The Song of Legend’s Lost is an epic fantasy set in a land with a fascinating combination of ancestral and tech-based magic, truly formidable and ruthless antagonists (honestly, kind of scary!), and no shortage of drama or action.

It took me longer than I had expected to read this, and I’m glad I took my time. If I had just powered through without focusing closely, I would have found myself quickly lost. You do get a map of course, and a guide to the “Souls of Significance” which is helpful. As the main characters rotate from chapter to chapter, I was referencing it often as new people were introduced.

If you enjoy epic fantasy set in a world that isn’t handed to you on a platter but really makes you work to navigate the lands, magic, lore, and relationships between characters, give this a try. It was unique and refreshing, and the effort was worth it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a refreshing new fantasy world, filled with diversity, magic, family, and action. But to be honest, I struggled a little bit with this one. The premise/world was SO cool and unique. But the world building and POVs felt a little...scattered.

The POVs were a bit imbalanced to me- there was one
POV I thought would be a "main" character but then there was a super long hiatus before going back to her. The last quarter did pick things up back up for me a bit, after getting to know Jinao and Runt a bit better.

I still think the invoking magic was super cool, and a non-euro centric fantasy world is always refreshing.

If you’re craving an old-school epic fantasy that doesn’t hold your hand, A Song of Legends Lost might be exactly what you’re looking for. M. H. Ayinde weaves a massive, multi-POV adventure with political intrigue, ancient powers, and a super cool blend of magic and technology that gives the world a unique flavour.

The representation here is a real strength—diverse characters, cultures, and identities are baked into the fabric of the story in a way that feels natural and refreshing. A lot of thought went into building this world.

That said, this is a dense read. With so many characters and plotlines in motion, it was tough at times to keep track of everything. A few of the POVs didn’t quite land for me and felt like they dragged the pacing down. Honestly, I think the book would’ve been stronger if it trimmed some of the less engaging perspectives and focused more tightly on its core threads.

Still, I admire the ambition here. It’s not an easy read, but the scale and vision behind it are impressive. I’ll definitely be keen to pick up the next instalment.

I was reading along enjoying this book for a while. There were two different main character threads and very little hope of them meeting up but I was interested in at least one of them. Temi's story was interesting to me.

The book's blurb acts like Temi is the main character but this is a Game of Thrones type book with several different viewpoint chapters that create a sort of literary collage, illuminating different aspects of this complicated world. One of the reasons I decided to skim the book is that Temi is a viewpoint in Part 1 but then she disappears until Part 4. Meanwhile several other characters were introduced in Part 2 and still more in Part 3 and I found some of them interesting and some of them really not. This felt like sort of a weird structure to me and I don't think it was entirely effective.

I also had a hard time visualizing the world. I know that a lot of people had grass skirts or bead skirts but I couldn't picture people or places. I'm a visual reader so this was frustrating for me.

The underlying plot was interesting. This seems to be a post-technology world. Priests and nuns have a sort of cargo cult level of understanding of ancient technology but this understanding is hidden beneath layers of meaningless rituals. Meanwhile, "greys" or creatures melded with technology keep trying to invade. Some of the best and most aristocratic warriors can summon a sort of ghost of ancient legendary warriors, who are the most effective deterrent to the greys.

I do like an ancient technology-equals-magic idea. But this book progressed very slowly. There were many POVs and it broke up the flow of each part of the story. In the end, the execution didn't live up to the concept for me. I'm not sure if I'll read more of this series or not, although I do think that the author shows promise.

This is giving Final Fantasy X, but the Aeons are the ancestors.

Honestly, I don't know what more you need to convince you to read this book--if you're a Final Fantasy fan, you already know that means the story is incredible and you're going to feel things.

If you're not a Final Fantasy fan (first of all, HOW? WHY NOT?) then you still need to read this. It has an incredible cool magic system and the worldbuilding is top tier. This is a fully immersive world where things come out in bits and pieces--I didn't feel like there was an info dump, or that things were dropped in odd places. You learn as you go, but it's still incredibly rich detailed.

It's also multi POV! We have 5 (I think?) points of view we bounce between, which always makes me a little hesitant. It's so easy to get lost when you're bouncing around between more than two characters, but I didn't feel that way at all! Each POV added a layer to the story, and came around at the perfect time to keep you invested and wanting to know what was happening with different parts of the cast. It can be overwhelming if you're not used to it (keeping an eye on the list of characters will help), and there are a few characters that seem to vanish for a significant chunk of the story just to "randomly" reappear later. I liked it, and I think it worked, but it's definitely not going to be for everyone.

I will say--if you're looking for or expecting romance as a major subplot or major part of the story, you're going to be disappointed. And you're not going to be a fan. This is a true epic fantasy and romance isn't even part of the equation. Keep that in mind if you're someone who expects romance in their fantasy--this will not be for you.

This felt like I was reading a video game, as weird as that sounds. I enjoyed the HECK out of this story and am super looking forward to the next book. I DO hope that there's going to be a detailed summary at the start though, because there's so many layers and moving parts I definitely don't see how anyone is going to remember all the relevant details between this book and the next.

Over all, this is a great start to an Epic Fantasy trilogy and definitely one to read if you're a fan of the genre.

I really loved this book - the setting being quite different and unique. There is an interesting mix of magic and technology in this book. It is also another book where you are just thrown in and stumble your way to understanding. It's not too hard, but it doesn't make sense until you learn just a little bit more which pushes you to keep reading it.

My first critique to this novel is that the plot summary given does not actually quite fit what happens. It's true in a way about Temi - but the story the novel actually portrays is not at all what you are given to believe from reading the back of the novel. There are much more interesting characters and plot lines that unfold and are vastly removed from the simple blurb on the back of the book. Also that's a thing to be aware of - the sheer vastness of characters are quite memorable despite their numbers. Something this novel unexpectedly does is introduce new characters as we're already deep in some storylines and makes us care about them and who they are. Astounding! I cannot wait for the next installment.

I really wish I could have picked up the audio version for this book, and I still might if I can find it from the library.

The book is dense… I wanted to find out what happened, but I could never convince myself to pick it back up. It would be a perfect audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I wanted to love this book so much but if after reading 600 pages, I still couldn’t understand what’s going on, something is wrong with the writing. The world Ayinde built is interesting and I commend her for that. But the story felt so sprawling that nothing was really explained well and most of the plot points are basically left unanswered by the end of the book. I was tempted not to finish at many points but kept going because I thought we’d get some clarity later on. I won’t be reading the sequels.

“A Song of Legends Lost” is a stunning debut from M.H. Ayinde featuring a massive cast of characters, extensive worldbuilding featuring both ancestral magic and wayward technology, and huge stakes. I particularly enjoyed Temi, a young woman from a tech-dealing crime family in the slums, who accidentally activates a powerful spirit that starts speaking to her; and Jinao, a member of a family who can invoke the powerful spirit Mizito, who is largely believed to have nothing to offer the family but ends up playing a greater role than he could have imagined. This book was creative and exciting and full of twists and turns. It did go off the rails a bit from an organizational perspective about halfway through, but I still really enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to the next installment.

A really enjoyable, fresh high fantasy.

This is a fairly complex book, with multiple POVs, so it did take a little while to get into. Even well into the story, I sometimes had a little trouble bouncing from one character to another, especially right when Part 2 started. But I appreciated the ambitious scale of the story and I also really liked the emotional depth of the characters, which were definitely a little morally ambiguous. The magic was interesting (ancient gods just causing all sorts of issues). I wonder if book 2 will move a lot more quickly, now that so much has already been introduced.

I think the overall finished book was a little long, but at the same time, there was a lot to go into. I'll definitely be picking up book 2.

What a great start to a world I'm excited to get to know better. This debut novel is precisely what I'm looking for: great world-building, engaging magic--evoking ancestral magic and warriors (among other things), and epic imagery, bad-ass characters. EEEEEEK!!!

I can not wait to see what comes next from M.H. Ayinide.

Recommend!!!

Thank you, Saga Press, for letting me be a part of this release. Thank you NetGalley1

🖤 Fantasy lovers, this one is for you. 🖤
If you crave morally complex characters, ancient cultures blended with futuristic tech, and a rich fahatsy world, you need this book on your shelf.

The story is told from multiple points of view, but the characters are introduced in parts, allowing you to become familiar with each one as you read. Each perspective adds depth to the story, making you question who even are the good guys?

The epilogue was great, and made me want book 2 ASAP!

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

4 Stars

This is a great epic fantasy that does not shy away from cinematic battle scenes and diverse characters. Generally, when there are so many POVs, it can be hard to follow and sometimes even hard to get into the story when we're bouncing around back and forth. However, M.H. Ayinde managed to keep things engaging and easy to follow through our rotating cast of characters.

Things did tend to drag a little in the middle portion of the book and I attribute that more to the length of the book than anything. Ancient gods and fantastical elements were abundant enough to keep me engaged enough throughout the entire story. I think there is a lot to be said about well written battle scenes that don't just feel like a chaotic copy and paste of each other. Between those and the well fleshed out characters, you can't go wrong!

A Song of Legends Lost is a rewarding read for fans of epic fantasy who love layered storytelling in a world based in mythology and feels lived-in! The characters are diverse, there are multiple themes; power, resistance, memory and the prose are beautifully written.

The ambition of this book is vast, and I look forward to the continuation of this story. Although the pacing in the middle of the book can feel uneven at times, I thorougly enjoyed the focus on introspectives instead of constant action-driven events. The only other note I have is there are some characters I hope to see gain more depth on an emotional level.

