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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
4.25
Def read trigger/content warnings especially if you struggle with mental health.
Graphic: Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Child death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Trafficking, Violence, War, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Death, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, untimely ascension, Found Family, assassinations.
I loved the magic system and how Roseanne A. Brown made it all fit within a set mythology of the world. Nothing about the magic system seemed out of place or like it didn’t make sense.
There is wonderful disability representation with anxiety, depression, and what seems to me to be autism. There is also a lot of LGBTQ+ representation and I think every character is a person of color (don’t quote me on that I don’t see pictures when I read I have no idea what these characters look like).
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Racism, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Kidnapping
Groomingkaylamoran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Malik has my heart and I'd die for him.
I'll definitely be checking out anything else Roseanne A. Brown writes. Everything about this felt so unique, and even the tropes didn't feel tropey. It was genuinely unpredictable, which for someone who reads as much YA fantasy as i do, can be very difficult to achieve.
Did I mention I love Malik? I love Malik.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gaslighting, Self harm, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and War
Minor: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
heli1403's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read a song of wraith and ruins back in June after hearing it's a good book and that I'll love it if I loved children of blood and bone. I finished in a week (during my exam period lol) and counted the days until this book. And it was worth it!
I barely read fantasy books that goes into the depth of the characters emotions and mental health, and I needed it SO MUCH. The writing of Malik anxiety, both Karina and Malik lowest moments... I actually had to stop doing my crocheting or whatever I was doing and just focus in listening because it felt so real, I could feel the pain, it was written so, so well.
Being very anxious girl myself (lol) I found myself trying to look for spoilers just to make sure my favorite characters are ok. Good thing I didn't find much lol. The end is bittersweet, like a lot of people said, and I can't decide if I like it or refuse to admit I like it bc it made me sad. How much do I need to pay to get more Malik and Karina stories in my life? I'LL PAY.
Anyway, even if you didn't like a song of wraith and ruins let this one a chance. I think I even liked that one better. Wish it was a trilogy or something just so I can have more of it.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Karina and Malik's relationship is complicated, with lies and misunderstandings from A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN meddling in what ought to be a simple case of one hunting the other to try and stop the fall of the kingdom. Farid is a well-written manipulator, wrapped up in his own plans and unable to see the difference between someone agreeing with him and one who's just placating him to avert his anger and disappointment from falling on them. His frustrations make sense with his character and circumstances, his increasingly complicated plans hum along in the background of everything Malik and Karina try to accomplish.
This wraps up more than one major thing left hanging from the first book. The main storyline starts here and was only lightly present previously. There are several major things that are both introduced and resolved, and as part two of a duology it’s an immensely satisfying ending. The main characters are the same and they’re consistent with their portrayals in the first book. This might make sense if someone tried to start here and hadn’t read the previous book, it does a good job of referencing prior events without devolving into a full recap. It was definitely enough to pull me fully into the story even though it’s been a while since I read A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN and my recall was initially fuzzy. I'd basically forgotten what happened before and it gently reminded me at gradual intervals as various previous events became relevant. The current stakes and past drama are clearly communicated, and the emotional context is vibrant.
The ending is excellent. There's still a lot of work to do and a lot of life for the survivors to live, and it's okay that this story stops here since it had to stop somewhere. I love the framing device, it satisfied my need to know what happens next.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Slavery, and Child death
Minor: Domestic abuse, Incest, and Vomit
CW for grooming.yvonne_cl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping