SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE by L. Penelope

Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

by L. Penelope 

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. 

What I thought:

The cover is gorgeous and I guess I'm shallow because that's why I jumped at the chance to review this book.  The blurb was compelling too. But, yeah, that cover. As far as the story goes, there were things I loved, and things I was less crazy about. 

I loved Jasminda's character. And I loved Jack's character, but I wasn't so excited about their POVs. Which probably doesn't make sense, but... but... but... Okay, so most of this story is told in close 3rd person from Jasminda and Jack's POVs, but I felt like I was still too far away from the narrative. There's another POV here (no spoilers) told in 1st person, and those were my favorite parts of this book. Personally, I think the entire story could have been told better in 1st person. But that's just one opinion. 

The pacing had some issues too. The beginning was action-packed and then the story slowed down. A lot. It seemed like the "action" in the middle of the book was just for the sake of something happening as it didn't really move the plot forward. And Jasminda is the "chosen one." She's the only person who can do all these important things, and, sure, that's a common trope and I'm usually on-board with it, but then it was never explained. 

The action picked up a lot toward the end, which I liked, but the scenes didn't feel very developed to me. Instead of being immersed in the story, I felt like I was being told what happened. 

My favorite parts of this book were the chapter openings, the parts told in 1st person, and the developing romance. I LOVED how the relationship was allowed to build slowly. No insta-love. Yay. I really liked the steamier scenes too.  Not sure if this is a stand-alone, but I'd read more to see where this story goes.

Rating: *** (3 stars)

*I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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