A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. BrownMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sorry, SJM, but this is now the best fantasy novel to use "Ruin" in the title. Sorry, I don't make the rules! Lol.
But seriously, though, after at least a year or two of dying for this debut - one of oh so many awe and some success stories from Pitch Wars (one day I'll be one of them too, one day...) I am happy to report that Roseanne A. Brown does NOT disappoint in the slightest. A lavishly built fantasy world rooted in West African legends, with some pretty strong Ancient Egyptian and Islamic influences as well, and some of the highest stakes you'll ever see, with our protagonists both forced into somewhat anti-heroic roles as they need to kill each other in order to complete their respective supernatural missions.
But as devious as their missions, and deadly as their circumstances, Karina and Malik both are so supremely sympathetic because of how much they're rooted in rescuing their families from certain doom - creating a unique, and slow to build, bond between them despite their being from different classes. And nations. Not unlike Tomi Adeyemi in Children of Blood and Bone, Brown uses this fantasy backdrop to reflect and condemn the real-world issues of class warfare, racism, nationalism, slavery, and yes, police brutality. And just like in the real world, it's going to take people from all walks of life breaking all the rules to attain some much-needed justice and peace. Like Karina and Malik, whose stories begin here and promise to conclude in next year's sequel, which I'm already expecting to be high on my list of 2021 faves as this one is already high on my 2020 faves list...
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