A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Ratings47
Average rating4
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 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.
It was a good book. Personally, I don't think much stood out- for me, there was nothing truly remarkable about it, so to speak. Things were a bit slow at first, but the book picked up speed some time into the end. Hopefully the second book's quality is more like the ending of the first.
Finished most of it in one sitting. Another beautifully compelling YA fantasy I got to read this year! What I enjoyed most about this book was the characterization of the two mains–how deeply flawed but good they are, how their flaws and mistakes dig them into deep holes. Definitely also a lot of interesting commentary about imperialism and xenophobia embedded too. And twists that felt anticipated but not necessarily predictable.
I've never looked up more creatures of myth than I did reading this incredible book. The stories weaved within are magical and feel old as time. Hyena is fascinating, Idir is heartbreaking, and Malik and Karina both have so much trauma to heal through that I found myself near tears from the rawness and realness of their plight. Genuinely an amazing read and I'm so excited for the next book!
I enjoyed the story and the writing. Sadly, I did not connect with the characters.
Instagram review
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.7
Report:
Narrative voice: 3rd person past tense, multiple POV
Sexy: 1/3 (this is YA, so minimal kissing)
Romance: 1/3 (the romance is more in the background, unlike what the book blurb implies)
Writing: 2/3
Fantasy: 3/3
World building: 3/3 (a new world with its own politics, culture etc)
Surprising: 3/3 (I was shocked a few times)
Easy to read: 2/3
Will I read the next book? Yes! Can't wait!
TL;DR: Beautiful story filled with good representation and wonderful world building.
I read this book with a 14 year old's enthusiasm. It reminded me of the series books I fell in love with 15 years ago. I loved Karina and Malik and their relationship to their families and to each other. The magic and the Griot and Commander Hamidou. Even Idir was likable in his own classically misunderstood villainy way. Yes, this book follows almost all of the quintessential YA Fantasy themes, but there's a reason those themes are reused. They work. I'm hooked. This book took me a really long time to read though. The primary reason being that every time the perspective changed between Karina and Malik, there was a slight lull caused by the world building necessary to connect to the previous chapter.
Overall, I really liked this book and I can't wait for the sequel to come out.
Very nice!There were some... how to put it... weaknesses. There were more strengths.I was hoping they have sort of a [b:Stardust 16793 Stardust Neil Gaiman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459127484l/16793.SY75.jpg 3166179] ending, like he killing her and thus getting the little sister back, and then because she had the “king's heart”, she would come back to life, but that didn't happen. :-( I'm a bit disappointed.And there were some of my least favorite tropes in there, like misunderstanding causing trouble etc. Don't like that. :-(Also, I love it that this is a Fantasy book written by a black woman about a black woman, with African traditions, culture, legends, tales, myths etc. Love the serp-opard :-D
This. Has. Everything: great setting, magical (ish) competition, grumpy protagonist who grows as a person throughout the book, palace intrigue, ancient secrets. What more do you want?!
ugh @ other GR reviewers complaining about this being tropey...that's a feature not a bug!! Ughhh
anyway I read this all in one afternoon. Love the worldbuilding, love the characters, hate the cliffhanger ending! (But it is a real ending not like SOME series books that end so abruptly.)
I'm all in on the hype train for this YA. Truly one of the most enjoyable YAs I've read in a few years. Also because it's fast paced, well written and has great themes for teens, I actually think it's a great one for teens to pick up.
Liked it, but expected a bit more action
After a spirit adducts his sister, Malik must win a contest, emerge as King, and kill the Crown princess for his sister's freedom. Meanwhile, struggling with the death of her mother, Princess Karina seeks the heart of a king to resurrect her. Yet, against all odds, the two fall in love with each other.
Pros
+Malik personality. You don't see much soft bois in YA. Malik was so soft and adorable and empathic. It nice change from these brooding bad boys about we always see.
+anxiety rep. The anxiety rep is so good especially when Malik had a panic attack. I am so glad to finally see some good mental health rep. I especially since love or anything else didn't cure his anxiety by the end.
+competition. I like the idea of the Champion competition and the different Aligned champions
+the twists and turns at the end redeemed the book for me and made me look forward to reading the sequel.
+history. Learning some of the history and how it all came into play at the end was interesting.
Cons
-slowpaced. I feel like the focus is so heavy on emotions and not enough on the characters task. I feel like that got nothing done until late in the book.
-Karina. Karina was so immature and infuriating to read about. She was constantly making rash decisions in her hot headness. She was also pushed everyone away and damaged her image. I mean, I know she's a teenager dealing with a lot of unprocessed grief, but that did make it any less frustrating to read. She gets better by the end but it doesn't erase the first half of the book.
-infodumps. Sometimes I felt like I was reading a history textbook. Characters would record history of the city and while it was interesting, I was left wondering what the importance of it was.
-development. Character development didn't come until exactly 65% percent of the book.
-lack of chemistry. The protagonists spend so time apart for more than first half of the book. Their chemistry felt rushed and sudden.
This book was different than I thought it would be. It was more tame. I thought it would have more action and less dialogue.