Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow

Title: Song of the Forever Rains

Author: E.J. Mellow
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Mousai # 1

Trade Paperback, 424 pages
Publication: July 1st 2021 by Montlake
Source: I received a review copy from Wunderkind PR in exchange for a honest review.
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The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadilor. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.

Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan―and themselves.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?

My Thoughts

Song of the Forever Rains was a very unexpected, pleasant surprise. Although I read the synopsis before I started reading the book, I was not ready for Mellow’s intricate world building and characters. In short, I absolutely loved it.

 

I thought Mellow’s world building and concept was refreshing and original with each ‘world’ vividly described from Aadilor (regular/upper world), the Thief Kingdom (underworld) and even The Fade (land of the dead). From the first page I was immediately immersed within the world and felt as if I was returning to visit an old friend. While the world building was multifaceted with the right amount of complexity, the writing was well-written, easy to follow and understand. I especially loved the magic system about the old gods and those gifted with their powers. The Bassette sisters, The Mousai, are a few gifted with powers of the arts; singing, dancing and music(instrumental). Song of the Forever Rains is Larkyra's novel. Readers follow Lark's journey as she relearns about her ability with singing and all the pros and cons that come along with it. This concept, while seemingly not barrier-breaking, is unique as I've never read it anywhere else. Lark is able to affect people with her tone/frequency, manipulate the mind and heal the body.

 

Lark was a great heroine, exactly the type I enjoy reading about. She's intelligent and caring but also knows how to fight and make tough choices. The best part of the entire book was her banter between her sisters and Darius. Darius was also a wonderful lead and the perfect complement to Lark. For once, I'm glad we didn't have the alpha male type. There's so many of them in all genres that they've become stale and redundant in personality. Darius was a kind Lord with childhood issues but instead of having a negative outlook on life, he used his circumstances to help and better those around him. I admired that. And speaking of sisters, Song of the Forever Rains has one of the greatest and most fun family dynamics I've seen in a long time. It's kinda rare to find stories where family plays a big, integral part in the overall novel but whenever I do find them they're a treat! And the Bassette family hits all the high marks. It's even more exciting that this new series has a book focused on each sister!

 

I very much enjoyed Song of the Forever Rains. It exceeded all my expectations. I appreciated all the detail and research that went into the novel, it was clearly evident down to characters and cities name to the garment colors chosen. The next book in the series follows the fiery Niya, the 2nd Bassette sister and I can't wait to read her story and return to Aadilor/Thief Kingdom!

 

 

 

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses # 1

Hardcover, 419 pages
Publication: May 5, 2015 by Bloomsbury
Source: Personal Library
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Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My Thoughts

The two camps of SJM is real; half the people worship her writing while the other half won’t have anything to do with her. This polarity has made me extremely hesitant to pick up any of her novels. I received an arc of Throne of Glass from ALA 2012  and still it remains on my shelf unread. Over the years whenever Maas releases a novel there’s an uproar in the blogosphere. But instead of grabbing my attention it makes me reluctant to read anything of Maas. And finally after many suggestions to read A Court of Thorns and Roses, I took the plunge. After all, I do adore faeries and a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

The similarities between A Court of Thorns and Roses and Beauty and the Beast were minimal to say the least. Which in my opinion is a good thing. I don’t like it when an authors does a play by play and swap certain things out. I look for familiar originality. The only similarities between the two story is that Feyre is taken as an non-consented prisoner and of course, Stockholm Syndrome, falls for her captor. The book is centered around Feyre’s life in the Spring Court  and her interactions with the fair folks.

I thought the world building was interesting but not well developed. The hatred between the faeries and the human was barely explained. It left more questions than answers. The big bad, whose name every faerie lord was afraid to utter was ridiculous. I still don’t understand why everyone was afraid of her. She was just a lackey who went on a power trip. How is it possible that 7 lords couldn’t take her on and why didn’t her ‘master’ do anything about it? It didn’t make sense. In my opinion a very weak villain.

I thought Feyre was an annoying character. Outwardly she made it seem like she was in the worst predicament and that she despised the fair folk with every ounce of her being. While of course, daydreaming and lusting after Tamlin. If she was trying to convince herself and the readers…she sure did a poor job. I also thought the 3 task trial at the end was silly…it was neither interesting or challenging. I’m sure readers figured out the riddle before Feyre did. Beside Feyre, I didn’t find myself liking or connecting with any of the side characters. As the story progressed I started to lose interest in the characters and the plot. Sadly, everyone was two-dimensional.

I had high hopes for A Court of Thorns and Roses but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. I honestly don’t understand the hype with this series. The world, characters and plot were all mediocre and the writing basic at best. If you’re looking for depth, a compelling plot, and multifaceted characters/character driven novel; look elsewhere because you won’t find it in A Court of Thorns and Roses.