Song of Blood and Stone is Magnificently Beautiful, a Masterpiece.

I loved this book from beginning to the end, I am on pins and needles waiting for the second book in this series.

Song of Blood and Stone is so vivid. I was able to mentally and emotional escape. A great escape of adventure, magic, dreams and love. Welcome to the world of ELSIRA and LAGRIMARI. The Land of the EARTHSINGERS and the SILENT.

I loved the collected folktales many of them made me pause and ponder 🤔. I liked how each collected folktale connected with the chapters. It gave each chapter more depth.

“A boy, having accidentally stepped into a nest of vipers, creed out to the Mistress of Serpents for aid.
Serpent turned the vipers to glass and entreated the boy to leave the nest without breaking the glass. For it is you who have entered their home without invitation, she said. Why should they change their nature in their own home?”
-COLLECTED FOLKTALES

There are many wonderful characters that I enjoyed in this book. JASMINDA always questions herself, but although she is scared on the inside, she always shows bravery on the outside. Watching her, (yes I said watching her, cause I felt as if I was right there in their story) grow into the woman that she was meant to be was AMAZEBALLS.

“The Mistress of Frogs intervened in a feud between two brothers. Family is a two-balled sword, she said. It must be maneuvered expertly to avoid injury.”
-COLLECTED FOLKTALES

JACK the strong and brave. He fight for what is right and is not afraid to take on anyone that stands in his way; especially for the woman he loves.

When I really, really, really enjoy a book, I never like to give too much of the story away. I want everyone to experience the awe, amazement and intrigue that I have reading Song of Blood and Stone.

So I leave my review here, this is a MUST BUY AND A MUST READ. ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

I don't often read fantasy books, but this one caught my eye. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Jasminda is a well-written heroine. She is a young woman, an orphan, and despised in her home town because of her heritage. Her mother was an Elsiran, where Jasminda lives, but her father was Lagrimari, whose people are hated enemies. Jasminda's mother had been disowned by her family because of her marriage, so the family had settled in a remote area of the kingdom, away from harm. Her mother had died, and her father and two brothers had gone missing in a storm, presumed dead. Jasminda had her father's colouring, so when she needed to visit the local town she was viewed with suspicion, and shopkeepers would try and cheat her. One day after being in town she comes across soldiers with a prisoner who they are treating badly. It is clear that they are Lagrimari, and believe themselves to be in their own country, so it is clear to Jasminda that there has been a further breach in the magical wall that divides the two countries.

And so Jasminda's adventure begins. She is an Earthsinger, with the power of healing, which she uses on the prisoner Jack. But her powers are not strong, she can only use it in short bursts, then will take a day to recover the power. She and Jack manage to escape through a certain amount of cunning, neither of them is strong enough to fight armed soldiers. Jack is not quite telling the truth about himself, he is a far more powerful person than she could have imagined. There are a lot of adventures, Jasminda is not the strongest of heroines, but she is brave and determined, and you quickly warm to her, and care about her.

There is a happy ending, with many surprises along the way. Worth reading.

One of the main reasons I picked up this book was because of the gorgeous cover. Just look at it. It's so pretty. Initially this book started off slow to me and to tell the truth I thought about putting it down. But I'm glad I kept reading because it got so good after they left Jasminda's farm. Jack to me though seemed a little to perfect while Jasminda had doubts and was a kickass female character. I enjoyed the fact that Jack and Jasminda were a biracial couple. I don't read many books that feature biracial couples. I really enjoyed this book after the initial slowness and I can't wait for the second book to be released.

I like YA novels that have a dystopian setting and this one did not disappoint! Jasminda, half Elsiran and half Legrimari, lives in Elsira, but people do not like her because she is an Earthsinger and looks more like a Legrimari. She helps the soldier Jack and they are brought together a day later due to unforeseen circumstances and when away from danger are brought to the capital. Secrets are uncovered and love blossoms during all the bad while trying to bring the Elsiran to fight against the True Father and help prevent the break in the Mantel between the two lands. After ups and downs it is a happy ending with more to come. Can’t wait to read the next book!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Unfortunately I have to report that I just <b>couldn’t get into this book no matter how much I wanted to</b>. I really tried to give this book as many chances as I could, because I was so excited to participate in the Blog Tour and the premise had me really intrigued. However, this book didn’t seem to be for me, which is just me though! It could totally be the book for you, so please give the book a chance! I’m going to make a short bullet-point Review, instead of a long Review as I wasn’t a fan of the book.

<b><u>What I Liked</u></b>
- <b>Jack was great</b>! I immediately liked him, because he was funny, kind, protective and someone that was so easy to like. I definitely liked him as a love interest as well and can say that he really brightened the book for me!

- <b>The overall idea for the book was good</b> and like I said the premise was what drew me in in the first place! I actually liked the prologue and the little collected fairytales at the beginning of each chapter! I also found the concept of Earthsong and the Mantle to be very interesting!

- <b>Jasminda was a good, headstrong heroine</b>! I loved that we saw her struggling with being seen as an outsider and I liked that she wasn’t a super strong Singer, it was refreshing to see a heroine who is not super powerful

<b><u>What I wasn’t a Fan of</u></b>
- <b>The worldbuilding could have been more fleshed out</b>. I still have a lot of questions and would have wished them to be answered, as there was a lot of potential!

- <b>I couldn’t get into the writing style at all</b>. I don’t know exactly what it was, but for me the writing didn’t draw me in or make me very invested in the story. That’s primarily why I had a hard time staying engaged.

- <b>The pacing was a bit slow at times</b>. This also added to my issues with staying engaged, because I felt like the beginning was a bit too slow in my opinion and even later the pace wasn’t as fast as I would have liked it to be. That’s just me though.

<b>IN CONCLUSION:</b> <i>Song of Blood & Stone</i> had a really good premise and offered an interesting world, but sadly I couldn't get into it and was not engaged in the story. I felt like the pacing wasn't the best and the writing style could not keep my attention either.

This was pretty good! I wasn't sure at first but i really got into it. The characters were interesting and well developed. The heroine's powers wrre awesome! The story draws you in and you fall into this great tale. I can't wait to see what the next book brings to us!

First off, this book is not YA, I know it’s shocking that I read an adult book. I think the cover looks YA and the summary made it sound that way, so my thinking was that it might have YA appeal or even New Adult. And to some extent it does. But there are some very mature scenes in this book, so I would caution you to consider that before recommending it to someone under 17. If it was a movie I would give it an NC17 rating for sexual content. There is a pretty intense attempted rape and some pretty explicit sexual content. That said it was still a good story that I would recommend to adults that like fantasy romance books.

I do have some mixed feelings about this book. I liked the characters and the overall plot, but I spent a lot of time somewhat confused about some things. About a quarter of the way through I did consider not finishing it. But I always feel guilty about doing that when it is an ARC, so I pushed through and I am glad I did, because it got better. I thought that I would list what I liked and what I didn’t about this book.

What I liked:
Both Jack and Jasminda were wonderful characters. They both realize what a messed up world they live in, that the prejudice people feel about the Lagrimarese is wrong, but as individuals they feel that they have little power to change things. That said they are still very strong willed and try their hardest to be together. Their romance was very sweet and I really liked them together.
Once I got into the story, I really liked it. It was a little slow moving at times, but the overall themes of prejudice and good versus evil were nicely done.
Most fantasies tend to be set in a world that feels more like medieval times. This world has a mixture of magic and technology. But not modern, more like mid 20th century. So there are cars and phones and such, but no computers.
I liked the little snippets of folktales at the start of each chapter.
What I didn’t like:
The magical system is not well explained. It is interesting, but I really didn’t get it. Possibly because Jasminda’s earthsong was weak and untrained, so she didn’t get it either at times. Some of the things we learn at the end of the book about the magical system and how this world was set up would have been more helpful at the start of the story.
This book really needs a map! I was so confused about where they were at the start of this book and where they were traveling to. And why if they were already in Elsira they had to travel through caves to get to Elsira with the refugees they met from Lagrimar. Even when I reread that part, thinking I had missed something, it didn’t help. A map might of helped this confusion.
There were some secondary plots that seemed unnecessary or were not explained well, to the overall plot. They also didn’t go anywhere in the end.
Jasminda has these visions that helped explain the backstory of this world, and I liked them, but I almost felt that this backstory needed to be a whole prequel to this book, which maybe would have helped my confusion about some of the plot points in this story.
Overall, I liked the story even with it’s flaws and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good romance with their fantasy.

I enjoyed Song of Blood Stone. Its was a little bit of everything from Magic, Love and War. The Author was able to convey the story in such way it feels as it you were living it. There were times i find myself trying to send my energy to hep in one way or another. I would recommend this book.

GREAT read. Full of details, intriguing plot twists, secrets, characters will hold you captive!
I had some problem with getting into the story at first, but after few chapters, I devoured the rest in huge pace! Be prepared for few moments that will make you think: HOW I COULD NOT SEE IT COMING!
Great enjoyable read!

Song of Blood and Stone was an amazing epic fantasy, with a twist of romance. Full of action and adventure. The characters were wonderful, and easy to fall in love with!

SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is a very well written fantasy that alludes to the current politics causing so much upheaval in the western world today. In this respect, it is not unique. I am of the opinion that writers use what they see and hear in the world around them to create the fictions about which they write. Some incorporate the elements of reality in much more subtle ways than do others. I was somewhat reminded of the classic Star Trek episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" while reading of the war between people, with and without Earthsong, separated by a magical wall into which there have been seven breaches.

There are two separate stories woven in the pages of SONG OF BLOOD & STONE. The main story is an action packed chronicle of two people who find each other in dire straits and grow to depend on each other for their very survival. The second story is the legend of the people who inhabit this place. The coincidence of the two doesn't occur until very near the end of the book, but that's a good thing. Although the legend is meant to foreshadow what is to come and why events unfurl as they do, to have them become fully meaningful too soon would have destroyed the ending.

Although this is meant to be the first book in a series (Earthsinger Chronicles), SONG OF BLOOD & STONE stands well on its own. It is a story of battles and nationalism taken to the extreme. It is also a story of finding love and acceptance where none was expected.

The next book in the series, WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME, appears to be available in paperback only, with limited availability at this time. I trust that an eBook version is in the works.

If you love the idea of fantasy and romance combined, you'll probably have a hard time putting down Song of Blood & Stone.

Jasminda has humble ambitions: after losing her whole family, she'd only like to keep her ownership of the family home and live there in peace. She knows that the Elsiran community shuns her for her Lagrimari looks – not that she can change the colour of her skin, can she? – and so she visits the nearby village only when she really needs something. Like this she doesn't have to bear the locals' frowning looks very often.

But when a dangerous storm starts to brew and her little cottage – the place she deems the safest in whole Elsira – is invaded by soldiers, she gets pulled into a chain of events that threatens to tear her whole world apart. The spy – a boy named Jack – who the soldiers brought with them is trying to convince her she is an important piece on a chessboard where the fate of both Elsira and Lagrimar will be soon decided. She finds it hard not to believe him because he looks and sounds like destiny.

Jasminda and Jack manage to escape and they start to work together to ensure peace and prosperity in the two countries that have always been in war with each other.

Jasminda was born in Elsira but she is part Lagrimari, because her father came from the other side of the border. Since her skin is darker and that marks her as a Lagrimari, Elsiran people don't particularly like her. She is also a Singer like all of the Lagrimari. Her Song can create and heal, however, people are terrified of her power. Jack is the first Elsiran who sees potential in her and Jasminda is grateful for that.

