When I read fantasy, I expect world building, epic storytelling and unforgettable characters. L Penelope's Song of Blood and Stone delivered on all counts. Gorgeous, epic storytelling coupled with unforgettable characters and a grand romance to boot made this one of my faves this year.

I was so excited when I had the opportunity to read this book. It looked like the kind of story I would be all over. And this was a good book. The concept is really interesting, the world building was awesome, the writing was beautiful...but I just couldn't get into it. 

The story just seemed to move a bit slow for me. I mean, plenty happened, but it just didn't feel like things were moving very fast. I enjoyed all of the background information and learning about the characters, but I would have liked to be sucked in by the plot a little more. 

I feel like I should also add that this book is really heavy on romance, and I'll admit that I'm really picky when it comes to romance. While the love interests had great chemistry, I wasn't quite as interested in their relationship as I was in what else was happening in the book. But maybe that was just me.

Despite my issues, I still had a fun time reading this book! Like I said, the writing is absolutely stunning. And I loved the world building so much. This world really did feel like a real place that I could just step into. So, I would probably recommend this book to those who love fantasy romances. I think it's definitely worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. I did submit reviews in goodreads and on Amazon.com. I also shared the exclusive cover on social media. Two thumbs up!

A great fantasy world with an interesting high stakes story. Loved the main character. The romance felt too easy and didn't work for me, but I think there's definitely an audience for it.

I really enjoyed this novel. It had all the great elements of a fantasy. I really loved Jasminda's character. She was fierce, but not perfect. She had the courage to stand up for herself, but never found it easy to muster up all that bravery. I also enjoyed Jack's character, he was quite funny and mischievous. Although, I saw his "secret" from a mile away, but I really enjoyed his goofy character.

The ode to racial tensions was quite well done. Penelope pays tribute to the historical and modern discrimination many black people face. The magical, black population is subjected to  violence and unfair laws under the light-skinned, non-magical population. It is a very poignant element to the story, and an important one nonetheless.

For a fantasy, it gets a little heavy on the romance between Jack and Jasminda, an interracial couple who has to face the scrutiny of both their peoples. I loved them together and I do appreciate that theirs was a romance well developed and not instant!

I was confused at first with the direction of the story. The beginning of the book is wildly different from the end. Many things change and it almost felt like I read two different stories had there not been a middle. Still it was fast paced towards the end. There is a lot of political intrigue which I enjoyed and when you start bringing in gods and goddesses things get a lot more interesting!

In exchange for this eGalley, I have given word of an honest review for this title.
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

I had learned that this is actually a rewrite from the original. Which in my opinion, aside from anything else, is spectacular on the Authors behalf. Knowing she believes in herself and her work is inspiring!!
Now to the book, the reason for the 3 stars. I found myself having a lot of trouble focusing on the story. It just didn't catch my attention. Unfortunately, this had not changed later on either. The stories plot has potential, and the world and characters have a lot going for them but still did not get my attention. The building for the characters was detailed and great , as was the world building for the most part. I actually found myself lost. At times it seemed confusing but overall I got it. I'm not going as far as to say disliked the book. I may try again later and end up liking it, others may like it as well. Just not the dark, fast paced, action packed fantasy novels I have grown to love.
The magic used in the book was pretty unique however. As I said I believe it could have great potential.

First of all, this cover is absolutely stunning! The content is also just about as stunning as the cover. At times this felt a little bit 'too perfect' and left me questioning the plot - and not always in a good way. While it did surprise me and keep me guessing, the plot felt a bit to be desired and the writing felt stilted. Overall a good read, but needs some work. 2.75/5

I liked this book because it felt complex, but it wasnt hard to read or keep up with. It had depth to the characters that was being eeked out slowly.  Making you question the people, their motives and work out what side really was the side of good, and which ones were evil. The book is the start of the Earthsinger Chronicals which is obviously going to be an enthralling series to get stuck into.

Greatly enjoyed this, lyrical and exciting. Will recommend to readers of all ages.I found it to be a really fun story with lots of twists.

The Mantle is a barrier between the kingdoms of Langrimar and Elsira. Jasminda is Elsiran by birth, but an outcast in her own country because her father had been a refugee from Langrimar. Soldiers from Langrimar with a captured Elsiran spy named Jack invade her home, drawing her into a wider conflict between the two nations. She has a weak form of Earthsong, the magic that most Elsirans distrust, but Jack believes it's enough to save the Mantle and their country from being destroyed.

The world building is wonderfully shown in little ways. There are folk tales introducing chapters, as well as the casual ways that people talk about religion, politics, the war between nations, the Breaches through the Mantle, the Queen Who Sleeps, and the Earthsong itself. Technology is at a more steampunk kind of level, as there are trucks and airships as well as radios and telephones, but the political system is based on royalty and a patriarchal inheritance structure.

