I’ve been looking forward to A Song of Wraiths and Ruin for what feels like ages. A duology inspired by West African folklore? Yes please! I’m so pleased that all my excitement was entirely justified. Keep reading this book review to find out all the reasons I loved A Song of Wraiths and Ruin.
Summary
The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: panic attack, anxiety
As soon as I began A Song of Wraiths and Ruin I was hooked. From the premise alone, I had high hopes. This Dual POV West African inspired book features characters motivated by family and the future. What will we do to save our dreams for the future? For family and another moment of time to apologize? A boy who is feeling the past and a girl afraid of her future. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is able to balance a sense of development with character exploration and world building.
Characters
Both Karina and Malik are living their lives afraid of the shadows, the ghosts that haunt them in the daylight, and their memories. While their lives couldn’t be more different, I loved how, in some ways, parts of their characters feel as if they’re speaking directly to each other. When they are made to doubt themselves, to live in the ashes of the past and the expectations of a specter. They’re both passionate characters who are thrown headfirst into a world of compromises, betrayal, and danger.
World Building
Part of what made A Song of Wraiths and Ruin so emotionally intense is Malik’s journey with prejudice and colonization. As a refugee in Ziran, most of the people he meets are either willfully ignorant about the struggles in his homeland, or justify their colonization and prejudice. He has to constantly be careful he is not discovered, that they can never find out where he’s from. Those passages were some of the most emotional for me, especially considering the fear Malik has of being discovered. It felt timely, while also being located in a fantasy world with magic.
Overall,
Then you take these two characters who are resourceful, clever, and vulnerable and introduce them into a plot with twists and turns. There were so many moments, while reading, that I thought, ‘This is such an excellent plot moment”. Where things would come back and moments would grow in significance. By the end of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, I was utterly obsessed. The ending, the character development, and tension? I need book two now!
Preorder Swag Info
Link to the pre-order submission form: bit.ly/ASOWARCampaign
A pre-order/order from any retailer or a
request to your local library will get you:
* A bookmark!
* 2 character cards featuring Karina and Malik!
* A limited edition signed bookplate
* An exclusive digital fairy tale from the A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN world!
An order from indie bookstore Books With a Past will get you:
* A bookmark!
* 2 character cards featuring Karina and Malik!
* A limited edition signed bookplate
* An exclusive digital fairy tale from the A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN world!
* A handwritten note and personalization from the author!
Rules:
* You must submit proof of purchase/library request. Screenshots and photos of
receipts are fine.
* Only orders and library requests dated through June 30, 2020 are eligible
* Only orders made through Books With a Past
(https://bookswithapast.com/home/bookdetailsin/0062891499) will receive the
note and personalization.
* All swag will be sent out on a rolling basis starting June 2nd
* Entrants under the age of 18 must obtain parent/guardian permission before
entering
About the Author
Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. Writing was her first love, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to use the power of writing—creative and otherwise—to connect the different cultures she called home. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been featured by Voice of America among other outlets.
On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor. Never content to stay in any one place for too long, Rosie currently teaches in Japan, where in her free time she can usually be found exploring the local mountains, explaining memes to her students, or thinking about Star Wars.
Giveaway
Prize: Win an ASOWAR bookplate, bookmark, two trading cards, and access to the exclusive short story (INT)
Starts: June 2nd 2020
Ends: June 16th 2020
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Ahhhh I heard so much good things about it and i can’t wait!! A friend told me that I could the audio for free if I did a free trial on Scribd so I’m planning to get it for myself after finals 😉 Is it a cliffhanger ending though? I’m a bit suspicious of one after reading the blurb haha
Yes it’s there now so you can definitely go listen! It definitely leaves you wanting to read it ASAP lol