Reviewed by Angie on
A Mortal Song was super fun and cute! When it starts, it's Sora's 17th birthday and she's about to ask her royal kami parents to let train for her duties. Sora has always worried that there's something wrong with her, since she has strong ki, but her parents never gave her any responsibilities. Then her home, Mt. Fuji, is attacked by a swarm of ghosts led by a demon. Sora manages to escape and her guard leads her to a sage who knows of a prophecy. Apparently, Sora isn't a kami, she's just human and it's not up to her to save her family and friends.
I really enjoyed A Mortal Song. I loved the world that the author created on Mt. Fuji and how she used Japanese mythology. The kami live among humans, but unseen. Most of them stay on Mt. Fuji, keeping the volcano dormant and controlling the weather, amongst other things. Sora also has a dragonfly companion who provides her with power, since she has none of her own. It was also interesting to me how the yakuza played a large role in the plot! I wasn't expecting that!
What kept me from loving A Mortal Song was that it felt quite juvenile and simple at times. Characters would learn something new and then repeat it back, or they'd realize something and explain everything leading up to that point. There was also a twist, that wasn't really a twist, because I think one of the characters had made it pretty obvious and yet everyone else was shocked when it was revealed. The big showdown at the end between Sora and Company and the demon was very underwhelming. I had this moment of "Seriously?! That's it?!" It was so simple and boring. The ending twist on the prophecy was also quite cheesy, but at least that made me smile.
In the end, A Mortal Song was a fun story. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and liked watching Sora stay strong despite her learning that she's just an ordinary human. She didn't let that stop her from saving her home and her family!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 16 October, 2016: Finished reading
- 16 October, 2016: Reviewed