What do you think?
Rate this book
Earthsinger Chronicles #1
Song of Blood & Stone
A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2015
375 people are currently reading
20779 people want to read
About the author
L. Penelope
38 books1,080 followersL. Penelope (also writing as Leslye Penelope) has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance.
She was born in the Bronx, just after the birth of hip hop, but left before she could acquire an accent. Equally left and right-brained, she studied Film at Howard University and minored in Computer 카지노싸이트. This led to a graduate degree in Multimedia and a career in website development. She's also an award-winning independent filmmaker, co-founded a literary magazine, and sometimes dreams in HTML.
Leslye lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents. Sign up for new release information and giveaways on her website: .
She was born in the Bronx, just after the birth of hip hop, but left before she could acquire an accent. Equally left and right-brained, she studied Film at Howard University and minored in Computer 카지노싸이트. This led to a graduate degree in Multimedia and a career in website development. She's also an award-winning independent filmmaker, co-founded a literary magazine, and sometimes dreams in HTML.
Leslye lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents. Sign up for new release information and giveaways on her website: .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 975 reviews
April 11, 2018
ARC provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Song of Blood & Stone is the historical fantasy I’ve been looking for. This story is set in an alternate 1920 and has a really unexpected wild west feel to it, but I loved it. The romance was so good, the topics were so important, and the characters completely stole my heart. This book has a lot to love within its pages, and I completely recommend this story to you all.
“Most folks hate easy and love hard. Should be the other way around, I reckon.”
Jasminda is a girl torn between to worlds, while learning more and more every day the definition of loneliness. The book starts out with Jasminda’s grandfather trying to pay her off to erase her mother’s name. Her parents come from warring cultures; Jasminda's mother was Elsiran, and her father was Lagamiri.
➽ The Lagamiri people are dark skinned, worship a queen who has been asleep for a long while, and can wield magic by the way of song.
➽ The Elsira people are light skinned, magicless, and ruled by a cruel and oppressive ruler who calls himself the True Father. They are magicless because the True Father steals magic from his people, taking more and more and more, but now he wants to pierce the veil and rule both.
These lands are separated by the Mantle, which is a magical border that can only be crossed by people who can Earthsing. And throughout the story, we learn more and more about the Queen Who Sleeps and the tyrant True Father. And it slowly unfolds the story of what happened and what events took place to create the world that Jasminda knows.
Jasminda is an outcast that doesn’t fit into either world after the death of her family members. She lives in Elsira, but because of her darker skin she is constantly reminded that she isn’t one of them, but she knows close to nothing about Lagamiri culture and customs. I loved the discussion of being an interracial woman in this book, and it is a theme that is highlighted throughout the entire book. She lives a life of isolation, feeling like an outcast, until she stumbles upon a wounded soldier who has been spying on the enemy. And Jasminda can’t resist using her Earth song to heal him.
This book switches points of view between Jasminda, and the rebel solider, Jack. And this healer and undercover solider start the most beautiful of friendships that eventually might lead to something more. *whispers slowly* The something more is so damn good. OTP status.
This book also really heavily mirrors the world we live in today with it’s handling of refugees. The parallels to 2018 and how we (Americans) treat refugees is unmissable, and it is something I wish more fantasy authors would incorporate within their writing. It’s powerful, it’s eye opening, and more people need to be aware of their internal prejudices. Also, this book shows how news reports can blatantly lie and make a population of people act off pure hatred.
And besides this starring a biracial protagonist, who is starting an interracial romance, this book also has a lesbian side character who warmed my heart. There are also discussions to be had about abuse, about cultural erasure, and systematic oppression. Again, this is such a powerful story.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was seeing Jack learn, understand, and use his privilege and power to do what is right. He always treats Jasminda with the respect she deserves but seeing him understand that all the Lagamiri people deserve the same respect was so important to me. And again, it shows what people in power, who truly want equal rights for all, can do if they truly want to. And Jack listening and learning because of Jasminda was perfection.
“Honor is doing the hard thing and letting history determine your legacy.”
And it was a treat to read about Jasminda. She is such a strong main protagonist, with so much agency. She is smart, empathetic, brave, and everything I look for in a character who will eventually steal my heart.
The writing in this is lyrical poetry. I love L. Penelope’s prose so very much. They continued to blow me away with each powerful sentence after powerful sentence. This book honestly has some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in a long while.
I only truly have one complaint and that is a scene that happens very early in the book where it is implied that it is more evil or wrong for a man rape another man than it is to rape a woman. It’s only in one sentence, but it still felt really bad to read, and I really wish it wouldn’t have been included.
Trigger/Content Warnings: attempted rape, violence, death, and war themes. Also, I personally believe that this is a new adult novel, and there is sexual content within these pages.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The messages are powerful, the discussions are needed, the story is beautiful, and I want more. I loved the world, the magic system, and the characters so much. This was such an enthralling and atmospheric read, and it was a joy to read. I can’t wait to see what L. Penelope does next!
| | | | |
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Buddy read with Julie at & Jules at ! ❤
May 2, 2018
ARC from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for a fair review.
Let me begin this review with a few trigger warnings. Near the beginning of the story there is a lot of racism, some abuse, and attempted rape. I will also say that this is very much NA and not YA as there are some pretty detailed sexual scenes. If these are not for you, I would suggest passing this book up.
That being said I feel like this book focused strongly on the idea of finding peace and beauty no matter your skin color or where you were born or what abilities you might possess. There was a strong fight for equality among all people and to find love no matter what shape or color it might come in.
I enjoyed the quick pace of this book, it never seemed to lull or lose its momentum. I found myself flipping through the chapters rather fast, and the writing was easy to comprehend and follow. I did however have a lot of small issues with this book which caused me to feel like this wasn’t quite a high quality read.
I was extremely confused by the setting, there were times I got a fantasy vibe, with kings and queens, magic, and Jasminda’s pioneer lifestyle in her homestead in the mountains. But then there was a bit of historical fiction mixed in as well with the introduction of telephones, electricity, radios, vehicles and other strange things that really threw me off. I feel like it would have been better to stick with one setting or the other and not blend the two.
There was also a strong sexual tension and language throughout, which I feel tended to overshadow the plot. We were left with lack of world building because we are too busy reading about the overwhelming lust between the two MCs. They were like a couple of horny teenagers with one thing on the mind, and that’s all we heard about for at least the first 50% of the book! But on the upside their relationship was very sweet and played into the later plot in a big way.
All in all I enjoyed this enough to see it all the way through to the end. As for the rest of the series? I probably won’t be continuing on. I feel like this book wrapped it up enough for me to be satisfied ending my journey with this story here.
Let me begin this review with a few trigger warnings. Near the beginning of the story there is a lot of racism, some abuse, and attempted rape. I will also say that this is very much NA and not YA as there are some pretty detailed sexual scenes. If these are not for you, I would suggest passing this book up.
That being said I feel like this book focused strongly on the idea of finding peace and beauty no matter your skin color or where you were born or what abilities you might possess. There was a strong fight for equality among all people and to find love no matter what shape or color it might come in.
I enjoyed the quick pace of this book, it never seemed to lull or lose its momentum. I found myself flipping through the chapters rather fast, and the writing was easy to comprehend and follow. I did however have a lot of small issues with this book which caused me to feel like this wasn’t quite a high quality read.
I was extremely confused by the setting, there were times I got a fantasy vibe, with kings and queens, magic, and Jasminda’s pioneer lifestyle in her homestead in the mountains. But then there was a bit of historical fiction mixed in as well with the introduction of telephones, electricity, radios, vehicles and other strange things that really threw me off. I feel like it would have been better to stick with one setting or the other and not blend the two.
There was also a strong sexual tension and language throughout, which I feel tended to overshadow the plot. We were left with lack of world building because we are too busy reading about the overwhelming lust between the two MCs. They were like a couple of horny teenagers with one thing on the mind, and that’s all we heard about for at least the first 50% of the book! But on the upside their relationship was very sweet and played into the later plot in a big way.
All in all I enjoyed this enough to see it all the way through to the end. As for the rest of the series? I probably won’t be continuing on. I feel like this book wrapped it up enough for me to be satisfied ending my journey with this story here.
Read
February 10, 2018[No Rating] DNF at 25%. I won this as a 카지노싸이트 giveaway (yay, right??!) so I'm really bummed to report that I just couldn't get into it. There's nothing wrong with the book - it had a cool concept and an interesting main character - I just must not have been in the right mood to read it. I'll definitely try again at a later date with this one.
May 3, 2018
This fantasy tells of a land split between two “tribes”, separated by their appearance and abilities. The similarities between this story and our current stand on race and immigration cannot be missed.
The plot was not easy to follow and the visions made parts of the story more confusing. The romance between our main characters was always at the forefront. You may find this as an added selling point; I prefer action to romance so to me, it was a distraction.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The plot was not easy to follow and the visions made parts of the story more confusing. The romance between our main characters was always at the forefront. You may find this as an added selling point; I prefer action to romance so to me, it was a distraction.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 30, 2018
The publisher gave me an ARC of this story via Netgalley.com but it has no influence on my honest review
4 “I needed some time to fall into it” stars
Star summary:
Hero: ***/2 stars (he made pretty dumb decisions sometimes)
Heroine: stars (had nearly no power but dignity and morale strength in spades)
Plot: ***/2 (not overtly complicated but sometimes jumbled)
Heat: *** (this is NOT a YA as you have sex but it’s not overtly spicy either)
Writing: ****
World building: **/2 (I wanted more. It wasn’t detailed and yet we had legends explaining the past)
Enjoyment: **** (once I was in I didn’t want to stop)
Ending: *** (I had what I wanted but it seemed a little rushed by the end)
Now in depth:
Honestly it took some time to fall into the story. I thought it would be another 3 stars or worse a DNF. The main reason I think was the lack of world building and I was somewhat puzzled, not really feeling Jasminda her past or her problems.
But
Progressively the story and the world became solid, real. What I really, really, really loved above all else was the author’s gift to make us feel what being a Lagamiri in a world of Elsiran meant.
Jasminda had a skin with a different color than her neighbors.
She could not hide her heritage. People knew right from the start that she had magic. Or rather that she could Sing. Sing in this world meant you had a Song creating magic. Some were healers or grew plants and could move earth. Others mastered winds and storms. Others….
For centuries a war is raging between the Silent (without song or power) Elsiran and the Songbearers Lagamiri. Their countries are separated by a magic wall preventing the True Father, sovereign of the Lagamiri, to invade Elsira.
Jasmine was born from an Elsiran mother working in the Sisterhood *women sworn to The Queen Who Sleeps and helping refugees among the Lagamiri * and a Lagamiri father a soldier trapped in Elsira when the wall was restored the last time.
She grew up in a loving family with her brothers and parents but they all disappeared years before leaving Jasminda alone on her little isolated farm.
I really admire how the author made me feel the contempt other people had for Jasminda. She is going through what many people from mixed origins go through every day if they leave among closed minded people. The mistrust, the fear as she could master some magic, the contempt as she was a grol witch… she was constantly shunned and rejected. Isolated.
Jasminda could have been bitter and resentful yet she was everything but.
She walked chin high even if she trembled inside.
That’s true courage. Doing things you are afraid of doing but giving it a go nevertheless.
When she meets Jack he is nearly dying. He is part of the Elsiran army and he’s been hunted by Lagamiri soldiers. She will try to heal him even if her power is weak. She will heal him endangering herself and soon she’ll be in a very precarious condition.
Jack will convince Jasminda to help him save Elsiran from the True Father’s clutches. From that moment on they’ll embark on a journey filled with ordeals, magic, defeats, doubts and fights.
If I really loved Jasminda, Jack had me climbing the walls sometimes! He had secrets and he should have told them to Jasminda way sooner. This was his first mistake. His second mistake was being hush hush about their connection. For someone who’s been seen less than Elsiran all her life, who had to face rejection and insults Jasminda was really hurt by Jack’s choice.
I wanted to shake some sense in him! He had many admirable qualities as he was kind, generous, courageous but could he make bad decisions sometimes! It infuriated me.
I also loved the author’s choice to have a nearly powerless heroine. Jasminda had very little power compared with other Lagamiri and she often doubted her actions. She was desperate not to be able to do more. Yet she was always ready to endanger herself to help others. It was a refreshing choice from all the perfect heroines I usually read about and adore.
I also appreciated the contemporary topics the author chose to broach aside racism. The refugees come into Elsira hoping for a better fate just to be contained into camps …. Despised by mistrusting Elsiran, seen as less, why should the citizens share their food and riches with these savages? Does it ring a bell? It was really accurate and reminded me of our current problems with refugees coming from Syria in Europe just to sleep in the parks or some camps. Dividing the people between those wanting to help them and those asking for them to go back into their country.
If the beginning was slow for me once I found my bearing I did not want to stop reading. The story is not faultless as I’ve mentioned that I would have loved more world building and the ending felt somewhat rushed but it still gripped my attention. I rooted for Jasminda and Jack hoping they would be able to save their world.
Recommend it? Yes.
Have you read it? Do you plan to?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook:
Facebook group :
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter:
4 “I needed some time to fall into it” stars
Star summary:
Hero: ***/2 stars (he made pretty dumb decisions sometimes)
Heroine: stars (had nearly no power but dignity and morale strength in spades)
Plot: ***/2 (not overtly complicated but sometimes jumbled)
Heat: *** (this is NOT a YA as you have sex but it’s not overtly spicy either)
Writing: ****
World building: **/2 (I wanted more. It wasn’t detailed and yet we had legends explaining the past)
Enjoyment: **** (once I was in I didn’t want to stop)
Ending: *** (I had what I wanted but it seemed a little rushed by the end)
Now in depth:
Honestly it took some time to fall into the story. I thought it would be another 3 stars or worse a DNF. The main reason I think was the lack of world building and I was somewhat puzzled, not really feeling Jasminda her past or her problems.
But
Progressively the story and the world became solid, real. What I really, really, really loved above all else was the author’s gift to make us feel what being a Lagamiri in a world of Elsiran meant.
Jasminda had a skin with a different color than her neighbors.
She could not hide her heritage. People knew right from the start that she had magic. Or rather that she could Sing. Sing in this world meant you had a Song creating magic. Some were healers or grew plants and could move earth. Others mastered winds and storms. Others….
For centuries a war is raging between the Silent (without song or power) Elsiran and the Songbearers Lagamiri. Their countries are separated by a magic wall preventing the True Father, sovereign of the Lagamiri, to invade Elsira.
Jasmine was born from an Elsiran mother working in the Sisterhood *women sworn to The Queen Who Sleeps and helping refugees among the Lagamiri * and a Lagamiri father a soldier trapped in Elsira when the wall was restored the last time.
She grew up in a loving family with her brothers and parents but they all disappeared years before leaving Jasminda alone on her little isolated farm.
I really admire how the author made me feel the contempt other people had for Jasminda. She is going through what many people from mixed origins go through every day if they leave among closed minded people. The mistrust, the fear as she could master some magic, the contempt as she was a grol witch… she was constantly shunned and rejected. Isolated.
Jasminda could have been bitter and resentful yet she was everything but.
“When you said you’d find lodging for me, I didn’t think . . . Jack, I can’t sleep in the palace.” “Why ever not?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the truck. “Because I’m a goat farmer. Palaces are for royalty. The Prince Regent cannot possibly allow someone like me here.”
She walked chin high even if she trembled inside.
That’s true courage. Doing things you are afraid of doing but giving it a go nevertheless.
When she meets Jack he is nearly dying. He is part of the Elsiran army and he’s been hunted by Lagamiri soldiers. She will try to heal him even if her power is weak. She will heal him endangering herself and soon she’ll be in a very precarious condition.
Jack will convince Jasminda to help him save Elsiran from the True Father’s clutches. From that moment on they’ll embark on a journey filled with ordeals, magic, defeats, doubts and fights.
If I really loved Jasminda, Jack had me climbing the walls sometimes! He had secrets and he should have told them to Jasminda way sooner. This was his first mistake. His second mistake was being hush hush about their connection. For someone who’s been seen less than Elsiran all her life, who had to face rejection and insults Jasminda was really hurt by Jack’s choice.
I wanted to shake some sense in him! He had many admirable qualities as he was kind, generous, courageous but could he make bad decisions sometimes! It infuriated me.
I also loved the author’s choice to have a nearly powerless heroine. Jasminda had very little power compared with other Lagamiri and she often doubted her actions. She was desperate not to be able to do more. Yet she was always ready to endanger herself to help others. It was a refreshing choice from all the perfect heroines I usually read about and adore.
I also appreciated the contemporary topics the author chose to broach aside racism. The refugees come into Elsira hoping for a better fate just to be contained into camps …. Despised by mistrusting Elsiran, seen as less, why should the citizens share their food and riches with these savages? Does it ring a bell? It was really accurate and reminded me of our current problems with refugees coming from Syria in Europe just to sleep in the parks or some camps. Dividing the people between those wanting to help them and those asking for them to go back into their country.
If the beginning was slow for me once I found my bearing I did not want to stop reading. The story is not faultless as I’ve mentioned that I would have loved more world building and the ending felt somewhat rushed but it still gripped my attention. I rooted for Jasminda and Jack hoping they would be able to save their world.
Recommend it? Yes.
Have you read it? Do you plan to?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook:
Facebook group :
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter:
May 2, 2018
ARC from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for a fair review.
The Story
This book has so many good things about it, the problem I found is that I think having it all in one book ended up taking away from the importance of each issue. Racial, refugee/immigration, power struggle, star crossed love, magical, social status, LGBTQ, and even good vs. evil all became too many good ingredients in the pot. Truly, there was so much good stuff in here, but I thought that they didn't get the time spent for each attribute that it should be due. Although they each went hand in hand, the pitch seemed too much at once.
First of all, I thought the romance was a little unbearable. I'm all for instalove, but this just felt off to me. I'm not even sure where the romance was beyond Jack being healed by a woman who should have been scared for her life? I kept wondering if he would stop obsessing about her skin. And no, it wasn't in reference to the color of her skin, but the smoothness. Hannibal jokes were passed between my BR and I, that's how often her skin came up! Aside from that I never felt connected enough to either character to feel like I should be rooting on their romance. It was incredibly sweet, however, how kind Jack was towards Jasminda. In most of his actions, he often put her safety and position above his own. Albeit, it ended up repeatedly hurting her, his intentions were always good.
The story pacing seemed to bounce around quite a bit too. I do love that the book moved quickly and didn't spend too much time moving the plot along, but I think in the end with the combined amount of topics hit within the story made it go from issue to issue to issue with stunted transitions. Meanwhile, the main characters sort of just go with the flow - sort of in a, if you say so I guess it's true, sort of manner. Okay, so really, not that simple, but I kept thinking to myself, really? That easy? No questions, asked, just jump right in the foray.
I would like to point out how beautiful the cover art is. A part of me wants to rate this book so much higher because it is just so pretty. But I don't personally think that's fair. Just because the book covers so many important topics in a gentle way does not mean that it made a great book. I would have loved to read this book alone as a series where the issues were broken up a little bit more. Seeing that it is a series, I wonder what else can really be covered because the ending wrapped up so nicely for our main characters.
Trigger Warnings: attempted rape, kidnapping, violence, and racism.
The World Building
I loved the magical elements of this world. I thought that the imbalance of the magical power added to the conflict of the story. I think my favorite part was that the magic ultimately was used for peacefulness and never, except with the twisted or in self defense, was it used for violence or control.
I didn't like how the word was built around a fantasy based magical realism. The fact that early 20th century vibes were underplayed with a fictional magical world just didn't fit for me. I thought it could have gone full on fantasy and incorporated real world items like vehicles and telephones within those realms. It ended up making me more confused about time period and the possibilities to the world.
The Characters
Jasminda was such a sweet character. Her personality was one of acceptance and care with little resolve for self preservation. Throughout the story she continually puts herself in danger to help someone else. I think what I really appreciated about her as a character was that she wasn't portrayed as the chosen one. There were many instances where she had the opportunity or capability to do something, and unfortunately, that wasn't explained very well. What made Jasminda so much different than the other Earthsingers? Was she related to someone vital to the story? Don't know, if I read it, I didn't realize it was evident to the story. So even though Jasminda is a likeable character I just didn't see how she was worked into the story with her greater purpose.
The Soundtrack
| Bookstagram | Instagram | Twitter
The Story
This book has so many good things about it, the problem I found is that I think having it all in one book ended up taking away from the importance of each issue. Racial, refugee/immigration, power struggle, star crossed love, magical, social status, LGBTQ, and even good vs. evil all became too many good ingredients in the pot. Truly, there was so much good stuff in here, but I thought that they didn't get the time spent for each attribute that it should be due. Although they each went hand in hand, the pitch seemed too much at once.
First of all, I thought the romance was a little unbearable. I'm all for instalove, but this just felt off to me. I'm not even sure where the romance was beyond Jack being healed by a woman who should have been scared for her life? I kept wondering if he would stop obsessing about her skin. And no, it wasn't in reference to the color of her skin, but the smoothness. Hannibal jokes were passed between my BR and I, that's how often her skin came up! Aside from that I never felt connected enough to either character to feel like I should be rooting on their romance. It was incredibly sweet, however, how kind Jack was towards Jasminda. In most of his actions, he often put her safety and position above his own. Albeit, it ended up repeatedly hurting her, his intentions were always good.
The story pacing seemed to bounce around quite a bit too. I do love that the book moved quickly and didn't spend too much time moving the plot along, but I think in the end with the combined amount of topics hit within the story made it go from issue to issue to issue with stunted transitions. Meanwhile, the main characters sort of just go with the flow - sort of in a, if you say so I guess it's true, sort of manner. Okay, so really, not that simple, but I kept thinking to myself, really? That easy? No questions, asked, just jump right in the foray.
I would like to point out how beautiful the cover art is. A part of me wants to rate this book so much higher because it is just so pretty. But I don't personally think that's fair. Just because the book covers so many important topics in a gentle way does not mean that it made a great book. I would have loved to read this book alone as a series where the issues were broken up a little bit more. Seeing that it is a series, I wonder what else can really be covered because the ending wrapped up so nicely for our main characters.
Trigger Warnings: attempted rape, kidnapping, violence, and racism.
The World Building
I loved the magical elements of this world. I thought that the imbalance of the magical power added to the conflict of the story. I think my favorite part was that the magic ultimately was used for peacefulness and never, except with the twisted or in self defense, was it used for violence or control.
I didn't like how the word was built around a fantasy based magical realism. The fact that early 20th century vibes were underplayed with a fictional magical world just didn't fit for me. I thought it could have gone full on fantasy and incorporated real world items like vehicles and telephones within those realms. It ended up making me more confused about time period and the possibilities to the world.
The Characters
Jasminda was such a sweet character. Her personality was one of acceptance and care with little resolve for self preservation. Throughout the story she continually puts herself in danger to help someone else. I think what I really appreciated about her as a character was that she wasn't portrayed as the chosen one. There were many instances where she had the opportunity or capability to do something, and unfortunately, that wasn't explained very well. What made Jasminda so much different than the other Earthsingers? Was she related to someone vital to the story? Don't know, if I read it, I didn't realize it was evident to the story. So even though Jasminda is a likeable character I just didn't see how she was worked into the story with her greater purpose.
The Soundtrack
| Bookstagram | Instagram | Twitter
July 6, 2019
I gave Song of Blood & Stone a try on a whim and I am so glad that I did! Although the story is fantasy it often felt like a romance with fantasy elements. Jasminda and Jack come from completely different backgrounds, yet quickly find themselves deeply connected in a surprising way which plays into the New Adult romance feel. If you are a romance reader who hasn't read much fantasy, or just new to the genre and would like to give fantasy a try, Song of Blood & Stone would be a good place to start.
What Penelope does really well is show a wide range of consequences of bigotry for not only the people who are being discriminated against, but also the impact on the general community that enables unfair treatment of 'others'. There's plenty of accurate and applicable social commentary threaded into this story. For me, the most interesting parts of Song of Blood & Stone were the sections that dealt with the relationships and tensions among the characters.
Penelope does lay the foundation for describing and showing the magic system and how it works, however I do hope that book two gives more world building detail. I'm still not quite sure how technologically advanced the world is. The first part of the story had more of an old world feel that included magic, but as the story progressed it began to feel like a mash up of old world and modern technology, which made it harder to know what the world looks like and how it works.
Song of Blood & Stone is a well written and enjoyable story that ends in a way that makes me look forward to continue on with this series because the story is definitely far from over!
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
You can find me:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
카지노싸이트 Group: The Black Bookcase
What Penelope does really well is show a wide range of consequences of bigotry for not only the people who are being discriminated against, but also the impact on the general community that enables unfair treatment of 'others'. There's plenty of accurate and applicable social commentary threaded into this story. For me, the most interesting parts of Song of Blood & Stone were the sections that dealt with the relationships and tensions among the characters.
Penelope does lay the foundation for describing and showing the magic system and how it works, however I do hope that book two gives more world building detail. I'm still not quite sure how technologically advanced the world is. The first part of the story had more of an old world feel that included magic, but as the story progressed it began to feel like a mash up of old world and modern technology, which made it harder to know what the world looks like and how it works.
Song of Blood & Stone is a well written and enjoyable story that ends in a way that makes me look forward to continue on with this series because the story is definitely far from over!
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
You can find me:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
카지노싸이트 Group: The Black Bookcase
December 22, 2019
Song of Blood and Stone is a fantasy novel with a bad case of bookish identity crisis. It seemed to have no idea of where it was going, what it was doing or what it was trying to be.
This book read as a cute, tropey fantasy romance with cheesy surprise royals, but at the same time it had mythological components and a 1920s-inspired setting, and also tried to be gritty because I guess nothing is serious if it isn't graphic. These are good ideas, if you do not try to make all of them work inside the same story.
Song of Blood and Stone is a romance-heavy fantasy, and you shouldn't go into it expecting much adventure, but at the same time I can't recommend it as a light romantic book.
I don't think your story with cliché royalty tropes and the most fake-feeling military ever should also try to be ~gritty dark fantasy~; choose a tone and stick to it, and if you choose "dark", then go all the way and get rid of the cheesy tropes.
I'm also deeply uncomfortable with the idea of marketing this book as adult/YA crossover when its sexual assault scene is more graphic than the average adult military sci-fi. That scene felt like it was there just for shock value, which is the worst idea when your book is also trying to be a sweet, tropey romance (with historical aspects just for the aesthetics).
It's not even good as a romance. Straight royalty drama is rarely interesting to me because I've read too much of it, and this was mostly fine, but the sex scenes ruined everything. They were graphic, which I don't have a problem with, but nothing kills tension as quickly as badly-written sex scenes.
I read an ARC, and I hope the parts in which the male character is "whispering his lips across her aromatic skin" or sex is described as "the invasion of her body" (what are you, a bacterium?) do not make it to the final copy.
I did actually like some parts of this: the magical and mythological aspects were interesting, and so were the themes. This book has a biracial protagonist and revolves around what it means to be in an interracial relationship when you live in a racist world, which I haven't seen often; there's also a side f/f couple.
This book read as a cute, tropey fantasy romance with cheesy surprise royals, but at the same time it had mythological components and a 1920s-inspired setting, and also tried to be gritty because I guess nothing is serious if it isn't graphic. These are good ideas, if you do not try to make all of them work inside the same story.
Song of Blood and Stone is a romance-heavy fantasy, and you shouldn't go into it expecting much adventure, but at the same time I can't recommend it as a light romantic book.
I don't think your story with cliché royalty tropes and the most fake-feeling military ever should also try to be ~gritty dark fantasy~; choose a tone and stick to it, and if you choose "dark", then go all the way and get rid of the cheesy tropes.
I'm also deeply uncomfortable with the idea of marketing this book as adult/YA crossover when its sexual assault scene is more graphic than the average adult military sci-fi. That scene felt like it was there just for shock value, which is the worst idea when your book is also trying to be a sweet, tropey romance (with historical aspects just for the aesthetics).
It's not even good as a romance. Straight royalty drama is rarely interesting to me because I've read too much of it, and this was mostly fine, but the sex scenes ruined everything. They were graphic, which I don't have a problem with, but nothing kills tension as quickly as badly-written sex scenes.
I read an ARC, and I hope the parts in which the male character is "whispering his lips across her aromatic skin" or sex is described as "the invasion of her body" (what are you, a bacterium?) do not make it to the final copy.
I did actually like some parts of this: the magical and mythological aspects were interesting, and so were the themes. This book has a biracial protagonist and revolves around what it means to be in an interracial relationship when you live in a racist world, which I haven't seen often; there's also a side f/f couple.
August 27, 2015
3.5, close to a four thanks to the epilogue, but not quite there.
I had a hard time rating this one. So I decided to give you the pros & cons and let you decide for yourself.
PROS
- DID YOU SEE THAT COVER?! It's gorgeous. It's perfect. It's going up in my "BEST COVER EVAH!" list.
- The main character is a dark skinned girl (and the cover reflects that!) Not only that, but there's an interracial couple, and even a same sex couple later on. Hurray for diversity!
- This is a self contained novel, if you omit the epilogue there's no cliff hanger and no real need to read the next novel. Call me crazy but I love that. I'm tired of all these trilogies.
- The plot to is very straightforward, as are the interactions between characters. No angst. No plots going in circles.
- No love triangles.
CONS
- My biggest con is that the story was incredibly predictable, almost painfully so. It felt a lot like I was reading a Disney Princess movie, you can know exactly what is going to happen way before it does.
- I also felt the "magic" side of the fantasy could have been explained better.
Overall it was a nice read. I give that extra 0.5 (almost made it a full extra point) for the epilogue. Awesome stuff! Only curve-ball in the whole book!
Will I read the next one? I will!
Do I recommend this one? Yes if you are a fan of Disney, Fairy tales, Princesses and Fantasy Romance plots.
I had a hard time rating this one. So I decided to give you the pros & cons and let you decide for yourself.
PROS
- DID YOU SEE THAT COVER?! It's gorgeous. It's perfect. It's going up in my "BEST COVER EVAH!" list.
- The main character is a dark skinned girl (and the cover reflects that!) Not only that, but there's an interracial couple, and even a same sex couple later on. Hurray for diversity!
- This is a self contained novel, if you omit the epilogue there's no cliff hanger and no real need to read the next novel. Call me crazy but I love that. I'm tired of all these trilogies.
- The plot to is very straightforward, as are the interactions between characters. No angst. No plots going in circles.
- No love triangles.
CONS
- My biggest con is that the story was incredibly predictable, almost painfully so. It felt a lot like I was reading a Disney Princess movie, you can know exactly what is going to happen way before it does.
- I also felt the "magic" side of the fantasy could have been explained better.
Overall it was a nice read. I give that extra 0.5 (almost made it a full extra point) for the epilogue. Awesome stuff! Only curve-ball in the whole book!
Will I read the next one? I will!
Do I recommend this one? Yes if you are a fan of Disney, Fairy tales, Princesses and Fantasy Romance plots.
May 3, 2018
Find this and other Reviews at
Actual Rating 4.5
Jasminda and Jack go on a journey full of magic and romance I enjoyed. In this fantasy the layers of Jasminda and Jack are slowly peeled back as they face danger and fall in love. Jasminda is a wonderful protagonist who wants to find a place to belong in Elsira although her Lagarimi heritage gives her healing powers and a distinctive appearance. She goes on a adventure with Jack to help Elsirian's rise up against Lagarimi's mad King, the True Father. Jack is a soldier who wants to bring peace between Elsira and Lagarami, while in danger he finds Jasminda who shows him kindness and steals his heart. I don't usually read books that include romance, but the author did a great job describing a relationship slowly develop, with steamy sex scenes. There are brief folk tales before each chapter that give interesting and quirky tales describing lessons.
The world building was fantastic, describing how Earthsinger magic can be used in imaginative ways and political manevering. The Queen who Sleeps is the rightful ruler of Elsira, but a Sovereign rules the kingdom until she wakes. Jack and Jasminda set out to figure out how to wake the Queen and discover the secrets that have led to the True Father reigning over Lagarimi. They meet other Earthsingers on their journey who describe the destitute way Elsirans live under the reign of the True Father. Elsirians who escape him are treated with disdain and left to survive in refugee camps once they reach Lagarimi. The plot leads us to twists and turns I wasn't expecting and the characters had me rooting for them the whole book.
The story really picks up during the last third of this book, and the fantastic writing kept me on the edge of my seat. The mature topics and humor made this a book I wold recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy. The ending leaves so much more to be explored in the coming series, and hints to more secrets to be uncovered. I can't wait to continue reading this series.
Recommended for Readers who
-enjoy fantastic world building and magic
-relish in political intrigue
-enjoy epic adventures with a powerful female protagonist
Actual Rating 4.5
Jasminda and Jack go on a journey full of magic and romance I enjoyed. In this fantasy the layers of Jasminda and Jack are slowly peeled back as they face danger and fall in love. Jasminda is a wonderful protagonist who wants to find a place to belong in Elsira although her Lagarimi heritage gives her healing powers and a distinctive appearance. She goes on a adventure with Jack to help Elsirian's rise up against Lagarimi's mad King, the True Father. Jack is a soldier who wants to bring peace between Elsira and Lagarami, while in danger he finds Jasminda who shows him kindness and steals his heart. I don't usually read books that include romance, but the author did a great job describing a relationship slowly develop, with steamy sex scenes. There are brief folk tales before each chapter that give interesting and quirky tales describing lessons.
Never give a gift with your eyes closed, said the Master of Sharks to
the rich man. For you may part with more than you intend. -Collected
Folktales
The world building was fantastic, describing how Earthsinger magic can be used in imaginative ways and political manevering. The Queen who Sleeps is the rightful ruler of Elsira, but a Sovereign rules the kingdom until she wakes. Jack and Jasminda set out to figure out how to wake the Queen and discover the secrets that have led to the True Father reigning over Lagarimi. They meet other Earthsingers on their journey who describe the destitute way Elsirans live under the reign of the True Father. Elsirians who escape him are treated with disdain and left to survive in refugee camps once they reach Lagarimi. The plot leads us to twists and turns I wasn't expecting and the characters had me rooting for them the whole book.
And what of justice? the lawmen asked the Mistress of Serpents. Justice is a beautiful woman, who when courted by numerous suitors, chooses whom to wed by having the men draw straws- Collected Folktales.
The story really picks up during the last third of this book, and the fantastic writing kept me on the edge of my seat. The mature topics and humor made this a book I wold recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy. The ending leaves so much more to be explored in the coming series, and hints to more secrets to be uncovered. I can't wait to continue reading this series.
Recommended for Readers who
-enjoy fantastic world building and magic
-relish in political intrigue
-enjoy epic adventures with a powerful female protagonist
April 26, 2015
"We don't create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay."
----Lynda Jean Barry, an American cartoonist and author
Leslye Penelope, an American author, pens her debut YA fantasy book, Song of Blood & Stone that happens to be the first book in the Earthsinger Chronicles series. This book is set in an enchanting parallel universe where a young black woman tries to save her kingdom with her magical powers despite of all those discrimination about her skin color. It is basically an interracial love story which is torn between war and responsibilities towards one's kingdom.
Synopsis:
Enter an alternate 1920's world of magic and adventure in this gripping, new adult, fantasy romance...
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her magical abilities are feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive – an injured spy who steals her heart.
Jack’s mission behind enemy lines nearly cost him his life but he is saved by the healing power of a mysterious young woman. Together they embark on a perilous journey straight into the heart of a centuries-old conflict.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
The book starts off with a lot of fantasy world building. So Elsira and Lagrimar are two countries in a parallel universe. Jasminda is a citizen of Elsira but unfortunately she is a black woman and since only white people resides in Elsira, she was despised by the Elsirans. A magical barrier separates the two countries and only people who can Earthsing (a special magical power to say thanks to the mother nature) can cross that barrier, and Jasminda is one of those people with that special ability. Moreover, in Elsira, there is no song to dedicate to mother nature, whereas in Lagrimar, there is a song and people were scared of Jasminda because of Earthsinging talent. So welcome to Jasminda's world and as she meets and falls for Jack- a white guy, the story progresses with great pace and lots of power-packed actions.
The writing is quite fine, although in the beginning, it was bit difficult for me to grasp and understand all those world building and character introduction. Moreover, I wished the author would have included more about that fantasy world and about that magical ability.
The pace is quite fast given the fact that there are lot of adrenaline-rushing moments that completely kept me engaged to the storyline. Both the countries run into war when the leader from Lagrimar wants to invade Elsira and that is when Jasminda is required to use her special skills whereas Jack from Lagrimar have to fight with the people from Elsira. Caught between the war of cultures and invasion of power, Jasminda and Jack both fall victim to these prejudices but I really loved how the author kept them moving forward despite of the challenges.
The author have layered her plot with great intricacy in it's details, thus it can be a bit overwhelming at times. The characters- both Jasminda and Jack are featured in their strongest demeanor and they have been crafted by drawing a lot of realism from the real world, so at times, I felt I could connect with the characters.
The relationship between Jack and Jasminda is way too hot and are intricated with steamy make out scenes. Moreover, because of the author's striking portrayal of their relationship, I believe the passion was very evident from the pages of the book.
Well, in short, it's a wonderful little book although the author tried to rush the climax. And to be clear, this book is mostly about Jasminda and Jack's love affair and it is not much about the war running in the background. So be careful, read it only if you want to experince a fantasy love story.
Verdict: Ignoring the negative aspects of the book, I believe it's a must-read for all the YA fans.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, L. Penelope, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Lynda Jean Barry, an American cartoonist and author
Leslye Penelope, an American author, pens her debut YA fantasy book, Song of Blood & Stone that happens to be the first book in the Earthsinger Chronicles series. This book is set in an enchanting parallel universe where a young black woman tries to save her kingdom with her magical powers despite of all those discrimination about her skin color. It is basically an interracial love story which is torn between war and responsibilities towards one's kingdom.
Synopsis:
Enter an alternate 1920's world of magic and adventure in this gripping, new adult, fantasy romance...
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her magical abilities are feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive – an injured spy who steals her heart.
Jack’s mission behind enemy lines nearly cost him his life but he is saved by the healing power of a mysterious young woman. Together they embark on a perilous journey straight into the heart of a centuries-old conflict.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
The book starts off with a lot of fantasy world building. So Elsira and Lagrimar are two countries in a parallel universe. Jasminda is a citizen of Elsira but unfortunately she is a black woman and since only white people resides in Elsira, she was despised by the Elsirans. A magical barrier separates the two countries and only people who can Earthsing (a special magical power to say thanks to the mother nature) can cross that barrier, and Jasminda is one of those people with that special ability. Moreover, in Elsira, there is no song to dedicate to mother nature, whereas in Lagrimar, there is a song and people were scared of Jasminda because of Earthsinging talent. So welcome to Jasminda's world and as she meets and falls for Jack- a white guy, the story progresses with great pace and lots of power-packed actions.
The writing is quite fine, although in the beginning, it was bit difficult for me to grasp and understand all those world building and character introduction. Moreover, I wished the author would have included more about that fantasy world and about that magical ability.
The pace is quite fast given the fact that there are lot of adrenaline-rushing moments that completely kept me engaged to the storyline. Both the countries run into war when the leader from Lagrimar wants to invade Elsira and that is when Jasminda is required to use her special skills whereas Jack from Lagrimar have to fight with the people from Elsira. Caught between the war of cultures and invasion of power, Jasminda and Jack both fall victim to these prejudices but I really loved how the author kept them moving forward despite of the challenges.
The author have layered her plot with great intricacy in it's details, thus it can be a bit overwhelming at times. The characters- both Jasminda and Jack are featured in their strongest demeanor and they have been crafted by drawing a lot of realism from the real world, so at times, I felt I could connect with the characters.
The relationship between Jack and Jasminda is way too hot and are intricated with steamy make out scenes. Moreover, because of the author's striking portrayal of their relationship, I believe the passion was very evident from the pages of the book.
Well, in short, it's a wonderful little book although the author tried to rush the climax. And to be clear, this book is mostly about Jasminda and Jack's love affair and it is not much about the war running in the background. So be careful, read it only if you want to experince a fantasy love story.
Verdict: Ignoring the negative aspects of the book, I believe it's a must-read for all the YA fans.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, L. Penelope, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
May 6, 2018
Jasminda has lost her entire family. She now lives alone in Elsira, where her powers as an Earthsinger are met with fear and disdain. She keeps to herself, avoiding the nearby village as much as possible. The people there dislike her because of her magic, and also because of who here parents were. Her mother was Elsiran and her father was from Lagamiri. The two lands are separated by a magical mantle, which has only been breached a few times in history. Every time, a breach was followed by war and death. One day while walking home after an agonizingly awful trip to the village, Jasminda sees soldiers with a prisoner. Jasminda realizes that they are from Lagamiri and don't realize they have crossed the mantle into Elsira. They have been ordered to bring the prisoner, Jack, back with them. In talking to Jack, Jasminda learns that the mantle between the two countries will soon fall and that the True Father plans to attack and destroy Elsira. The True Father already takes the Earthsong of his people to make himself stronger. Ancient evil gains strength and threatens the lives of everyone. Can Jack and Jasminda discover how to stop the coming destruction?
I enjoyed this book. It was a magical fantasy story, with some very interesting world building. The idea of Earthsong powers is so creative and beautiful! I definitely like the creative story idea. At times I felt the story got a bit confused....like a few too many ideas got mixed into the pot. And I found myself wondering why the story seemed a lot like a medieval type fantasy but then threw modern technologies like telephones into the mix. But, those little things really didn't pull me away from the story. I enjoyed the action, the mystery of the magic, the stones and the backstory of the two different cultures.
Song of Blood & Stone is the first novel in the Earthsinger Chronicles. There are three books, but each one is a stand alone story. This book was first independently published in 2015, and is now being re-released by St. Martin's Press. The cover art is gorgeous!! The artwork definitely is what first drew me to this book....then the fantasy theme pulled me the rest of the way in.
I very much enjoyed this book! I definitely want to read more by L. Penelope. I'm definitely very curious what the other two stories bring to this series. I liked the characters in this first book. I hope the other characters are just as interesting and varied.
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
I enjoyed this book. It was a magical fantasy story, with some very interesting world building. The idea of Earthsong powers is so creative and beautiful! I definitely like the creative story idea. At times I felt the story got a bit confused....like a few too many ideas got mixed into the pot. And I found myself wondering why the story seemed a lot like a medieval type fantasy but then threw modern technologies like telephones into the mix. But, those little things really didn't pull me away from the story. I enjoyed the action, the mystery of the magic, the stones and the backstory of the two different cultures.
Song of Blood & Stone is the first novel in the Earthsinger Chronicles. There are three books, but each one is a stand alone story. This book was first independently published in 2015, and is now being re-released by St. Martin's Press. The cover art is gorgeous!! The artwork definitely is what first drew me to this book....then the fantasy theme pulled me the rest of the way in.
I very much enjoyed this book! I definitely want to read more by L. Penelope. I'm definitely very curious what the other two stories bring to this series. I liked the characters in this first book. I hope the other characters are just as interesting and varied.
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
April 13, 2018
Look at me! Knocking off another one of my RTC reviews xD!
This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review!
Song of Blood & Stone was an emotional roller coaster. It was so freaking good though! I shipped the heck out of Jasminda and Jake. Jasminda is basically an outcast while Jake is a rebel soldier. They are basically made for each other and two peas in a freaking pod. Again, I shipped the heck out of these two!
I could probably talk all day and every day about this couple but I wont. I just really admire them though because of how they treated each other throughout the whole thing. Jack treated Jasminda with the utmost respect. She did the same to him. They didn't look down upon each other or act petty either. I honestly loved and cherished their unique romance. IT's basically goals guys.
Then there was that sort of cliffhanger kind of ending. Which yes, I hate those so freaking much. They hook me so easily and then I have to wait like 500 years for the next book. It's agonizing and beyond painful. Tears are definitely shed and I'm basically wishing, hoping, and wanting for the next book. It never happens and then I'm basically spiraling into a depression because of this news.
Overall, I need the next book. No, not need. WANT. Please give it to me soon?
This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review!
Song of Blood & Stone was an emotional roller coaster. It was so freaking good though! I shipped the heck out of Jasminda and Jake. Jasminda is basically an outcast while Jake is a rebel soldier. They are basically made for each other and two peas in a freaking pod. Again, I shipped the heck out of these two!
I could probably talk all day and every day about this couple but I wont. I just really admire them though because of how they treated each other throughout the whole thing. Jack treated Jasminda with the utmost respect. She did the same to him. They didn't look down upon each other or act petty either. I honestly loved and cherished their unique romance. IT's basically goals guys.
Then there was that sort of cliffhanger kind of ending. Which yes, I hate those so freaking much. They hook me so easily and then I have to wait like 500 years for the next book. It's agonizing and beyond painful. Tears are definitely shed and I'm basically wishing, hoping, and wanting for the next book. It never happens and then I'm basically spiraling into a depression because of this news.
Overall, I need the next book. No, not need. WANT. Please give it to me soon?
May 17, 2018
3.5 stars
I ended up really enjoying this while I read it. The book is written in alternating POVs, with very short chapters that give a nice episodic feel to the story. I liked the unique setting - they seem to have earlyish 20th century technology but combined with more familiar fantasy elements like magic. I also liked the characters; the main female character is biracial and engaged in an interracial relationship, and race is an absolutely central issue in the story.
This is also very much a fantasy romance novel, so of course the characters spend a lot of time thinking about each other and making decisions based on that. Maybe those decisions aren't always objectively the best, but they are consistent with the romantic theme, which has a bit of a fairy-tale quality to it.
Consistent with this being a romance, there are sex scenes and they are fairly explicit, though quite short. However, the book did otherwise have a bit of a YA feel to it, so you can take that for what it's worth.
Overall though, I guess I was in the mood for a fantasy romance, because I had a pretty good time reading it.
I ended up really enjoying this while I read it. The book is written in alternating POVs, with very short chapters that give a nice episodic feel to the story. I liked the unique setting - they seem to have earlyish 20th century technology but combined with more familiar fantasy elements like magic. I also liked the characters; the main female character is biracial and engaged in an interracial relationship, and race is an absolutely central issue in the story.
This is also very much a fantasy romance novel, so of course the characters spend a lot of time thinking about each other and making decisions based on that. Maybe those decisions aren't always objectively the best, but they are consistent with the romantic theme, which has a bit of a fairy-tale quality to it.
Consistent with this being a romance, there are sex scenes and they are fairly explicit, though quite short. However, the book did otherwise have a bit of a YA feel to it, so you can take that for what it's worth.
Overall though, I guess I was in the mood for a fantasy romance, because I had a pretty good time reading it.
October 3, 2020
Black O Ween: A book with a Black witch
I loved this book!
I'm just gonna let you know that this is a review based solely on my enjoyment of reading this book. I didn't read this book critically, I just opened the book and let it sweep me away.
Jasminda is an orphaned and alone. She's about to lose the only home she's ever known and she's an outcast among her people. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin they bring with them and injured spy named Jack. Jasminda saves Jack's life and then is thrust into a world of magic, romance and self discovery.
I'm not a big fantasy reader and I tend to find fantasies to be hard to read but Song of Blood & Stone was an easy read. I was fully invested from page one and I felt that this book had just enough world building since this is only book one.
I just couldn't put this book down and I loved the beautiful writing and none of the characters annoyed me.
A Must Read!
I loved this book!
I'm just gonna let you know that this is a review based solely on my enjoyment of reading this book. I didn't read this book critically, I just opened the book and let it sweep me away.
Jasminda is an orphaned and alone. She's about to lose the only home she's ever known and she's an outcast among her people. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin they bring with them and injured spy named Jack. Jasminda saves Jack's life and then is thrust into a world of magic, romance and self discovery.
I'm not a big fantasy reader and I tend to find fantasies to be hard to read but Song of Blood & Stone was an easy read. I was fully invested from page one and I felt that this book had just enough world building since this is only book one.
I just couldn't put this book down and I loved the beautiful writing and none of the characters annoyed me.
A Must Read!
May 1, 2018
I enjoyed this one, but I couldn't help but feel something was missing. Some spark or chemistry or something to push it from good to great.
Song of Blood & Stone is a fantasy lite read that centers around Jasminda, a bi-racial Earthsinger, and Jack, a military man that is more than what meets the eye. I did like the two of them together and felt their connection. Their romance feels like a slow burn (even though it really happens pretty quickly) and it added a good dynamic and subplot to the story.
This is a story laden with political unrest, mirroring many societies of today. There are the Elsira (light skinned, no powers) and the Lagamiri (dark skinned, wield magic through "song") who have been on opposing sides of an on again, off again war. For the most part they live separated by the Mantle, an impenetrable wall of sorts, that has slowly been cracking. Many Lagamiri seek asylum in Elsira, trying to escape the True Father, but conditions aren't much better for them in Elsira as they are persecuted and largely unwanted there. With the True Father threatening war again, Jack and Jasminda must find a way to prevent it.
I would have liked to see more detail about Earthsong and the magic the Lagamiri possessed. I was often confused or unsure of exactly what it entails. The epilogue ends in a way that it sets up the next book and I am interested in seeing where the story will go as this original conflict (that of the True Father) was resolved in this book.
Song of Blood & Stone is a fantasy lite read that centers around Jasminda, a bi-racial Earthsinger, and Jack, a military man that is more than what meets the eye. I did like the two of them together and felt their connection. Their romance feels like a slow burn (even though it really happens pretty quickly) and it added a good dynamic and subplot to the story.
This is a story laden with political unrest, mirroring many societies of today. There are the Elsira (light skinned, no powers) and the Lagamiri (dark skinned, wield magic through "song") who have been on opposing sides of an on again, off again war. For the most part they live separated by the Mantle, an impenetrable wall of sorts, that has slowly been cracking. Many Lagamiri seek asylum in Elsira, trying to escape the True Father, but conditions aren't much better for them in Elsira as they are persecuted and largely unwanted there. With the True Father threatening war again, Jack and Jasminda must find a way to prevent it.
I would have liked to see more detail about Earthsong and the magic the Lagamiri possessed. I was often confused or unsure of exactly what it entails. The epilogue ends in a way that it sets up the next book and I am interested in seeing where the story will go as this original conflict (that of the True Father) was resolved in this book.
May 29, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm trying to write this review in a respectful manner. I know that probably a lot of people don't agree with me, because I've seen a lot of very positive reviews, but I'm not that positive at all. I really liked the start of the story, but while I was reading, it felt like more of the same. A girl with her own struggles, meets a boy, gets in a romance and plays a very large role in a war...
I feel like a lot of people maybe disagree with me, and they have the right to. I do believe that this is a book and a series that people will love, but this was not really for me. It wasn't strong enough to grip me and to awaken strong emotions within me. I was so pumped to read this book and sadly it did not live up to my expectations, although I see good things in this book as well and I do believe a big audience will still love it.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm trying to write this review in a respectful manner. I know that probably a lot of people don't agree with me, because I've seen a lot of very positive reviews, but I'm not that positive at all. I really liked the start of the story, but while I was reading, it felt like more of the same. A girl with her own struggles, meets a boy, gets in a romance and plays a very large role in a war...
I feel like a lot of people maybe disagree with me, and they have the right to. I do believe that this is a book and a series that people will love, but this was not really for me. It wasn't strong enough to grip me and to awaken strong emotions within me. I was so pumped to read this book and sadly it did not live up to my expectations, although I see good things in this book as well and I do believe a big audience will still love it.
April 10, 2018
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not impact my rating or review.
Ehh I was just bored while reading this. There is a reason why I went screaming off to read books by Rosamunde Pilcher. I kept hoping that the story would improve, but it did not. I read elsewhere this was originally a self-published book (back in 2015) that was re-published again this year. I don't know why that was, maybe the publishers were hoping to hop on some of the Young Adult fantasy with characters who are POC. But unlike with two books this year that I really enjoyed (The Belles and Children of Blood and Bone) this needed edited. I was initially intrigued by the main character (Jasminda) but I didn't get her or her powers after a while. We have her love interest Jack who just felt underdeveloped. There are two other books in this universe that I have no interest in trying to read.
"Song of Blood and Stone" starts off with Jasminda going to town and finding out that her maternal grandfather is going to offer her a lot of money to not claim her mother or use her name. I remember going huh when reading that whole thing. We start off with a quick exposition dump about this world we are in with Jasminda wondering what she's going to do (she doesn't want to give up her mother, but needs the money to save her family farm) when she comes across a young man who is being hunted by soldiers. Jasminda ignores him at first and heals him with her gift (Earthsong) then runs and hides when the soldiers find him again. Jasminda realizes that the soldiers are going to have to stop at her farm and she does what she can to intervene to help Jack. This eventually leads Jack to realizing that he needs Jasminda's help to use her Earthsong to fight off someone called the True Father (yeah I rolled my eyes too).
I can honestly say that though this book is tagged as Young Adult, it is really New Adult. I thought the age for this novel should definitely be in the late teens and older range. You have sex scenes in this one. There's also a scene where you have to worry that Jack is about to raped by soldiers. Also Jasminda is also almost raped. Reading about her potential rapist's penis made me gag. Jasminda goes through standard romance land trope of being a virgin, but the sex is so powerful and there is no pain. I maybe laughed at that whole thing.
The writing was okay, I just thought the chapters were really short. I didn't get Jasminda's song at all. I just went with it. Also no fault of the author, but every time I read "Earthsong" I started to think of Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series.
I thought the flow could be improved since it felt like each chapter ended on something important happening.
The world-building could be improved. I really didn't understand what was happening or why Jasminda's powers were called Earthsong. I seriously thought there be singing (sorry) or something happening. I mentioned this in one of my updates, I started to compare this book to the "Witch Song" books by Amber Argyle. I mean at least in those books the main character was actually singing.
I also think that Penelope did not go far enough in her book with showing the differences between the Lagrimari and Elsirans. We know that Jasminda is a young WOC. Jack is a young white male. Jasminda even mentions that Elsirans have reddish hair and pale skin so I was all oh okay, we have a predominately white race and one that is not. I hoped that we would get some discussions about race or something in this book, but everything is glossed over. I assume that the author wanted us to think about race though with the Lagrimari having abilities and the Elsirans not, but honestly, I started to think about "magical negroes" and what that means and cringed inside.
Having a biracial romance in this world seems like a very big deal (and it definitely is in our world) so I wish there had been some discussions about it.
The ending just sets things up for the second book in the series called "Whispers of Shadow & Flame."I really didn't even understand what had happened or why and was pretty dumbfounded on how things end up for Jasminda and Jack.
Ehh I was just bored while reading this. There is a reason why I went screaming off to read books by Rosamunde Pilcher. I kept hoping that the story would improve, but it did not. I read elsewhere this was originally a self-published book (back in 2015) that was re-published again this year. I don't know why that was, maybe the publishers were hoping to hop on some of the Young Adult fantasy with characters who are POC. But unlike with two books this year that I really enjoyed (The Belles and Children of Blood and Bone) this needed edited. I was initially intrigued by the main character (Jasminda) but I didn't get her or her powers after a while. We have her love interest Jack who just felt underdeveloped. There are two other books in this universe that I have no interest in trying to read.
"Song of Blood and Stone" starts off with Jasminda going to town and finding out that her maternal grandfather is going to offer her a lot of money to not claim her mother or use her name. I remember going huh when reading that whole thing. We start off with a quick exposition dump about this world we are in with Jasminda wondering what she's going to do (she doesn't want to give up her mother, but needs the money to save her family farm) when she comes across a young man who is being hunted by soldiers. Jasminda ignores him at first and heals him with her gift (Earthsong) then runs and hides when the soldiers find him again. Jasminda realizes that the soldiers are going to have to stop at her farm and she does what she can to intervene to help Jack. This eventually leads Jack to realizing that he needs Jasminda's help to use her Earthsong to fight off someone called the True Father (yeah I rolled my eyes too).
