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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496 pages

Average rating: 6.86

37 RATINGS

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4 REVIEWS

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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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