Jasminda has lost her entire family. She now lives alone in Elsira, where her powers as an Earthsinger are met with fear and disdain. She keeps to herself, avoiding the nearby village as much as possible. The people there dislike her because of her magic, and also because of who here parents were. Her mother was Elsiran and her father was from Lagamiri. The two lands are separated by a magical mantle, which has only been breached a few times in history. Every time, a breach was followed by war and death. One day while walking home after an agonizingly awful trip to the village, Jasminda sees soldiers with a prisoner. Jasminda realizes that they are from Lagamiri and don't realize they have crossed the mantle into Elsira. They have been ordered to bring the prisoner, Jack, back with them. In talking to Jack, Jasminda learns that the mantle between the two countries will soon fall and that the True Father plans to attack and destroy Elsira. The True Father already takes the Earthsong of his people to make himself stronger. Ancient evil gains strength and threatens the lives of everyone. Can Jack and Jasminda discover how to stop the coming destruction?

I enjoyed this book. It was a magical fantasy story, with some very interesting world building. The idea of Earthsong powers is so creative and beautiful! I definitely like the creative story idea. At times I felt the story got a bit confused....like a few too many ideas got mixed into the pot. And I found myself wondering why the story seemed a lot like a medieval type fantasy but then threw modern technologies like telephones into the mix. But, those little things really didn't pull me away from the story. I enjoyed the action, the mystery of the magic, the stones and the backstory of the two different cultures.

Song of Blood & Stone is the first novel in the Earthsinger Chronicles. There are three books, but each one is a stand alone story. This book was first independently published in 2015, and is now being re-released by St. Martin's Press. The cover art is gorgeous!! The artwork definitely is what first drew me to this book....then the fantasy theme pulled me the rest of the way in.

I very much enjoyed this book! I definitely want to read more by L. Penelope. I'm definitely very curious what the other two stories bring to this series. I liked the characters in this first book. I hope the other characters are just as interesting and varied.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I have been looking for more fantasy novels with women of color protagonists and came upon this book. I was confused on how I missed it but realized that it was self published first and found a major publisher. This was a fun fantasy with a unique premise of an alternate 1920s setting. I liked the fresh twist and would definitely recommend this to those who seek more fantasy with diverse characters.

Solid beginning to a new series.

I loved the borderlands setting - it had almost a 'wild west' feel to it, and made me feel like I could be reading the backstory for Zoe from Firefly (if Zoe had magical healing powers). Jasminda is as much of a badass as Zoe. She shows a very strong moral code and level of maturity for her age, which makes sense given her life up until that point.

And, I enjoyed the developing romance between her and Jack. Until they returned to the capital. Then I just wanted to smack him. Several times. Really hard. The sexy parts were well-written, though, even if I didn't fully support the emotional rollercoaster that also existed.

Had the world-building been a bit more detailed, I could have given this five stars. I just didn't feel like I was really THERE, and I had a hard time getting into the history and mythology that I know the author was trying to establish. Hopefully, this will be developed more in the forthcoming sequel(s).

That said, there is good resolution of various elements in the end that allowed for the story to have a satisfying ending, yet also incorporate hints of the continuing storyline. Always nice not to be left hanging off a cliff, feeling all the feels, wondering when the author will be back to rescue you. :)

I really enjoyed Jasminda as a character – she is gutsy, intelligent and resourceful under pressure. It was a really nice change having a young girl being the one doing the rescuing during those first, desperate encounters on the mountain. The other main viewpoint character in this adventure is Jack, the wounded soldier who Jasminda finds herself trying to protect from the brutality of the soldiers hunting him for a spy. The beginning immediately pulled me in and had me fully engaged – fast-paced, full of adventure and peopled with strong, sympathetic characters. There is thoughtful, intelligent handling of racism throughout this book, which worked effectively within the story – I wish other fantasy authors would also tackle this subject. I also enjoyed the world and the magic system, which made sense and had definable boundaries – always a bonus.

I powered through the book until I got nearly to the halfway stage when the whole tenor changed as it morphed into a love story – furthermore, a love story with a fair amount of graphic sex. As I was under the impression that this was a YA read, I was slightly taken aback because the amount of description and time devoted to the sex scenes felt far more appropriate for a New Adult book. While the sex took part between two people who clearly loved each other, it isn’t what I’d bargained for, or expected from the cover or the blurb – and yes, that was something of a problem for me. However, I am aware that is a personal preference and there was nothing violent or untoward about these scenes, other than they went into a lot more detail than I was expecting.

