A TIME Magazine Best Fantasy Book of 2018 “Wonderful characters, unique setting, and an engaging romance set against the backdrop of ancient magic. I can’t wait to see what L. Penelope will do next.”–Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author L. Penelope’s Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers. … 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 Lagrimar 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 its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda’s Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save the land 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.
“Prepare to be hooked. Song of Blood & Stone is brimming with captivating lore, unique magic, and plot-turns you never saw coming. L. Penelope has written your next fantasy obsession.” –Elise Kova, USA Today bestselling author of The Loom Saga
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There was so much I loved about this book, I almost don’t even know where to start!
The world building was fantastic, Lesley Penelope did an incredible job creating a world and a lore that felt so believable. The details were rich and unique and I particularly loved the history that she built into her world and her story, it gave the book so much depth.
I really enjoyed the complexity of this book and that it not only extended to the world and its history, but to the characters are well. I would definitely describe this book as a rich reading experience, but it also never felt like it dragged or moved slowly. There was plenty of action to keep me turning the paging and dying to know what happened next.
The Magic system was fascinating and yet not overwhelming. I loved the uniqueness of it, and the layers it felt like it had to it.
And lastly, the romance was fantastic. I loved the growth of Jasminda and Jack’s relationship and seeing them work through the struggles to find their own happily ever after together. I loved that the two of them really carried the story both as individuals and as a couple. They had such great chemistry and I was super invested in their relationship right from the start. I’m so hoping there will be more of them in later books!
Definitely a read I would highly recommend!
CW: Violence and Attempted Rape
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.- Goodreads
Firstly, the overall story is told very well. It isn’t as complicated as you would think; it is straight forward to a certain extent. But it wasn’t fast pace; you don’t feel as if the story is rushed.
Jasminda is hard to like and that is because she is a weak individual and that doesn’t really change. I don’t believe the decisions she made was because of a newfound strength but it was really due to having no real alternative. I wanted to like her. I really did but she made excuses and didn’t try.
I liked Jack more than Jasminda but he was losing focus a lot throughout the book. Compared to Jasminda, he had more substance, strength and heart.
There were two issues with this book. For one, it is heavy on the romance. I have no issue with this other than it takes away from the magic, the fantasy of the novel. I like Jack and Jasminda together but there isn’t enough history. Do not get me wrong what you need to know is there but there are holes in the story regarding Jasminda past. It is slightly touched upon but if the author added more of her past then there would have been a better balance and the questions I had after finishing the book would have been more of what next and I think someone knows something.
Secondly, Jasminda didn’t work to become better. She accepted the fact that her Earthsong was weak and did nothing to change it. But the worst part of that is everyone around her accepted that. I was disappointed in that. Did she use her Earthsong to the best of her ability to do some good? Yes, she did but was things pretty much handed to her with no real explanation? Yes.
These are two huge concerns with the book, however, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish this book. I couldn’t put it down. You get sucked into the conflict between those who have the Earthsong and those who do not. You want more and you keep reading because there is a promise of more. Does the author deliver? Yes and no. There are whole within the plot but there is a promise in book two that there will be more.
I loved the romance, loved the world this story takes place in but I wanted more details, history and fight in this book. However, I was impressed and even when writing this review, I smile with how much I love this story and cannot wait for book two.
This series with some work is going to be amazing.
4 Pickles
Things I enjoyed about this book:
↠ the characters ↠
The author absolutely nailed it with the characterization in Song of Blood & Stone. They were all unique, all interesting, and (most importantly if you ask me) all three dimensional. The story focuses on 4 characters: Jasminda, Jack, Ella, and Benn. They all had distinct voices and back stories, with diversity all across the board. I know everyone in the reviews was crazy about Jasminda, but I think Ella stole my heart in this story more.
“Ella was just a hairdresser. A failed printmaker and taxi driver and a dozen other things. She was not important. Then again, Syllene was the daughter of a potato farmer. And she had helped kill a prince. People could change.”
Ella knew what she wanted, was clear headed, stubborn as fuck, and all around kick ass, honestly.
↠ the setting ↠
While this is set in a very medieval, historical, kings & queens setting, it is very unique to other fantasies because it starts dipping its toes in electronic feats. It’s like the story is right on the brink of a technological revolution; not quite there yet, but starting to introduce phones and electricity to the wealthier families. I thought it was an interesting twist to the usual fantasy stories, and I thought the author was very brave to have set the story in this turbulent timeline. L. Penelope could have easily just stuck to a classic, medieval setting, but she instead chose to take a risk. And I respect that, and it was a part of the story I very much enjoyed.
