Song of the Dead: 2 (Reign of the Fallen)

Even though I didn’t talk about it much in my review, Reign of the Fallen, the prequel to Song of the Dead was not your typical fantasy. In fact, it was probably a fantasy-contemporary, if such a genre exists. I loved it for its inclusiveness and ALSO the fact that it was different, but all said and done, the book was hard to read. The grief was raw, the deaths were many and while it was so real, it wasn’t emotionally easy to get through.Not that I don’t love it – because I ABSOLTUELY DO. Because of the kind of mixed genre, the prequel was, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Song of the Dead.The pace and tone of the series changed completely in this book. While Reign of the Fallen focused on a country being stuck in its ways, the Dead, grief and loss, Song of the Dead was about exploration, invention, the family we choose, change, healing and love. It was WONDERFUL to step back into this world, with a diverse cast of characters I love and be happy about the progress they made and the new world they’re building together.MY THOUGHTS:1. I remain unconvinced about Odessa and Meredy’s relationship. I absolutely love the Odessa is bi, and that a strong female romance is a central theme in the book, but the fact that Odessa was falling for the boy she planned to marry’s SISTER somehow felt weird to me. I loved the two of them together, I loved the representation and the fact that in this fantasy world, identifying anywhere on the LGBTQIA spectrum was considered as normal as breathing (because it should be EVERYWHERE) but the sister part was a real downer.2. DRAGONS ARE REAL NOW! I absolutely loved Nipper and her loyalty and it was just a lot of fun to see a dragon in the book.3. I loved the easy camaraderie between Jax, Simeon, Odessa, Valoria, Meredy and all the new additions to their crew. I loved the inventions (especially the hot air balloon) and also the fact that the Deadlands/ spirit world still played such an important role.That’s it!Would I recommend this series? YES! It’s diverse, inclusive and filled with zombies, dragons, loss, love and the Dead. If this combination doesn’t intrigue you, I don’t know what will!

Está na fila para leitura, sensacional

This book started off so good. Adventuring on a ship, visiting distant lands. I thought there might be some new drama starting... but all the drama is back home in Grenwyr City. The action scenes are always great. I liked the deadlands scenes.I almost felt like Odessa was whinier than before? Not as badass in this book until the very end. The romance between Odessa and Meredy was a little annoying and a little too important in the book. It felt like the main focus, and the actual problems in the book were secondary.The new characters were great. DRAGON! I loved getting to know them. DRAGON! I loved seeing new mage abilities. DRAGON! Lysander was still awesome. And y'all, there's a DRAGON. Nipper is fantastic. Everyone should have one.The deaths were sad, and a couple of them left me a bit teary eyed. It was a good conclusion to the duology overall, though. Loose ends tied up, purpose given, and everyone goes on their merry way

SONG OF THE DEAD is a beautiful tale of love and loss, friendship, and what it is to be alive. Sarah Glenn Marsh is a master storyteller, and Song of the Dead is a perfect ending to the magical story that began in REIGN OF THE FALLEN. Odessa really comes into her own in Song - she's strong and confident, while still being vulnerable. It is impossible not to root for her! With wonderful characters, lush, descriptive writing, and a fresh and unique fantasy world, this duology is not to be missed!

This was the perfect sequel to the first book and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved all the new character additions and plot was fast paced and always exciting to read. <3