I look forward to what else Ayinde has in store for my three favorite characters, Temi, Runt, and Father Boleo!

DNF at 50%.

This book is so immaculately written, but I just couldn't follow the plot. I definitely think it's more of a me problem since I'm not normally an Epic Fantasy reader so following along with all of the characters was so difficult for me. That's why I decided to DNF instead of finishing it so I don't give it a lower rating than it probably deserves. I definitely will recommend this to high fantasy readers who love more intricate plots! I think a lot of people are absolutely going to love this one.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. That cover grabbed my attention as soon as it was released and even more when the blurb was released. The battle scenes was so well written that it felt like watching a movie or a fantasy TV show battle scene in my brain.

All the characters we followed held my attention. There were times in the first 20% where the worldbuilding was not keep me engaged because there was so much of it. Luckily the characters had me coming back for more.

Overall, it was good and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it releases.

This book is doing everything I want epic fantasy to do right now.

The world is rich, the history deep, the magic layered. The queernorm setting, the cultural influences, the complexity of the politics and family ties- it’s all baked in with care and intention, never feeling like it’s there for show.

Every POV in this book brought something distinct and engaging, and their arcs build in ways that feel satisfying. Even the pacing, which often gets wobbly in multi-POV epics, felt tight and purposeful throughout.

Part two introduces new characters, and usually that’s the kind of shift that pulls me out of a story for a bit, especially when I’m already attached to other characters. But here, the transition was seamless. The new storyline pulled me in immediately, and by the end, the way all the threads wove together was impressive.

Also, the epilogues absolutely delivered one of my favorite things... offering brief, tantalizing glimpses into other POVs that answer some lingering questions while also planting seeds for what’s clearly coming next.

I need a lot more epic fantasy that looks like this, feels like this, and dares to do this much.

5 stars
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Special thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press/S&S for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

While this is a solid fantasy entry, it does fall into debut author syndrome of being overtold and overwritten. There are far too many characters POVs to follow and every situation seems to need to be told from too many different angles. It is all painfully earnest to the point where I would put the book down and then not want to pick it up again because it just didn't captivate. The author definitely has talent but restraint and listening to a more critical editor is warranted here.

Story: In a land where certain individuals can call upon the spirit of their ancestors to defend them, wars are fought and battles lost through this powerful magic. From slum dwellers to princes, the centuries old war is about to change as our characters learn more about the powerful realm from which the ancestors emerge.

Right off the bat, I felt disappointed in the wholesale use (randomly) of various Earth cultures: from Aztec to Scottish highlands it was all too familiar. It felt very unrealistic and honestly rather lazy. That would have been annoying enough but the characters themselves were surprisingly uninteresting. I found I didn't really want to read any one character's perspective because I wasn't getting into (or behind) any of them. It isn't that they weren't well written or didn't have unique personalities; rather, I wasn't given a lot of reason to like them. And with so many, there should at least be one or two whose storylines I could get into and want to see how they developed.

The problem of uninteresting/unlikable characters was compounded with a very flat and straightforward storytelling. Like the characters, it was very disenfranchising and one note- no highs or lows just uninspiring. There is a constant theme of confusion that should be endearing and make the characters/plot nuanced but instead just made the read a slog. I found it harder and harder to continue the books, especially after the midway point, because of the dreariness.

I can't help but feel this is just a case of being cooked too long - an issue that comes up with so many debut works. The story just get overworked and bland and doesn't grab as well as it should. Too many unneeded POVs and situations that could have been excised for a more streamlined and interesting read. I hope for growth with this author because there is talent there. But this is not a series I will be continuing. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

A high fantasy epic that contains ancient gods, long-term wars, and rebellion.

Book Stats:
📖: 592 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Format: Physical ARC
Series: Book 1 of The Invoker Trilogy

Themes:
🎵 : Rebellion and War
🎵: Having faith in yourself

Representation:
🥀: Multiple pre-colonial cultures
🥀: Black cast

Tropes:
💗: Crime families
💗: Technology as magic
💗: Queer normative world


🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
A generations long war of being fought and a final stand is being made. Ancestral gods may be summoned to intervene. But will they create more chaos than help?!

General Thoughts:
This is a high fantasy epic that has cinematic battle scenes and ancient gods. Despite having a high number of POVs (5) it managed to be refreshing and easy to follow. Ancient monsters and creative plot twists kept be engaged despite dragging a tag in the middle for me.

The characters really shined for me in this novel. They all felt relatable and easy to root for. Temi was a personal favorite as she felt very layered and personable. I enjoyed her particular storyline the most.

The battle scenes were movie quality and action packed. I enjoyed glee they lasted more than a few paragraphs and made the reader feel like they were watching everything unfold.

Overall, I enjoyed this first installment and can't wait for the next release.

Disclaimer: I read this book via physical ARC from orbit. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.