Langrimari people are dark skinned and Elsirans tend to be lighter skinned with red hair; the prejudice against Langrimari in Elsira is shown in large and small ways from the very beginning of the novel. As much as Jack and Jasminda have a mutual respect and love for each other, that isn't seen as the balm to heal all wounds between the nations as it might be in some fantasy novels. The prejudice against Jasminda for her appearance as well as her lack of status is another hurdle for them, and does add a grounding measure to the fantasy world. The nature of right and wrong, morality within politics and ruling a country, and handling differences in a mature way were all depicted wonderfully in this novel.

This novel had a very satisfying conclusion, with just enough hints for future works to keep the anticipation flowing. I can't wait to see what else is in store for the series.

This was a beautifully written read that takes you on a journey through a beautifully unique world. From the first page, it takes you into a universe full of magic, suspense, and adventure. The writing is a breath of fresh air that I can't wait to witness again in a second book!

The story takes you on the journey of a young girl who has lost her family and is alone in the world until she meets an injured soldier who needs her help. From there, friendship and love come despite all the odds stacked against them. While their obstacles, including ignorance and jealousy of others, try to draw them apart, their love could be the catalyst for a future of acceptance and togetherness.

This has been getting a lot of buzz, and it’s a fantasy, so my interest was piqued. I went into this without really knowing what it was about, and I find that that usually works best for me. I like to discover a book’s plot by working my way through the pages, instead of having it handed to me in a cover blurb. This was an engrossing book that didn’t always work for me, but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more of the author’s works.

Jasminda lives in the mountains by herself. Her parents and her brothers are dead, leaving her alone. She is all she has to rely on, and she is fierce and distrustful of strangers. After a frustrating visit to town, where the townsfolk treat her with distain because of her heritage, Jasminda finds an injured man on her journey home. He’s wounded and delirious, and he thinks he’s on the other side of the Mantle, in Lagrimar, which is enemy territory. When he tells her he has to get back to Elsira, Jasminda doesn’t know what to think. When a group of Lagrimari soldiers appears, she is determined to help the stranger any way she can.

The people of Elsira have been at war with Lagrimar for centuries. The Elsirans have no magic, while the Lagrimari, through Earthsong, can manipulate the elements. They make formidable foes, and while the Mantle between their nations forms a barricade between the countries, there have been occasional breaches. These breaches lead to war and bloodshed, and Jack, the wounded soldier, knows that a breach is imminent. He has a way to end the breaches forever, if he can only get to the cornerstone that the Mantle is anchored to.

Jasminda’s mother was Elsiran, but her father was Lagrimari. Trapped in Elsira after a breach, he met and married her mother. Of her siblings, only Jasminda shares the Lagrimari coloring with her father, as well as a tiny bit of Earthsong. While her father’s magic was powerful, Jasminda’s is like a pebble in a stream. It’s just enough to get her into trouble. It’s also one of the reasons the Elsiran’s treat her so poorly.

Jack’s arrival in her life throws Jasminda in deadly peril. She must decide what she’s going to do with her life, too. Stay in the mountains, or help fight the True Father, the tyrant who rules Lagrimar. When she meets refugees from Lagrimar, people who have the means to awaken the Queen, she decides to try to help them. If they can overthrow the True Father, maybe there can be peace between Lagrimar and Elsira.

There were parts of the worldbuilding that didn’t make much sense, and I wished for a little more information. While life is rather primitive for Jasminda, the Elsirans in the city have cars, airships, and other more modern conveniences. That just seemed jarring and didn’t make much sense to me. Also, there are other countries that the Elsiran’s deal with, which made me wonder how the Mantle really worked. Did it totally encompass Ligrimar? Did the other nations have to deal with the breaches? Did they only occur on the Elsiran border? I just found that confusing. Or maybe I shouldn’t have wondered about it so much.

The other plot thread I didn’t get all gung-ho for was the romance. It just did not work for me. Jack has not bee truthful about who he is, and he has to keep Jasminda hidden away, a secret, and that bothered me. I have read the forbidden romance trope so many times, and it rarely works for me. The sneaking around, the lying, especially in a palace, where there are so many gossiping servants – nah. I didn’t buy into it, or believe that they could have kept anything a secret.

The magic is interesting, and I really liked the ending. That won me back over. This is a fast-paced read, with a young woman who must depend on herself in a world filled with prejudice and distrust because of her heritage and her magic.

