4.5 Stars
For the month of June, I’m ranking A Song of Blood & Stone as my favourite. The ARC was provided to me by Netgalley and I’m so thrilled I chose it. We follow the story of Jasminda who is an outcast for being half Elsiraian , lighter skinned people with no magical powers and live in peace, and and half Lagamiri, dark skinned people with magic who live under a violent dictatorship. She doesn’t fit in either country because she has the dark skin and magical powers of the Lagarimi but has spent her whole life in Elsira.

On top of that, her maternal grandfather is plotting against her because she won’t renounced her birthright. She falls for a solider,Jack, with a weighty and privileged secret, and it is up to her to save both Elsira and Lagarimi from destruction at the hands of True Father in Lagarimi ,who is nothing more than a ruthless dictator.

Aside from the romance parts, I loved seeing Jack use his privilege for a greater good and the parallels between the Lagarimi refugees and what is happening here in America in terms of xenophobic and racist narratives to deny people in need. If you like strong women leads, a little romance, and don’t mind themes of war check it out.

This is really rare for me but I was unable to finish this book. I just found the world building and characterization to be lacking. I'm stuck at about 50%. The book never hits true rising action. It feels aimless and is lacking the spark for me. I am truly sorry because I did have really high hopes. Every time I went to read I would painfully endure one chapter and pick up 5 - 10 books to read in-between.

Jasminda is an outcast, an Earthsinger, who has lived alone since the death of her mother. Soldiers come to her demanding refuge, they have a captive spy with them who is injured, who is captivated by Jasminda.

Jack is a spy who barely survived the breaching of the mantle. He is on a mission and needs Jasminda's help to rebel against the True Father and save Elsira.

I tried to read this book, and held on for about 6 chapters, but this just wasn't a good fit of a book for me. It was confusing for me to understand the history of the Elsirians and the Lagamiri, as well as the characteristics of this fantasy world. The rape scene was more graphic than I typically read, which for me was pretty much the last straw. I kept reading a little further, but I just wasn't invested, and was still confused by some of the plot.

I'm pretty sure the reason I didn't like this book is my fault. It's not my typical read. I found it difficult to orientate myself, which is often my problem with fantasy. Also I typically stick to clean reads, so this just wasn't my comfort level.

I was given access to this book galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

I'm somewhere between 4-5 stars but this is definitely a favorite for me now and Jasminda is among my top 3 heroines with Shazi(The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh) and Vasya(The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden). It would have been a full 5 for sure if the author had balanced the romance more with more world-building and action but I do understand that she had a much more important topic, several actually, to tackle with some of the parallels to social injustices in our world today so for that I'm willing to give her a break with my rating because she touched on things most fantasy authors won't go near. I'm hoping she can better find that balance with book 2 though and give us more court intrigue and action, show us more of this beautiful world she has created. I can't recommend this one enough though! It was amazing!

Full review:

Song of Blood and Stone us now one of my favorite Fantasy books. I enjoyed the writing, world-building, and characters. If you loved Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, you will love this one. If you always felt Nehemia deserved a larger part in TOG, you will love Song of Blood and Stone. Not saying Jasminda is like Nehemia because they are both black but I did always wish that such an amazing WOC character had had a better role in the series. My only minor complaint was that I wished the author had found more of a balance between romance and overall plot/world-building/action. Sarah J Maas did a great job of that in her two series, but at the same time SJM wasn't tackling serious topics like racism, diversity, acceptance, tolerance, interracial relationships, same sex relationships, rape(albeit attempted), sexual assault, and police brutality.
The main character, Jasminda, is now among my top three heroines of all time. She's just that amazing! I love my heroines fierce yet with heart and Jasminda is one of the fiercest but no less and sweet and caring for it. I think it's important to show that women can be fierce without compromising their heart. The author did an excellent job with her character. And Jack- new book boyfriend Jack. With both of them I have a new OTP as well.

The world these characters inhabit was every bit as fascinating and original as they are. L Penelope managed to do something I have yet to see another author accomplish. She flawlessly built a magical world and managed to combine contemporary technology. I've read where others have referred to it as Historical Fantasy and I agree with and love that description. Either way it's a magical world not unlike the one in SJMs Throne of Glass series with cars! And telephones! Imagine the possibilities!

And the magic! I loved L Penelope's take on magic in this series. It was never confusing or boring. All in all, while I would have loved more of a balance between the romance and action, this was an amazing story with truly great characters, great and original world-building, serious topics tackled, and a beautiful romance. I highly recommend!

*Thanks to St. Martins Press for the free ARC for review and NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the free eARC for review*

Incredible! I will be telling all my friends about this book -- L. Penelope is a real talent and I can't wait to read more from her.

