olivialandryxo's profile picture

olivialandryxo 's review for:

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
4.5
adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.5 stars

Nearly everyone I follow loves this book, so I jumped on the opportunity to get it from Libby. I was immediately enthralled by the three-dimensional characters and vibrant setting, and with each chapter I read, I became even more invested. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is, in my opinion, worthy of every ounce of hype it’s received thus far.

Words are escaping me at the moment, so here’s a short list of the elements I enjoyed:
• Karina, fierce queen not in the mood for anyone’s crap, and Malik, sweet disaster boy (I would like to give both of them hugs please)
• Karina experiences frequent migraines, which isn’t something I can recall seeing in any other fantasy
• The unique magic system
• The way every side character ended up being important in some often unexpected way
• So many wild plot twists!!
• So much pining!!!
• I didn’t guess who the big antagonist was or literally anything in the last 75 pages
• No awful cliffhanger! Thankfully! Although, there’s no way I could just not read the sequel after the way things ended...
• Great audiobook! With two narrators to match the dual POVs

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is a fantastic story and an incredible debut. I can’t wait to get my own copy, and to read the sequel as soon after its release next year as possible!

Representation:
• Entirely Black cast
• Malik has anxiety and panic attacks

CW: mild self-harm ideation, fantasy violence, emotional and physical abuse, anxiety and panic attacks, parent death and animal death
(This list is included at the beginning of the novel.)