This book was beyond my wildest imaginations. I expected none of it. The story was so wildly intense and unique and I cannot believe this is one book. It feels like seven in one and yet it doesn't feel overpacked.

The characters were so beautifully fleshed out and wholesome. I think this book maybe needed a few more secondary characters to round everything out but either way. Captivating.

The way this book discusses racism and xenophobia is bare and brutally honest. It delivers such a profound message through this wonderfully detailed fantasy of kinda star crossed lovers but this book is so much more than a Shakespeare trope.

Each chapter is paired with a little snippet of like children's tales from in universe and they set up the key emotions of the chapter beautifully. Being an impatient idiot, I skipped a lot of them but the ones I took the time to read and keep in mind during the chapter packed a punch. It also meant I kept the right events in mind as a read forward. Honestly this book is so genius in its organization.

Song of Blood & Stone is a solid fantasy story, where the world-building brought me to another plane completely. I enjoyed the characters and their development, as well as the overall story and plot. The way society was divided between 'singers' and 'silent' brought to mind different divides in real society as well.
I am really happy there will be another book in the series, because the ending left me with many questions.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A diverse cast of characters set in a world of magic, tragedy, and lore.

SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE is the first in the Earthsinger Chronicles. It does a beautiful job of opening the reader to a world filled with enchantments, magical gifts, and a dark villain wanting to take it all. Where the book truly shines for me is the weaving together of the lore between these two lands and relating it to Jasminda and Jack in the present day.

Now, I have to admit that at some points the book lost me. Some aspects of the story left me wondering why they were in there. I know that they set a mood or what certain people were like, but it didn’t do what I think it was suppose to for me. Also, the romance could have been explored deeper, been slow burning, or not even in the book. I felt the connection between Jasminda and Jack more when they were dealing with looming danger and in the beginning than when they were in romantic scenes.

With that being said, I don’t want anyone to think that I disliked this book. I truly enjoyed it. From beginning to end, I was caught up in world the author created. Penelope’s ability to bring together a rich history, magical realism, and characters with such interesting backgrounds was superb. Her writing came alive within the flashbacks as well as when Jasminda and Jack were on their quest. She deals with issues of race and acceptance in a way that readers can identify with. Many times while reading, I was caught by the subtle way she uses reality to inform her fiction.

For those of you wondering, this is a cliffhanger. Yes. Certain issues do get resolved, but are loose ends. I cannot wait to see what happens next in WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME and then in CRY OF METAL & BONE.

This book wasn’t what I expected. I mean that in both a good and semi-good way, I promise.

Trigger warning: Attempted sexual assault (happens once, in the early chapters of the book)

This book was first self-published in 2015. A few years later, it was picked up by St. Martin’s Press. I can only imagine how thrilling that is! The book first pinged on my ‘book radar’ because of the cover. We see very little PoC on the cover of books, let alone fantasy books! And it looks like this book is a series–all with PoCs on the cover–so I hope St. Martin’s will continue to keep the covers for this series. They’re so gorgeous!

There are a variety of things I enjoyed immensely about this book. First off, the concept! I love the unique magical system and the world it inhabits. The world itself makes me think of the 1920s, with its automobiles, airships, and telephones. But it also has the harsh racism and prejudice, which we see the main character, Jasminda, come face-to-face with from the first chapter. Not only is Jasminda looked down upon because of the color of her skin, but also because of her Earthsong, magic passed down to her by her father. Jasminda is biracial, too, which I always love to cheer being a biracial person myself. Her mother was Lagamiri, her father Elsira, and while she is a citizen of Elsira, people are frightened of her magic, too, which plays an overall huge part of the story.

To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what to make of this. The story didn’t capture me until I was well over 1/4 of the way through this book. Then it really picked up, and the romance really swept me off my feet, making me yearn for more. Jack was a really sweet character, and I could completely feel his heart-wrenching struggle between his love for Jasminda and the duty toward his country. Saying exactly why would be spoiler-ish, so I’ll just leave it at that. 🙂

Now there were also some confusing parts, most of it stemming from the world-building. First we have the Lagamiri’s ruler, known as the True Father, who appears to be a cruel sort of dictator. The Elsirans, on the otherhand, await the Queen to be woken from her slumber. In the midsts of this, the two countries are at odds with one another because many Lagamiris are seeking refuge in Elsira to escape the True Father. Then there are these flashbacks Jasminda faces, which I didn’t know what to think of at first. However, it does eventually all tie together in a seemingly predictable way. But that didn’t take away the joy of finishing this book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I noticed that book 2 doesn’t focus on Jack and Jasminda, but rather on another character mentioned in book 1. I’m keen on continuing this series, so I’ll keep an eye out for it.

