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rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
'Song of Blood & Stone' by L. Penelope is a fantasy filled with engaging worldbuilding but I was hoping for a bit more from the writing.
The story centers on Jasminda, a farmer who has been tending her family's homestead after her mother's death and her father and brother's disappearance. She lives on the edge of the country of Elsira, which is cut off from the neighboring country of Lagrimar by a magical Mantle. Lagrimar is ruled by the True Father, who wishes to cross the mantle and conquer Elsira for his own. As the daughter of a Lagrimarian and an Elsiran, Jasminda lives on the outskirts to avoid the prejudice she receives in the Elsiran cities. When Jasminda rescues an Elsiran soldier hunted by a Lagrimarian regiment and learns that the mantle is close to failing, she gets pulled into a fight for the country and the history of the continental conflict.
Penelope does an excellent job of creating a compelling world with a layered history and folklore. She drops pieces of this folklore at the beginning of each chapter through snippets from folklore texts, which I think did a great job of expanding the world in small snippets. I came to care for Jasminda and the other characters that populate this story through the interweaving perspectives. Though the plot itself wasn't full of twists and turns, I think Penelope did a good job of setting up the different beats. Even though they weren't unexpected, they felt earned.
The piece of this story that I was hoping for more from was the writing itself. It was relatively simple and straightforward in a world that I think could have benefited from more evocative prose. It was clear that Penelope has a good idea of the world and moments that she is creating and I was hoping to be pulled into the world through the prose more than I was. Even so, I am invested in the story and will be continuing on in the series.
The story centers on Jasminda, a farmer who has been tending her family's homestead after her mother's death and her father and brother's disappearance. She lives on the edge of the country of Elsira, which is cut off from the neighboring country of Lagrimar by a magical Mantle. Lagrimar is ruled by the True Father, who wishes to cross the mantle and conquer Elsira for his own. As the daughter of a Lagrimarian and an Elsiran, Jasminda lives on the outskirts to avoid the prejudice she receives in the Elsiran cities. When Jasminda rescues an Elsiran soldier hunted by a Lagrimarian regiment and learns that the mantle is close to failing, she gets pulled into a fight for the country and the history of the continental conflict.
Penelope does an excellent job of creating a compelling world with a layered history and folklore. She drops pieces of this folklore at the beginning of each chapter through snippets from folklore texts, which I think did a great job of expanding the world in small snippets. I came to care for Jasminda and the other characters that populate this story through the interweaving perspectives. Though the plot itself wasn't full of twists and turns, I think Penelope did a good job of setting up the different beats. Even though they weren't unexpected, they felt earned.
The piece of this story that I was hoping for more from was the writing itself. It was relatively simple and straightforward in a world that I think could have benefited from more evocative prose. It was clear that Penelope has a good idea of the world and moments that she is creating and I was hoping to be pulled into the world through the prose more than I was. Even so, I am invested in the story and will be continuing on in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
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