I can honestly say that though this book is tagged as Young Adult, it is really New Adult. I thought the age for this novel should definitely be in the late teens and older range. You have sex scenes in this one. There's also a scene where you have to worry that Jack is about to raped by soldiers. Also Jasminda is also almost raped. Reading about her potential rapist's penis made me gag. Jasminda goes through standard romance land trope of being a virgin, but the sex is so powerful and there is no pain. I maybe laughed at that whole thing.
The writing was okay, I just thought the chapters were really short. I didn't get Jasminda's song at all. I just went with it. Also no fault of the author, but every time I read "Earthsong" I started to think of Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series.
I thought the flow could be improved since it felt like each chapter ended on something important happening.
The world-building could be improved. I really didn't understand what was happening or why Jasminda's powers were called Earthsong. I seriously thought there be singing (sorry) or something happening. I mentioned this in one of my updates, I started to compare this book to the "Witch Song" books by Amber Argyle. I mean at least in those books the main character was actually singing.
I also think that Penelope did not go far enough in her book with showing the differences between the Lagrimari and Elsirans. We know that Jasminda is a young WOC. Jack is a young white male. Jasminda even mentions that Elsirans have reddish hair and pale skin so I was all oh okay, we have a predominately white race and one that is not. I hoped that we would get some discussions about race or something in this book, but everything is glossed over. I assume that the author wanted us to think about race though with the Lagrimari having abilities and the Elsirans not, but honestly, I started to think about "magical negroes" and what that means and cringed inside.
Having a biracial romance in this world seems like a very big deal (and it definitely is in our world) so I wish there had been some discussions about it.
The ending just sets things up for the second book in the series called "Whispers of Shadow & Flame."I really didn't even understand what had happened or why and was pretty dumbfounded on how things end up for Jasminda and Jack.
October 18, 2020
I think this is the last book I read in August that still needs to be reviewed! So read the 카지노싸이트 description then come back here...
Honestly this book left me feeling more confused than anything. First the constable is riding on a horse, then there are telephones, an arid desert land ?devoid of technology? next door, then skyscrapers and modern electricity in the capitol? I couldn't tell which era the book wanted to place itself in😳
I also thought that things seemed REALLY convenient, like one thing would happen, then another, and another, and of course everything managed to just...work out for the most part. The magic seemed peculiar in that the geography of the silents vs the singers was confusing at the end, and everyone seemed to have...different abilities. Coming from the same place.
And I'm not sorry to say that the end was confusing, it seems like there still should bave been magic in Elsira where the Queen stayed, why/when did they all become so hateful in the present time?
Plus insta love and a cringey as all hell sex scene. Plus an assault scene where she rendered them all impotent and...is this supposed to be YA? I really am leaning more towards 2.5, the identity of the book is a rather large mash up.
I know another version of the book just came out, or is coming out, with more pages and more points of view?? How does the book need more points of view 😳
I still might read #2 but have a really hard time recommending this one
Honestly this book left me feeling more confused than anything. First the constable is riding on a horse, then there are telephones, an arid desert land ?devoid of technology? next door, then skyscrapers and modern electricity in the capitol? I couldn't tell which era the book wanted to place itself in😳
I also thought that things seemed REALLY convenient, like one thing would happen, then another, and another, and of course everything managed to just...work out for the most part. The magic seemed peculiar in that the geography of the silents vs the singers was confusing at the end, and everyone seemed to have...different abilities. Coming from the same place.
And I'm not sorry to say that the end was confusing, it seems like there still should bave been magic in Elsira where the Queen stayed, why/when did they all become so hateful in the present time?
Plus insta love and a cringey as all hell sex scene. Plus an assault scene where she rendered them all impotent and...is this supposed to be YA? I really am leaning more towards 2.5, the identity of the book is a rather large mash up.
I know another version of the book just came out, or is coming out, with more pages and more points of view?? How does the book need more points of view 😳
I still might read #2 but have a really hard time recommending this one
April 21, 2018
Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope
First in the Earthsinger Chronicles
3.25 stars
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2
Villain Scale: 3
Character Scale: 3.25
Plotastic Scale: 3
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover so much. It has all the folklore chapter headers in the background and it just looks so beautiful. I love the look of it so much.
Thank you, 카지노싸이트 and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy that I won in a contest in exchange for an honest review.
First in the Earthsinger Chronicles
3.25 stars
Jasminda lives close the border of Elsira and Lagrimar. She looks Lagrimarian and has the talents of their people. She is an Earthsinger—able to heal, read emotions, and control things, but her powers are weak and she limited in what she can control. She has lived life in Elsira facing persecution and now her family’s farm faces being taken away from her. When she is traveling back from the city she comes across an Elsiran man who can speak Lagrimari. This is rare and almost impossible for Elsiran to speak. He is posing as a Lagrimari soldier, but he is one the run from other soldiers who have discovered that he is a spy. He is on a mission to reseal the Mantle (the border between these worlds) and keep the Lagrimari from conquering their lands with corrupt magic. I was really excited when I won an ARC of this from 카지노싸이트. I didn’t remember what it was about, but I knew that it had a person of color main character and was a fantasy novel, which are few and far between. This novel has a lot of strong points. It tackles topics like ingrained and systematic racism against a people, immigration and fear of people taking away the native’s jobs, food, etc., as well as focusing on the persecution interracial couples face. Although the last one isn’t a huge focus of this novel it is hinted at repeatedly and the actions of those who are meant to perpetuate an old system and distill change show that their actions may have racist intentions. The skin color of the Lagrimari people isn’t the main reason they are persecuted; they are called “grols” for their use of magic and subjected to racist comments for their difference of skin. I really loved the topics Penelope focused on and they were superbly handled. They were my favorite aspect of Song of Blood & Stone, but these positives weren’t enough to balance all the things I disliked. Also, beware of the instalove. It’s prevalent. I wasn’t sure why these characters loved each other so much, but it is there and so you kind of have to suspend belief and just go with it. The worldbuilding is superb though. Penelope does a great job of revealing enough of the world to keep the reader intrigued and reveals more and more, so that by the end everything becomes known.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5
The main female character is Jasminda. Jasminda is isolated, but she is fierce. She can hold her own in a battle and when men started to try to rape her, she wasn’t afraid to slit some throats and take those misogynistic bastards down. One thing I loved about Jasminda is that she fails earlier on in the novel. She faces defeat and is disheartened because she realizes that she isn’t a very powerful Earthsinger. I’m so tired of reading about heroines who have no magic and then discover their abilities and without training are able to accomplish high-level skills. It’s ridiculous, but Penelope utilizes Jasminda’s inability as a teaching lesson. Jasminda is also able to use the cornerstone and see visions from the Queen who has been resting for centuries. I would generally be annoyed by this, but because Jasminda is half-Lagrimari it makes sense that she can view the stone (and I won’t fully explain why because spoilers). Jasminda struggles with confidence and it’s so believable. I was rooting for Jasminda for a vast majority of this novel because she wasn’t confident in her abilities.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5
The main male character is Jack. Jack didn’t start off on the best footing. When he meets Jasminda he compares her skin to “a confectioner’s delight” and then goes on to wonder was the last time he had eaten. Not only his sexualizing her, but just seeing her reminds him of being hungry. I just wasn’t the biggest fan of that. Now, I’m going to talk about my biggest pet peeve with Jack and the thing that ruined this novel for me, so don’t click on the spoilers.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2
The Villain- The True Father is a man who has ruled Lagrimar for centuries and is able to keep his identity hidden. He rules with an iron fist and his people are oppressed and living in squalor. He is also able to use a Cantor, an Earthsinger who finds creates new spells and isn’t opposed to use blood magic. This is an incredibly interesting concept and I’m a little sad that we only got a brief look at the Cantor and then it became almost completely ignored. It was obvious who the True Father was from the moment the cornerstone visions happened, but I did like the idea.
Villain Scale: 3
There is a huge cast of characters. There are the Lagrimari refugees who Jasminda and Jack run into. They don’t offer a whole lot to the story, but they do shed light on a lot of the problems the Lagrimari people face. Also, Livette, I completely abhor tropes of women in courts being out to ruin other women. Sometimes it works, but it didn’t seem to fit her domineer at all.
Character Scale: 3.25
Overall, Song of Blood & Stone has a lot of wonderful commentary on our world translated into a fantasy setting. The world is intense and it kept my interest. The plot wasn’t very strong for me and kind of went for the turn for the worst due to my own personal preferences. However, I think a lot of readers will love this one quite a bit. I just hate that one trope that is a spoiler for the novel with al my heart and I can’t rate this book high because I would be lying to myself. I wouldn't be opposed to reading other books in this series though. Penlope and the world of the Earthsong have a lot of potential.
Plotastic Scale: 3
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover so much. It has all the folklore chapter headers in the background and it just looks so beautiful. I love the look of it so much.
Thank you, 카지노싸이트 and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy that I won in a contest in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2018
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
Although this book is now published by St. Martin’s Press, my first encounter with Song of Blood & Stone was in 2016 when an earlier version of it was entered into the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, the writing competition created by author Mark Lawrence. Ever since the SPFBO’s launch, several of its alum have already been picked up by traditional publishing, and it’s always great to see that number grow by the day. As I understand it, the novel has gone through many changes to get to this point, and as I am fascinated by indie publishing success stories, I was excited to check it out.
At its heart, Song of Blood & Stone is a fantasy romance. Starring Jasminda, a young woman of mixed descent, the story is set in world split by a veil called the Mantle which separates Elsira, a land with no magic, from the country of Lagrimar, whose people possess the power of Earthsong. However, the two nations are divided by a lot more. On one side, citizens are forced to worship and fear the True Father, a power-hungry tyrant who hoards the world’s magic for himself, while on the other side, the Queen Who Sleeps lies dormant, leaving her subjects directionless and without their true ruler for centuries. The Mantle has only been breached a few times in history, but every time it has happened, chaos and death have been the result due to the intense fighting and struggle for power.
As a child of two peoples, Jasminda grew up as an outcast in her mother’s homeland on the Elsiran side of the Mantle simply because she has inherited her Lagamiri father’s darker skin as well as his magical abilities. Ever since the deaths of her parents and siblings, she has lived alone maintaining a small goat farm by the mountains. One day, her quiet existence is interrupted by a group of Lagamiri soldiers at her door. Not realizing they have crossed the veil into Elsira and believing her to be one of their own, they demand that she open her home to her country’s soldiers and shelter them from an incoming storm. With them is a battered and broken prisoner named Jack, whom the soldiers claim is an Elsiran spy. Using her Earthsong, Jasminda heals Jack and helps him escape, and together they embark on a dangerous journey to warn the capital that the Mantle is about to fall once again—and that their people must prepare for war and another incursion from the brutal True Father.
Well written with beautiful and detailed flowing prose, Song of Blood & Stone showed immense promise right from the beginning. The world-building was compelling, and it is clear that L. Penelope put a lot of work and thought into formulating the book’s background and premise. The author’s characterization of Jasminda was also very well done, establishing her situation and making her a sympathetic protagonist to readers right away.
However, bearing in mind that this is a fantasy romance, these developments soon give way to the themes surrounding Jasminda and Jack’s burgeoning love story, which may prove frustrating to those who aren’t big readers of the genre. Personally speaking, I wish there had been a better balance between all the elements of the story, especially when the romance started taking priority over developing the characters and world-building. I also felt that there was very little lead-up to the romance itself, as Jack started developing feelings for Jasminda from the start, even as he was being held captive. Although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it insta-love, I still wish that the author had held off on exploring their emotions for each other until after they actually managed to escape (or at very least, waited until they’d known each other for more than a few days).
In time, the plot also revealed itself to be rather simplistic, despite the complex nature behind the history and politics of Elsira and Lagrimar. Part of this is due to the aforementioned lack of world-building once the characters arrive in the city. Queue the romance drama at this point, which—unsurprisingly—also began to impinge upon the story’s pacing. Racial conflicts and the problem of Lagamiri refugees in Elsira also started becoming central to the plot, and in this middle section I felt that the author was trying a bit too hard to inject real-world issues into the book. Normally I wouldn’t mind this, except that it was done very blatantly and at the expense of world-building and character development, ultimately making me feel less connected to the protagonists and their world, which became confusing to me. I had trouble picturing the characters’ surroundings and was never truly able to grasp the setting which came across as a mishmash of genres and time periods thrown together, with ancient magic, mysterious visions and immortals mingling with steampunk elements like airships and more modern tech like automobiles. World-building was certainly creative and ambitious, but due to the lack of attention in developing these ideas, things ended up being rather messy, which was unfortunate.
In sum, parts of this book worked well for me, while others didn’t so much. However, I do think readers who are more inclined towards the romance genre will probably like this one a lot better. While I personally prefer my stories, love or otherwise, to feature a more balanced approach to plot, characters, and world-building, if a fantasy romance is something you think you’d enjoy, then I highly recommend giving Song of Blood & Stone a try.
Although this book is now published by St. Martin’s Press, my first encounter with Song of Blood & Stone was in 2016 when an earlier version of it was entered into the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, the writing competition created by author Mark Lawrence. Ever since the SPFBO’s launch, several of its alum have already been picked up by traditional publishing, and it’s always great to see that number grow by the day. As I understand it, the novel has gone through many changes to get to this point, and as I am fascinated by indie publishing success stories, I was excited to check it out.
At its heart, Song of Blood & Stone is a fantasy romance. Starring Jasminda, a young woman of mixed descent, the story is set in world split by a veil called the Mantle which separates Elsira, a land with no magic, from the country of Lagrimar, whose people possess the power of Earthsong. However, the two nations are divided by a lot more. On one side, citizens are forced to worship and fear the True Father, a power-hungry tyrant who hoards the world’s magic for himself, while on the other side, the Queen Who Sleeps lies dormant, leaving her subjects directionless and without their true ruler for centuries. The Mantle has only been breached a few times in history, but every time it has happened, chaos and death have been the result due to the intense fighting and struggle for power.
As a child of two peoples, Jasminda grew up as an outcast in her mother’s homeland on the Elsiran side of the Mantle simply because she has inherited her Lagamiri father’s darker skin as well as his magical abilities. Ever since the deaths of her parents and siblings, she has lived alone maintaining a small goat farm by the mountains. One day, her quiet existence is interrupted by a group of Lagamiri soldiers at her door. Not realizing they have crossed the veil into Elsira and believing her to be one of their own, they demand that she open her home to her country’s soldiers and shelter them from an incoming storm. With them is a battered and broken prisoner named Jack, whom the soldiers claim is an Elsiran spy. Using her Earthsong, Jasminda heals Jack and helps him escape, and together they embark on a dangerous journey to warn the capital that the Mantle is about to fall once again—and that their people must prepare for war and another incursion from the brutal True Father.
Well written with beautiful and detailed flowing prose, Song of Blood & Stone showed immense promise right from the beginning. The world-building was compelling, and it is clear that L. Penelope put a lot of work and thought into formulating the book’s background and premise. The author’s characterization of Jasminda was also very well done, establishing her situation and making her a sympathetic protagonist to readers right away.
However, bearing in mind that this is a fantasy romance, these developments soon give way to the themes surrounding Jasminda and Jack’s burgeoning love story, which may prove frustrating to those who aren’t big readers of the genre. Personally speaking, I wish there had been a better balance between all the elements of the story, especially when the romance started taking priority over developing the characters and world-building. I also felt that there was very little lead-up to the romance itself, as Jack started developing feelings for Jasminda from the start, even as he was being held captive. Although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it insta-love, I still wish that the author had held off on exploring their emotions for each other until after they actually managed to escape (or at very least, waited until they’d known each other for more than a few days).
In time, the plot also revealed itself to be rather simplistic, despite the complex nature behind the history and politics of Elsira and Lagrimar. Part of this is due to the aforementioned lack of world-building once the characters arrive in the city. Queue the romance drama at this point, which—unsurprisingly—also began to impinge upon the story’s pacing. Racial conflicts and the problem of Lagamiri refugees in Elsira also started becoming central to the plot, and in this middle section I felt that the author was trying a bit too hard to inject real-world issues into the book. Normally I wouldn’t mind this, except that it was done very blatantly and at the expense of world-building and character development, ultimately making me feel less connected to the protagonists and their world, which became confusing to me. I had trouble picturing the characters’ surroundings and was never truly able to grasp the setting which came across as a mishmash of genres and time periods thrown together, with ancient magic, mysterious visions and immortals mingling with steampunk elements like airships and more modern tech like automobiles. World-building was certainly creative and ambitious, but due to the lack of attention in developing these ideas, things ended up being rather messy, which was unfortunate.
In sum, parts of this book worked well for me, while others didn’t so much. However, I do think readers who are more inclined towards the romance genre will probably like this one a lot better. While I personally prefer my stories, love or otherwise, to feature a more balanced approach to plot, characters, and world-building, if a fantasy romance is something you think you’d enjoy, then I highly recommend giving Song of Blood & Stone a try.
June 28, 2021
3.5 stars.
There were things I liked about this book: the magically-maintained barrier between two kingdoms, Elsira and Lagrimar, creating a physically divided world, with radically different kinds of kingdoms on either side of the barrier. The bigotry towards people from Lagrimar, and the restrictions and problems main character Jasmines must live with in Elsira because of her mixed heritage. She’s a goat farmer whose life is upended when soldiers from Lagrimar arrive at her farm, not realizing that they’re in Elsira because the barrier is becoming porous in spots (this is not widely known in Elsira).
The soldiers have a prisoner with them, a soldier from Elsira caught spying in Lagrimar. Jasminda helps Jack escape, and the two begin working together to find a way to deal with the weakening barrier, while also falling for each other.
I liked the detail L. Penelope brings to her world, and how she works in a number of real-world elements to explain the antipathy between the kingdoms. I liked the Earthsinger form of magic, and it’s limitations. I also liked Jasmines quite a lot. I wasn’t sure that I felt the romance between Jasmines and Jack worked for me, or, perhaps it needed more time to develop.
I found my attention flagging after I was about halfway into the story. I’m not sure what kept pulling me out of the narrative, as I had been enjoying it till then. I also can’t quite remember how Jasmines achieved all she did in the story, because of my inability to focus on the narrative. I’m putting this down to continued pandemic brain, rather than the author.
There were things I liked about this book: the magically-maintained barrier between two kingdoms, Elsira and Lagrimar, creating a physically divided world, with radically different kinds of kingdoms on either side of the barrier. The bigotry towards people from Lagrimar, and the restrictions and problems main character Jasmines must live with in Elsira because of her mixed heritage. She’s a goat farmer whose life is upended when soldiers from Lagrimar arrive at her farm, not realizing that they’re in Elsira because the barrier is becoming porous in spots (this is not widely known in Elsira).
The soldiers have a prisoner with them, a soldier from Elsira caught spying in Lagrimar. Jasminda helps Jack escape, and the two begin working together to find a way to deal with the weakening barrier, while also falling for each other.
I liked the detail L. Penelope brings to her world, and how she works in a number of real-world elements to explain the antipathy between the kingdoms. I liked the Earthsinger form of magic, and it’s limitations. I also liked Jasmines quite a lot. I wasn’t sure that I felt the romance between Jasmines and Jack worked for me, or, perhaps it needed more time to develop.
I found my attention flagging after I was about halfway into the story. I’m not sure what kept pulling me out of the narrative, as I had been enjoying it till then. I also can’t quite remember how Jasmines achieved all she did in the story, because of my inability to focus on the narrative. I’m putting this down to continued pandemic brain, rather than the author.
May 5, 2018
4.25 stars! View review on my blog,
I received this copy from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"The blue of the day's sky and the black of the night's are different, but one is not better than the other. We need both."
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I found the story to be so satisfying. It ended up being exactly what I needed to read! If you're looking for a fantasy novel that pushes the boundaries of young adult into new adult without being overly explicit, this is the book for you. And that cover!? Look at how beautiful that cover is!
This story follows two main characters, Jasminda and Jack. Jasminda, half Elsiran and half Lagrimari is an Earthsinger. All she desires is to live a life of peace, away from others on her homestead in the wilderness. Jack is an Elsiran soldier, disguised as the enemy, desperate and in seek of a way to end the centuries old war between Elsira and Lagrimar. Chance will bring them together, but it seems as though destiny keeps them there.
The first third of this book was somewhat slow. I was a little unsure of what I was getting into and had a lot of questions. I liked the story and found it interesting, but it really didn't reach out and grab me. However, after that first third, the ball really gets rolling. The setting, pace and feel of the story changes tremendously and I read nonstop until I finished it, I couldn't put it down!
The world created in this story is rich and vast, I hope we get the opportunity to learn more about the lands beyond Elsira and Lagrimar in future installments. Additionally, one of my favorite parts was the "Collected Folktales" included at the beginning of each chapter. They were very reminiscent of Aesop's Fables and were so unique, clever and even charming. I looked forward to reading them as each chapter ended and another began.
The story itself includes many elements I absolutely adore and I was very proud of the characters regarding most of the choices they made. Each of them stuck to their convictions and never followed paths that I felt were out of character. Jasminda and Jack are both very admirable in their actions, despite a few moments I was irritated with them for avoiding what was staring them straight in the face, but hey - that's what makes books interesting! I *really* wish I could give you more about the story and my thoughts on it but I would be spoiling a major reveal by voicing half of what I want to say and it's just not fair to do that!
So I'll just include a few elements I loved: traveling, courtly intrigue, mysterious histories, forbidden romance, and more!
Also, WE NEED MORE POC fantasy and sci-fi main characters written by POC authors!
I received this copy from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"The blue of the day's sky and the black of the night's are different, but one is not better than the other. We need both."
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I found the story to be so satisfying. It ended up being exactly what I needed to read! If you're looking for a fantasy novel that pushes the boundaries of young adult into new adult without being overly explicit, this is the book for you. And that cover!? Look at how beautiful that cover is!
This story follows two main characters, Jasminda and Jack. Jasminda, half Elsiran and half Lagrimari is an Earthsinger. All she desires is to live a life of peace, away from others on her homestead in the wilderness. Jack is an Elsiran soldier, disguised as the enemy, desperate and in seek of a way to end the centuries old war between Elsira and Lagrimar. Chance will bring them together, but it seems as though destiny keeps them there.
The first third of this book was somewhat slow. I was a little unsure of what I was getting into and had a lot of questions. I liked the story and found it interesting, but it really didn't reach out and grab me. However, after that first third, the ball really gets rolling. The setting, pace and feel of the story changes tremendously and I read nonstop until I finished it, I couldn't put it down!
The world created in this story is rich and vast, I hope we get the opportunity to learn more about the lands beyond Elsira and Lagrimar in future installments. Additionally, one of my favorite parts was the "Collected Folktales" included at the beginning of each chapter. They were very reminiscent of Aesop's Fables and were so unique, clever and even charming. I looked forward to reading them as each chapter ended and another began.
The story itself includes many elements I absolutely adore and I was very proud of the characters regarding most of the choices they made. Each of them stuck to their convictions and never followed paths that I felt were out of character. Jasminda and Jack are both very admirable in their actions, despite a few moments I was irritated with them for avoiding what was staring them straight in the face, but hey - that's what makes books interesting! I *really* wish I could give you more about the story and my thoughts on it but I would be spoiling a major reveal by voicing half of what I want to say and it's just not fair to do that!
So I'll just include a few elements I loved: traveling, courtly intrigue, mysterious histories, forbidden romance, and more!
Also, WE NEED MORE POC fantasy and sci-fi main characters written by POC authors!
May 31, 2018
If you are a fan of epic fantasies like The Bird and the Sword series by Amy Harmon or the Chronicles of the Warlands by Elizabeth Vaughan, you will love Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope, book one in the Earthsinger Chronicles. This story features an unconventional heroine, who is treated almost like a stranger in her own land. Jasminda is alone to survive on the family farm after the death of her mother and the disappearance of the father and brothers. She is a biracial child and is treated with suspicion by the village people because she possesses magical abilities. She rescues a prisoner of war from the clutches of the enemy army – a group of soldiers that are not supposed to be on this side of the border. She is soon embroiled in the long-standing fight between the non-magical Elserians (her homeland) and their mortal enemies, the Lagrimari.
I love how the story unfolds. Each chapter provides context for the modern day conflict told through folklore. It is easy, at first, to think that these are merely fables, but they represent the mindset and history of the war. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader highly engaged. However, the real beauty is in the relationship between Jasminda and Jack. On the surface, they are complete opposites. She is shunned for being a dark-skinned like the Lagrimari. He is the golden boy Elserian. Underneath, however, they were like yin and yang. They complement each other and their relationship overcomes social convention.
This book is a great representation of an #ownvoices book. Created by author Corinne Duyvis, this hashtag is used as a shorthand for books with diverse characters written by those who share that identity. The thought is that readers can get deeper perceptions of the diverse characters. It is especially true for this book. There are themes of biracial alienation, class discrimination, and majority privilege. L. Penelope has a magical way of offering a nuanced presentation that is not heavy-handed but provides keen insight. This story makes a strong case for why we should all be reading more books written by diverse authors with varying perspectives. It is a fantastic ride.
I love how the story unfolds. Each chapter provides context for the modern day conflict told through folklore. It is easy, at first, to think that these are merely fables, but they represent the mindset and history of the war. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader highly engaged. However, the real beauty is in the relationship between Jasminda and Jack. On the surface, they are complete opposites. She is shunned for being a dark-skinned like the Lagrimari. He is the golden boy Elserian. Underneath, however, they were like yin and yang. They complement each other and their relationship overcomes social convention.
This book is a great representation of an #ownvoices book. Created by author Corinne Duyvis, this hashtag is used as a shorthand for books with diverse characters written by those who share that identity. The thought is that readers can get deeper perceptions of the diverse characters. It is especially true for this book. There are themes of biracial alienation, class discrimination, and majority privilege. L. Penelope has a magical way of offering a nuanced presentation that is not heavy-handed but provides keen insight. This story makes a strong case for why we should all be reading more books written by diverse authors with varying perspectives. It is a fantastic ride.
Read
May 3, 2018DNF @ 20%
I found this book to be boring. I was able to get copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review and while I was happy to get it, I couldn't get into the story. I found it boring and the magic unclear. Even the audio book couldn't help me get into the story. And every time they mentioned Earthsong, I thought of Butlers works.
I found this book to be boring. I was able to get copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review and while I was happy to get it, I couldn't get into the story. I found it boring and the magic unclear. Even the audio book couldn't help me get into the story. And every time they mentioned Earthsong, I thought of Butlers works.
April 23, 2018
I've been looking forward to sitting down to write this review, because this was one of the better fantasy titles I have read this year.
In this novel you get the current (present) POVs of both Jasminda and Jack. Jasminda is such a strong female lead--she's independent, strong, fierce, loyal, intelligent, and has no problem with sacrificing or own wants for the greater good. And Jack... without revealing too much about him.. he stands out from the norm for his situation in life. He tends to see people for who they are in their hearts and souls, always stands up for what is right, and has so much determination to protect those that he loves. You also get some flashbacks/visions thrown into the mix from some characters who lived long ago. These flashbacks/visions are super important and it was really great how they all tied together in the ending.
Speaking of the ending--- WOW! I kind of lost steam around 60-70% of the way through the book (not due to any fault of the novel's... I just tend to do that with fantasy sometimes), but once I started hitting that rising action that led up to the climactic ending, I couldn't put the book down!
For me, this was the perfect level of fantasy. While I enjoy most fantasy titles I pick up, many times I have a hard time wading into the waters and getting started because sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all of the new language, characters, locations, specifications of magic, etc.... But Song of Blood & Stone was very easy to jump head-first into. The Earthsinger magic was not overly complicated, the characters were introduced at a very easy pacing, and the locations were basically divided between two areas, so there weren't five thousand cities to keep up with.
The magic system in this novel is called Earthsong, and Jasminda is one of the individuals--a Singer-- who can perform this type of magic. Some individuals have more power than others, and those who live under the reign of the 'True Father' have to give up their song (called a 'tribute') to him. Therefore, those that are able to sing (cast Earthsong), have somehow escaped the reign of the 'True Father' or, like Jasminda, are living under unique circumstances.
The romance is fantastic in this book. It was also the perfect balance. Many times you either get the adventure overshadowing the romance, or the romance overshadowing the adventure--but L. Penelope got it right with this one.. the perfect blend! Jasminda and Jack have such a strong chemistry and I loved watching their relationship unfold. But they also both know that they serve a bigger purpose in this story and do not let their attraction get in the way of 'moving mountains'. Also note.. this is definitely an adult fantasy title--there are a couple super steamy scenes (but they are very well integrated and do not dominate the plot in any way).
There are so many layers to this book, which I loved. The diversity is a front-runner in this novel, with not only the author being a POC, but also the main character, Jasminda, is of a dark-skinned race and is often looked down upon for both that and her abilities. She is unique in the fact that she is a blend of these two opposing cultures/races, so she very much has to battle with the challenge of never truly feeling like she 'fits' anywhere. There are so many themes of political conflict, discrimination (of all types), fulfillment of destiny, and even moral righteousness (especially when related to refugees). There were so many instances where I paused my reading and really reflected on how the current scene could apply to a current event or current issue (as well as former events/issues in our history).
This book is the first in a series, so I am super anxious to read the next installment. From what I have gathered, the next installment does not jump into a continuation of Jasminda and Jack's story, but does introduce two new, very likable characters. I cannot wait to pick up the next title and fall in love with another set of characters.
Trigger Warning(s): Adult Sexual Content, Racial/Cultural/Religious Discrimination, Sexual Assault, Attempted Rape, Violence, Violence Toward a Child, War Themes, Death
Thank you to L. Penelope and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!
Off The Press Reads: Blog ♦ ♦
July 25, 2018
In an alternate world, where magic exists, the 1920’s aren’t a time of flappers and high times. In this world is a combination of contemporary props and the feel of ancient times with cabins in the woods.
Jasminda is alone, her family is gone and her magic makes her an outcast in Elsira, her homeland, as does the color of her skin. Her parents didn’t let country boundaries stop their love from growing and they may have finally the price. When soldiers arrive with a severely wounded prisoner, a man who had just saved her life, she finds this spy does something to her she has never felt.
The fate of two nations may lie within their alliance, as secrets are revealed and love grows. But those in power are plotting, using her race as a banner to rally behind, as they play on the fear of the unknown with their people. They worship different gods, but whose is real and whose has dark secrets?
Fate has deemed that Jasminda holds the key to finding the truth of salvation, but will she uncover this truth in time? Can war be avoided and the people join together as one? As a half-breed, does anyone truly trust in Jasminda or is she a threat to everyone, including the prince who loves her?
Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope comes across as a fantasy world from long ago until contemporary items slowly become part of the story. Her heroine is strong, intelligent, yet her life is very precarious as the spy, Jack falls for her and must stand against his own people to keep her as his own.
A dark escape into another world where small minds are alive and well, as well as ignorance and thankfully, love.
I received this copy from L. Penelope in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1
Publisher: Heartspell Media
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Genre: NA Fantasy
Print Length: 259 pages
Available from:
For Reviews & More:
Jasminda is alone, her family is gone and her magic makes her an outcast in Elsira, her homeland, as does the color of her skin. Her parents didn’t let country boundaries stop their love from growing and they may have finally the price. When soldiers arrive with a severely wounded prisoner, a man who had just saved her life, she finds this spy does something to her she has never felt.
The fate of two nations may lie within their alliance, as secrets are revealed and love grows. But those in power are plotting, using her race as a banner to rally behind, as they play on the fear of the unknown with their people. They worship different gods, but whose is real and whose has dark secrets?
Fate has deemed that Jasminda holds the key to finding the truth of salvation, but will she uncover this truth in time? Can war be avoided and the people join together as one? As a half-breed, does anyone truly trust in Jasminda or is she a threat to everyone, including the prince who loves her?
Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope comes across as a fantasy world from long ago until contemporary items slowly become part of the story. Her heroine is strong, intelligent, yet her life is very precarious as the spy, Jack falls for her and must stand against his own people to keep her as his own.
A dark escape into another world where small minds are alive and well, as well as ignorance and thankfully, love.
I received this copy from L. Penelope in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1
Publisher: Heartspell Media
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Genre: NA Fantasy
Print Length: 259 pages
Available from:
For Reviews & More:
May 2, 2019
“Our destiny can be taken in hand, molded, and shaped, while chance makes foolishness out of whatever attempts to control it. Does this make destiny the master of luck?”
That was a super fun quick read! I really enjoyed the story and the characters, even though the overall plot felt a little bit flat for me. Jasminda was a great strong main character, and I loved reading from her perspective! She and Jack had insane chemistry, and their romance was SO good😍
After that ending, I'm actually really excited to continue on with the series and read more about this world! If you're looking for a diverse fantasy book full of adventure and romance, this may be the one for you!
3.75/5★★★★
That was a super fun quick read! I really enjoyed the story and the characters, even though the overall plot felt a little bit flat for me. Jasminda was a great strong main character, and I loved reading from her perspective! She and Jack had insane chemistry, and their romance was SO good😍
After that ending, I'm actually really excited to continue on with the series and read more about this world! If you're looking for a diverse fantasy book full of adventure and romance, this may be the one for you!
3.75/5★★★★
Displaying 1 - 29 of 975 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.