Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
    A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
    A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
    Audiobook12 hours

    A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

    Written by Roseanne A. Brown

    Narrated by Jordan Cobb and A.J Beckles

    4.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    An instant New York Times bestseller!

    The first in a gripping fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction—from debut author Roseanne A. Brown. This New York Times bestseller is perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Renée Ahdieh, and Sabaa Tahir.

    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?

    ""Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this stunning debut novel inspired by North African and West African folklore. An action-packed tale of injustice, magic, and romance, this novel immerses readers in a thrilling world and narrative reminiscent of Children of Blood and Bone."" (Publishers Weekly, ""An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List"")

    Don't miss the second book in this epic duology, A Psalm of Storms and Silence!

    Editor's Note

    An engrossing fantasy…

    An engrossing fantasy debut inspired by West African folklore. Princess Karina is looking for a way to resurrect her mother, while refugee Malik has to kill Karina if he wants to save his sister. The two end up falling for each other during their quests to undermine the other, and they get caught in much larger political machinations.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 2, 2020
    ISBN9780063004436
    Author

    Roseanne A. Brown

    Roseanne A. Brown is an immigrant from the West African nation of Ghana and a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she completed the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her work has been featured by Voice of America, among other outlets. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is her debut novel. You can visit her online at roseanneabrown.com.

    Related authors

    Related to A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

    Related audiobooks

    YA Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Bone Shard Daughter

      Sep 9, 2020

      RELEASED 10 SEPTEMBER 448 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook Author Andrea Stewart Publisher Orbit Books Epic fantasy has long had a thing for One True Kings. You know the drill: a dreadful tyrant is murdering people for fun and generally imperilling t

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Jasad Heir

      Jul 12, 2023

      ▸ RELEASED 18 JULY 523 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook ▸ Author Sara Hashem ▸ Publisher Orbit → That feeling when you’re 20 pages from the end of a novel and you realise the story isn’t going to end in this volume… as genre readers, we’ve all been t

      1 min read

    • Article

      For The Wolf

      Jun 16, 2021

      ⏵ RELEASED 17 JUNE 480 pages | Paperback/ebook/audiobook ⏵ Author Hannah Whitten ⏵ Publisher Orbit Books Wolves run through fairy tales, flashing a tooth here, a tail there. But if you pick this up expecting to see familiar motifs popping up, you’ll

      1 min read

    • Article

      Read A Sneak Peek of IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES

      Sep 6, 2023

      The murderer arrived by boat. He came gently, with a soft tread and beautifully clean hands. He strode past a group of men and women hauling in a catch of fire-fish, his knife out of sight in his pocket. They glanced round at him, but he only nodded

      4 min read

    • Article

      Timeless Movement

      Jan 30, 2018

      Timeless Movement
      10 min read

    • Article

      'How To Say Babylon' Centers On Resisting Patriarchy And Colonialization

      Oct 11, 2023

      Safiya Sinclair's memoir follows her journey from a scared and sheltered Rasta girl in Jamaica to a strong and self-assertive woman — exploring just how poetry became her savior.

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Buried Moon

      Oct 1, 2022

      The Buried Moon
      3 min read

    • Article

      Strange Encounters

      Dec 16, 2021

      Strange Encounters
      5 min read

    • Article

      'Queen Of The Conquered' Serves Revenge With Delicacy And Savagery

      Nov 14, 2019

      In their new novel, Kacen Callender builds a vast, immersive landscape based on the colonial history of the Caribbean, but it's their morally conflicted heroine who will really hook readers.

      2 min read

    • Article

      5 New Fantasy Novels Invigorate Old Tropes

      May 18, 2023

      Spell books, dragons, mermaids, fairies and a magic circus all take on new life in the pages of these five enchanting tales hitting shelves in May and June.

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Witches Of Literature

      May 30, 2023

      Tor Books T. KINGFISHER challenges the idea of the “wicked witch” through the gravewitch in her subversive fairy tale Nettle & Bone. The nameless dust-wife—part witch, part gravedigger—is all too willing to help the novel’s heroine on her quest to ki

      2 min read

    • Article

      Science Fiction And Fantasy

      Jul 15, 2021

      Angela Youngman Pen & Sword 2021 Hb, 185pp, £19.99, ISBN 9781526785817 The Victoria & Albert Museum’s delightful exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (see pp14-15) focuses on Alice and reinterpretations of her story, rather than on Lewis Carroll

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Tale Of King Crab

      Mar 28, 2022

      The Tale Of King Crab
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Poet Reckons With Her Past

      Oct 14, 2023

      A Poet Reckons With Her Past
      6 min read

    • Article

      To Save Arrhinsal

      Nov 1, 2021

      Tolin lives on Arrhinsal, an island that floats in the sky two miles above the land below. One day, while hunting in the maze of tunnels that run through the island’s thick hedges, he encounters a girl who, her sword raised, has turned to face a huge

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Wimblestone

      Oct 1, 2023

      The Wimblestone
      7 min read

    • Article

      Lady In The Water

      Jun 17, 2020

      Lady In The Water
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

    4.5/5

    427 ratings31 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      WOOOW! I need the other books in this series PRONTO!!!
    • 5/5
      Easy listening, not too long and kept you wanting to hear the story unfold.
    • 4/5
      Loved the plot, there were some chapters where I got bored, but I’m overall happy with my reading experience.

      4.5 stars — can’t wait for the next book.
    • 5/5
      I can’t wait for the next book in the series
    • 4/5
      I loved it. I did guess correctly on who was behind the assassination. I didn't guess all the moving parts though. It was such a fun read. The voice actors did a fantastic job.
    • 4/5
      I’ve been staying away from Young Adult lately, but this blew the last dozen or so I’ve read out of the water. It pulled me right in when I wasn’t even anticipating actually getting into the book yet.

      The world: West African inspired, rich, intriguing and new
      The characters: playing on expectations, characters with anxiety and migraines whose motivations you can understand
      The plot: well-paced, interesting, no insta-love, some of the best tropes done well

      Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be keeping my eye on the progress of the series. I think this one does a really good job to set up further books without feeling like it’s summarising or rushing.

      Audiobook: I liked the narration and the speed, but found the volume difference between the two narrators annoying. I was constantly turning the volume up or down at each chapter.

      Full review found at www.goodreads.com/novelandink
      On Instagram at @novelandink
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this one! Malik is my favorite, and I really liked how his anxiety was written. Also really enjoyed the worldbuilding.

      Didn't really believe the romance, but it wasn't overwhelming. Also saw most major plot twists coming.
    • 5/5
      Amazing, gripping and exciting! I couldnt put this book down.
    • 4/5
      A bit repetitive at times, but kept me engaged and on my toes.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! I followed Corina's adventures with great interest, and Malik was a very interesting character, too!

      When does the next book get released? I need it now!!

      I read this book on May 17-18, 2022.
    • 5/5
      OMG!!! I loved this book, I can feel the magic of this story until now, I'm excited for the sequel.
    • 5/5
      Full of adventures, action and imagination. I really enjoyed this book
    • 5/5
      I'm honestly left speechless by this story. Gripping from the beginning, through event twist and turn. This is storytelling as it is meant to be!
    • 5/5
      This my first favorite book book of the year just wow.
    • 4/5
      1. Malik is my favorite ?
      2. Tunde ?
      3. Okay, I like Karina, but she's slightly annoying ??‍♀️
      5. I kinda felt bad for Dris but not really ??‍♀️
      6. The Hyena is petty!
      7. I'm ready for book 2!


