Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles, #1)

by L. Penelope

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars

I received a copy of Song of Blood & Stone in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There are a couple of reasons I really wanted to read this series, one of which (if I’m being totally honest here) was the absolutely striking cover. It’s beautiful and evocative, and bonus, it’s got a lot of purple hues in it (something I’m particularly fond of). The other reason this novel was brought to my attention was the fact that it was highly reviewed by an author I love and respect. Seriously, if you’re ever looking for good book recommendations, check out what your favorite authors have been reading.
Song of Blood & Stone is the first novel in a new series titled the Earthsinger Chronicles. It’s described as an epic fantasy, but honestly it’s more of a romance with a fantasy setting and subplot (which is totally fine, I just know I prefer to have a better idea of what I’m about to dive into).



This novel had so much potential; I don’t even know where to begin. The cover is stunning (I mentioned that already, woops) the description is captivating, and the characters engaging. Even the intro and first decent chunk of this book was absolutely enchanting, as was the world building itself.
While the core of the novel, as well as the start of the book are wonderful, it somehow loses something the further you read. I can’t quite place my finger on it – perhaps it lost its mystique edge, and that was enough? Though I suspect it’s because the romance took the focus, forcing us away from the plot and further development towards it – which is a shame, because the plot itself actually had so much potential.
If it sounds like I didn’t enjoy this novel, please don’t take it that way. It was actually a really enjoyable read, and I can promise you I’ll read the rest of the series. It just had a few flaws that are preventing me from rating it any higher than I have already done so.
There was actually quite a lot I loved about this novel, and I hope the books following will continue to focus on these elements. The world building has been outstanding – you could actually feel the tension between the different cultures (at times it even felt a little too real and close to real world problems we’re seeing today, but I think that was the point).
The magic system was fascinating to me. I sincerely hope that we can learn even more about the songs in the next novel or two, because I have so many questions about it. It’ll also be interesting to see how the two different cultures (magic versus no magic) integrate, now that they’re more or less being forced to deal with each other again. Their early interactions did not go well, so I’ll admit I’m curious.
I loved Jasminda’s character in particular. She had pretty much everything set up against her; she was a child of two worlds, but didn’t really belong in either. She’d lost her mother, father, and siblings, and her extended family are worse than vile. The town and laws are against her, and so much more. And yet, Jasminda keeps pushing forward, never really giving up hope. It’s hard not to be impressed by her character. The fact that she was able to open herself up to love after all of that speaks volumes about her.
Overall I really enjoyed the world that L. Penelope has written for us. I’m more than a little curious about what is going to happen next, so hopefully the next novel will be out sooner rather than later (sorry, I’m so greedy when it comes to books!).


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