Alongside the love story is the deteriorating political situation between the two countries involved, along with a power-hungry, autocratic wizard of immense power. The flashback scenes were well handled and no time was I confused about what was happening. The writing is smooth and the plotting well paced. All in all, this is a gripping, well told story with a good climax and strong ending. Highly recommended for fans of gripping romance fantasy stories. While I obtained an arc of The Song of Blood and Stone from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

"The blue of the day's sky and the black of the night's are different, but one is not better than the other. We need both."

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I found the story to be so satisfying. It ended up being exactly what I needed to read! If you're looking for a fantasy novel that pushes the boundaries of young adult into new adult without being overly explicit, this is the book for you. And that cover!? Look at how beautiful that cover is!

This story follows two main characters, Jasminda and Jack. Jasminda, half Elsiran and half Lagrimari is an Earthsinger. All she desires is to live a life of peace, away from others on her homestead in the wilderness. Jack is an Elsiran soldier, disguised as the enemy, desperate and in seek of a way to end the centuries old war between Elsira and Lagrimar. Chance will bring them together, but it seems as though destiny keeps them there.

The first third of this book was somewhat slow. I was a little unsure of what I was getting into and had a lot of questions. I liked the story and found it interesting, but it really didn't reach out and grab me. However, after that first third, the ball really gets rolling. The setting, pace and feel of the story changes tremendously and I read nonstop until I finished it, I couldn't put it down!

The world created in this story is rich and vast, I hope we get the opportunity to learn more about the lands beyond Elsira and Lagrimar in future installments. Additionally, one of my favorite parts was the "Collected Folktales" included at the beginning of each chapter. They were very reminiscent of Aesop's Fables and were so unique, clever and even charming. I looked forward to reading them as each chapter ended and another began.

The story itself includes many elements I absolutely adore and I was very proud of the characters regarding most of the choices they made. Each of them stuck to their convictions and never followed paths that I felt were out of character. Jasminda and Jack are both very admirable in their actions, despite a few moments I was irritated with them for avoiding what was staring them straight in the face, but hey - that's what makes books interesting! I *really* wish I could give you more about the story and my thoughts on it but I would be spoiling a major reveal by voicing half of what I want to say and it's just not fair to do that!

So I'll just include a few elements I loved: traveling, courtly intrigue, mysterious histories, forbidden romance, and more!

Also, WE NEED MORE POC fantasy and sci-fi main characters written by POC authors!

Half-Elsiran, half-Lagrimari Jasminda is reviled in her tiny community near the Lagrimari border, but she is determined to keep the home her parents built and determined to find a way to pay off the back-taxes the tiny settlement suddenly owes. But when an Elsiran spy stumbles into her path chased by Lagrimari soldiers who somehow escaped through the impenetrable Mantle separating the two warring countries, Jasminda finds herself at the heart of a centuries old battle.

I really, really, really wanted to like this one (I mean, check out that gorgeous cover!), but I just...didn't. I really disliked it. While I loved the semi-steampunkish world of Elsira (sp?) with its busses and telephones and electricity and machine guns, the magic of the world didn't really seem to mesh with everything else. It felt unexplained and awkward, particularly with the animosity between the two countries, and the entire plot line felt both excruciatingly slow and then badly rushed—in essence, very choppy and uneven with the pacing. Plus the depiction of the Lagrimari in general was...problematic.

Finally, I had issues with Jasminda's relationship with Jack. And really Jack himself.

I think other people might like this quite a bit, but it really wasn't for me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

A bit slow at first, but the writing was IMPECCABLE. The world building was done so well, it was so easy to immerse myself into this book. The romance was electric and I loved it! Can't wait for the next book!

Song of Blood & Stone is the captivating and thrilling first installment in L. Penelope’s new Earthsinger Chronicles fantasy series. It follows Jasminda, a young woman who is orphaned and living alone. She lives caught between two warring lands, Elsira and Lagrimar. The people of Lagrimar are dark-skinned and many of them possess an unusual magic called Earthsong, while the people of Elsira are fair-skinned, non-magical, and possess a strong fear of this strange magic. The Elsirans and Lagrimars have disliked and distrusted each other for generations and live in relative peace only because the two lands are separated by a magical wall called the Mantle. The mantle has occasionally been breached over the years and each time there has been a breach, war has followed.