After a chapter or two to really get into it, I began to enjoy this book. Jasminda was an interesting character who had to survive much hardship. When Jack almost fell into her lap, the book really picked up steam, and I enjoyed the journey the two of them had to go on, from war captives to magical caves, etc. Then, however, they made it back to "civilization" and Jack's military comrades. And at that point the book became just not as good, in my opinion. A lot of the "magic" was lost once they got to the big city, and the romance between Jack and Jasminda overwhelmed the story. To go back to my earlier analogy, the book lost steam at that point. I wasn't sure where the author was going and it seemed like some depth to the characters and story was missing. When the book reached the climax, the author's descriptions seemed almost matter-of-fact and therefore everything was a bit anti-climactic. While overall this was a good book, that was almost the problem with it--it was just "good" when it could have been great.

I requested this book because of the gorgeous cover and OMG it was amazing! An epic adventure and magical world with romance and political intrigue. The worldbuilding is fantastic. The characters are complex. And the themes of racism, alienation and class discrimination are handled in a realistic and nuanced way. I really loved reading this book and the author's voice. I hope there are more in this series in the future.

This is a love story with an interesting, very likeable heroine. The love interest is a little too perfect, but they had nice chemistry and some steamy scenes. As a romance, it's a great read. (Also? Thank goodness for no love triangle!)

However, as a fantasy, it never really gets off the ground. It's a bit predictable. There are some tantalizing hints of the wider world it's set in, but it never really came together cohesively. I think the author has some great ideas, and I'd love to see her flesh out the details around her characters and really go deeper into the world they inhabit. I'd very interested to see what she writes next!

I really enjoyed this one and felt it wasn't like anything I've read lately. It was a very easy read, fast paced and intriguing. I finished it within a day. I definitely felt that this book was hitting on a lot of different major issues all at once. It hits racism, refugees, interracial couples, f/f couples, sexual assault, political conflict, and moral dilemmas just to name a few. Race/cultural differences between the opposing sides plays a huge role in this book. I really enjoyed reading how there were good and bad on both sides and not singling one side out as good/evil. One could definitely take this book with a political view but I read for entertainment so I leave politics out of it.
I loved the characters. I found myself rooting for both main characters and connected with them each in different ways. I would loved to have read about Jasminda's life with her family before. I loved her connection to them, but some added memories of her twin brothers or her parents would have really brought them to life. I really liked how independent she was, how she was terrified and strong at the same time. I loved Jack. His identity wasn't a complete surprise by the time it is made known but it didn't detract from the story. I really enjoyed Nash and Usher and hope they make more appearances and perhaps some more depth in the future.
I would not classify this as a YA but more NA. It has some pretty descriptive sex scenes for YA, not too detailed, but way more than I would feel comfortable sharing with my teenager. There are also scenes of attempted rape that are pretty descriptive. There wasn't any language and in between these scenes, it was YA suitable.
The fantasy in this one was light and easy. It didn't get too complicated when speaking of magic, which makes it a fast read. Sometimes too much fantasy can weigh a book down and make it work to get through. This was not one of those. I really loved how the magic is connected to each other, to the earth.
This was a great and easy read and I am glad I was given the opportunity to review it. I will definitely follow the author and I'm eager to read what comes next!

I was really excited about this book, especially after Jasminda meets Jack, however once they both arrive to his home, things slow down- not so much that nothing happens, because plenty of drama goes down, but hat it's written with such a passive voice that even though major events transpire, it doesn't read like it does. I was left underwhelmed :(

This book was just not for me. I was looking for a fantasy with a dash of romance, but it felt the other way around. I feel like I need to be in the right mind set to fully connect with the story. I didn't finish reading this, but the writing and themes I ran into were very good. You may like this if you are looking for a fantasy romance with a diverse cast.

What if you had the power to transform everything around you by tapping into the natural world with the power of song?

That’s the premise of L. Penelope’s latest book, Song of Blood and Stone- and one that sounded so promising that I picked it up (or whatever the Kindle version of that is) with great excitement.

The song itself is Earthsong: a magical ability passed down from generation to generation, right from the people that first created the world. However, Jasminda is the only person she knows that has it, and she lives in Elsira, a country where her magic is looked on with suspicion and hatred. But that’s about to change when Jack, an Elsiran, appears out of the mountains that border Lagrimar- a country whose people have the same magic, and are led by a mysterious tyrant who steals the power of his subjects.

For me, the story took a while to get going- though not because of the central characters. I loved both Jack and Jasminda- though they took a little while to warm up to. They’re warm, relatable and strong-willed, which definitely helps during the first third of the book, which I found dragged- and then sped up massively, as we were shunted through a mountain of exposition within the space of a couple of chapters.

I especially loved Jasminda, though: as a mixed-race heroine who battles injustice and prejudice, her struggles were especially relevant given the current refugee crisis, which the book itself explores in detail as the Elsiran government struggles to decide what to do with the Lagrimari refugees pouring over their border. She’s smart, resourceful and adamantly her own woman, which (for spoilery reasons I won’t divulge) becomes more and more admirable throughout the book. Like Jack, she’s more than capable of kicking a little ass.

