![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/SongBloodStone.jpg?resize=326%2C500&ssl=1\")
Book 1 of the Earthsinger Chronicles\nBy L. Penelope
\nSt. Martin\u2019s Griffin, ASIN: B07SMWXJQN
\nPaperback, 523 pages. \u00a9 July 16, 2019\n
<\/p>Book 1 of the Earthsinger Chronicles
\nBy L. Penelope
\nSt. Martin\u2019s Griffin, ASIN: B07SMWXJQN
\nPaperback, 523 pages. \u00a9 July 16, 2019\n
Elsira and Lagrimar lie close together, yet worlds apart. Separated by the Mantle, a magical veil that prevents travel between the two lands, Elsirans and Lagrimari haven\u2019t mingled for generations. But now the True Father, ruler of Lagrimar and the world\u2019s most powerful Earthsinger, has found a way to crack the Mantle and seize sovereignty in both lands.<\/p>\n
Jasminda lives outside the local border town on her family\u2019s farm, struggling to pay her tax debt. Local folk shun her because of her brown skin, her mixed Elsiran\/Lagrimari blood, and her Earthsong. Jack, an Elsiran spy, bolts into her life while on the run from Lagrimari soldiers. Her Earthsong heals his wounds. His connections can help save her farm. When he flees his captors, she follows.<\/p>\n
Every day brings Lagrimar\u2019s attack closer. Jack prepares his own army for the worst. Jasminda\u2019s unique Song may hold the power to awaken the Queen Who Sleeps, the only one powerful enough to stop the True Father. But time is running out. If Jasminda can\u2019t find the answers quickly, she knows Elsira\u2014and Jack\u2014will fall.<\/p>\n
In Song of Blood & Stone<\/em>, Author L. Penelope weaves a believable fantasy world complete with rich tapestries of mythology, authentic border tensions, and inescapable politics. One thing that struck me throughout was the story\u2019s reflection of issues we face in our own world, namely racism and clashes over immigration. Penelope accurately depicts the helplessness felt by those on the receiving end of slights and prejudice against Earthsingers, not just because of their magic but also because of their dark skin. In the Lagrimari refugees, fleeing horrific conditions wrought by the cruel king of their own lands, Penelope shows threats and harassment faced by immigrants in a land filled with those unwilling to share plentiful resources. The fear, hatred, and bigotry\u2014aptly portrayed in the pages of this story\u2014could have been taken from pages of our own history books, or news media. In all, Song<\/em> is often bleak, and as a reader I lived in the moments of hope held by those in the story.<\/p>\n Penelope\u2019s characters, for the most part, were well fleshed out. Jasminda, part Elsiran and part Lagrimari, is a strong, self-reliant female determined to salvage what she can in a city where she is ostracized and mistrusted. Jack, an honorable soldier with a compassionate heart, is determined to do his duty, no matter how much it disgusts him. Ella, a \u201cJacqueline-of-all-trades,\u201d is called to complete an almost impossible task with no resources and against overwhelming odds. While there was a bit of stereotyping there, I could empathize with these three, at least, and lose myself in their experiences. By the end of the story, with all three in totally unfamiliar and challenging roles, I found myself rooting for them and interested to see what happens next.<\/p>\n Even as a fantasy romance with many steampunk elements, the story itself is almost<\/em> a classic good-vs-evil sort. Backstory is slowly sprinkled into the tale through visions revealed to Jasminda\u2019s mind. It wasn\u2019t hard to figure out where it was going\u2014but Penelope threw in an interesting twist I didn\u2019t see coming. With the clarity of hindsight, I could understand many other things in the story.<\/p>\n I must admit that it took me a while to get into the book, in part because romance is not a genre I usually read. There\u2019s a good bit of star-crossed angsting, which detracted from the story for me. In addition, the book includes some pretty steamy sex scenes, which I felt raised the readership from Young Adult to New Adult.<\/p>\n That said, overall I enjoyed this novel, and by the time I reached the last page I was ready to begin the sequel. If you enjoy a good mash-up of fantasy and romance, you\u2019ll enjoy Song of Blood & Stone<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Book 1 of the Earthsinger Chronicles By L. Penelope St. Martin\u2019s Griffin, ASIN: B07SMWXJQN Paperback, 523 pages. \u00a9 July 16, 2019 Elsira and Lagrimar lie close together, yet worlds apart. Separated by the Mantle, a magical veil that prevents travel between the two lands, Elsirans and Lagrimari haven\u2019t mingled for generations. But now the True…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/SongBloodStone.jpg?fit=326%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-ui","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1926,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/16\/whispers-of-shadow-and-flame\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":0},"title":"Whispers of Shadow and Flame","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Book 2 of the Earthsinger Chronicles By L. Penelope St. Martin\u2019s Griffin, ASIN: B07PBMJ2YX Paperback, 489 pages. \u00a9 October 1, 2019 In Lagrimar, where the True Father rules and Earthsingers are required to pay tribute with their gifts, the Mantle is about to fall. Plans for the takeover of Elsira\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/WhispersShadowFlame.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4949,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/23\/animal-farm\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":1},"title":"Animal Farm","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"September 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By George Orwell ABHISHEK Publications, \u00a92021 ASIN: B0DCNXJTDH Kindle Version, file size 29690 KB I'd never read this book before. It was not required reading when I was in school. I'm not sure why I chose to read it now, other than it was a classic title on the banned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A stylized graphic of norses, goats, cows, and a rooster surround a windmill on a red background. Text reads: Animal Farm, George Orwell.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AnimalFarm-196x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4826,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/18\/bookshops-bonedust\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":2},"title":"Bookshops & Bonedust","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Travis Baldree Tor (\u00a92023) ASIN: B0BQGGVB4K Kindle Version, file size 6367 What a delightful little story! Before finding this book (and its sequel, Legends and Lattes, also an excellent read), I\u2019d never heard of the cozy fantasy genre, and now I have a new label to add to my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/BookshopsBonedust-195x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/29\/bad-blood-by-lucienne-diver\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":3},"title":"Bad Blood, by Lucienne Diver","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"January 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Samhain Publishing, \u00a9 2012 ISBN 978-1-60928-594-4 219 pages, $14.00 Any book that includes Apollo\u2014the Apollo\u2014hiding among humans as an adult film star is bound to grab my attention. And he isn\u2019t alone; Circe, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Hermes, and other Big Names make appearances in this first book of the Latter Day\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/BadBloodCvr-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":118,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/02\/18\/the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet-by-becky-chambers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":4},"title":"The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"February 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"HarperCollins Publishers, LLC, \u00a9 2014 ISBN 9780062444134 Print length 467 pages, $10.81 When Rosemary\u2019s feet leave Mars for the first time, it\u2019s to take a cramped pod shuttle to rendezvous with her new employer, Captain Ashby Santoso, aboard the Wayfarer, a tunneling ship that digs passages through space, shortcuts for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LongWayCvr.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1239,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/30\/the-current\/","url_meta":{"origin":1878,"position":5},"title":"The Current","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"December 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Tim Johnston Algonquin Books, ISBN: 978-1616206772 Hardcover, 416 pages. \u00a9 2019 An unexpected winter road trip across several states toward a small town in Minnesota lands college students Audrey and Caroline in the icy waters of the Black Root River. Audrey survives. Caroline does not. Despite Audrey\u2019s claims that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/TheCurrentCover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1878"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1881,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1878\/revisions\/1881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}