If you want me to drop everything and read a book tell me that its an epic fantasy and that its based on African lore…. My beautiful dark and twisted African Fantasy.
Reading Junkie Mable certainly knows my mind and pointed my head in the direction of this book by Roseanne A. Brown.
A quick check on Amazon and when I saw the words ….inspired by West African folklore… I absolutely had to read it.
A Song Of Wraith And Ruin
A Song Of Wraiths and Ruin is the debut book in a duology series written by Roseanne A. Brown and published June 2020. Roseanne is an immigrant from the West African nation of Ghana and a graduate of the University of Maryland.
ASOWAR is told from the POV of the two main characters Karina a rather unruly princess and Malik a shy middle child and of course their paths set to collide, oh yes and there is magic….
It could be exactly quite unlike a story of Aladdin meets Princess Jasmine if they were people of character and the lamp genie were an African legend, and they were not all trying to kill each other.
The Good
The plot unfolds through two view points but unlike other stories that follow multiple characters in alternating chapters, the shift from one chapter to the next is not jarring, the character changes but the story flows fluidly, you keep turning the pages.
I loved the world building and of course I love stories where I read about people of character like me. Some will tell you how this book is a silly YA fantasy with a princess who doesn’t want to rule trope but she is a black princess and all the characters are various shades of melanin, for some us it means a lot to read such characters, eating fufu and soup.
You would think you can guess how the tropes unfold, you would be surprised at the twists in the story and I love how the stage is set for the two characters to kill each other and you turn each page wondering how all this will play out… I am not telling.
“First, a story ends when it ends, and not a moment before. If you are unhappy with this ending, make a new one.”
The Bad
The book ended and now I have to wait till June 2021 to read the sequel A PSALM OF STORMS AND SILENCE available for preorder Here
The Ugly
The title made me me think of A Song Of Fire And Ice.
Final thoughts
Hello!!! inspired by West African folklore… I need more of this, fantasy inspired by our legends, fables and our own brand of magic.
~B
Becoming The Muse 
Local is lekker……. rather African content is lekker.
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I love West African literature. Can I borrow this from you?
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It’s not West African literature as such, it’s fantasy 🤣 Does that make a difference… I know people who find fantasy offensive
~B
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One famous West African-inspired folktale can be found in this book – the tales regaling Hyena the trickster. In both West African culture and Zirani culture, there is a set of stories revolving around Hyena and her exploits. In Brown’s world, Hyena is a trickster who often lands up in trouble, while in Ziran, Hyena is who the people turn to when in desperate need of help, by making deals with her. Chapters of the book alternate between Malik and Karina’s points of view. Malik breaks the mould of the typical male character found in YA Fantasy; he’s a lover of stories, a dreamer at heart, and sensitive and caring. Karina is a princess who wishes to be a musician and longs to leave her kingdom. She is passionate and bold, while also uncertain of her capabilities as Sultana. They have each gone through the pain of loss and failure. They deal with PTSD, while Karina also suffers from chronic migraines.
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The first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this post was…Rolls Royce Wraith 🙈
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OMG that’s so… Apt and suitably dark.
~B
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Enjoyed the review. I enjoyed this story. I thought Malik’s character was so intriguing because he’s so kind but thrown into a cut-throat situation. Loved the opening because I love folktales and stories told aloud.
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