Title: Song of Blood & Stone
Author: L. Penelope
Type: Fiction
Genre: NA (New Adult), Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan Publishers)
Published: May 1, 2018

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive–an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack’s mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it’s people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda’s Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

– My Review –

Since I’m still very new to New Adult (NA) fiction, and the book that I’ve read in that genre have been both hit and miss for me, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Song of Blood & Stone. By the second chapter, though, I was really enjoying myself! This book reminded me of exactly what it was that I liked about the high fantasy books that I used to read when I was in high school. There is magic, and a lot of adventure and walking on foot through untamed landscapes. Where Song of Blood & Stone differs from the high fantasy that I read as a teen (such as Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s First Rule and Robert Jorand’s The Eye of the World) is that there is electricity and automobiles! I don’t think that I’ve ever read about a fantasy world (so, a world other than our own, rather than historical fantasy) that had those things, and I found the combination of high fantasy elements and these modern touches to be quite interesting and unique!

As you may have guessed from reading the text about cover, the plot has a lot to do with love, duty, and destiny (a combo that generally tends to make me very very happy)! I clicked with Jasminda and Jack from the start, and shipped them so hard almost as soon as they’d met. Their chemistry was intense, and I also really liked their love story as a whole! The plot in general was well-paced and very quest-like, so I definitely had fun reading it. I also really enjoyed reading about the world that Penelope created for us, and couldn’t believe the amount of detail that was put into it. There is a whole creation story and mythology, a magic system that was unique, and a good dash of mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed Song of Blood & Stone and cannot wait for the next book to be released! I recommend this to readers who enjoy fantasy quests, romance, and NA!

– About the Author –

Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. She was born in the Bronx, just after the birth of hip hop, but left before she could acquire an accent. Equally left and right-brained, she studied Film at Howard University and minored in Computer Science. This led to a graduate degree in Multimedia and a career in website development. She’s also an award-winning independent filmmaker, co-founded a literary magazine, and sometimes dreams in HTML. Leslye lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents. Sign up for new release information and giveaways on her website: http://www.lpenelope.com.

– Purchase Links –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY BOOK REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!