For me, though the story really kicked into gear in the second half- and then I was hooked. We got stuck into the nuances of politics, duty, refugees and the struggle of following your heart rather than your head. Though Jack and Jasminda’s love was a little too perfect and ‘insta-lovey’ for my taste, the struggles that they go through, as war descends on Elsira, were great, and gripping, and very finely balanced, and kept me turning the pages as I tried to figure out whether Jack and Jasminda could outsmart the various people arrayed against them, or would be outsmarted.

The worldbuilding was another aspect I really enjoyed. By giving the struggle between Lagrimar and Elsira such a detailed past, we can really appreciate just how long and exhausting the war has been, and- through the help of flashbacks- we see how it started. That- alongside Earthsong- was really interesting, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Penelope does with the world that she’s created, and what she’s going to do moving forward from that explosive ending.

Fresh, interesting and exciting, this is a magical whirlwind of a book that sweeps you along and challenges you to keep up in a world of myth, magic and power struggles. It’s definitely one that you should be adding to your Summer TBR.

In three words: myth. Magic. Fast-paced.

It took me a while to get into this story but I ‘m glad I stuck with it. The author’s world building was really well done. I enjoyed the characters- Jasminda was a pleasure to read. The romance was a little predictable but still enjoyable. The plotting was paced well. All in all, a definite recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone newly interested in reading fantasy books I was immediately intrigued by Song of Blood and Stone. I will say it took me a little bit to get into this but once I was I found myself sucked into Jasminda and Jack's lives and I couldn't put the book down. I definitely recommend this book.

I'm sorry, but our reviewer did not like this book at all and it was a DNF (we don't post DNF or 1 star reviews on our site).

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*

I have to say I picked this book because of that gorgeous cover (how could i not?) with no expectatives whatsoever.
Thankfully, it turned out to be a great YA, with a great main character (yay Jasminda!.Bonus points for dealing with racism!
I loved the way the book was structured and how the story keeps evolving until the very end.
I'm dying to read the next one!

An interesting tale, different. Nicely written, engaging, with a character set you could invest in. I will look for more by this author.

'Song of Blood & Stone' is a thrilling first installment in a new epic fantasy series that has a bit of something for everyone. I honestly haven't read too many books from this genre and I was kind of skeptical going in. I'm definitely glad I gave it a chance because I ended up liking it so much more than I thought I would. Pretty much every aspect of the book was well done and I enjoyed the majority of everything. There were some things throughout the story that bugged me - mostly how some spots felt like the pace slowed way down and dragged on for awhile. That's just my own personal opinion and not a reflection on the book or the writing. I'm sure that other readers will find everything about the story and pace to their liking.

The world building immediately stood out to me. It was amazing and so intricately detailed that I felt like I was there and only had to close my eyes to be transported to this new place. The author used great attention to detail along with vivid imagery and descriptions to bring the setting to life right from the start. I loved getting to know about each of the lands - their histories, why they were always fighting, what the Mantle was, and so much more. There seemed to be so many different places to discover throughout this world and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it in the following books.

The characters were fantastic and well written. Especially the main characters - Jasminda and Jack. They each had complex personalities and traits that made them realistic and easy to identify with right from the beginning of the book. I loved Jasminda - she was a mixture of so many things. She was proud of her heritage (she had one parent from each warring country), but people in her country were prejudiced against her for so many stupid reasons. She's strong, kind, determined to do the right thing, wants to help people in any way she can, loyal, and loving - just to name a few. She has some negative qualities - she can be insecure about lots of things about herself. That was her biggest flaw, in my opinion. Jack was an interesting character - we get to know him on a personal level and see that he's caring, kind, protective, and brave. But when Jasminda and he arrive back in their homeland, things get complicated fast and we see another side to Jack. I thought it was interesting to see both sides of his personality and how all of his qualities came together to create one person. Of course, there's the romance between our two main characters - which was intense, sweet, heartbreaking, sad, and everything in between. I loved watching Jasminda and Jack get to know each other and watch their relationship blossom.

The plot was fascinating and full of what one would expect - warring countries, politics, secrets, scandals, and the "star crossed lovers." Even though not all of the plot was wholly original, I felt that the author put her own spin on it and gave it a breath of fresh air to set it apart from others in the genre. I'm excited and glad that this is only the first book in a new series. I can't wait to see what will happen next and to learn more about the mysterious Earthsong that the series is named after. Definitely recommended for fans of epic fantasy, fantasy, and romance.

I liked this book. I thought the world building was awesome, although I wanted more. I liked Jasminda,the heroine. I thought she was strong and I loved the diversity. The romance was predictable and I really really wanted it to not be quite so true lovely. I wanted to meet Jasminda's family or feel related to them.

I thought it has lots of potential but I wanted more details and depth.

Excellent book, I highly recommend it. The embodiment of the saying that humans will give up their gods before they give up their prejudices.