Last year I really enjoyed Reign of the Fallen, so I was really excited when Song of the Dead was released. I knew it was a group read for TBR & Beyond Book Club, so I didn’t read it right away, but this month it was finally a group read so it was time! Keep reading to find out what I thought about this book!
Karthia is nothing like it used to be. The kingdom’s borders are open for the first time in nearly three hundred years, and raising the dead has been outlawed. Odessa is determined to explore the world beyond Karthia’s waters, hoping to heal a heart broken in more ways than she can count. But with Meredy joining the ocean voyage, vanquishing her sorrow will be a difficult task.
Despite the daily reminder of the history they share, Odessa and Meredy are fascinated when their journey takes them to a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets. Odessa can’t help being mesmerized by the new magic–and by the girl at her side. But just as she and Meredy are beginning to explore the new world, a terrifying development in Karthia summons them home at once.
Growing political unrest on top of threats from foreign invaders means Odessa and Meredy are thrust back into the lives they tried to leave behind while specters from their past haunt their tenuous relationship. Gathering a force big enough to ward off enemies seems impossible, until one of Queen Valoria’s mages creates a weapon that could make them invincible. As danger continues to mount inside the palace, Odessa fears that without the Dead, even the greatest invention won’t be enough to save their fates.
In this enthralling, heartrending sequel to Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces the fight of her life as the boundaries between the Dead and the living are challenged in a way more gruesome than ever before.
Review
After Reign of the Fallen, I was really looking forward to diving back into this unique world. It was so interesting to read a book about necromancy and how it influenced all of the characters. I am sad to say that Song of the Dead was a little bit disappointing. I still enjoyed reading about the characters I grew to love in the first book, but it was lacking in certain elements.
At the beginning, Meredy and Odessa are on a boat to go and explore the world. Never being allowed to travel, it was so interesting for them. I loved reading about the different places they were visiting, but it felt kind of rushed, like the story had to hurry up and make it known they needed to head back to Karthia. I did love that on their journey they find out that there is more to magic than they ever realized! They even bring some new characters back to their kingdom.
Back in Karthia it’s clear that things haven’t been going well. Valoria is now Queen, but not everyone is accepting her or what she wants to change. Different attacks start scaring the people and with the possibility of a threat from outside kingdoms, it’s not a good time to not have people who will follow their Queen.
I loved reading about how they needed an army, training volunteers and even using the different types of magic they’re discovering at the Academy. But I also felt that this was just touching the surface. A lot of this book was about Odessa and Meredy’s relationship. Well not even really a realtionship, but the “drama” of them trying to be together or not. Odessa was often more worried about where she stood with Meredy than about what was happening in her kingdom. I loved these two in Reign of the Fallen, so I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy them as much this time around!
To a point, I think it would’ve been a lot better if this was going to be more than a duology. With only having two books, maybe the author felt she needed to fit everything she wanted to happen in the second book. I would’ve loved to have read more about the characters we see in the first book: Jax, Simeon, Danial, etc. We see them, but not as much. The ending was very interesting, but also went very fast.
In the end, I really did enjoy being back in this world. I just wish that it would’ve concentrated a bit more on a few things instead of trying to wrap up so much at once. This author created an amazing world and characters and I wouldn’t say no to reading more about them. Especially the animals. I loved Lysander in the first book and Nippler was added to that list while reading Song of the Dead. A dragon who acts like a dog. That was so much fun!
If you’re looking for an unique world to read about with amazing characters, I really do recommend this duology. I know I had a few things that I disliked, but I really did enjoy being back in this world. Maybe because I loved them so much, I just wished they had gotten more!
I am looking forward to seeing what this author does next, because I love her way of writing! Have you read this duology? What did you think?
