ARC from Netgalley

The cover of this book is far more appealing than the story inside it, alas. Weak world-building, non-existent character construction, and plodding prose combined with the cheesiest elements of romance make for a less than rewarding read.

Biracial Jasminda has lived in Elsira, the land of her mother, all her life. Across the "Mantle," a magical border, is the land of her father, Lagrimari, a country ruled by the "True Father," who steals "Earthsong" magic from his citizens in order to maintain his power. In the past, the "Mantle" has been breached several times leading to war between the two countries.

At the start of the story, Jasminda lives alone, her mother long-dead, her father and twin brothers two years missing. She stumbles upon a wounded stranger on the path from town to her homestead, a man she heals with her limited stores of Earthsong. The stranger, a military man named Jack, is being pursued, though, and the two escape, hoping to shore up the Mantle border and protect Elsira via a magical stone that Jack has been given. But their quest goes woefully astray, weakening rather than strengthening the Mantle. They later encounter a group of refugees from Lagrimari, and Jasminda is given a different magical stone, one that reveals in a slow series of visions another way to save Elsira: by reviving the dormant "Queen Who Sleeps," whom prophecy says will one day awaken and defeat the True Father.

Secret identities, insta-lust romance, evil other women, and plot twists one can see coming from miles away ensue.

I liked this book, it engaged me quickly and thoroughly and I will defiantly look for more to read from this series and writer!

I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me an early copy as a part of the blog tour. My review is 100% honest!

I was definitely interested in this book, especially because of the cover. It was incredibly gorgeous and I loved the fact that, just by the cover alone, the main character was going to be a POC. I want to mention that her skin color is hardly mentioned and I’m glad it wasn’t mentioned because I couldn’t picture any other person than the model on the cover the entire time. Props to Miss Penelope.

So, Jasminda is alone in a cabin as an Earthsinger, someone who is pretty much looked down upon as a witch. She is an outcast among her town until she meets Jack, a soldier that is captured and who sees her as a person.

When Jack and Jasminda escape from the captors and meet refugees, a crazy journey begins that leads them all to the royal castle where secrets unfold and visions are revealed of the past thanks to a tiny stone.

I really enjoyed Jasminda’s character, though I didn’t feel the biggest connection to her that I feel like I should have. She is a strong girl and has a big heart. She has been through so much trauma, but it’s only given her a thicker skin. She does put herself down sometimes, especially when it comes to Jack and their feelings for each other. However, something didn’t click with me. I didn’t feel that 100% connection with her character. I don’t know if it was the fact that I didn’t get enough backstory or character building, but I’d like to see if that connection will build in the second book.

Jack was an interesting character, but like Jasminda, it feels like he is still a stranger to me. His personality matches Jasminda’s and I will go ahead and point out that their relationship is definitely insta-love. It wasn’t really that big of a deal to me because they match with each other, but I do think the ending of the book was kind of rushed and too cheesy for my taste.

Back to Jack’s character. He is definitely not the normal kind of soldier that he appears to be in the beginning of the book. I was honestly surprised and then not surprised when his secret was revealed. It was the kind of moment where I was like “Holy crap, what?!” to “Oh, that totally makes sense.” I think L. Penelope framed his character really well, but she does have the opportunity to be more in depth with his life than she was in this book.

The book itself was interesting. This entire book was just all together interesting, okay? You know how you are reading a book and you can’t put it down and you don’t even know why? That’s how it felt to read this book. It was really good, but I couldn’t figure out what was so good about it. Sometimes, the pacing would be slow or too fast. Not much would happen. Characters would get kind of slow. Yet, I didn’t want to put it down. it just has that certain appeal that is hard to explain, hence my four-star rating. It may be the cover that stuck in my mind the entire time or maybe it was the elements and how intriguing it was. I mean, the setting makes it seem like this is the Middle Ages yet it gets kind of futuristic with having actual motor vehicles and freaking airplanes and cables and all that stuff.