      4 stars
    • 5/5
      This was rich and gripping and the world-building was entrancing. Broke my heart exactly the way I knew it was going to but I have no idea what the next books will bring!
    • 3/5
      Great world building. Characters are well flushed out, but perhaps too much so, as it becomes wearily repetitive to hear their self deprecating inner monologues. This is what contributes to the middle of the book dragging on. We don't need to read/hear over and over how horrible a character feels or thinks about their situations. I honestly found it hard to continue and be interested in what was happening to the characters when they all seem a bit whiney. But the story certainly picks up in the last handful of chapters to provide a satisfying cliff hanger ending and a want to read the next book to find out the fate of these characters . Hopefully the next book will have a tighter hold of the story by eliminating some repetitive content and unnecessary details.
    • 5/5
      I loved this story!! Please tell me there’s a sequel out or one that’s coming soon. I want to know what will come of Malik and Karina. Will they battle when they meet again? Will they fall in love? Will Nadia and Leila get powers? Ugh! I gotta know! Such a great story!
    • 4/5
      The book starts off slow, but when it gets going it Gooooes. I loved the cast of characters even though some of them were deceitful bastards. The world building is amazing and I loved the folklore aspect of the story. I can't wait for book two, I need it now.
    • 5/5
      A brilliant tale of magic and tale twists that leaves the reader captivated.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful story! Slow to start but once it got going I couldn't put it down!
    • 5/5
      Unique and captivating, the author tells stories within a story that will keep you listening.
    • 4/5
      Wow this was excellent read. I couldn't stop listening to this book. Loved it Great read
    • 3/5
      It wasn't as spectecular as I expected. I was imagining something more epic but atill a good read!
    • 5/5
      Great characters, cool back story. I can't wait for sequel!
    • 5/5
      Such a wonderful story. Is this writer Ben Okri's little sister?
    • 3/5
      Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the A Song of Wraiths and Ruin duology. I bought a copy of this book for my Kindle.Thoughts: I DNF’d this about 42% of the way in (page 200) I realized I was just completely ambivalent about reading this book. The book switches POV between Malik and Karina. Malik is a displaced young man trying to find food and shelter for his sisters and Karina is the daughter of the Sultana and heir to the throne. The two end up meeting through a ritual and some strange sets of circumstances. Wait scratch that, at nearly halfway through the book they still hadn’t met (see complaints below on slow pacing).The world building felt thin, the characters were hard to engage with and I didn't find the story intriguing in the least. I got sick of hearing about the characters' issues (panic attacks and migraines) and not seeing them taking any action to cope with these issues in a healthy way. I mean really, just pushing through doesn't really cut it and isn't a healthy way to heal things. I also just didn't like the characters at all; Malik was waaayy too passive and Karina was waaay too selfish.Whenever I get to a point where I realize that I don't care one bit if I continue reading a book or not, I usually stop. So, I stopped. Kind of a bummer because I got the second book in this series to review; I really thought I was truly going to love this one. It just felt hollow to me and like it was going through the motions...there wasn't anything to grab me and propel the story forward. It gets three stars because I only read half of it, but I am leaning towards 2 stars.My Summary (3/5): Overall I am struggling to understand why this book has such high reviews. There really isn't anything here that sets it apart from other YA fantasy books. I guess kudos to the author for tackling African folklore and having characters with mental illness issues. Aside from those aspects, there wasn't anything here that made this a fantastic fantasy read and the writing style is just so-so. I won’t be picking up future books by this author.
    • 5/5
      A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is one of those "oh, my gosh" books. Written for middle school and older readers, I found the book to be rich in folklore and good reading for adults. The author's world is fascinating and her characters complex. And the story ... I kept finding myself surprised because it didn't wander into standard fantasy tropes. Just when I would think, "I know where this is going," the characters would go and do something else, but that something was totally what that person would do. An added bonus is I think I learned a little more about West African mythology. Before I suggest that everyone who likes fantasy should read this book, I should quote the author's warning. "Please note this book depicts issues of mild self-harm ideation, fantasy violence, emotional and physical abuse, anxiety and panic attacks, parent death, and animal death. I have done my best to approach these topics with sensitivity, but if you feel this kind of content may be triggering, please be aware."The sequel to this book is A Psalm of Storms and Silence, due out in the fall of 2021. I rarely preorder a book, but I did this one. It isn't that A Song of Wraiths and Ruin ended in a cliffhanger because it didn't. It is because I enjoyed the author's writing and storytelling, and I want to read more from her. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or mythology. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
    • 3/5
      Starts younger-feeling than I'd like - even the main characters feel a lot younger than they are - but this improved and I did appreciate that they're both dealing with mental illnesses (in both cases either caused or at least exacerbated by a combination of trauma and terrible parenting) on top of magic in a country that at least professes not to believe in it. The pseudo-African setting is great, as is the weight of history and the theme that an empire built by overthrowing an empire is still an empire. A few twists near the end would have set up a unique ending if this was a stand-alone. :-) Instead they set up a sequel, but in a natural resting-place way so it's more satisfying than cliffhangerish.
    • 5/5
      Malik and his sisters, Eshran refugees, come to Ziran in hopes of a better life. Kirana, a princess who wants to escape the city and is still mourning the death of her father and sister, finds that she's truly imprisoned by a magical barrier keeping her world safe. Their lives collide during Solstasia, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, when Malik's sister is taken by a being called Idir, and the price for her return is Kirana's life.If you love fantasy, magic, a dash of romance and fantastic world-building, look no further than this book, which is first in a planned series. The narrative switches back and forth between Malik and Kirana in every chapter, letting you see each of their motivations and development in the course of the story. The revelations of the world, its past history and current political situation, are beautifully done in a way that kept me guessing 'til the end. I am so excited to read the next book!