Even though she considers Elsira to be her homeland, because she is half-Elsiran and half-Lagrimar, Jasminda is treated as an outcast by everyone around her. She therefore lives alone on the outskirts of Elsira and has little human contact on any given day, that is, until a group of menacing Elsiran soldiers show up on her doorstep seeking refuge. With them is a prisoner they have clearly mistreated and beaten within an inch of his life. Jasminda is drawn to this prisoner, whose name is Jack, right away and communicates with him whenever she can steal a moment to visit him. She learns that Jack is actually a spy who had disguised himself to go behind enemy lines and prove that the rumors are true: the Mantle is about to be destroyed and then nothing will stop the tyrant True Father and the people of Lagrimar from bring war and their magic to Elsira.

Jasminda helps Jack heal from his wounds and, working together, they manage to slip away from the Elsiran soldiers. Realizing that their homeland truly is in danger, Jack and Jasminda vow to do whatever they can to stop this war and so they set off on a dangerous journey together to save Elsira by unlocking the mystery of what caused these two lands to become enemies in the first place…

Jasminda was such an easy character to fall in love with. Being half Elsiran and half Lagrimar, Jasminda is dark-skinned and possesses a weak version of the Earthsong like the Lagrimars, so while the Elsirans tolerate her on their land, they do not trust her and shun her at every opportunity. She endeared herself to me from the opening scenes of the book when some Elsiran ladies sneer at her while she is retrieving her mail, and she responds by using her Earthsong to change her skin color to match theirs, taunting the women and asking them if that made her appearance more acceptable to them. I laughed aloud as the ladies, with horrified looks on their faces, scurried away from Jasminda as fast as they possibly could.

I’m always drawn to a character who is portrayed as an underdog anyway, but Jasminda also appealed to me because she’s smart, independent, and resourceful. She knows how to take care of herself and she’s also a proud woman who refuses to hang her head no matter how poorly those around her treat her, not even when her grandfather tries to pay her to say that she is not related to him. Apparently he fears that this mixed race child, visible proof of his own daughter’s transgression, might put a crimp in his political ambitions, so he wants Jasminda out of his life permanently.

Jack was also a likeable character. He’s a proud Elsiran who serves in their military. When Jasminda first encounters him, he is working as a spy, trying to gather evidence to prove there is a breach imminent so that his people can prepare for the war that will also be imminent. Even though he’s fiercely devoted to his own people, what I immediately liked about Jack was that he didn’t turn his nose up at Jasminda because of her skin color like the rest of his people do. Instead, because she lives on Elsiran land, he sees it as his duty to protect her just as he would protect any other Elsiran citizen. I admired his sense of duty and how passionate he was about doing what was right and honorable.

Even though I liked Jack, I have to admit there were a few moments when I wanted to throttle him. As he became more and more attracted to Jasminda, he became very intense in his need to protect her. I found myself yelling at him: “Dude, she wears a knife strapped to her with a garter belt and she has saved your ass more than once already! She does NOT need you to save her!” LOL!

That said, I did very much enjoy their relationship. Even though there was a bit of instant attraction, there was clearly chemistry between them and it felt like their relationship naturally progressed throughout the novel. Even more than the romantic aspect of their relationship, what I really liked was how well they worked together as a team to try to find a way to stop the breach and the war.

Aside from these two great characters, what appealed to me the most about Song of Blood & Stone is that even though it was a fantasy, the author has packed it full of social issues that parallel important issues we are dealing with today in our own society. This fantasy world very much mirrors our reality so it just made the story feel all the more relevant. The two warring lands have created a refugee crisis similar to what we have witnessed in Syria. Elsira has hundreds of Lagrimar refugees, and as we’ve witnessed with the Syrian refugees, reactions to them are very mixed. While some are accepting of them, by and large, people are prejudiced against them and afraid of the magic and just want them to go back where they came from. We also clearly see the racism and prejudice everywhere Jasminda goes. She even experiences it as a guest in the royal palace.

The author also creates a magnificent backstory that explains how the war between the Elsirans and the Lagrimars got started in the first place. The story is locked inside of a magical stone, and for reasons no one understands, only Jasminda is able to connect with the stone and reveal the story. She does so a little at a time so that the backstory unfolds parallel to the story we’re following. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’ll just say that it illustrates the roles that both the noble Sleeping Queen and the tyrannical True Father play in the conflict’s origins, as well as how the magical Earthsong factors in, and it ultimately reveals why Jasminda is able to connect with the stone when no one else can. It’s all quite fascinating and I loved watching the two stories unfold alongside each other.

I don’t want to call any of these issues dislikes, but there were a few areas where I just felt like I wanted more from the story.

The first of which is the worldbuilding. While I loved what the author created with the two warring lands and the mantle dividing them, I still felt like I only had a vague notion of what this fantasy world actually looked like. I just couldn’t easily picture it, which was a little disappointing. I like to be able to vividly picture the fantasy land I’m reading about, so I’m really hoping for more detail in the next book.

I had the same experience with the magical system. The idea of the Earthsong completely fascinated me, especially with its intense healing powers and the way Earthsingers can “link” and share their songs. That said, however, I felt like I never quite fully understand how exactly the Earthsong worked or what exactly one could do with it. It seemed like everyone who could use it did something different with it and I didn’t really see a common thread. So yeah, I’d definitely love to learn more about this Earthsong and what it entails, especially after seeing how differently True Father used it from so many others.

Finally, even though I enjoyed the romance between Jasminda and Jack, I still felt like it started to become a distraction the further along in the book I got. I’m frantically flipping through pages trying to figure out how they’re going to stop the war, and Jack and Jasminda seem more and more preoccupied with how they’re going to be together since their relationship will be deemed unacceptable because of Jasminda’s mixed heritage. War is coming, people. Focus! Fight first, love later! Needless to say, it was a little frustrating at times, haha!

Even with those few issues, I still thought this was a very strong start to what promises to be an outstanding fantasy series. I thought the ending was absolutely brilliant and look forward to seeing where the story goes next. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys fantasy, romance, or even books that focus on social issues. I would also say that this is probably best geared toward mature readers as the sexual encounters between Jasminda and Jack are quite detailed and intense.

That said, if you like fantasy and a badass heroine, definitely consider reading Song of Blood & Stone!

the story line was very fascinating, I am glad that I was approved b to read this book. This book is really good and I read it in one sitting! I definitely recommend everyone who is interested to read it!!

Title: Song of Blood and Stone
Author: L. Penelope
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Jasminda lives in an isolated cabin in Elsira, where her Earthsong, though weak, makes her an outcast—as does her being half Elsiran and half Lagrimaran. She has no one, and she prefers it that way, as too many people have always treated her like trash. When a dangerous group of soldiers from nearby Lagrimar invade her home to escape a storm, she must convince them she’s not a danger—and that she’s one of them.

Their prisoner, Jack, captures her attention. His mission to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall at the hands of the True Father almost cost him his life. Only Jasminda’s power kept him alive, and now he needs her help to escape, and to save all Elsira.

As the power of the True Father grows stronger, Jasminda and Jack must uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps if they are to stop his despotic power from overwhelming their lands. But the enemies they face are not just outsiders, and they must choose between what they want and what they must do if they are to survive.

Because I choose to read books on whether the plot is appealing to me (okay, and depending on how much I like the cover), I didn’t realize going in that this book is, as the author says, “a fantasy romance about brown people.” I also didn’t really pay attention to this fact while reading it, and only noticed while reading some of the publicity surrounding it, and the author’s site. However, the truth of what it is lent the story some incredible nuances and layers that brought the entire world to vibrant, shimmering life.

I was hooked from the very first page. Jasminda is a strong character, but she’s hiding her hurts behind many protective layers because society just isn’t receptive to her existence. So, she lives alone, survives on her own, and is determined to continue living life the way she sees fit. Until fate steps in and turns her world upside down, when she meets—and saves—Jack, a soldier on an undercover mission, pursued by enemy soldiers, who turns himself in to keep Jasminda safe.

The worldbuilding is complex, and I love how the history is layered in with flashbacks. This helps to give a very real feel to the setting. I loved the diverse cast of characters and read this straight through in one sitting. Can’t wait for the second book!

Leslye (L.) Penelope is an award-winning writer. Song of Blood and Stone is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

This fantasy tells of a land split between two “tribes”, separated by their appearance and abilities. The similarities between this story and our current stand on race and immigration cannot be missed.

