Title: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1)
Author: Roseanne A. Brown
Publisher: Balzar + Bray 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 480
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Ebook
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?
I absolutely loved the premise of this one. I loved the focus on West African myths. I loved the world building in this one. I just could not get behind the characters and the plotline. The characters are so incredibly whiny. They are directionless for most of the book. And then for the last strike, the two main characters fall in love in an instant. I just cannot with the silly young adult romance. Once we get into the story, the constant secrets and betrayals just felt super boring and predictable. I got to the end of the book and it just wasn’t worth it to me. I think I’m down with the series.
Next up on the TBR pile:
