[This review will be up on my blog on 04/30 for the Song of Blood & Stone Blog Tour]

Song of Blood & Stone is the first book in the fantasy trilogy Earthsinger Chronicles. Its sequels are Whispers of Shadow & Flame and Cry of Metal & Bone.

This fantasy novel had a bad case of bookish identity crisis: it seemed to have no idea of where it was going, what it was doing or what it was trying to be.
This book read as a cute, tropey fantasy romance with cheesy surprise royals, but at the same time it had mythological components and a 1920s-inspired setting, and also tried to be gritty because I guess nothing is serious if it isn’t graphic. These are good ideas, if you do not try to make all of them work inside the same story.

Song of Blood & Stone is a romance-heavy fantasy, and you shouldn’t go into it expecting much adventure, but at the same time I can’t recommend it as a light romantic book.
I don’t think your story with cliché royalty tropes and the most fake-feeling military ever should also try to be ~gritty dark fantasy~; choose a tone and stick to it, and if you choose “serious”, then go all the way and get rid of the cheesy tropes.
I’m also deeply uncomfortable with the idea of marketing this as adult/YA crossover when its sexual assault scene is more graphic than many adult military sci-fi books. That scene felt like it was there just for shock value, which is the worst idea when your book is also trying to be a sweet, tropey romance (with historical aspects just for the aesthetics).

It’s not even good as a romance. Straight royalty drama is rarely interesting to me because I’ve read too much of it, and this was mostly fine, but the sex scenes ruined everything. They were graphic, which I don’t have a problem with, but nothing kills tension as quickly as badly-written sex scenes.
I read an ARC, and I hope the parts in which the male character is “whispering his lips across her aromatic skin” or sex is described as “the invasion of her body” do not make it to the final copy.

I did actually like some parts of this: the magical and mythological aspects were interesting if underdeveloped, and so were the themes. This book has a biracial protagonist and revolves around what it means to be in an interracial relationship when you live in a racist world; there’s also a side f/f couple.

Honestly I didn't get very far into this book. Within the first quarter of it, both the female and male protags have to save each other from rapists. Pass.

This book is a letdown to me. The story dragged and was at times aimless. Much of it focused on Jasminda and Jack’s romance which felt off since there wasn’t really a romantic buildup to their relationship. Their sex scenes lacked passion and weren’t necessary, considering how serious the situation they were facing was. Like you’re on the brink of war and all you’re thinking about is each other’s flesh?

At times, I felt lost when it came to the setting. It was sketchy. As for the characters, besides Jasminda, they were fleeting and just there to push Jasminda and Jack to react. I couldn’t connect to them. The True Father didn’t come off as threatening – the non-magical humans did though.

There were positives that kept me reading though. I thought Jasminda was great, had agency and a mission to save memories of her family. She’s also biracial and caught in a conflict, external and internal, which is well written. I found the magical side of Song of Blood and Stone‘s world interesting, especially with the history part. But I wish that it was explored more.

I’m hoping the sequel would be an improvement and hopefully, the one that would hook me in.

Song of Blood & Stone is the fantasy I've been searching for! L. Penelope reduced me to a babbling mess with her story full of rich, beautiful characters and thrilling world. Jasminda and Jack's story is powerful and will strike the hearts of epic fantasy and romance fans!

Even though Jasminda is a citizen of Elsira people only see her Lagamiri heritage. Her dark skin and Earthsong power, weak though it may be, sets her apart from society and in a dangerous position as threats of another breech spreads across the country. Jack is on a mission to strengthen the Mantle that separates Elsira and Lagamiri in order to keep the True Father from descending on the people of Elsira. Jasminda and Jack find each other on a mountain pass with a terrible storm brewing overhead, and from there the story unfolds with layers of fantastic world building and a plot full of intrigue.

Song of Blood & Stone offers readers an engaging read with compelling characters. I devoured this story as Jasminda quests to awaken a Queen and protect those without power. Even though her Earthsong is weak, she's willing to risk it all to save her country and that makes it so easy to root for her. Jack is stuck between following his heart and duty to his people. I admired his character for the choices he made as he went against what was expected of him. It showed that he was confident in his path and a true hero. Jasminda's story is so relatable and relevant that readers will have no trouble imagining this story in their mind's eye. Jack and Jasminda face an impossible attraction to each other, but their love is a conquering force that drives this story and will move readers to eat it up in one sitting!

The hype surrounding Song of Blood & Stone is very well founded. It's a perfect harmonization of romance, action, and fantastic world-building that you won't be able to walk away from once you start! I'm completely hooked on L. Penelope and excitedly looking forward to the rest of the Earthsinger Chronicles!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. And you guessed it, because it was basically a romance with a bit of fantasy.