All in all, I did enjoy this book for some mysterious reason that I can’t grasp on to right now. It just has that appeal and I think it has the appeal for fans of high fantasy, especially those who enjoy Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. I know I’ll definitely be waiting for the second book.

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good first book in this new series. There is minimal worldbuilding, but that's pretty typical for a YA Fantasy book. The main characters are likeable and earnest. There is plenty of action and the storyline moves along at a decent pace. I recommend reading this book.

The story is set in two countries called Elsira and Lagamiri. The 2 countries are separated by a mystical "mantle" that is an invisible wall. Throughout the years, breaches have appeared in the mantle allowing the armies of the countries to slip through and fight each other. The main female character, Jasminda, lives in Elsira. One parent was from Elsira and the other from Lagamiri. Jasminda is an orphan and outcast because she has a gift called Earthsong that gives her special abilities. Apparently there are different strengths and abilities of Earthsong, but this is never really explained in any detail and remains a mystery.

When soldiers invade her isolated cabin with an injured prisoner spy named Jack, Jasminda uses her gift to heal Jack and help him escape. Jack has discovered that the mantle is about to permanently fail and he must do whatever is necessary to save his people. The couple must rely on each other in an effort to save the countries from death and war.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Song of Blood & Stone is a lovely read that definitely deserves a second look. Though some readers took issue with the predictable storyline and “too perfect” romance, it does not detract from the novel. Not all romance has to be riddled with drama and trouble just as a story does not have to have more twist and turns than a mountain road to be entertaining.

Overall, this novel has everything: an interracial couple with a strong dark skinned female lead, an LGBT couple, a fantastical world, romance, and action. While the reader hungers for more world building and background develop, it still feels like a complete story.

This follows Jasminda, a girl torn between to worlds.The book starts out with Jasminda’s grandfather trying to pay her off to erase her mother’s name. Her parents come from warring cultures; Jasminda's mother was Elsiran, and her father was Lagamiri. The Lagamiri people are dark skinned, and can wield magic. The Elsira people are light skinned, and magicless.

This authors writing was A+. I could feel how Jasminda felt. Every emotion was so powerful, and I loved it a lot. I really adored Jasminda! She is everything I look for in a MC: smart, empathetic, brave. Then we have Jack. He had so many secrets I wanted to shake him! He made questionable decisions, but he was kind and courageous.

It was a bit slow at the beginning, but it picks up quickly. I definitely recommend it!

Fantastic read, well written with a great plot and characters. I was engrossed from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. This book has elements of magic, action, romance and great world building. I can't wait to read the next book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

I loved this novel! If you are looking for a fast paced, mulitlayered fantasy reading experience, I cannot recommend this more!

So, um, Song of Blood & Stone did not turn out to be the epic we hoped it to be and while we're disappointed, we're curious enough to see if the author has any other work that we might find ourselves interested in.

Penelope’s SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is the first book in a fantasy romance series that explores racial discrimination, the atrocities of war, and what it means to belong.

Set in an alternate 1920s, SONG OF BLOOD & STONE follows two very different young people trying to save their kingdom from invasion. As a mixed-race young woman with the ability to wield Earthsong, Jasminda is hated in the majority-white, magic-fearing kingdom of Elsira. When she rescues Jack, a fellow Elsiran and a military man just returned from a dangerous mission in their enemy nation Lagrimar, she sets events in motion that will change the world as she knows it.

Ruled by a cruel dictator known as the True Father, Lagrimar represents the other in SONG OF BLOOD & STONE. Elsirans hate and fear the Lagrimari for their religion, their magic, and the colour of their skin…even the refugees who have escaped certain death in Lagrimar to seek sanctuary in Elsira. The commentary on the treatment of refugees is clear, but I didn’t find it heavy-handed. Try as they might, Elsirans can’t ignore or oversimplify the Lagrimari forever: the magical barrier known as the Mantle that prevents the True Father’s armies from invading Elsira is weakening with each passing day. If Jasminda can’t harness her weak Earthsong magic to shore up the Mantle, her life, such as it is, will be over.

