Book: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Read From: 2nd October - 7th October 2021
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life in Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated and her court threatens mutiny. Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic, requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition. When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
This West-African inspired fantasy was filled with SO much to adore. Not only was it infused with the most vibrant culture and folktales, there were also so many tropes that I love including a competition/games, court politics and making a deal with a devil (although an obosom isn't a 'devil' - it's more of a spirit. But I guess it still sort of fits the trope). All of these combined made for the most captivating read and yet there was so much more to the book too. Betrayal, magic, self-discovery, grief, mental illness, injustice... there is a lot packed into this fantasy novel which will grip you from the very first page.
The world-building was just incredible, and the way it ended up shaping the plot (and the history of Ziran) was done so well. The magic system and the different deities, whilst not overly complex, were genuinely so interesting to read about. Whilst I didn't find the writing style to be anything ground-breaking, the world-building and characterisation more than made up for it, but what's not to love about an easy to follow read?!
I absolutely loved these characters but I think after a while, Malik's indecisiveness started to become a little repetitive. His brain would tell us one thing, but then the next moment his actions told a completely different story. I suppose it's understandable that you would have your doubts when killing the literal Princess but I think I would have received it a lot better if it were done in a way that was less 'samey'. However, it was amazing to see anxiety represented - I don't think this is something I've ever seen in a fantasy before and I really appreciated this touch.
Karina was great - on the outside we see a strong heroine but being in her head gave a different perspective which was so refreshing. She goes through the motions of feeling like she doesn't belong in her position of power and we see the front she puts on for the rest of Ziran - all while managing her grief over the loss of her sister, father and her mother. It was great to see both sides to her, I think it's easy to get swept up by a badass female lead without considering the fact there may be more than what meets the eye. To have this reflected on paper made a nice change!
Overall, this was an amazing YA fantasy and I cannot wait for the sequel to be released. It's a book that seems easy to predict but there are several twists and turns that you won't see coming. It's been blurbed by Kiersten White as an 'immersive debut that should be on every fantasy lover's shelf' and that just about sums it up perfectly.