The plot was not easy to follow and the visions made parts of the story more confusing. The romance between our main characters was always at the forefront. You may find this as an added selling point; I prefer action to romance so to me, it was a distraction.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Song of Blood and Stone is about two characters coming together in the hopes of stopping an evil tyrant from breaking through a magical barrier and invading their home. Jasminda is an orphan whose mixed heritage has caused her a lot of grief, but after her feared magic heals a wounded soldier named Jack, he realizes she might be his country only salvation and requests her help in strengthening the barrier using her magic. Will they succeed or will his country tear them a part before they get a chance. I also want to add a trigger warning here for sexual assault.

I loved Jasminda strong and independent nature. She could have asked for help saving her farm, but she wanted to figure it out on her own. Kind of makes me want to be a bit more independent. I also admire Jasmindas determination and bravery in the face of all the adversity she's had to face. Plus she's not only capable of saving herself, but she also ends up saving Jack. For the most part I liked Jack, but I thought it was pretty stupid of him to keep such a big secret from Jasminda. I found myself rooting for the romance, but I would have rathered not have another girl thrown in there.

I appreciate what this book was trying to do with its focus being more on race than on the fantasy element, but the plot was very predictable and the world building was lacking. The time period was a little confusing since I wasnt expecting a historical fantasy. The magic wasnt explained very well. How does it work exactly and who are these Founders? I also had some questions like why didnt the villain just cross the border like the refugees. I did really enjoy the stone flashbacks and how the author added conflicts throughout the novel to keep the reader interested.

Another issue I had was with the authors choice of calling a man raping a man more depraved than a man raping a woman? Arent they both just as bad? Maybe the author thought that rape is worse if its by a gender the victim isnt attracted to. I dont know, but I wasnt a big fan of it and I hope its not in the final copy. This is definitely more new adult than young adult since its has a couple explicit scenes, but I didnt mind it. I really liked how the author handle consent. Im happy the story had a satisfying ending. Overall the quick pace and strong main character is what carried the story for me.

DNF @ 20%

I found this book to be boring. I was able to get a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and while I was happy to get it, I couldn't get into the story. I found it boring and the magic unclear. Even the audiobook couldn't help me get into the story. And every time they mentioned Earthsong, I thought of Butlers works.

Song of Blood and Stone has a lot of interesting elements woven together as far as its story world. I liked that it had a sort of turn-of-the-century feel to it—with cars and telephones—but also felt very much like a world different than ours with its harsh landscape, magic elements and legends.

The storytelling reminded me a little bit of The Blue Sword, in the way military and magic play interesting roles in the story. It also reminded me a little bit of Children of Blood and Bone in the way race and racial tension are featured.

I liked both Jasminda and Jack’s characters. You know me—totally a sucker for a good guy who has to make hard choices and is willing to give up everything to do the right thing. Jasminda is a strong woman who is desperately trying to balance independence with pragmatism, and she appealed to me very much as well.

I didn’t expect the amount of sexual content in Song of Blood and Stone. It’s very explicit and takes up several pages of the story. More on that in the content section of my review.

The racial tension in the story feels extremely well-developed and relevant to some of the things we face in the world today. Those themes were well-balanced with the plot of the story, and because the characters are so easy to empathize with, they had some real power to them. If you liked The Waking Land by Callie Bates, you would probably enjoy Song of Blood and Stone. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the amount of sexual content is really more than I enjoy reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

First of all, what a glorious cover! I enjoyed the romance Jasminda and Jack. I liked the world building and the pace of the storyline was good and fast.

Overall, I thought this was a great first book. And as strange as this sounds, I felt that this book was already a whole, completed story --- so much so that I don't know if I need to continue on to book 2.... Hmmm... I think I'm going to wait and see what others have to say about book 2 before diving in...

Song of Blood & Stone is a historical fantasy that follows Jasminda, a mixed-race girl, who finds herself in the middle of a war after saving a stranger with her magic, known as Earthsong. The land it's set in is separated into two areas: one belonging to the Lagamiri (those with magic) and Elsira (those without). Jasminda is an outcast, despite belonging to both worlds, but her dark skin in Elsira leaves her to lead a life in isolation. 

This was a fascinating read I have to say. I wasn't expecting much, but I left more satisfied than I had expected. The story parallels to many moments in history, but more closely to our times today, and how refugees are treated and negative media bias. We see how Jasminda is affected and how Jack, the white male lead, learns to use his privilege to do better than his peers and ancestors. It also discusses abuse, erasure and systematic oppression.  

