I'm so excited to share reasons to why you need to add A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown to your shelf, as well as favorite quotes and a moodboard! Thanks, Balzer + Bray for the ARC!
[Edited: I, and this post, was part of the blog tour for A Song of Wraiths and Ruin with a company that I no longer support (the FFBC) due to their behaviors and have deleted associations/affiliations with them from this post.]
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
(A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1)
Young Adult Fantasy, #ownvoices
June 2, 2020 from Balzer + Bray
The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a
grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision
course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and
start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a
vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city,
Malik strikes a fatal deal — kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s
freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been
assassinated; her court threatens
mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her
neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic .
. . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by
offering her hand in marriage to the
victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each
other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able
to see their tasks to the death?
➤ Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence; Death of parent; Grief; Panic attack; Blood; Self-harm ideation; Emotional and physical abuse; Malnutrition; Oppression; Stabbing; Abduction by deal/trade; Assassination
Why You Need To Add A Song of Wraiths and Ruin to Your Shelf
♚ West African-coded characters and setting
♚ Enemies to lovers
♚ Sibling kinship between Malik and his sisters. The things they do for each other, especially what Malik does for Nadia is just 🥺
♚ Solid mental health rep (anxiety, panic attacks)
♚ The traditions and concept of the Solstasia festival 💫
♚ The world-building is rich with culture, folklore, action, traditions, magic, adventure, family, emotions, history, tension, betrayal, romance and more.
♚ These young flawed characters go through tremendous losses and feats, as well as character growth throughout the book. It pulls at your heartstrings and has you rooting for them.
♚ It is action-packed, even before and outside of the competition, with deities and mythological creatures wreaking havoc and the things that the characters gets themselves into. It's an adventure that keeps you entertained the entire time.
♚ The plot thickens, twists, turns, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. 🤯
♚ There are seven patron deities (gods) that rule over each day of the week, and a person decides their patron and kind of magic depending on which day of the week they were born. The author based this off of a tradition from the Akan people of Ghana.
♚ The MC's are willing to sacrifice each other to save their family (emphasis on willingly). It's quite funny how they throw one another under the bus time and time again so easily in order to save the ones they love and ensure their families safety. That is... until things shift when they develop feelings for each other.
♚ Backstabbing and literal stabbing. 🗡️
♚ It has several African folklore figures + creatures present in the story.
♚ The MC's are polar opposites. Malik is a soft boy from a war-stricken home who is protective of his sisters and who himself must be protected at all costs. Karina is a fierce and bold reluctant crowned princess from inside the wall who will go as far as resurrecting a loved one.
♚ Karina and Malik will steal your heart for different reasons, though Nadia just might sweep it right up from under them.
♚ You will want book 2 immediately.
Diversity
☀ West African-coded
☀ African characters
☀ Anxiety rep
☀ #ownvoices (African & anxiety)
☀ Refugee MC + side characters
☀ West + Northern African cultural and Muslim influences
☀ Casual queer rep
☀ Multilingual/code-switching
Favorite Quotes
"The past devours those naive enough to forget it."
--Roseanne A. Brown, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"Karina had molded her grief into a sword, poised to harm anyone who dared get close."
--Roseanne A. Brown, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"To aid even one person is to save an entire world."
--Roseanne A. Brown, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"I look forward to the day you decide you're ready to fight for something instead of against everyone."
--Roseanne A. Brown, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
[Quotes are taken from an unedited advanced review copy and is subject to change in the final copy]
Meet Roseanne A. Brown
Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild
jungles of central Maryland as a child. Writing was her first love, and she knew from
a young age that she wanted to use the power of
writing — creative and otherwise — to connect the different cultures she called home. She graduated from the University
of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for
the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been
featured by Voice of America among other outlets.
On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled
Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor.
Never content to stay in any one place for too long, Rosie currently teaches in Japan,
where in her free time she can usually be found exploring the local mountains,
explaining memes to her students, or thinking about Star Wars.
Purchase A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Watch: The Covington Witches
Read: I'll Be the One by Layla Lee 🌈
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