Jasminda is far and away the best developed character, and she’s a very easy one to love. Despite how often she’s belittled and excluded, Jasminda remains empathetic and brave. It disgusted me to see how her neighbours treated her with contempt, hatred, and fear, but I felt so proud of her every time she stood her ground. And more than anything, I respect a heroine with such a practical nature! Jasminda’s so practical, in fact, that she’s shocked when she finds herself falling in love with Jack as their mission progresses. Her own family history has taught her that a romance between a full-blooded Elsiran and someone who’s half-Lagrimari will never be supported by society.

SONG OF BLOOD & STONE being a fantasy romance, the relationship between Jasminda and Jack is the main feature of the story. Thankfully I found them pretty cute together despite my initial wariness (there’s some major insta-lust), and their feelings for one another were well-developed. The prejudice Jasminda faces as a mixed-race person aside, Jack’s background is also a considerable obstacle for them; I was quite pleased that Jasminda in particular showed a lot of maturity when dealing with the imbalance of power in their relationship. Jack is a sweet guy and I liked him, but I found his naivety in the face of all he’d seen in war quite frustrating. Wake up and realize that your country is deeply racist!

My only serious complaint about SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is its anti-climactic “final battle” scene. Jasminda and Jack spend almost the entire book journeying, training, and preparing to face off against the Lagrimari forces trying to break through the Mantle…but the battle itself is over in the blink of an eye. Come on, y’all! I was also disappointed by the borderline deus ex machina that allowed Jasminda and Jack to be together formally and officially, but I can let that one go. Especially in light of the explosive epilogue!

Overall, SONG OF BLOOD & STONE by L. Penelope is a strong, if flawed, start to an intriguing new fantasy romance series. People looking for lovable characters, solid writing, and an exploration of social issues in fantasy should pick this one up!

I am so excited that I got to take part in a Blog Tour for this book. My post is already up and you can check it out here! Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free e-arc to review through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and 100% honest.
This book had a lot going on in it. It was hard for me to write a synopsis because it covered so much ground and was so many things. It was hard to categorize this book too. It's New Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, and I think that covers them all. There's a lot going on in this, but I definitely enjoyed Song of Blood and Stone.
Jasminda is a strong character, a strong woman. She's lost her whole family, but she still finds a way to keep going. She also lives in a place where she's treated like a pariah because of her skin color, her heritage. I liked that she was a mixed- race character. Being able to see her struggle was eye opening, and it was sad to see people treat her the way they did. She's a strong person. I also enjoyed her reality of being mixed race and struggle to find her place. There are not many books I've read that have characters like her or highlight that struggle.
Jack was an okay character too.
I did feel like the first half of the story was a little slow, but it really picked up in the second half.
I wasn't a big fan of the insta-love that happened between Jack and Jasminda. I wish there had been more build-up. I do like them as a couple though.
I won't say I completely caught on to how the world worked, or the magic worked. I still had questions about Earthsong.
I really did enjoy the little snippets of collected Folktales at the beginning of each chapter. They reminded me of Aesop's Fables.
I did enjoy the ending and I'd be curious to see how it continues.
There was a lot going on in this book. It was a lot of things. I did enjoy it and I'm very grateful I got the chance to review it. Thank you St. Martin's Press.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5
Enjoyable

Jasminda has a power that her people fear, her power of Earthsong. When she meets a beaten man on the side of her mountain, she knows she has to help him. What turned into a small deed throws her into the midst of a half century war she had no intentions of joining before. 

The beginning was a little hard to catch onto, mostly because I didn't know the lands that the characters were in. I felt like if there was just a few extra sentences in the novel in the beginning that explained the relationships between the neighboring countries, I would have had a better time understanding. I think in the aspect of worldbuilding, there was a bit that was left to be desired. I found it to be lacking in a few areas. I'm hoping, that since this is a series, that there will be more worldbuilding in the future. 

As for the characters, I did really enjoy seeing Jack and Jasminda struggle as they learned they could not be together, as much as they wanted to be. The relationship unfolding between them was very sweet to watch. I feel like both characters are extremely likable, watching Jasminda never lose her fierceness was something that I really admired in Penelope's writing. 

I wasn't super impressed with how Jasminda's grandfather's situation all played out, I felt like it was something that was resolved way too quickly and because it no longer played an important part in the novel. I really hope we see more interactions with this in the future novels as well. 

The epilogue did throw me for a surprise however and made me want to read the sequel, whenever it is available. I need to know who the mysterious person is and I'm curious to see how Penelope decides to continue this series.

Thank you to Martin St. Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel!

First, this book is targeted for YA, however, from the start there is a racism, some abuse, attempted rape sexual tension, mature language, and throughout the book scenes that is there are detailed.; therefore, it should be aimed at NA and adults. I thought the cover is nice.

The diversity in the book is well-done. This is a story of two different kingdoms, separated by a magical vel; the two countries have been at war for centuries to prevent the ruler of Lagrimar from invading Elisira. Lagrimar a land whose people are dark-skinned and possess a magical ability known as Earthsinging, they are ruled by a god-king called the True Father who is the most powerful Earthsinger alive. He is also a tyrant who steals the magic of his people who live in squalor. He keeps his identity a secret and seeks to permanently destroy the magical barrier so he can rule both sides. He also uses a Cantor, an Earthsinger who creates new spells for him and isn’t opposed to using blood magic Sometimes, those that still possess the ability to Earthsing cross the veil (only those that can Earthsing can cross) into Elsira hoping for a better life. Earthsingers give thanks to Mother Earth with their songs, it can be used for healing, control things, and read emotions. It is a pure form of magic derived from the earth and cannot be used for killing. It can be move mountains, build roads, make the ground fertile, change the weather and other things that are non-destructive.

Elsira is the land of people that are light-skinned, they don’t have any magical abilities and they fear magic. The Elsirans or the Silent are ruled by a Prince Regent while the True Queen who has been sleeping for 500 years, guarded by the “Sisterhood” who are sworn to her and help the Lagrimarian refugees. They fear and dislike the Lagrimars because of the skin color and their magical ability. They contain these “savages” in refugee camps.

Our protagonist, Jasminda is a biracial woman in Elsira who lives in an isolated cabin and tends the farm left to her. Her mother was an Elsirian who worked in the Sisterhood and her father was a Lagrimarian soldier who became trapped in Elsira the last time the barrier was restored. She has a weakened ability with magic. As a dark-skinned woman in a land of “fair-people” she is despised by the Elsirians. One day while returning from the city she runs into an injured Elsiran(white) soldier who speaks Lagrimari, which is rare because it’s a very arduous language. He is posing as a Lagrimarian and is on a mission to reseal the barrier when he is captured as a spy she recues him and heals him using her magic. He convinces her to help him save Elsiria from the True Father and of course they fall in love.

This book took me a very long time to read, I kept putting it down and coming back to it and I’m surprised that I finished it. It has an interesting concept but there’s just too much crammed into it, including every problem that we a currently facing in our world (racism, chauvinism, tyranny etc., etc.,). The writing is simplistic and predictable, the magic and world building is undeveloped and under-explained. The ending is implausible and rushed; the tyrant who has ruled with an iron-fist is suddenly defeated in the most anticlimactic way. It was very unbelievable, and then everything’s was conveniently wrapped up (in 384 pgs.), the barrier is taken down and everyone in both lands are going to coexist in peace and harmony (color me skeptical).

2.5/5 Stars: **I received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank the author and/or publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley,.**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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