↠ the plot ↠
The plot of the book blurs the lines between fantasy and political thriller. We’re handed a lot of things on our plate: on one side, we’re dealing with Bloodstones and Mantles and Sleeping Queens, and magical powers. On the other, we have a turbulent Regent Prince, immigration issues, race issues, power issues. This book definitely transcends the two genres and even sometimes clicks very close to home with issues that are happening today. Immigration in the US is a huge conversation, and the distrust of people who don’t look or act like you are just now starting to fade but it’s still a process of growing. The “sending the Lagrimari refugees back” part of the plot line definitely tugged at my heart strings because today in the US there are hundreds of Latino families being deported back to their countries. I thought the author did an amazing job somehow taking this fantastical fantasy plot & setting and somehow connecting it with our world issues.
Things I didn’t like about this book:
↝ the writing style was poor ↝
While this isn’t the worst writing style there is, I felt this story could have been a million times better if the author had indulged in the scenes and settings a bit more. I’m definitely a metaphor typa girl; I’m definitely a “pretty words and pretty descriptions” make me happy type of girl. I felt the writing was lacking beauty. It told the story alright, it let me follow through the characters’ actions and gave me a few emotions here and there, but it’s missing something. It’s missing that OOMPH. It’s missing a kabank, something that sets it apart from all the other stories on the market. I wish we could have digged into the minds of the characters more, I wish I could have digged into this setting more. I just almost feel disconnected from the book, like I hadn’t really been a apart of the adventures, just a heard a retelling of them.
Which is sadly why this book isn’t landing in my Favorites shelves. As cool as the characters, plot, and setting were I feel the author has a lot of room to grow for her writing. I would like to be apart of the story–to be enticed in and feel like I’m rolling around in the grass of Elsira. It was a nice read, with a lot of potential, but I dearly hope the sequel makes up for what this first installment lacks: substance. Life. Vibrancy.
Really enjoyed reading this novel by L. Penelope.
Actual Rating 3.70
What an enjoyable read. I loved Jasminda and Jack. They were both wonderful characters and I was invested in their stories. The magic was definitely interesting and I really liked how people used their Earthsong to heal, read people’s intentions, see if their lying, to manipulate the earth(as in flowers and such), and control the weather. Even though Jasminda’s Earthsong power is considered weak, she never lets it stop her from helping Jack to keep the True Father from breaking the Mantle. I also liked the political side of this world and tensions were boiling. This book also does a great job showing how Jasminda is an outcast among her own people since she is half Elsiran and half Lagamiri. People in Elsira, which is her home fear her ability of Earthsong. It was great seeing that and how that fear caused people to act against refuges of Lagamiri.
The only thing that was a little unclear to me was the world. Sometimes it seemed more fantasy like and others they seemed to have modern technology and clothes. I was bit confused if this world was more like our own, but not from the present. I wish that was cleared up a bit more. I also felt that the story kinda lost its way a little bit and focused more on the romance and relationship between Jasminda and Jack and not on a way to keep the True Father from breaking the Mantle. That was my only issue.
I really enjoyed this book. I am exciting to see what will happen next.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Jasminda is an outcast. She’s a orphan. One day as she is out walking she comes across an injured soldier named Jack. She heals Jack using Earthsong but soon finds that both her and his life are in jeopardy. They protect each other, and soon end up falling for each other. I really liked this book. THAT COVER!!!!
This is Book 1 in the Earthsinger Chronicles. Jasminda is a Half-breed and has been discriminated against her whole life. She has grown up strong and very independent because of that discrimination. She meets Jack and you can feel the chemistry growing between them. This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it. It has a good storyline to it as it tells about the two worlds trying to go to war against each other. You are caught you in the story from the very beginning and it keeps you riveted until the end. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book that I received from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is a very well written fantasy that alludes to the current politics causing so much upheaval in the western world today. In this respect, it is not unique. I am of the opinion that writers use what they see and hear in the world around them to create the fictions about which they write. Some incorporate the elements of reality in much more subtle ways than do others. I was somewhat reminded of the classic Star Trek episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” while reading of the war between people, with and without Earthsong, separated by a magical wall into which there have been seven breaches.
There are two separate stories woven in the pages of SONG OF BLOOD & STONE. The main story is an action packed chronicle of two people who find each other in dire straits and grow to depend on each other for their very survival. The second story is the legend of the people who inhabit this place. The coincidence of the two doesn’t occur until very near the end of the book, but that’s a good thing. Although the legend is meant to foreshadow what is to come and why events unfurl as they do, to have them become fully meaningful too soon would have destroyed the ending.
Although this is meant to be the first book in a series (Earthsinger Chronicles), SONG OF BLOOD & STONE stands well on its own. It is a story of battles and nationalism taken to the extreme. It is also a story of finding love and acceptance where none was expected.
The next book in the series, WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME, appears to be available in paperback only, with limited availability at this time. I trust that an eBook version is in the works.
Song of Blood and Stone was an amazing epic fantasy, with a twist of romance. Full of action and adventure. The characters were wonderful, and easy to fall in love with!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own