I absolutely adored the world building in this book. The two countries share a history. Their two mysterious leaders from the past, whose identities are revealed through flashbacks, were once very close to each other. The reason why their relationship changed is very logical and believable, yet their tale is rather tragic.

Jack, the male protagonist, isn't who he seems to be either and because of his true status him and Jasminda have to suffer quite a lot.

The Song as a power has interesting qualities; it makes a Singer capable of healing, growing crop or seeing into the distance, among other things. It is fascinating, though a bit all over the place and not much explanation is given how it works, unfortunately. Jasminda's Song, despite her being the MC is very weak, which I was happy to learn because I'm a bit fed up with super-strong protagonists, be they male or female. Her own Song doesn't develop, not even later in the story and yet she is the one who fights the good fight for the right of the Lagrimari (with a little help of course, but still... you see my point). It was a nice touch.

The romance between Jack and Jasminda is as tender as it comes. They care deeply for each other and stand up for one another when they need to. Their stolen moments are beautiful.

If you don't read this book for anything else, read it for the writing. It is phenomenal, it will blow you away. Oh, how I wish I could write like Ms. Penelope...

I'm sure I'll devour the second book just like I did the this one...

In a world where some are touched by magic, where 2 nations are divided by an impenetrable wall of magic we follow Jasminda and Jack.
Jasminda is an outcast in her own country of Elsira, being of mixed parentage and having the gift of Earthsong. Jack, a prisoner of war being led back to the True Father, the god-king of Lagamiri. When they meet each other, sparks fly and through thick and thin they are resolved to protect their home from war.
The Mantle can be breached, for now only by those who know where the cracks are, but soon the magic that keeps the True Father at bay will fall and Elsira will be unable to withstand the Earthsong the inhabitants can wield.

My take on the book:

I loved it, it had everything you would want from a book. A great story, characters with real flaws, with insecurities and longings just like everyone else. It was a very powerful story full of intrigue, deceit, fear, betrayal, hope, friendship, love, determination, ...

World building was superb, with detailed descriptions the author got our imagination working overtime, dropping us in the middle of nations on the verge of another war. Character building was likewise very good, we got to know Jack and Jasminda on a pretty deep level, why they react certain ways, what they fear and love and what pulls them to each other. But not only the main characters are well fleshed out, our support characters have a feel to them as if you've known them for years.

As already said, the story is great, it's excellently written and I have found little to no errors.
The pacing and flow are good, giving Jasminda and Jack enough time between running to explore their feelings and insecurities.

This book contains sex (if that is important for you).

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book, courtesy of NetGalley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will surely read the following books!

FROM GOODREADS:
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 Lagamiri 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 it’s people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda’s Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira 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.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

I’ve been looking forward to sitting down to write this review, because this was one of the better fantasy titles I have read this year.

In this novel you get the current (present) POVs of both Jasminda and Jack. Jasminda is such a strong female lead–she’s independent, strong, fierce, loyal, intelligent, and has no problem with sacrificing or own wants for the greater good. And Jack… without revealing too much about him.. he stands out from the norm for his situation in life. He tends to see people for who they are in their hearts and souls, always stands up for what is right, and has so much determination to protect those that he loves. You also get some flashbacks/visions thrown into the mix from some characters who lived long ago. These flashbacks/visions are super important and it was really great how they all tied together in the ending.

Speaking of the ending— WOW! I kind of lost steam around 60-70% of the way through the book (not due to any fault of the novel’s… I just tend to do that with fantasy sometimes), but once I started hitting that rising action that led up to the climactic ending, I couldn’t put the book down!

For me, this was the perfect level of fantasy. While I enjoy most fantasy titles I pick up, many times I have a hard time wading into the waters and getting started because sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all of the new language, characters, locations, specifications of magic, etc…. But Song of Blood & Stone was very easy to jump head-first into. The Earthsinger magic was not overly complicated, the characters were introduced at a very easy pacing, and the locations were basically divided between two areas, so there weren’t five thousand cities to keep up with.

The magic system in this novel is called Earthsong, and Jasminda is one of the individuals–a Singer– who can perform this type of magic. Some individuals have more power than others, and those who live under the reign of the ‘True Father’ have to give up their song (called a ‘tribute’) to him. Therefore, those that are able to sing (cast Earthsong), have somehow escaped the reign of the ‘True Father’ or, like Jasminda, are living under unique circumstances.

The romance is fantastic in this book. It was also the perfect balance. Many times you either get the adventure overshadowing the romance, or the romance overshadowing the adventure–but L. Penelope got it right with this one.. the perfect blend! Jasminda and Jack have such a strong chemistry and I loved watching their relationship unfold. But they also both know that they serve a bigger purpose in this story and do not let their attraction get in the way of ‘moving mountains’. Also note.. this is definitely an adult fantasy title–there are a couple super steamy scenes (but they are very well integrated and do not dominate the plot in any way).

There are so many layers to this book, which I loved. The diversity is a front-runner in this novel, with not only the author being a POC, but also the main character, Jasminda, is of a dark-skinned race and is often looked down upon for both that and her abilities. She is unique in the fact that she is a blend of these two opposing cultures/races, so she very much has to battle with the challenge of never truly feeling like she ‘fits’ anywhere. There are so many themes of political conflict, discrimination (of all types), fulfillment of destiny, and even moral righteousness (especially when related to refugees). There were so many instances where I paused my reading and really reflected on how the current scene could apply to a current event or current issue (as well as former events/issues in our history).

This book is the first in a series, so I am super anxious to read the next installment. From what I have gathered, the next installment does not jump into a continuation of Jasminda and Jack’s story, but does introduce two new, very likable characters. I cannot wait to pick up the next title and fall in love with another set of characters.



Trigger Warning(s): Adult Sexual Content, Racial/Cultural/Religious Discrimination, Sexual Assault, Attempted Rape, Violence, Violence Toward a Child, War Themes, Death



Thank you to L. Penelope & St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope is an older YA/ NA fantasy romance novel with an excellent introduction that really made me want to dive into to the story. My favorite aspects of this new story are the world-building and our main character, Jasminda. In regards to the world-building that we get to see of warring nations Elsira and Lagrimar are intriguing when it comes to the big picture, such as the physical and magical differences between the Lagrimari and the Elsirans, how Elsiran society treats those it views as other like our main character Jasminda who is both part Elsiran and Lagrimari (she strongly favors her Lagrimari side, Earthsong magic included). Broadly, the author's world building is quite good, but when it comes down to the details I wish we could have seen a little more. Primarily, I felt a bit out of the loop on what exactly Earthsong magic entails and how it works. We get to see it in action a few times, but there are still so many questions I had about the magic system overall. Due to the mentalities and some details I also expected more of a historical setting, but peppered throughout we see things like vehicles, airplanes, tanks, modern military weaponry. If done more consistently this could have been a great setting feature, but as it is this mash up of historical and modern is quite jarring. Though I do have to mention that I loved the opening of each chapter with a bit of folklore from their world, that was a nice touch as it helps set the stage.

In regards to our main character, Jasminda is a very strong and courageous young woman who is willing to take things into her own hands to get things done. Her character also gives us a look into her experiences as biracial in tough circumstances. I could greatly appreciate watching Jasminda grow over the course of the story. Jack, her love interest, on the other hand, I wasn't all that interested in him even though he does get a few great twists, especially when it comes to his identity - and, of course, what that means for Jasminda. What surprised me the most about him has to do with his name. Of course, this is a fantasy story and everyone has interesting names except him. I mean, his full name is more interesting, but he really only goes by his nickname Jack. I don't know about you, but it actually bothered me that he goes by such a boring name. It's not nearly as cool as Jasminda's, that's for sure. Finally, I have got to mention their romance. Sure Jasminda and Jack go through a lot together, but I'd still classify it as instalove. In the long run, though, that didn't bother me as much as how graphic their love scenes become. The story is marketed as Young Adult, but when it comes to the romance it's definitely New Adult. I was not expecting that level of steaminess. The lead up is very YA in tone which was fine, but then the story takes on a level of steaminess that I associate with NA, or maybe even adult romance. Honestly, that's not really my thing and I could have done without about 10% of the story as the romance began to monopolize everything else.

Overall, Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope shows a lot of potential as an older YA/ NA fantasy romance. It has several elements I enjoyed - I liked what world-building we got to see and I enjoyed getting to know our leading lady. However, there's so much more I'd like to know about the world of the Elsirans and Lagrimari. If you're a fan of a major portion romance with your on the side fantasy, you may enjoy the love story a little more than I did (for me, it was just a little too overpowering). While reading this novel, I totally had Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples in the back of my mind, so if you enjoy that graphic novel series you may want to try this series opener.

"Said the Master of Jackals to the soldier, 'A victorious warrior fights for one of three things: a righteous cause, a broken heart, or a noble death.'"
Song of Blood and Stone was unexpected. I knew I was getting a fantasy story about power struggles, destiny, and a bit of romance thrown in. I wasn’t expecting modern social commentary to be weaved effortlessly and poignantly into this historical fantasy. Song of Blood and Stone follows Jasminda, an outcast Earthsinger, who teams up with Jack, an injured spy, to heal their warring Country and discover the mysterious secrets surrounding the Queen Who Sleeps.

Things I Liked
I mentioned it above, but I really enjoyed the social commentary that was present throughout the book. Penelope tackles topics like immigration and refugee rights, racism, oppression, and controlled media. Though these topics are explored in the fantasy setting, they clearly draw from real-world issues. I though the issues were handled with care and addressed, but never belittled. The story also never got preachy, which I appreciated.

The prologue hooked me from the start, along with the folktale quotes at the beginning of the chapters (which if you know me, is no surprise I loved them!) created this fantastical atmosphere that was easy to get lost in.

I really liked the flashback visions we get of Oola, Yllis, and Eeron. I feel like they not only helped establish the worldbuilding and history of Elsira and Lagamira, but also established tension and conflict between the countries that made the actions seem authentic.

Things I Didn’t Like
I personally found the romance to be a little heavy handed, especially in the beginning of the story. Jasminda and Jack have an almost too perfect relationship. There wasn’t anything bad about their romance, but I didn’t find myself swooning either. The story was also heavily romance-leaning. I’d say it felt more like a romance in a fantasy setting thana fantasy story with a romance in it.

The writing didn’t grab me the way I wanted it too. I thought it was a little simplistic and focused. I didn’t feel like it ‘set the scene’ for the story, the scene was already there and the story was just happening over it. I don’t need super flowery prose to be invested in a story, but I would have liked more. Especially because I loved the Folktale collections that created a fantastical element, but otherwise there wasn’t much.

I thought the end battle was a little too easy. While I appreciate the tension setup, I feel like it was over too quickly to have a meaningful or successful payoff.

Song of Blood and Stone was a fun fantasy surprise with a surprising amount of depth. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and many of the personal moments that allow the characters to shine. Song of Blood and Stone is a story about power struggles, destiny, and conviction.

I received a copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNFed at 40%
So, I really wanted to love this book. I loved the cover and I'm all about diverse fantasy. However, the attempted rape on-page and pervasive rape culture throughout the 40 percent that I did read that I couldn't finish it. I am absolutely exhausted with fantasy books that think that the only thing a man can do to show how evil he is is to rape people. This is the same reason I quit reading the Tearling book.

Song of Blood and Stone is an epic fantasy about two warring countries ones with magic (called Earthsingers) and the ones without, that are separated by a magical barrier. In Elsira most people have red hair and copper-colored eyes and no magic, they are ruled by a Prince Regent who awaits a queen from long ago who under a spell. While the Lagamar are people of color (brown skin and dark eyes), in a barren land and is ruled by an evil madman. With tensions high and the Elsirans negative view of the Lagamiri who are trying to escape things have finally reached a boiling point and one way or another it's time for a change.

This book is so awesome! I love fantasy book and I love magic and Leslye has brought both subject together to tell and epic story. There are a lot of subjects touched on in the book and with the writing and plot flowing seamlessly I could help but be invested in the characters and pulled into the story. Almost every chapter begins with little fables and folktales at the beginning that are interesting and ones that I haven't heard of before and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. The fables seem to add a better understanding to the story.

Jasminda is a strong and brave woman who does not let the judgement of other necessarily dictate her actions. Jasminda is half Elsiran and half Lagamiri, while she grew up with her family in Elsira she is viewed as Lagamiri because of the way she looks. Lagamaris in Elsiran are treated very poorly, the Elsirans fear and covet their magic and in-turn treat all Lagamar refugees very poorly. So imagine all the conflict and negativity that Jasminda has dealt with her entire life. She could have let that turn her into a bitter, spiteful person but she didn't. Now don't get me wrong she still has sass, she doesn't let anyone mistreat her but she doesn't let their behavior control her either.

The story is told from dual povs and while we do hear from Jasminda we also hear from Jack. I love Jack I really do, he is an Elsiran solider who is different from most Elsirans. First even though he is a solider he isn't harden like the others I got to see Jack's soft and squishy center. He is a good man, a bit silly, kind-hearted, treats people fairly and doesn't treat anyone differently based on the way look or who they are. Jack sees a better way and is struggling with the way his country behaves towards those who are different.

Jasminda and Jack are one of my OTPs, they are so good together and are meant to be, I swear it. This isn't a love at first sight, their connection grows over time and you could see how they could get close because of the dire situations they tend to find themselves in. They are good together, they make the other one better. A lot of my favorite scenes were when those two are alone together and are able to be themselves. The comfort the other while getting comfort and they are not blinded to they way things are but wish so badly for more, for better.

Do you have those moments when you are reading a book and know that something bad is coming, you can just sense it. Well I had that feeling with this book and I kept anticipating it, nervous as I-don't-know-what that something bad was going to happen. So my anti caption levels were high and while I did guess some of the events of this book other I did not and that is what help make this a really enjoyable book for me. While I did wish for more magic in this one and a better explanation of certain things this one was a really good read for me and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Song of Blood and Stone is a fascinating mature young adult book that dives into action, adventure, romance (sexy fun-times), mystery, magic, has evil overlords, mysterious rulers, and an epic love story that is ageless and is partially told in past events. L. Penelope touches on some of the important issues such as social injustices, racism, clash of the classes and abuse. She also weaves in characters that are strong, and has representation of diverse and LGBQ+ characters. If you are looking an incredible fantasy book then Song of Blood and Stone is a sure read.

I received Song of Blood and Stone as an ARC on NetGalley. I'm still processing how I feel about this story, but overall I'm giving it a 3.5 rating. You could divide the plot into three distinct segments. It took me a while to get truly hooked into the story. However, once Jasminda and Jack arrived to Rosira, the pages were turning quickly. It was rather predictable and there weren't any surprising twists (save for one that was only hinted at right before the reveal, which could have used more build-up). And as far as the author's use of languages goes, there were one too many similes and metaphors for my personal taste.

The theme, however, presented a very timely take on prejudice. Jasminda was well-written and I could really root for her as the main protagonist (and I LOVE seeing WOC leading fantasy and science fiction novels). I even liked the integration of flashbacks in the narrative, which are usually taboo, but they worked in this story. The epilogue piques my curiosity into what the next installment will entail, so I wouldn't be surprised to find myself continuing the Earthsinger Chronicles as they are released.

Song of Blood & Stone hooked me at the beginning. As the story went on, it became a bit predictable. I still enjoyed it, but it I didn't love it as much as I thought I would