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internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Racial slurs
monicalaurette's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.5
There’s not much that I can say about this book without spoiling it since it’s a sequel (so if you haven’t read the first one WHAT are you doing here?)
“It’s not every day you get to embark on a new character arc.”
I thought one thing would happen to a character, and something else entirely different would occur which just goes to show how wonderful the writing is to have you also not notice what is happening along with the POVs. And I loved the new characters that we were introduced to in this book, mainly Ife. I wanted to travel the world with them because they kept me laughing even in the saddest parts.
Seeing how this was a sequel, certain relationships developed and others deteriorated during the course of the book. I was happy for some, and others hurt me to my core. Part of that is because I thought of my own similar relationships (sibling/child/friend) and thought about how emotional it would be for me. But thankfully (I guess) I am not from a line of royalty with a magic secret nor am I destined to fight someone like that.
"Every time she’d look for a savior and hadn’t found one, she’d become her own.”
I’m glad that we were able to explore more of the Sonande world in this book though. I've always loved it in books where they explore their world, even if it’s not the point of the particular book and the world building is mentioned in passing. It helps keep me connected while reading. Now I just need Rosanne to write a book of a traveler just going through all of Sonande, maybe Ife, and talking about all the beauty & magic of the world around them.
I gave this book 4.5 stars because it twas a wonderful story and a great way to end a curse. I just dislike open endings which this book sort of had, I want to have more of a solid ending, but that’s a personal thing and nothing against the book or author. If you’ve gone this far in my review and haven’t read either both books or just this one in the series please do now. You’re missing out on a wonderfully crafted & enrapturing story.
“This was still his mind. He was still the strongest person here.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: Gaslighting
antonique_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, War, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Murder, and Emotional abuse
queenie_ofthe_void's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
How is this book going to be this good, then go and have that ending. <Not even ending up together?! Hypothetically ending up together, over a decade later, in the epilogue, is not what we (me or Malik/Karina) deserve after EVERYTHING.> But yeah the rest was amazing and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Incest, Kidnapping, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence
Personally just hated thr ending. Left feeling unfulfilled. After two whole books and all this built up soul-mates and destiny, they only end up together *hypothetically* in the monologue. Why. WHY?! That is some bullshit. And fade to black... AFTER ALL OF THIS. no. Everything else was amazing. Malik and Karina are amazing.jessica_is_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Torture, Racism, Murder, and Grief
claragweny's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racism, War, Violence, Trafficking, Transphobia, Terminal illness, and Stalking
rorikae's review
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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.vaniavela's review against another edition
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⭐️
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⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
molliemoments's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, War, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny