A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

By: Roseanne A. Brown

Narrated by: Jordan Cobb, A. J Beckles

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

An instant New York Times Best Seller!

The first in a gripping fantasy duology inspired by West-African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction - from debut author Roseanne A. Brown. This New York Times best seller is perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Renée Ahdieh, and Sabaa Tahir.

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal - kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic...requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a heart-pounding 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?

"Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this stunning debut novel inspired by North African and West-African folklore. An action-packed tale of injustice, magic, and romance, this novel immerses readers in a thrilling world and narrative reminiscent of Children of Blood and Bone." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List")

Don't miss the second book in this epic duology, A Psalm of Storms and Silence!

©2020 Roseanne A. Brown (P)2020 HarperAudio

A truly unique and beautiful tale....

A whirlwind adventure tale about love, loss, anger and magic. I loved every moment of this unexpected, beautiful story Rosanne weaved for us.

Karina is already soaring to the top of my favorite characters list. I love her anger, I love her moral compass and I absolutely admire her strength. I truly cannot wait to see where the next book takes her. I can't wait to see her take back her kingdom. A true queen.

Slow

The story was kind of drawn out and I listened to the end of it on fast forward just wanting to be done.

No words

It's impossible to find the right words without spoiling some aspect of the story. It's just so good! The world building and the depths of the characters are fantastic, and the themes are refreshingly different than what've become tropes within the fantasy genre.

Kinda slow in the beginning

Overall the story was good.
a little slow in the beginning though. I had to start it over and over again just to fully understand everything.

Terrible Narration, So-so story

Narration: this is a story that takes place in West Africa. The narrators don’t even try to pronounce words with an African accent. In fact some words they mispronounce. It comes across as inauthentic and a little insulting. Were there no African actors to narrate? Were there no actors that could pull off a Nigerian, Liberian or Ethiopian accent? The narrators do a poor job of distinguishing between characters. The reading is set up where the narrators alternate chapters. The problem with that is that sometimes characters cross chapters. So sometimes the princess sounds like a man! Sometimes it’s unclear which character is speaking! The male narrator reads too fast, you have to slow his voice down. As a sci-fi/ fantasy novel there is a lot of world building. In a too-fast narration you get lost.

Story: the writer takes way too long to build the story. You have to listen for a while before you get to the incident that kicks off the story. By then you struggle to maintain interest. The only thing that kept me listening to the end was the fact that I paid for the audible. The writer sometimes uses two to three names for the characters (the queen has three different names, one of the main characters has two. The villain has two to three) it’s just confusing. Also you get towards the end of the book and the solutions to the problems are explained too easily. There is no catharsis at the end off the book and at no point do you grow to like Karina one of the main characters. She spends most of the book pursuing a mission only to see the goal accomplished in an unexpected direction and her response? “oh that’s wrong.” With no real action towards the oppression in the kingdom, no real sense of personal responsibility to others except for when that person can help her. That’s not a hero. C’mon!

Maybe reading the book instead of listening solves the narration issue but there were some story and character development issues I couldn’t get over.

Great story, beautiful performance!

This book was absolutely lovely! Especially 3 dimensional characters for a YA fantasy, world building that draws you in, and a story with twists and turns you always feel like you should have expected (the best kind). No fantasy world holds up to infinite scrutiny, but this is the kind that makes you feel like you don’t have to poke at it. In short, it’s beautifully crafted.

The performance is well suited to the story, with two different narrators (one for each limited omniscient viewpoint). The narrators carry the story well, and stay understated enough to leave room for the listener’s thoughts and interpretations. There are some distinctive voices, but none that feel out of place and no drastic tonal shifts that take the listener out of the story. They both were fantastic.

I like the concept

I like the concept. Before the two main characters knew each other promises are made. They each have their own stories yet they collide. Neither knowing the other's true story or purpose. In stead of an obvious and seemingly easy end game, it all goes up in the air. Decisions and actions no longer easy and sacrifices change. The end not so clear or easy.

I think if I read the book, rather than listened, I would have been more involved into the story and more connected. Not sure why it didn't always hold my interests. Narration wasn't horrible but it didn't bring it 100% alive either.

Great

My mother and I both enjoyed the book. I can’t wait for book 2. Thank you!

An almost love, an almost death and a loose magic

I enjoyed this story.
I want to see where is goes next.
I want more details around the magic system.

Beautifully written and Amazingly told!

amazing and original characters and powers. and the main characters arc wasn't corny like some in this genre can be.

Great story marred somewhat by a US accent

In looking for stories featuring diverse characters NOT being oppressed or abused by white populations, this was a welcome find. The writing is rich enough to be studied and the content appropriate for middle teens.
As I wanted a book to share with my kids and students showing non-white heroes, it was disappointing to hear the American accent. If I compare it to the narration of Children of Blood and Bone, the story is better but I really thought the narration with the African accent helped me visualise the characters more effectively. Weirdly, with this book, I often found myself imagining white characters and had to consciously remind myself this is supposed to be set in West Africa (or at least that's where the intertwining mythologies come from).
I found the characters convincing, unlike CoB&B, and the avoidance of 'instalove' made the romance more complex and believable.
This is a book I will definitely add to my classroom library and encourage others to explore. I'm really looking forward to the next installation.

Enjoyed it

My first foray into YA fantasy and I have to admitI quite enjoyed it, looking forward to the next one.

Brilliant story

This story keeps you wanting to see what happens next. The characters are well developed and you feel a connection with them. The two people performing the book help to bring those characters alive. I can’t wait for the next one.

Told Well, More Suspense Needed.

It took a few chapters to get into this. Although this book was a good story, I would like to set more twists & turns in these books. It was very predictable.

Loved it!

Loved this book! The narrators were wonderful and engaging, and the story was intriguing and heartbreaking and aaaaaa. Very much looking forward to the second book and finding out where the characters go from here.