I have to say it did take some time getting into the story and understanding the general plot. The romance was overwhelming and felt a bit forced, more like we were told to like them as a couple rather than growing to love them together, which may be because of the ending. There wasn't as much world building incorporated as you would expect from a fantasy book, I hope this to be built upon in the next books since I felt a bit puzzled in the first half of the book. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I've been in search of a new fantasy series, and I think maybe what I'm looking for.

“Mourning mirrors like the one Nadal held were worn after the death of a loved one. It was said those in the World After could peer through the mirrors and say their final good-byes to the living. After her mother died, she’d worn one around her neck for a year. When her father and brothers died, she hadn’t had the heart.”

SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is a fantasy romance novel, told through the point of views of Jasminda and Jack. She is the daughter of an Elsirian woman and a Lagamirian man, while Jack is an Elsirian soldier. The two countries have been at war since the queen of Elsiria went into a stasis-like state and the All Father made the people of Lagamire his slaves and stole their song magic.

Jasminda lives in Elsiria, but her neighbors fear the power of song she inherited from her father. Never fitting in with either of her parents’ peoples, she feels a connection with Jack, who always treats her as an equal. Together, they work to prevent the fall of the Mantle that keeps the All Father from conquering Elsiria.

Each chapter begins with a passage from “Collected Folktales.” The fantastic world building, romance between the star-crossed lovers, and the underlying message make the book special. The series is set up like many romances, where subsequent books feature different heroes and heroines. The richness of the world supports many new tales. I hope that Jasminda and Jack are recurring series characters. The heat level of the love scenes was steamier than I expected, but well within the bounds of traditional romance.

SONG OF BLOOD & STONE is a great starter in a well-developed fantasy romance series. I look forward to delving further into the story world.

I’ve never read this author before, and this book is the first book in a series. First off, this book was well-written. The language was lyrical, and I really got to know the characters really well. Sometimes too well as I wanted to yell at Jack for some of the things he did. I love it when I can really relate to characters so well. And, the book did have an interesting plot, but it did get a little busy at times. I also loved how racism was dealt with in this book, making the reader feel how Jasminda felt about being isolated because of who she was. I must also be honest, though, that it did take me a little bit to get into the book. I almost gave up, but I hate not finishing a book, so I kept going. I’m glad I did. If you like fantasy romance, give this one a try! Recommend! I was provided a complimentary copy of the e-book which I reviewed voluntarily.

Wow, this book completely blew me away! I was drawn in by the beautiful cover, and after reading the synopsis I was intrigued enough to give this new series a try. There's a lot of new terms in the synopsis that I had no clue about; Earthsong, Mantle, True Father, The Queen Who Sleeps... what?! So even though I read the synopsis over and over, I pretty much went into this book not knowing what to expect. In the end, I'm kind of kicking myself in the back because of how long it took me to finish reading this! I loved all the secret bombshells that I had no idea was coming until the exact page it was dropped. No less than three times did I look up from my book and over to my husband, yelling "that did NOT JUST HAPPEN!" I'll admit, in the beginning it was hard to get me started because I was learning the world and different terms, but halfway in, I could not put Song of Blood and Stone down. Initially, I thought this was a standalone, but apparently it's the start of the Earthsinger Chronicles, and I just cannot wait until book 2 comes our way!!!

Okay, let me try to wrap my head around this magnificent storyline (I just finished it, and am still in awe) to give a brief introduction. In the world of Song of Blood and Stone, the land is divided primarily into two, with the Mantle being an invisible wall that separates Elsira in the West from Lagamiri in the East. Elsira is the home of Elsirans, who do not have the power of Earthsong, and appear more light skinned than their neighboring Lagamiri. Lagamiri are more dark skinned, have the power of Earthsong, and are despised by the Elsirans for it. And here would be a great time to say, that Earthsingers use their Earthsong to manipulate the earth's elements (water, soil, etc), and also heal wounded persons. In a time long, long ago Earthsingers flourished and used their powers to improve their surroundings. However in current time, they are largely looked down upon, mostly because of fear of their power.

The story starts out with Jasminda, who is an Earthsinger, but with a weaker power than others. She is a mix - her mother was Elsirin but her father and Lagamiri. Externally, she appears Lagarmiri, however she is an Elsiran citizen, residing in the western land, getting mean looks from the people she interacts with daily. Jasminda lost her family -- her mother years ago, and her father and siblings more recently -- and now must take care of their home by herself. With all the property taxes building up, she is in trouble of having her land taken away from her. So, her main concern was to find a way out of her housing predicament.

BUT, in comes Jack, an Elsiran soldier who is held prisoner for being caught spying on the Lagamiri. Since the Mantle was made centuries ago, there have been breaches in the magical wall, through which wars have been started. Jack hears word that there will be another breach soon, with the True Father (the ruler from Lagamiri) power hungry and wanting land/people back from Elsira. So, he goes undercover to spy on Lagamiri and get some answers. However, you quickly see how well that worked out for him. Jack's captors stumble upon Jasminda's home and force her to provide lodging for them for the night. And here begins Jack and Jasminda's journey to fixing the Mantle, attempting to prevent a war that has been years in the coming.

That is just an intro to the book, because I didn't want to give too much away. All I want to say is that I was pleasantly surprised by how unique this book was. There is so much more to it than the synopsis, and what I described above, but trust me when I say -- you'll want to read it for yourself to find out.

Song of Blood and Stone is told in third person POV alternating between our two main characters. Initially, I felt that their attraction to each other didn't have much to go on, and seemed a little like insta-love. But, their relationship grew on me, as they endured one thing after another together. One thing that bothered me just a little was how fierce and strong Jasminda appeared in the beginning, but in the second half it seemed like every other minute she was on the verge of tears and running away from something. But that is just a minor thing, otherwise I loved Jack and Jasminda together. This book wrapped up pretty nicely, but also ended in a way that left it open for the next book, and I can't wait to see what happens!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley/St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

The Story
This book has so many good things about it, the problem I found is that I think having it all in one book ended up taking away from the importance of each issue. Racial, refugee/immigration, power struggle, star crossed love, magical, social status, LGBTQ, and even good vs. evil all became too many good ingredients in the pot. Truly, there was so much good stuff in here, but I thought that they didn't get the time spent for each attribute that it should be due. Although they each went hand in hand, the pitch seemed too much at once.

First of all, I thought the romance was a little unbearable. I'm all for instalove, but this just felt off to me. I'm not even sure where the romance was beyond Jack being healed by a woman who should have been scared for her life? I kept wondering if he would stop obsessing about her skin. And no, it wasn't in reference to the color of her skin, but the smoothness. Hannibal jokes were passed between my BR and I, that's how often her skin came up! Aside from that I never felt connected enough to either character to feel like I should be rooting on their romance. It was incredibly sweet, however, how kind Jack was towards Jasminda. In most of his actions, he often put her safety and position above his own. Albeit, it ended up repeatedly hurting her, his intentions were always good.

The story pacing seemed to bounce around quite a bit too. I do love that the book moved quickly and didn't spend too much time moving the plot along, but I think in the end with the combined amount of topics hit within the story made it go from issue to issue to issue with stunted transitions. Meanwhile, the main characters sort of just go with the flow - sort of in a, if you say so I guess it's true, sort of manner. Okay, so really, not that simple, but I kept thinking to myself, really? That easy? No questions, asked, just jump right in the foray.

I would like to point out how beautiful the cover art is. A part of me wants to rate this book so much higher because it is just so pretty. But I don't personally think that's fair. Just because the book covers so many important topics in a gentle way does not mean that it made a great book. I would have loved to read this book alone as a series where the issues were broken up a little bit more. Seeing that it is a series, I wonder what else can really be covered because the ending wrapped up so nicely for our main characters.

Trigger Warnings: attempted rape, kidnapping, violence, and racism.

The World Building
I loved the magical elements of this world. I thought that the imbalance of the magical power added to the conflict of the story. I think my favorite part was that the magic ultimately was used for peacefulness and never, except with the twisted or in self defense, was it used for violence or control.

I didn't like how the word was built around a fantasy based magical realism. The fact that early 20th century vibes were underplayed with a fictional magical world just didn't fit for me. I thought it could have gone full on fantasy and incorporated real world items like vehicles and telephones within those realms. It ended up making me more confused about time period and the possibilities to the world.

The Characters
Jasminda was such a sweet character. Her personality was one of acceptance and care with little resolve for self preservation. Throughout the story she continually puts herself in danger to help someone else. I think what I really appreciated about her as a character was that she wasn't portrayed as the chosen one. There were many instances where she had the opportunity or capability to do something, and unfortunately, that wasn't explained very well. What made Jasminda so much different than the other Earthsingers? Was she related to someone vital to the story? Don't know, if I read it, I didn't realize it was evident to the story. So even though Jasminda is a likeable character I just didn't see how she was worked into the story with her greater purpose.