Reviews with content warning for Violence - A Psalm of Storms and Silence

Is there a way to give this 100 stars? Lol
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.

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claragweny's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

'A Psalm of Storms and Silence' by Roseanne A Brown is a great follow-up and conclusion to the 'A Song of Wraiths and Ruins' duology.
The story picks up with Malik and Karina not long after the end of the first book, which I won't touch on too much in case of spoilers. What I can say is that this second installment in the duology is a great conclusion that not only ties up the pieces left open in the first installment but also builds upon the characters and world that we got to know in book 1. I think the strength of the series really hinges upon the characters themselves. The dual perspectives of Malik and Karina, allow the reader insight into different aspects of the story, both when they are together as well as when they are miles apart. In this installment, Brown pulls together story pieces that have been woven together in the first installment and expands upon them to bring the ultimate plot to a satisfying conclusion.
One of my favorite aspects of the story are the relationships. In this book, we get much more insight into Karina's relationship with her sister and we come to better understand their childhood. This was a great compliment to the relationship between Malik and Karina.
This series is another great example of the excellent duologies that have been coming out recently. The story fits well within the two books without a dragging middle installment. I am definitely looking forward to what Brown writes next.

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porshea's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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? Yes

4.0

Content warning: physical and emotional abuse, mass violence, suicidal ideation

World building takes vision, strong world building is apparent when the next book in a series reveals fresh nuance to the world’s lore. In A Psalm of Storms and Silence, Roseanne A. Brown has carefully crafted Sonande, a land full of historical injustice whose weight challenges the budding love between her spiritually-crossed protagonists.

As the second and final installment of the A Song of Wraiths and Ruin series, readers should be well acquainted with anxious griot illusionist Malik and curious wind witch Princess Karina—especially because we pick up with each character not long after we left them in ASOWAR. Princess Karina has found herself in one of the most unlikely of alliances with a former suitor in the competition to win her hand in the Solstasia (the focal point of book one). They are joined by the young magic—or nkra—sensitive mage that befriended Karina when she most questioned her abilities and how they had bearing in the loss of her family. In a case of the lost leading the lost, they navigate their way to finding Karina an armed force that will help Karina retake the kingdom she lost through betrayal in A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. But as Karina runs toward a hopeful shelter, we also find that she is running away from two people whose very existence leaves her with more questions than she has the courage to bear. Unfortunately for her, one of those people, Malik, appears to her in her dreams regardless of how far she ventures. With her former guards searching for her posted throughout the country and Sonande citizens in states of unrest everywhere she travels, Karina is forced to brave her emotional consternation surrounding her family, magical abilities, royal responsibility, and love life sooner rather than later.

Malik, on the other hand, has gained everything he was ever supposed to want in the wake of Karina’s departure from the seat of the kingdom, Ziran. Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/11/the-plot-thickens-a-psalm-of-storms-and-silence/

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

A PSALM OF STORMS AND SILENCE is the fantastic conclusion to an excellent duology. One of many places where this shines is in its portrayal of trauma and aftermath, but especially in its portrayal of a kind of lingering pain from ongoing emotional abuse. The characters have room to make bad decisions in ways that are completely understandable. I was never frustrated by the choices they make in a narrative sense because the narrative itself made sure I knew whose manipulations, lies, and control of information were driving those bad decisions. It deftly uses a thousand years of self-interest and old grief, showing how they shape the characters' present, even if ways they hadn't realized were connected. It's about how accepting present power with a legacy of past power means both acting responsibly with the power in the present and accepting responsibility for the legacy of harm caused by that power in the past. How a chain of people accepting enormous power but eschewing responsibility for the harm caused by the power lead to even more harm. These layers of trauma, aftermath, resolution, acceptance, and restitution play out within their own lifetimes and on the scale of kingdoms as they try to stop the world from breaking with the grief of a goddess and the fruitless scheming of a dead king.

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.

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vaniavela's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

"The dead are the dead are the dead,"

A Psalm of Storms and Silence
is the sequel to the book "A Song of Wraiths & Ruin" written by Roseanne A. Brown.

I was quite excited about the publication of this book and today after a long time I was able to read it and have come to tell my experience.

Let's start with the cover. It is simply beautiful. The colors, the typography, everything is divine.

This is not a gentle book, there are several topics that may be heavy for some and I appreciate that they have included a page with possible trigger warnings. Throughout the book, there was a deeper dive into the characters' traumas, abuses and mental illnesses. I thought the way it was written, at least in the part about anxiety and how it affects day to day life, was appropriate and respectful.

New characters were introduced and made the book more enjoyable. No names will be mentioned, to avoid spoilers, but I loved the way they were introduced into the plot and their sarcastic and funny contribution to the story.

As for the relationship between our main characters, honestly the tension could be felt through the words. Likewise there was a certain character, whose name I won't mention because he doesn't deserve the honor, had me completely annoyed and furious. How could anyone be so hateful?

The ending left a lot to be desired for me. What was that ending Roseanne? My heart was left half beating and I didn't know whether to cry or laugh for believing there would be another one.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, and although I would have liked another ending, I loved having the opportunity to read it. 4.75⭐️

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ktcl's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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kaseybereading's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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