Jasminda is a bi racial girl living as an outcast in a place she calls home. Due to her skin colour, living in elsira has been difficult for her, as people around her constantly remind her that she isn’t one of them, making her feel isolated and alone. That is until she comes across a wounded soldier (jack) who is need of her help, unable to resist she tries to aid him using her earthsong. Later she discovers all isn’t what it seems and neither is jack.

Firstly I just want to say that this book was very explicit and could be triggering to some readers.

The way the world was described was very difficult to follow, sometimes it seemed magical and then it gave more of a historical vibe. I usually like books like this but it didn’t seem to fit together, it’s like it went from one setting to another all in the same place.

I found the relationship between jasminda and jack very difficult at times yet I also loved them. I thought they were really cute and they just work together but it seemed like all they ever do was hurt each other. Jack would say or do something that upsets Jasminda but then they kind of resolve the issue by having sex, in which I felt really uncomfortable. Going into this I didn’t realise that it had sexual content, I don’t think it should be classed as ya as it is more new adult. I did like that the author introduced an interracial couple amongst racists which I find is a very sensitive subject in the world now as it is in the book and I think it was written really well.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but I also couldn’t connect with the world or the plot which is the main reason I’m giving a song of blood and stone a 3 star. I also found that the main relationship at the beginning seemed unrealistic as it was a love at first sight which put me off. Though I think this a good book, it’s just not for me. I would recommend this book if you are wanting an intense romance and an easy plot.

This is a great YA fantasy story.

I loved how quickly the action began in this story! I was immediately thrown into Jasminda’s life and problems. And right after she was introduced, Jack and some soldiers appeared on her doorstep. The only problem with this was that there wasn’t any background given about this world, so when things started happening in the world around Jasminda and Jack, I was a little confused.

Once I figured out what was happening in the wider world of the story, I really enjoyed it. The pacing was great. It all moved very quickly, so I flew through the book.

I’m curious to see where this series goes. I can’t wait to read the next story.

I've always had my eye on this book when it was self-published and now I'm kicking myself for not jumping on this series sooner. From the way fantasy was blended in with issues of prejudices and racism to how the romance was done, everything just blended beautifully. It's a slow burn that brings you in bit by bit with the world building, relatable characters and a cliffhanger-ish epilog that makes you wonder what is going to happen next.

At first, I was going to give it a four star, but giving it a couple of hours to think about it I have to give it five. The ending somewhat felt rushed and had a deus ex machina moment but still seemed to flow wonderfully. I almost cried ( tbh the fact that I was listing to Celine Dion 'The Power of Love' during the climax could have had something to do with it. But blurry eyed is blurry eyed all the same.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm trying to write this review in a respectful manner. I know that probably a lot of people don't agree with me, because I've seen a lot of very positive reviews, but I'm not that positive at all. I really liked the start of the story, but while I was reading, it felt like more of the same. A girl with her own struggles, meets a boy, gets in a romance and plays a very large role in a war...
Let's break this book down into pros and cons!

Pros
Chapter beginnings: The chapter beginnings were artistic in my opinion. I liked that there's a moral aspect in those chapter beginnings and I felt like it was always connected to the things happening in the chapter. I liked how the animals represented a big role in the small stories in the chapter beginnings.
Visions: The visions were so strong. I loved the characters and how all the emotions were so strong. I found the pieces of the puzzle pretty quick, but every time I saw that another vision was described, I was excited to read that part.
Magic: I like how the magic is used in very different ways and that you discover all the different aspects during the story. I've seen people who think it's a bit vague, but I also believe that you can walk different paths in the story, as an author, if you don't restrict the magic too much.

Cons
All the crying: I like Jasminda. She is fierce and brave, and other people see her that way as well. But what's up with all the crying? There are way too many tears and I felt like it didn't add up to her character. I can understand if your heart aches for other people, or if things make you mad, but the crying.....
Romance: I felt like Jasminda and Jack didn't even know each other that good. I've read books where the characters have conversations where they lay their soul bare for each other and I missed that. There was a lot of affection and I felt like there could've been much more development in their relationship and getting to know each other, really getting to know each other.
Plot: I didn't think the plot was that strong. I started my review by pointing out that it didn't feel like a very new story with the war, the girl with the struggles and the romance. I also figured out the plot pretty quick and the story didn't end with a surprise for me, sadly.

Overall
I feel like a lot of people maybe disagree with me, and they have the right to. I do believe that this is a book and a series that people will love, but this was not really for me. It wasn't strong enough to grip me and to awaken strong emotions within me. I was so pumped to read this book and sadly it did not live up to my expectations, although I see good things in this book as well and I do believe a big audience will still love it.