This was so good! Immediately making sure all of my book friends read this when available. Loved how the storylines came together.

DNF @ 13%. I may come back to this story, as I didn't get far enough to rate this book just what I've read, but the writing was good and the plot has potential, but the first 10% just didn't grip me or compel me to continue.

I liked the elders, the community and family connections, and the queer representation.

Finally a book advertised as an epic fantasy that's actually an epic fantasy, though there's definitely elements of Scifi in here as well. This was a sweeping tale, and while I definitely enjoyed some POVs more than others, they all felt very necessary to advance the plot. I especially enjoyed Elari and Juneo. The world building was incredibly rich, and I could tell that we barely scratched the surface of it.

A Song of Legends Lost takes you to a world tormented by greybloods, monstrous creatures encroaching on humanity. Noble families summon their ancestors to aid in glorious battle, while the vast majority of lowbloods are just trying to keep their heads down and stay alive. But not every spirit that whispers to be heard is family, and not all of them are helpful.

This is a wonderfully unique story. I found the prose to be such a strength of this book, and I was always looking forward to how Ayinde described magic. There are what feels like dozens of mysteries and threads you follow as you hop between PoV chapters, and there’s a good balance between giving the reader enough to stand a chance playing detective with just enough held out of reach between some shocking twists and turns.

The sheer volume of characters is a strength and a bit of a weakness. Never in my life have I flipped back and forth to the dramatis personae as much as I did with this book. That is part of the realism of this book, and Ayinde has a very strong command of the cast she’s working with. I think all of the PoV characters are chosen excellently. Even if I would have been happy to just follow Temi the whole time, she’s a delight.

This is a promising start fantasy series for anyone who wants to get invested in a wide cast of characters in a fresh, gripping word.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette for the eARC.

This book is a wonderful debut that thrusts readers straight into an epic fantasy world that is full of magic and wonderfully fleshed out characters where there is sure to be something for everyone.

Following many characters and giving their perspectives is always a wonderful way to give readers multiple viewpoints and allows us to really get into the shoes of characters we will come to love.

The magic system is wonderful and new, providing a breath of fresh air to the genre, especially when it comes to epic fantasy.

Overall this is a wonderful debut for this epic fantasy world.

I wait until I've read about 25-30% of a book before I decide to DNF it. I was intrigued by the prologue as it reminded me a little of reading a Brandon Sanderson book. I was prepared for world-building including but not limited to a new religion/culture/origin story and I usually like dual POVs. But in this particular book, the dual POVs presented such complex information as well as tons of characters in each that it was hard to keep track of everything and stay interested in the story. I know the storylines would have eventually combined and there would be the payoff between the back and forth, but with the overload of information regarding the invokers with Jinao and then the background of Temi's people who made the votives along with the mysterious entity who she heard, it was too much.

I think perhaps for me the pacing was too slow and the information dumps too complex for the first book in a series. HOWEVER, if you're used to reads like that, I believe this will be a great fantasy. Personally, I just need a little bit more action and plot progression to stay hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and SagaPress for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Song of Legends Lost was such a great debut epic fantasy. It had everything I would want - intertwined POVs that are not obvious until the end, a strong and unique magic system, and a diverse set of characters. I also appreciated that this story had zero romance, as it is certainly not needed.

The 5 POVs were all well done and I never felt irritated or lost when storylines were switched. I can see where others will not enjoy that, but I thought it worked here. I also thought the world building was awesome. The world that Ayinde created was very lush and fresh. The idea of ancestral magic is what interested me and it delivered! This is definitely one that makes you pay attention and is not a "quick and easy" read.

The only reason I didn't rate this 5 stars is because there was a few instances I had to go back and re-read something to fully catch what was happening. However, that is probably a me problem. There's a lot happening here!

I think those who like epic fantasy will certainly enjoy this one! I'm really excited to continue on in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fans of intricate world building and multiple story lines are going to lose their minds over A Song of Legends Lost. With multiple twists and unforeseen connections, M. H. Ayinde has created an engaging story full of mystery and intrigue.

Ayinde does a phenomenal job of weaving elements of ancient worlds, people, and cultures with seemingly modern or futuristic technology that is rooted in mythology and fantasy. These elements allow Ayinde to explore complex topics such as caste systems, corruption, and our own inner power and resilience in a way that is accessible and relatable to readers.

A Song of Legends Lost is an epic read for fans of The Will of the Many and Red Rising.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh this was wild.

I really enjoy a complex epic fantasy from time to time and A Song of Legends Lost absolutely delivered on that front. So much so that I think I need to reread it to fully comprehend, which is mostly because I read this while on my commute, so I was maybe only 90% focused instead of 100% focused. Which is to say, this is great, and it demands a lot from you, and I think it is worth it.

The world and magic system are unique and fascinating, and I think Ayinde did a great job at writing a rich, lived-in world and managing to write a huge scope but a story that doesn’t feel overwhelmingly sprawling. I liked how much magic was a part of the culture of the world, and that we got some wildly different perspectives from various walks of life. It’s easy to have favorite POVs, which at times was a little challenging because those POVs are not entirely equal, but there’s definitely something in each part to interest readers. I found that all of the characters provided something new and fresh to the story, so even if their perspective wasn’t my favorite, it didn’t feel like a chore to get through. At first the different parts might feel a little too separate but watching them come together is wonderful, and it really makes me appreciate the scope of the series.

Though there were a few times where I struggled, I’m super excited to see where Ayinde takes the story and will be thrilled to reread to see if I can pick up on anything new I might have missed the first time. A fun read, though definitely on the slower end and the author does ask a lot from you, but I promise it’s worth it.

This book has such a fantastic concept! The world is so complex and well-thought-out. The magic is unique and exciting. The plot is multifaceted. The characters are unique and come from different backgrounds and places within the Nine Lands. I was very excited to start this book because all of these are things that I adore in fantasy books.

Ultimately, I think the execution did not work for this book. It feels like the author tried to do too much. The writing was clunky and pulled me out of the story frequently. There were so many different characters and cultures that didn't feel like they fit into the story well. Many of the characters felt as though they didn't have a strong and concrete personality. And ultimately the plot jumped around to where I struggled to care about what was happening. I think this book has tons of promise but with those problems in execution, I ultimately was unable to finish the book.

What an incredible start to a new epic fantasy! The way fantasy was woven together with science was honestly so good.. I love stories where we get genres blending together and diverse characters to round it all out.

I mean this was a really large cast of characters, I’m going to need the paperback so I can reread it before book 2 is released. And there was absolutely moments where I felt a little overwhelmed by all of the characters and moving pieces. But I mean a good story is a good story and this was that without question.

The themes were executed well in my opinion and in a way I haven’t seen too often. Speaks to the author’s absolutely to write those themes into such a complex adventure/journey fantasy.

The last few chapters had me stressed, I didn’t know who was the good guy and who was bad. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author M. H. Ayinde for the privilege to read an ARC of this book.

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde is an epic fantasy debut, and I was absolutely blown away. When I first saw some of the inspiration behind this book, I knew it was going to be a hit. Anything that draws inspiration from Final Fantasy immediately piques my interest.

Featuring five perspectives, a realm at war, and a unique magic system, this book delivers a captivating story with exceptional character arcs. I still can't decide who my favorite is because they're all so fantastic.

The world-building is rich, and each perspective shows us a detailed view of the world and how the characters interact with it. Invocation magic always fascinates me, and I loved the concept of summoning spirits of ancestors to fight in battle. It was one of my favorite parts of the book, and every time it happened, I was constantly in awe.

Please do yourself a favor and check out this book. Out now in the UK and publishing 6/3 in the US. For fantasy fans wanting an exciting new voice in the genre, I cannot recommend it enough.

A huge thank you to Saga Press and M. H. Ayinde for advanced copy of A Song of Legends Lost!


I just want to start off the review being transparent about the fact I’ve never read an epic fantasy before, and tended to stay away from them because excessive world building is just not really my jam.

This book can be best categorized as a slow burn, as in the connections and build up didn’t connect until around 70-80%. And at 600+ pages, that’s a lot of build up. A Song of Legends Lost follows the story of 5-6 different povs, and includes many other characters that I had trouble keeping up sometimes, even with my notes. While all the characters followed their own paths, my favorite part of the whole book was when the paths ended up connecting with each other. I liked how many times I proven wrong when thinking “there’s no way Ayinde can make these stories connect,” and then it would in the most mind blowing way. I also feel like even though a character would only be present for a couple of pages out of the book, Ayinde has bigger plans for them in the rest of the series. I don’t think there are any small roles in A Song of Legends Lost.

While world building isn’t necessarily my thing (with aphantasia, it’s impossible for me to envision descriptions for people and places), it was essential to the backstories of these characters. Ayinde did a very good job at building these characters so that the reader had the chance to warm up to them and feel their emotions almost as much as they did. I found myself verbally emoting my reactions several times because I literally could not help but root for a character or feel distress. I don’t think feeling so connected to the characters would have happened without delving so deep into their lives and family in the beginning.

The magic is also AMAZING in this book. Having descendants inherit the powers of their ancestors seems like such an original idea (I’ve never read anything like that before) that I can’t help but be in awe of how unique it is. And there’s also the forbidden techwork magic that we’re still learning how powerful it can be. I also loved how each character was able to come to the truth of what was really going on in their own time and way. There’s a whole lot of lying and betrayal and deceit happening in this book, and the characters have all been kept in the dark about something for so long. It was empowering to see them figure it out.

Overall, I noticed I came to appreciate this book a lot more while writing the review. Also, I think if I didn’t take notes and pay attention to all the easter eggs in each chapter, then I would’ve had a harder time keeping up with people and events. I debated whether or not I would be interested in reading the second book, but I think after the last 20% of the book (especially that epilogue) I really need to know what happens next!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐️

Thank you for the arc.

I was overwhelmed at first with how epic this was. This is such an ambitious work that juggles so much and at times was confusing. The multiple POVs and storylines took me while to get used to, but once I did, it was a wild ride. I found myself loving these characters, this world and the unique magic system. I am looking forward to more from this world and these characters.

I foresee this series becoming one of my top favorites. This is exactly the type of epic fantasy I have been craving! I can't believe this is her first novel, it did not read like a debut. One of my top reads of 2025 so far, and it is going to be hard to beat.

I went into this pretty blind, which is my favorite way to start a new book. Part 1 starts out following Temi, a lowblood who's family runs a bakery with a side business selling forbidden techwork, and Jinao, a highblood who comes from a family of invokers, connected to their powerful ancestor warriors to fight the greybloods attacking their people. As the book progresses, more POVs are introduced, including a Holy Father, a hardened warrior, and a young dishwasher. I love an interconnected storyline, and the gradual addition of characters really worked for me as the story expanded and more of the world was introduced. The techwork and greybloods are such an interesting spin on your typical fantasy with their sci-fi elements mixed in.

I can't wait to see where this series goes. I have a feeling that each book in The Invoker Trilogy is going to be just as epic as A Song of Legends Lost!

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press, for an early copy in exchange for this honest review!

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. All opinions are my own.

I so desperately wanted to love this book, but in my opinion, the book probably could’ve been a couple hundred pages shorter. The multi-character point of view is great so we can experience the point of views from a wonderful selection of characters, but they all essentially had the same story and same end goal, which made it feel drawn out at times.

The characters and the plot overall though were fantastic and the world building was incredible. Would definitely read other books from this author!

This was a slow burn for me. In most of my notes I took during the reading process, I lamented the fact that I just didn’t connect enough with any of these characters. They were certainly interesting, or in interesting situations, but I didn’t feel invested. One such note mentioned being at the 76% mark where a character was introduced and only present for 1.5 pages and I felt more for him than any of the characters currently (aside from Runt) that I’ve spent hundreds of pages with. Thankfully, I did grow a little closer to our POV characters after that point, but not to the extent I would have hoped for after spending 600+ pages with them.

This is an epic fantasy world that feels fresh while still drawing on some classic influences. There are things that definitely paint the author as a lover of the genre and she put just enough of a spin on things to make it her own. We have ancient technology that is all the more mysterious as we see it through the limited lens of our characters. Ancestral spirits and powers from beyond the veil that only the select can harness. Propaganda and a hidden history. Plots within plots. Also a cat that is not a cat.

I heard this compared to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure which is a guaranteed way to get my attention. (If that didn’t get me, the gorgeous cover would have! Gosh it’s a good cover.) While I can see where that comparison came from, particularly in the case of Jinao’s “training arc” (surely the author watched/read Battle Tendency, right? Right??), it lacked the excitement since I wasn’t invested to the extent as I would expect that far into the book. The more obvious comparison has to be between the Stands in Jojo and the invoked spirits used for battle. When you start to get a feel for the limits of their power and the possibilities, we suddenly get a wrench thrown into the works and all bets are off. Things start to happen that both us and the characters did not know were possible. I have so many questions about the potential and limits of these powers and it's going to keep me interested in reading further to find out.

In part one I was only interested in one character. In part two they dropped that character to follow the other one along with a few new ones. While I understand that narratively this made perfect sense, I was a little put off for a while. Readers can be a difficult bunch sometimes, I know. In part two there was a tendency to switch characters anytime something interesting happened. I know this is a common way authors tackle the switching viewpoints, but it got to the point where literally every character POV change happened on a cliffhanger. At first it felt like ‘Ok! The plot is rolling let’s goooo!’ and then eventually it felt unnecessarily frustrating. It kills the tension when we are switching so often. The story was getting dicey and I wanted to feel every bit of the tension that was warranted! There are a couple things that took me out of the story briefly. One was the modern day swearing. Swearing is always tricky in fantasy and can come off cheesy if not done properly. I did get used to it, but the first couple times I did a double take, because this world felt very different than ours. Another thing was the use of neopronouns which really felt too current-timesy.

When things eventually came to a head, it got better about the POV switching. I was definitely reading the last few chapters with increased speed. This story is clearly building into something much bigger and I’m glad that we got to see some of the connections come together in this volume. The author could have easily made us wait for the second book, but I was grateful she didn’t. Having some answers leads to more curiosity in this case. I have so many new questions just based on those last couple chapters — and those epilogues!! I definitely want to read the next book. Also I can’t wait to see what that next cover looks like. The author has some character art on her instagram and I recommend checking that out before you read so you can get a feel for the aesthetic and enhance your experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A Song of Legends Lost is an epic-scale fantasy full of ancient techno-magic, battles, and monsters. The book is apparently inspired by Final Fantasy X. Much of the story is driven by a unique kind of summoning magic in which a select group of nobles can call on the spirit of their ancestor to fight for them in battle. But a young peasant woman finds herself tied to a mysterious spirit who seems just as dangerous as one of these ancestors…

There’s a lot to enjoy here, especially the non-Western inspired fantasy setting, the unique ancestor magic and the lingering influence of an ancient civilization. The writing flows nicely, and I think this is a really impressive debut novel.

Appropriate to the scope of the book, there’s a large cast of characters centralized on 5 POVs. Temí, the “lowblood” peasant who finds herself bonded to a spirit, was probably my favorite character. Unfortunately, I found some of the other characters, especially Jinao, far less interesting and he takes up a substantial portion of the book. His basic set-up – a young nobleman unable to access his family’s ancestral magic– is a fairly compelling one at the start, but his relative passivity and something else just didn’t grab me. Consequently, I was not invested in the reveal about his past near the end of the book (no spoilers) because it lacked emotional impact.

On a related note, all of the reviews I’ve read also tout the book’s utter lack of romance as a plus in this age of romantasy. I think it’s great to encounter a book that doesn’t make romance a focal point, but for a book to really come to life for me, I want compelling interstitial connections between characters. This isn’t necessarily romance, but the human elements that motivate a person to take action. I wonder if Temí is my favorite character because we see some of the close bonds with her family and her interactions with her antagonist and how both motivate her desperate actions that impact the plot of the book. The balance of characters makes this a 3.5 star read for me, rounded up to 4.

A Song of Legends Lost is a sweeping epic fantasy with fantastic ideas. It’s a book that simply cannot be concisely summarized for a simple review: everything from the political structure to the magic to the major threats of the book would require too long of an explanation. The book feels like glimpse into a living, breathing world; so full of life and characters and things happening behind the scenes. As a reader, you get the feeling that the world is so much bigger than what you are seeing. While I did struggle a bit with the execution of this book, particularly in the sheer breadth of stories being told, I believe that this book will be perfect for fans of epic fantasy.

A Song of Legends Lost explores a broad cast of characters, each of whom has a unique perspective on rising unrest within the Nine Lands. The overarching threat that all are facing comes twofold; first, from the greybloods, hostile creatures built of flesh and tech who attack the humans of the Nine Lands, and an increasing political unrest as the leading clan gathers individuals from every family to partake in a doomed attack on the greybloods’ homeland. There are five main perspective characters as well. Jinao is the black sheep of his family: they are highbloods, possessing the power to invoke avatars of their ancestors to fight alongside them, but Jinao never developed the connection to invoke. When a powerful greyblood seeks him out and he finds his connection to the ancestors suddenly changed, he must reckon with the responsibility of his newfound power. Temi is a young lowblood woman who finds herself able to invoke a mysterious ancestor—a power lowbloods are not supposed to have—at the same time as her family is under threat of a more powerful gang-like family. Monks are supposed to neutralize the strange technology that lies around the Nine Lands, but Boleo instead collects it; he finds himself caught in something much larger than himself when a boat carrying forbidden tech and two bodies appears on his watch. Elari is advisor to a dead invoker, but finds out that his death was far more mysterious than she ever could have imagined. Runt is a lowblood, desperate for money to heal her brother; her only asset is the strange pendant her father left for her and the voices inside of it. The book is long, but across these five perspectives, it has a lot to cover. There are an endless array of names, places, factions, political groups, and words to describe the magic of the world.

There is a lot to love about this book. I was fascinated by the worldbuilding: somewhere, I read that it was reminiscent of Horizon: Zero Dawn, which is my favorite game of all time. I can totally see where that comparison came from, but even then I could not possibly predict the sheer depths of the world, nor the many twists it would make. In terms of building a complicated and sweeping fantasy world, this book is an unquestionable achievement. The use of different perspective characters was a wonderful way to see so much of the world: they are diverse in their goals and ties to the story, and it was fascinating to see the world and its conflict develop from so many different angles. I especially enjoyed Jinao and Temi’s perspectives as they were very compelling across the book.

Where I struggled from the book also derives from it sheer breadth. There is so much here—the book starts with a list of all of the clans and factions, each with all sorts of information about its location, symbolic weapons, sacred animals, leaders, and a long list of people. I’m glad it has a list for reference, because the quantity of named characters was overwhelming. The five perspectives not given equally throughout the book; we don’t meet Runt until quite late, and Temi is gone for a large portion of the book. The fact that each perspective has its own giant cast and each perspective might be sporadic across the book means that it is very difficult to keep track of who is who. The reference list is nice, but it’s basically just names, family relationships, and jobs. It doesn’t capture loyalties, who knows what, personalities, or anything else. This meant that, even late in the book, there were characters that I just couldn’t keep track of. Especially given how long of a book this is, it was an overwhelming amount of information. I’m sure that I forgot important information about characters along the way. Given the slow accumulation of information is such a key part of this book, I felt that my reading experience suffered because I just couldn’t keep track of it all.

The magic and worldbuilding suffer from similar problems. I’m more than willing to give the book that benefit of the doubt that a lot of my questions are explored in this book because they will be in a sequel. That being said—man, there was so much here that I just didn’t understand. Some fantasy words were used so unfrequently and never contextually defined, so each time they appeared on the page just ended up being confusing. There are numerous factions, especially in Jinao’s perspective, that are present for such a short time and do things that make no sense (either in the overall plot or in context—some of them would make a decision one day and then do the opposite the next). The glimpse we are given into the magic and worldbuilding is expansive across the book, but I also feel like I understand very little. Again, some of this is undoubtedly due to it being the first book in the series, and I expect I will understand more as I read on. However, right now, I just found it left me somewhat unsatisfied as I don’t feel like I read a complete story.

In the end, I am rating this book 3.5, rounded up to a 4. I definitely think that some of my issues with the plot and character list being overwhelming is a skill issue on my end, but I also think that future books in the series would benefit hugely from a summary of the previous books and careful contextualization of the characters and ideas of the first book. I enjoyed this a ton and am excited to read more—I just hope that, by the time the next book comes out, I remember enough of this one to enjoy it!

Thank you to Saga Press for providing a free eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Many thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Wow wow wow! This book is incredible. It's complex, it's mind-blowing, it's unique. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a comp for it, but it's impossible. It's got a tiny bit Rage of Dragons, a pinch of The Final Strife, and a splash of The Stormlight Archive, but it's also none of those things because it's wholly its own.

The world and cast of characters are large with many clans and Families, and "lowbloods." There's ancestor-invoking war magic, "tech" from the ancients, and yet even more things lurking. There's an endless war against "greybloods," and a king that's detached from his people. BUT, is anything really the way it seems? The last 25% of the book had my mouth hanging open constantly at the new reveals. The way Ayinde linked everything together for an absolutely jaw-dropping finale had me gasping. I suspected some of it, but there's still much we don't know.

What I do know is that I'm already eager for the sequel. I'm already begging for a recap of this book to be included at the beginning of the next, because there is NO WAY I will be able to remember all of this. And do not be intimidated by the extensive character list at the beginning! Just go with it, and refer back as needed.

Highly recommended!