A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

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They have such a believable and painfully real sibling dynamic; one thing that stood out to me was when Malik wondered whether he and Leila would have ever been friends if they weren't siblings. She had really wanted Driss to win because she really didn’t like him, but he was already dead before marrying her. Both main characters are seeking to help their families in ways that will put them into situations where they would ultimately kill each other. So I like this book and hate it at the same time because the author SOMEHOW puts in quality’s that I love and HATE.

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. It works, and Karina knows how she can blackmail the council into revealing who the traitor is that hired the assassin to kill her mother. The only way Malik can get her back is by killing the princess of Ziran, Karina, before the end of Solstasia. I was most impressed by how Malik’s mental illness plays a role in the climax of this story - it feels very validating to me who deals with their own internal struggles, and I’m sure will be the case for many other readers as well. Karina finds the blood flower, the ingredient she needs for the ritual, though this is not revealed to Malik.I wanted to linger over moments of beauty, yes, but I also wanted to linger in pockets of drama, in moments of mystery, in those little scenes where the characters stopped and took a breath to re-evaluate or recenter themselves and their goals. It feels like a chop of Throne of Glass and Wrath and the Dawn, only with a limited scope of characters who speak to each other a handful of times. Seventeen year old Karina Alahari is the princess of Ziran, who lost her father and sister in a mysterious fire outbreak. The Twist: I’m not sure what the twist is for particular folk tales, but the biggest draw of this book is the African-inspired setting, cast of color, and unique magic system!

But I have to say with the hype the romance in this book has gotten, there's honestly not much of it. If that is the case, having him master old magic, run around the city, and fall in love with Karina seems pretty unrealistic. But she is fierce and independent and willing to stand up for what she believes in, never willing to back down from a challenge. I feel like the world and magic system were interesting (I actually have more thoughts on this to come later in the review).A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN is the first in a fantasy duology with Black characters, "in a world inspired by West African folklore. Their personalities clash and they often lash out at each other, but throughout it all there's an undercurrent of unconditional love and support and I just love the Hilali siblings okay.