Our story takes place where we have two parts of the world who have been at war for years but no one knows why or how this war came to be. All they know is this war and how it tears people apart.

It did start off a bit slow for me and took a while to get into. After a few chapters in, the plot kept my attention I found it to be unique. I did find it to be a little predictable but it didn’t take away from the story.

The romance was so sweet in this book. So swoonworthy! Jack and Jasminda were so sweet together. I see a lot of reviews saying their attraction was insta love, but you already know that I’m here for the insta love in my books so I was all for it.

Overall, I highly recommend and can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

The book had many beautifully written sections that were lushly described and almost lyrical. These fired up my imagination and completely engrossed me in the story. However, other parts were basically just tell, tell and tell. This character has a wonderful family, two brothers….but we never meet these people. We never actually get to see examples of this wonderful family. So many aspects of the book are written this way and if we were actually shown things rather than told, I truly believe it would have been more believable and I would have felt more of a connection to the characters.

Talking about the characters, they seemed too perfect to me. The female lead, Jasminda, was pleasant to read about. She was strong, brave and empathetic. Her love interest, Jack, was so kind and understanding. Together, their romance was very unbelievable, at least for me. Maybe it’s because I don’t like the whole destined to be together forever, true love conquers all thing? *shrugs* A lot of their interactions were kind of silly, with cheesy one-liners. The whole thing felt like a bit too much.

The book could have went in a very different direction and as a result missed out on opportunities to discuss racism and xenophobia. Jasminda lives in a world where the people appear to be predominately white, like her love interest Jack. The beginning of the story kind of touched on how she and her people were discriminated against and how hard it was for her and Jack to be together, but the message isn’t clear. It gets lost in the love story, which completely dominates everything else. Yes, it’s fantasy, but I wish more fantasy books would focus on topics that impact the real world.

The last few chapters in the story felt quite rushed and were basically a set-up for the sequel. While it had moments of amazingness I don’t think I’ll be picking up the next book anytime soon.

Review date: April 27
Review link: https://dulivre.blogspot.com/2018/04/book-review-song-of-blood-and-stone.html

4 stars

Plot: If I were to describe Song of Blood and Stone in one word, it would be 'unique'. It tackled so much and even though this is the start of a series, I feel that Song of Blood and Stone would appeal to many standalone fans as well.

Song of Blood and Stone centered around Jaminda, a dark-skinned girl living amongst fair-skinned non-magick people. For me, Song of Blood and Stone was told in the two parts: the first part had the air of an epic fantasy with two main leads journeying to solve a mystery, while the second half abruptly became more court focused. While the change in pacing and tone was a bit choppy, I couldn't pull myself away from Song of Blood and Stone. The mystery was engaging and there were a lot of great messages about race and assumptions that made me think.

Characters: Song of Blood and Stone was told from the third-person perspectives of Jaminda and Jack which helped the reader understand the characters and their motivations. I would have preferred the first person perspective because I often had difficulties separating the two narrations.

The romance in Song of Blood and Stone was a pretty big aspect of the book and let me tell you, Jack and Jaminda are hot and heavy! Overall, I enjoyed the romance, but it suffered from some typical romance tropes we're all familiar with from Young Adult novels and I got the feeling that the author wanted to rush their emotions along. Besides that complaint, I loved the two together and how they complemented each other; I hope they make an appearance in a future book!

Worldbuilding: The conflict between the people of Elsira and Lagamiri was the driving force and Penelope did a fantastic job of outlining the complex relationship; I think having Jaminda be mixed-race helped demonstrate the prejudice and bring the problem closer to home (the talk about refugees definitely felt close to home).

The world of Song of Blood and Stone was a unique one. Although it was a fantasy world, the people had a lot of technological advances that were similar in our own world such as running electricity, radios, and cars. I thought it was an interesting spin, but I didn't feel like I had a complete grip on the fantasy world because of those additions.

Short N Sweet: Song of Blood and Stone will pull you in immediately with the intrigue, and the romance will keep you glued to the pages.

I really loved SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE. It picked me up and wouldn't put me down - and I couldn't put it down. There's so much to unpack in the story. You can see it just as a beautiful story between two characters, almost star crossed, and just relish in their relationship and how it blossoms and the stresses, the cold fronts, it's put through. Or you can look at the politics, the world building, and see a hazy metaphor to our current fears regarding refugees and our own borders. Or furthermore, you can look at the way that folktales and history is woven throughout to see it as a lesson for the present. Whatever way you choose, you will be amazed and entertained.

I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did! The setting was original, not your usual medieval fantasy, and Jasminda was a interesting and believable main character. Even the romance, which usually I don't care a lot about, was great and just so sweet. I loved the magic system in particular and that sort of fairytale vibe it gave the whole book. A great read!

The book starts with introducing a girl named Jasminda, who walks into a post office. On the first page there are words like “Earthsong” and places are mentioned with names like “Elsira” and “Lagrimari”.. To say I was confused is an understatement.
The world in which this story takes place, and all it’s magical details, unravels itself page by page and it’s not explained in the beginning. I had to work my way through the first few chapters, to understand what was going on.
Jasminda is a girl, who lives in a settlement in Elsira. Elsira is a country with citizens who don’t have a Song, meaning they don’t have magical powers. Jasminda, daughter of an Elsirian mother and Lagrimarian father, is an Earthsinger, meaning she has magical powers. Lagrimari is a country in the east of Elsira. The countries are separated by a magical border, called the Mantle.
Jasminda walks home from the post office and comes across a soldier who has been badly injured. His name is Jack and he is an Elsirian. In the first few pages of the book it is made very clear that the Elsirians do not like the company of the Lagrimari. The Lagrimari are looked down upon. They have a darker skin tone and the Elsirians fear Earthsong. Jack is different. He doesn’t stare with hatred at Jasminda. Even though Jack and Jasminda just met, they help each other out. They both seem to have good hearts.
Jasminda is an amazingly strong and likeable female character. I loved reading about her and from her point of view. Jasminda has been through a lot and is still going through difficult times, but she manages to keep her head up and stand up for herself and her believes. Jack is sweet and loving, but a bit naïve at times and there were some situations in the book in which I wanted to shake him and ask what he was thinking.
The story of the two countries, Elsira and Lagrimari, is very well-thought-out. Honestly, it took me some time to get into it and to understand what was going on. But once I was into the story I was fascinated by it and I wanted to learn more about the history of the countries, the True Father and the Queen Who Sleeps.
L. Penelope has a wonderful writing style. The story is fast-paced, with clear shifts between the point of view of Jack and Jasminda and great dialogues. There are some very explicit (fighting and sex) scenes in the book. It was all in line with the story, so this didn’t bother me.
Conclusion; I really enjoyed this story. It was hard to get into at first, but once I learned more about Earthsong, Elsira and Lagrimari, I was hooked. I can’t wait for Book Two of the Earthsinger Chronicles.
4 out of 5 stars.

Although the fantasy world-building was interesting, I found the system of magic confusing without set rules of use. I found the writing and alternating POV clumsy. Didn’t finish.

When I received an email from NetGalley with the description of Song of Blood & Stone I knew I had to read it. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but it sounded fascinating. Obviously since I got this book from NetGalley, I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by L. Penelope. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but from the very first page I was hooked. The author created characters that were likable and it was fun getting to go on their adventure with them. What I do love about this book is how it portrayed the country. It frustrated me in the best kind of way. I loved that the main character was a woman of color & I loved that this book mirrored the racism that is found in today's world.

The plot kept my attention & it was unique. This wasn't like most of the fantasy romance books. My one complaint is that it was fairly predictable. For the most part I was able to predict the twists and turns. You can also tell that this book was one of her first books published (originally self published in 2015).

With that said, I really enjoyed this book. It had wonderful adventure, a dashing male lead, and a fearless heroine. All in all, it was fun and I will have to look into more of author's books.

I received a free copy of this for review from Netgalley ***

Good book. Solid 3.5 stars. The magic system was unique and I enjoyed the storyline a lot. My only issue with this book was the insta-love. This book would've been a 4.5 if the love interest hadn't played such a big role in the story.

Song of Blood & Stone was a hard book for me to get through. The story was very well written, the author has an amazing gift for writing. But it me too long to connect with the story for me to really enjoy it. I'll start with the pros. From a little over half way through (52%), the book picked up for me. I felt like I was invested in the characters. I loved the romance that was developing between them. And as I said, the book is very well written. But that is where the pros end for me. During the first half, I almost gave up on it 4 times. I think my brain was trying too hard to understand the world these characters were living in. Was it back in the day, hundreds of years ago, or in a dystopian future, or in a current day parallel universe. I also didn't understand what exactly an Earthsinger was, was it magic or literally songs. And were they differentiated by race (physical appearance)? Because the book was already so long I hesitate to say that there needed to be more backstory on the world-building, but I think maybe it would help readers like me out.

I was given an ARC by the publishers via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Wonderfully written I was completely hooked from the get-go. I wanted to know what would happen next, who would betray whom, & how everything would pan out. I ignored everything else in my life so I could complete this book. I needed to read it and find out what happened. It's an adventure story, a journey to save a home, to reunite a people who are broken that becomes more about saving a country on the brink.



This book features two amazing characters, the first one is Jasminda born a half-breed & made to know exactly why their people are at war. She's been outcasted by her town and pushed into a corner by those who should be taking care of her. Jack was a spy who was undercover in enemy lines. He's running from a team that is bent on killing him before he makes it to his general to pass on the information that would help prevent a war. I loved that they had hidden depths and secrets as well. Jasminda knew very little about her parent's history as they wanted to forget what brought them here to this space and move on. As such she was unaware of just where she belonged. I started to guess Jack's secret as the story unfolded and we drew closer to certain destinations, but it was still a surprise for Jasminda and seeing her reaction made me like her even more.



I absolutely loved this book. The characters were well written Jasminda was my favorite character because despite having so much lost in her life she still gives her all. Reading Jasminda and how she kept trying to talk herself out of falling for Jack. I absolutely identified with her because she dealt with so much in her short life. Including so much that happens right now in our modern world was seen in this and I totally understood how she felt when the townspeople acted up. loved that the author didn't shy away from confronting racism, the ugliness of war and how our ideals of our country aren't always what is true in practice.



My favorite scenes are from the cityscape when she first got there and saw the whole thing. The description of the royal palace and I really enjoyed her favorite places within the castle. I loved that the city was a mix of steampunk, futurism, today's tech and of course old tech as well. It was amazing. I I also loved the scenes from the library, when Jasminda & Jack confront what's going on between them. It's also where they slowly learn that they need to do more than what the original mission was.



The secondary characters were well written & dimensional. Some were well rounded & some were written as if we should have known more about them but we really didn't I enjoyed the POV as it switched between the two main characters and that made it more in-depth with their reasonings and ideas.



I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. I was angered when certain scenes where Jasminda had to deal with the townspeople and the city people. I absolutely loved Jack and her conversations, I loved their personal moments. I was intrigued, worried, nervous, and had a slightly unhealthy level of anxiety as things were unfolding. For me, the ending wasn't predictable at all. It's such a fantastic story, that seemed to grow, the mystery of where it was going unfolded at a great pace. There were so many different layers and betrayals And I was extremely excited to see that there are other books in the story. I also loved the little antidotes at the beginning of each chapter as I felt it added to the overall story as well.



★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

Warlord Series by Elizabeth Vaughan
Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

I absolutely loved it and have ordered myself a copy and highly recommend it to you as well. Happy Reading my loves,

Do you like books with wholly thought-out, and wildly creative premises? (Right? Who doesn’t?) This book is probably the most breath-takingly original YA book I have read in a while, world-building wise. Ironic, because I chose it for how the title echoes Song of Ice and Fire. Give it a chance and be immersed.

I like fantasy. I like New Adult/Young Adult fantasy. I like romance. Why is it so hard to find a book that can focus on all three of those genres equally? I have had issues with books that combine the three genres together. I can’t find a book that competently blends all 3 of those genres. Don’t get me wrong, Song of Blood & Stone does a great job at attempting to combine them. But it didn’t click for me.

I thought that Song of Blood & Stone got off to a fantastic start. The author set the tone for the entire book perfectly. But, by the middle of the book, when Jasminda was in Elsira’s capital, the book started to falter. By the end of the book, I wasn’t engaged with the characters anymore and the storyline annoyed me. I am hoping that the second book will draw me back in because this book had so much potential.

I thought that Jasminda got the raw end of the deal. She was hated by the village because of her Earthsong. Her maternal grandfather wanted her to disown her family if she wanted help. To top it off, she ends up getting put in the middle of a looming war. A war that Jack tried to stop but didn’t succeed. Hatred of her other heritage, the Lagamiri ran deep in Elsira. Even in the castle, Jasminda wasn’t exempt from the hatred of the Elsiran people. I felt awful for her. It was a wonder that she didn’t crack sooner.

Jack got under my skin. I did think he was going to be a temporary character, at first. So when the twist in his storyline came, I was not ready for it. The author did a great job of portraying him as a tortured man. He was torn between the love of his country and the love for a woman that was half of the enemy. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the stress he was under. But, saying that, I found his actions later in the book awful. He did not stand up for Jasminda. He wanted to hide what they had. He did what he thought was right at the time (even though I thought it was wrong, wrong, wrong). Not going to say what it was but if I was Jasminda, I would have told him to take a hike or punched him in the face. Probably both.

The storyline of the Earthbenders of old was fascinating. This is one part of the book that I correctly guessed at what was going to happen who those people ended up being. It was still a surprise when it came out at the end of the book.

The storyline of the refugees touched my heart. I did liken it in ways to the waves of people coming out of Syria. People displaced because of who they are. They can’t go back because they will be put in harm’s way or killed. And they can’t stay where they are because people don’t understand and fear them.

There was chemistry between Jack and Jasminda. From the minute they met each other, sparks flew. The author kept those sparks keep fanning until they did the deed. Then I felt that the relationship went flat. But, considering what was going on at the time, I now wonder if that was the author’s plan. If it was, it was ingenious of her to do that.

What I didn’t like was that there were a couple of dropped storylines. The one that sticks out in my mind was the man who gave Jack the cornerstone that he thought was a map. It was speculated who he was. Then the storyline was dropped. Also, the mystery woman who the guard was talking to in Jasminda’s cottage. She was mentioned once in the book and then that was it.

The end of Song of Blood & Stone felt a bit anticlimactic. I kept waiting to see if there was anything more to Jack and Jasminda’s storyline once the Queen said what she said. I did like the small twist at the end considering how the True Father and The Queen Who Sleeps looked like. I laughed at that because those bigoted, ignorant people were fools. It was the end of the book that made me want to read the second book. I need to see where this story is going. And I am hoping that it will be better than this book.

What I liked about Song of Blood & Stone:

A) Great world building

B) Interesting storyline in the beginning

C) 3D characters

What I disliked about Song of Blood & Stone:

A) Storyline faltered towards the middle of the book

B) Jack’s treatment of Jasminda towards the end of the book

C) Dropped storylines

I would give Song of Blood & Stone a rating of Older Teen. There is violence. There are sexual situations and sex. The sex is not graphic and actually seemed rushed through. No language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Song of Blood & Stone. They are: extreme racial prejudice and talk of rape.

I am on the fence about recommending Song of Blood & Stone to family and friends. If I did, I would include a warning of the triggers. While I would not reread this book, I am open to reading other books by the author.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Song of Blood & Stone.

All opinions stated in this review of Song of Blood & Stone are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The characters in this book are in their 20s which I enjoyed. Fantasy is one of my favorites so the characters being a little older than the normal young adult age was so amazing. The story kept me interested throughout and I was left wanting more at the end.

3.75 Stars
Fantasy seems to be the genre du jour. so I think this will be successful. I was definitely invested in the characters and the outcome. For me this was a good, entertaining read, but it wasn't at the level of Maas or Avelard. So while I will certainly read the next book, I won't be Facebook stalking for a release date.

3.5 stars
There is no denying that this is one good book but I can't say I enjoyed it. It's not that I dislike it. NO. In fact technically, this book is actually okay. It started great but somewhere along the way something went wrong that kept bugging me though I can't pinpoint it.

Is it the plot or story? No. The plot was refreshing and I haven't read any fantasy (yet) that resembles the magic used in this. Earthsingers are interesting and fascinating. Though the aspect of 2 MCs from 2 opposing races is not that unique, still I enjoy that trope. Besides, there's a little twist about Jasminda and Jack's races as in the reveal, history says how the two races really started. I like that history parts. Racism and Discrimination are VERY present in here, people :) :)

Is it the characters then? I actually love the main characters. They were likeable, especially Jack. Jasminda really tugs at my heart especially at the last quarter of the book when she asked through her POV if there's not a single person out there who will be proud to love her and not, you know, keep her. It has something to do with her kind and race. That was just sad and I like her because she's really strong and not the whiny kind. Jack was sweet and gentle. He really is but he knows when to stand for the things/people that/who mattered. Sometimes though I find their interactions a little too romantic. Like REALLY.

Is it the writing? Maybe. Not that the writer isn't good, she is. A little poetic too. It's just that, I think it would be better if there were less descriptions during dialogues. It's like every dialogue line is followed or following a description. Such as Jack swallowed. Dialogue. Jasminda's anger boiled. Dialogue. Jack's shoulder sagged. Dialogue. and so on and so forth.

Actually there's nothing wrong with descriptions like this but if they were overused in one single scene,.. It makes some conversations awkward and forced. It's like the writer was just trying to make the conversations more realistic by describing plenty of actions and reactions of the characters in the scene. MAYBE THIS IS JUST ME so don't mind this part of my review. :) :)

Overall, I recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy. You won't regret trying this. I definitely didn't and that's saying something since I did say some things I didn't like in it.

Happy Reading Guys... :) :)