book, but I did this one. It isn't that A Song of Wraiths and Ruin ended in a cliffhanger because it didn't. It is because I enjoyed the author's writing and storytelling, and I want to read more from her.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or mythology. I don't think you'll be disappointed. show less

Holy guacamole this book was good. The characters and settings and lore are so vivid and unique that you could never confuse it with another book. I love that the characters are each obviously flawed in their own ways and that each is so relatable and sympathetic in their own way - even the villains.

The book touches on a lot of contemporary issues as well in a way that feels equally organic to the story and purposeful in its commentary on real life, ranging from self harm to immigration to grief.

For me, the BEST part was the expansive swath of mythologies the lore draws from. Most is African in origin, though there does seem to be some middle eastern influences (just as in real life, obviously!). The use of Egyptian mythology as an show more event older, more ancient civilization really added a cool layer to the story while still being in keeping with the African motif. show less

I am always here for a rich fantasy world, and A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN has that in spades. This novel bubbles with darkness - desperation, blood, and vengeance run rivers of red through the streets of this city, and I loved it.

Well, by the end, I loved it.

Fact of the matter is that the pacing in this book is really fast and it took me for a ride. There were bumps along the way - every road has bumps - but by the end, I'm singing the praises of A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN like everyone else. The world here is so cool and I wish I could have spent more time with the world and not just running around with Karina and Malik, but there will be other books for that. The ending itself wrapped up everything with a new emerald ribbon while also show more opening a Pandora's box of nightmares to contend with in book two. Whatever complaints I had while reading were resolved by the end, and with the new turn of events, I seriously can't wait for the next one. It's going to be a wild ride.

For a more detailed review of this book and other, and for more bookish content, come visit me at The Literary Phoenix! show less

While this isn't something I would normally read (YA, love triangley, saving the world rests on a teen, etc tropes) the reviews on it drove me to picking up a copy.

I LOVED the duel POV, it gave the world so must depth, as Malik and Karina are from vastly different upbringings. They each viewed the events in ways that drew me into their unique stories, while giving so much world info without dumping. The books doesn't read like the cliche tropes at all.

The magic system is fantastic, the more i learned about it, the more i wanted to experience people using it and the lore of the city was unique. Love me some fantasy festivals. The culture, political intrigue and characters were well written and kept the story moving at a need more pace. show more There were so many things at the end that i was like OH SHIT, didn't see that coming. But it also followed some tropes so some thing were as predicted. Overall, I would say it was a great balance.

Karina's character growth throughout the book is palpable. From her unwanted beginnings to her assertive endings. I am excited to see where the next book takes her, as she has so many strengths, but also a lot of baggage to work through.

While i have predictions for these two characters, I do hope that the author put s spin on tired YA tropes in the second book. There is so much redemption, revenge, and world building that I want more of, so I will for sure be reading it! show less

Starts younger-feeling than I'd like - even the main characters feel a lot younger than they are - but this improved and I did appreciate that they're both dealing with mental illnesses (in both cases either caused or at least exacerbated by a combination of trauma and terrible parenting) on top of magic in a country that at least professes not to believe in it. The pseudo-African setting is great, as is the weight of history and the theme that an empire built by overthrowing an empire is still an empire. A few twists near the end would have set up a unique ending if this was a stand-alone. :-) Instead they set up a sequel, but in a natural resting-place way so it's more satisfying than cliffhangerish.

More of a solid 3.5.

CW: mild self-harm ideation, fantasy violence, emotional and physical abuse, anxiety and panic attacks, parent death, and animal death (taken from the author’s note)

This book has taken a while because it’s been quite lauded by everyone I know, so naturally there was a long wait at the library. And wow did I finish it in just a single sitting.

This West African inspired world and magic system was fascinating and I really enjoyed the way the land of Ziran is described. I especially loved the history of this land and it’s peoples, and how the Alahari dynasty came to be. The author also manages to weave in some very important themes like the plight of refugees in a fraught immigration system, the effects of show more colonization, and how it’s very much possible for the oppressed to become oppressors because that’s what war and opportunity does to rulers.

On the other hand, the plot was slightly predictable and I can’t believe that I actually guessed the main villain as well as another important plot point right when they were hinted for the first time. The anxiety/panic attacks and in general mental health rep felt very organic to the story and I thought was handled very well. But the content might be triggering, so please do keep it in mind.

Malik was easy to like from the beginning but my overwhelming feeling for him was sadness because he tried his best with lot of heart and courage, but also took it too hard if he failed at his endeavors. Karina on the other hand did come across as an entitled royal for a while, until we realize she is also hiding a lot of pain and acting out, and now also has been thrust into a role she wasn’t ready for. We do end up rooting for both of them, but they can act impulsively and take bad decisions sometimes that blow up in their faces. There was one particular instance that happens towards the end that I hated because the character really doesn’t think of any large scale consequence of their decision, which kind of soured my overall feeling about the book at the end.

Overall, if you are looking for a very interesting YA world and magic system that’s inspired by West Africa and it’s folklore, you should totally check this out. The characters can be impressive at times too but I’ll have to mention that the plot is not the strong point here. I definitely had fun while reading this one and I’m open to reading the sequel, but it’ll probably not be on the top of my list next year until I see some of my friends’ reviews. show less