A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1) by Roseanne A. Brown
Published: June 2nd 2020 by Balzer + Bray
Review:
Myth: 4/5
This book kept me guessing until the end. The ‘will they, won’t they’ of Malik and Karina’s stories was masterful with just as many things pulling them towards each other as pushing them apart. The story was woven perfectly to leave you guessing if either of them had it in them to go through with their larger plans.
Malik’s character was not the usual strength and power of a YA male lead. He was quiet and compassionate and struggled with his anxiety and panic attacks. He was thrust from obscurity into the limelight of a game of champions, the most unsuspecting hero.
Karina was plagued with loss and survivors guilt. She had complicated relationships with everyone left in her life and it was one of those perfectly threaded needles to see her hold it all together while falling apart.
Magic: 4/5
The history of Solstasia festival and the magic that it secures unravels thought out the story. It’s clear that magic exists in the world but that within the characters we know it has been suppressed. Karina and Malik learn about their world and magic as they are thrown into a collision course that seems only to end with one of them dead.
Overall: 4/5
This YA fantasy has just the right mix of so many wonderful plot devices, a contest of champions, murder plans to love match, a world with rich hidden magical history and characters just trying to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and together. A compelling story that will have you turning pages to see what happens next.
Other books in the series:
