Friday, April 27, 2018

ARC #Book Review: Song Of Blood & Stone by L Penelope

Book Title: Song of Blood & Stone ( Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1)
Author:  L. Penelope |WebsiteTwitterFacebook|
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romance, Sci-Fi
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Ebook, hardcover
Cost: $26.99
Pages: 384
How I got it: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication DateMay 1, 2018
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Synopsis:
"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.

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
Wonderfully written I was completely hooked from the get-go.  I wanted to know what would happen next, who would betray whom, & how everything would pan out. I ignored everything else in my life so I could complete this book. I needed to read it and find out what happened.  It's an adventure story, a journey to save a home, to reunite a people who are broken that becomes more about saving a country on the brink. 

This book features two amazing characters, the first one is Jasminda born a half-breed & made to know exactly why their people are at war. She's been outcasted by her town and pushed into a corner by those who should be taking care of her.  Jack was a spy who was undercover in enemy lines. He's running from a team that is bent on killing him before he makes it to his general to pass on the information that would help prevent a war.  I loved that they had hidden depths and secrets as well. Jasminda knew very little about her parent's history as they wanted to forget what brought them here to this space and move on.  As such she was unaware of just where she belonged.  I started to guess Jack's secret as the story unfolded and we drew closer to certain destinations, but it was still a surprise for Jasminda and seeing her reaction made me like her even more.

I absolutely loved this book.  The characters were well written Jasminda was my favorite character because despite having so much lost in her life she still gives her all.   Reading Jasminda and how she kept trying to talk herself out of falling for Jack.  I absolutely identified with her because she dealt with so much in her short life.  Including so much that happens right now in our modern world was seen in this and I totally understood how she felt when the townspeople acted up.   loved that the author didn't shy away from confronting racism, the ugliness of war and how our ideals of our country aren't always what is true in practice.

My favorite scenes are from the cityscape when she first got there and saw the whole thing. The description of the royal palace and I really enjoyed her favorite places within the castle.  I loved that the city was a mix of steampunk, futurism, today's tech and of course old tech as well. It was amazing. I  I also loved the scenes from the library, when Jasminda & Jack confront what's going on between them. It's also where they slowly learn that they need to do more than what the original mission was. 

The secondary characters were well written & dimensional.  Some were well rounded & some were written as if we should have known more about them but we really didn't  I enjoyed the POV as it switched between the two main characters and that made it more in-depth with their reasonings and ideas.

I felt so many different emotions while reading this book.  I was angered when certain scenes where Jasminda had to deal with the townspeople and the city people.  I absolutely loved Jack and her conversations, I loved their personal moments. I was intrigued, worried, nervous, and had a slightly unhealthy level of anxiety as things were unfolding.  For me, the ending wasn't predictable at all. It's such a fantastic story, that seemed to grow, the mystery of where it was going unfolded at a great pace. There were so many different layers and betrayals  And I was extremely excited to see that there are other books in the story. I also loved the little antidotes at the beginning of each chapter as I felt it added to the overall story as well.
 ★★★★
RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Warlord Series by Elizabeth Vaughan  
  • Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

I absolutely loved it and have ordered myself a copy and highly recommend it to you as well.  Happy Reading my loves, 

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