Ratings5
Average rating3
A high fantasy following a young woman's defiance of her culture as she undertakes a dangerous quest to restore her world's lost magic in Ilana C. Myer's Last Song Before Night. Her name was Kimbralin Amaristoth: sister to a cruel brother, daughter of a hateful family. But that name she has forsworn, and now she is simply Lin, a musician and lyricist of uncommon ability in a land where women are forbidden to answer such callings-a fugitive who must conceal her identity or risk imprisonment and even death. On the eve of a great festival, Lin learns that an ancient scourge has returned to the land of Eivar, a pandemic both deadly and unnatural. Its resurgence brings with it the memory of an apocalypse that transformed half a continent. Long ago, magic was everywhere, rising from artistic expression-from song, from verse, from stories. But in Eivar, where poets once wove enchantments from their words and harps, the power was lost. Forbidden experiments in blood divination unleashed the plague that is remembered as the Red Death, killing thousands before it was stopped, and Eivar's connection to the Otherworld from which all enchantment flowed, broken. The Red Death's return can mean only one thing: someone is spilling innocent blood in order to master dark magic. Now poets who thought only to gain fame for their songs face a challenge much greater: galvanized by Valanir Ocune, greatest Seer of the age, Lin and several others set out to reclaim their legacy and reopen the way to the Otherworld-a quest that will test their deepest desires, imperil their lives, and decide the future. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Series
2 primary booksThe Harp and Ring Sequence is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Ilana C. Myer.
Reviews with the most likes.
This character-driven debut kept me turning the pages. Though it contains darkness and tragedy, it never seemed overly grim or completely hopeless to me. It is a book to read for the characters' journeys rather than the plot, and I especially loved Lin and Rianna and their determination. I did feel like it had the potential to be superb but just missed the mark for various reasons: some cliches, a rushed ending, a tendency to overexplain, and some underdevelopment. However, I enjoyed reading it very much and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books by Ilana C. Myer!
Actual Rating: 7/10
The Long Version: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2016/03/mini-review-last-song-before-night-by-ilana-c-myer/
The story idea was very interesting but it just seemed too muddled, as though there were so many ideas that just burst out onto the page. I had trouble following the plot but, the biggest downfall was that I did not connect with any of the characters. 3 stars because it was a good theory but it just didn't grab my attention.