A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

An instant New York Times bestseller!

The first in a gripping 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—from debut author Roseanne A. Brown. This New York Times bestseller is perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Renée Ahdieh, and Sabaa Tahir.

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 his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter 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 heart-pounding 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?

"Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this stunning debut novel inspired by North African and West African folklore. An action-packed tale of injustice, magic, and romance, this novel immerses readers in a thrilling world and narrative reminiscent of Children of Blood and Bone." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List")

Don't miss the second book in this epic duology, A Psalm of Storms and Silence!

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480 pages

Average rating: 6.89

38 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
Apr 20, 2024
2/10 stars
DNF @35%
вот вроде всё автор спланировала, и мир, и героев. а жизни в тексте нет.
katiemahlady
Aug 01, 2023
6/10 stars
2.75. This took a beautiful and unique world and brought it down with every cliche YA trope and plot device there is. :(
TheCleverReader
Feb 03, 2023
10/10 stars
This book was just as good as it was the first time I read it!
Game of Tomes
Jan 05, 2023
8/10 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable fantasy epic. The novel is plot-driven, yet doesn’t sacrifice character development. A key theme is the power of storytelling—how who is telling the story shapes identity, history, and culture. I especially enjoyed the inclusions of a character with migraines and a character with severe anxiety, which is rare in a high fantasy read. Having both, I liked that they had real effects on the characters without being insurmountable. The book does play through some well-worn tropes in both fantasy and YA works, and there is a lot of repetition in terms of character reactions and phrases that are overdone in my opinion. But the characters and world captivated so much that I still had an absolute blast reading the book.

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