This is an impressive bit of world building, and once I got into it, quite a compulsive start to a big canvas tale of empires, colonialism and tyranny. The setting feels broadly based on Mexican / South American cultural furnishings, we have pyramids, we have consolidation of empires over tribes and water gods who can entrap with a song. The story bounces between a number of characters (possibly too many) between the encroaching Empire and one of the few tribes left free. The aim of the Empire is the bring everyone in the world under the power of "The Song" - a subtle mood altering communal piece of much spread across the entirety of its land (via handwavy pyramids). The book tries, at least in part, to make its Empire look as attractive as the free life - the free tribe has a pretty miserable lot having to deal with swamp monsters regularly. But The Singer - the spiritual leader of the Empire - slowly gets corrupted so that even if you thing having an enitre population swayed by a mood altering song was a good thing, you might question it when the song gets corrupted with violence.

Stephens has built a pretty grim world here, and yet it is one that sadly feels surprisingly relevant with the political machinations going on behind the scenes. The book really clicked for me when the peace negotiations start about a third in, where one side negotiates in good faith, the other (with the power) with contempt. Latterly in the book our scheming adviser start to question exactly what she has done, trapped in a cycle that she knows now will doom them all. This is a chunky book and we do get into the heads of a lot of protagonists, Love is held as firm driver for much action here, and the desperation of love during warfare leads to a lot of the more weighty sequences in the book.

The Stone Knife has a novel, well drawn setting and has the depth and robustness in its characters to be not just a solidly told story but feel like it is actually about something. It is however very much the first part of a longer tale, and while where it ends feels like a natural break in the story, there is nothing that resembles a conclusion. And whilst there are hints of where it might be going, there are also hints that it will continue on a dark path before anything gets better. Its good but not for the feint at heart.

[NetGalley ARC]

After loving the Godblind trilogy, I was very excited to see what Anna Stephens came out with next and I was not disappointed. I very much enjoyed the story and the characters.

The Stone Knife is set in a fantasy world inspired by pre-conquest Central America which, I have to admit, I have never read any fantasy novels based on that particular area so this felt very fresh and something new to me. The novel follows multiple characters and, like Godblind, it has viewpoints from both sides of the fight, so to speak. There are characters you will sympathise with, characters you dislike and characters who make such idiotic choices it messes with the whole balance of the world (yes, Enet, I’m looking at you). All of the POV characters are interesting in their own way, even the ones I want to end up dying painful deaths.

I know other reviews will talk a lot about the representation in The Stone Knife, so I will keep it brief but Stephens does something I like in novels where it is completely normalised. I love reading diverse stories but I don’t like it when the characters are shoved into a spotlight so everyone can praise the author for including them (see The Toll by Neal Shusterman). In The Stone Knife, it feels normal, the characters aren’t just their representation, they are characters in their own right and they have more to their personalities. I like that Lilla and Tayan are married. So often, you spend whole books series watching two characters fall in love but you never get to see their relationship afterwards so it makes a nice change to have two characters at a different point and reading how that gives a different dynamic to their relationship. I also like that Xessa is deaf. I’m only partially deaf myself but it feels good to read a character who has a disability but she is still able to function as an integral part of the society and is not treated as an outcast. I hope I’m not coming across as ignorant about matters as important as diversity in books. I know what I’m trying to say but I don’t know if I’m making myself clear.

The Stone Knife has everything I have come to expect from an Anna Stephens novel. Morally grey characters who are doing what they think is best, either for their own interests or for the interests of the society they live in. It’s violent and bloody, but if you’ve read Godblind then that’s just par for the course at this point. The world is richly created and it feels different to anything I have ever read before in a fantasy novel. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed reading their stories. I did think the novel ended in a slightly strange place, it was a sort of cliff hanger but I think it could have ended slightly earlier and saved the ending for the next book. Other than that I don’t have any complaints about the story and I’m looking forward to what happens next.

ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

This was amazing. Great characters, lethal actions, and so much bloodbath; a vampire reading this book would probably find their thirst satiated.

This is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me; I am thoroughly impressed by what Stephens has crafted here. Her debut, Godblind, was a good grimdark novel that I liked, but The Stone Knife? Oh boy, it was absolutely bloody and magnificent. I personally think that Stephens’ skill as a storyteller has improved significantly since the release of her debut. That said, I've heard from many readers that the rest of the Godblind Trilogy has indeed displayed Stephens' growth as a storyteller already, so it could just be that I’m missing on that actions. And honestly speaking, after reading The Stone Knife, I would be crazy to disregard that notion.

The Stone Knife is the first book in The Songs of the Drowned trilogy by Anna Stephens, and the story takes place in the forests of Ixachipan. For generations, nation after nation has fallen to the Empire of Songs—their endless, magical music undefeated. And now, only two free tribes—Tokoban and Yalotlan—remain in Ixachipan, and they won’t submit to the Empire’s total domination. To make the struggle even worse for the tribes, the Empire has the Drowned—monstrous and scaled predators with their own magical music—at their side. I loved this book; it’s a different sort of beast from Godblind, and I am so damn pleased that Stephens has decided to write this rather than continue writing in the Godblind world. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m sure if she has decided to write more books that takes place in the same world as her previous series, it would be great as well, but there’s something about authors writing a new series in a new world that always excites me. This is a vicious tale about gods, monsters, love, loyalty, friendship, faith, and freedom.

“That’s what it sounded like. It sounded like the sunset looks. It sounded like all the world is there just to make you gasp with wonder, to open your heart so wide that it can absorb all that beauty and hold it and be it and never lose it, no matter what. That’s what the songs of the Drowned sound like.”


To me, one of the most noticeable differences between Godblind and The Stone Knife is the longevity of their chapters. In Godblind, Stephens uses very short chapters to prioritized fast-pacing, actions, and dialogue. The Stone Knife, however, is the other way around; chapters are longer, and Stephens focuses on characterizations and world-building first before filling the pages with blood. My preferences are definitely lean towards what she did in The Stone Knife. Although it took me around a quarter of the book to navigate and acclimate myself to the names and terms, I never felt bored because I found the setting and the intricate world-building—inspired by ancient Central American civilization—to be so refreshing. Also, there’s no info-dump; the majority of the unique names and terminologies are understood/learned through the context of the narrative, and she did it so well. Most importantly, the characters and their characterizations was terrifically written.

“ “I don’t ever want to be like that, she thought suddenly. I don’t want to have killed so many that it means nothing. I don’t want to be dead behind the eyes or in the heart.”


The story in The Stone Knife is told through the perspectives of seven characters—Xessa, Tayan, Etne, Lilla, Pilos, Ilandeh, and The Singer. Guess what? I’m so invested in all of them. Excluding the fact that there’s already a goodest boy named Ossa aside, I think Stephens has successfully nailed a great job of personifying her many characters here. Either faith, love, or both drives the motivation of these main characters; I personally found them all to be well-realized. It’s not often I praise romance subplots, and there were two or three romance subplots here, but I have to give my praises to Stephens on this aspect; the character’s love and fear for their loved ones were so palpable. Additionally, the disability and LGBT representation in the characters also felt totally genuine. Simply put, I loved reading all the character’s POV. But please do not let these lead you into thinking this is a romance book; oh god, this violent book will color your imagination red.

“You’ve broken the song and doomed us all, Great Octave. All that comes next, you have caused. All of it.”


Stephens has outdone herself on the creation of characters of Etne and the Singer. Yes, my favorite POV characters to read were Etne, The Singer, and Tayan. If you’ve read this book, or about to, before you call me deprave of sanity for claiming Etne as my favorite POV to read, let me first clarify that I don’t love her character; I doubt she was ever created to be likable anyway. However, her POV chapters were unputdownable, crucial, fierce, and engaging; I consider it a sign of a great storyteller when they’re able to make me THIS compelled to read an unlikable character’s storyline, and that’s what Stephens effectively did with Etne and her development with The Singer. The gradual changes in the tone of The Singer’s introspection were just spectacular.

As I mentioned, this is a pretty brutal book; this isn’t really grimdark, in my opinion, but the violence enacted is full-throttle. If you’re averse to reading much blood and gore, I suggest you read a different book or wait until you’re in the right mood for it. Stephens’ actions are merciless, and she unquestionably excels at keeping the intensity and emotions of each scene intact. Peace negotiations and dialogues ended up being some of the most pulse-pounding scenes in the book. I sometimes find that the loudest volume can be found in the sound of silence, and there were many moments in the book where that voiceless moments amplified the tension so much. The battle scenes were mostly spread out here and there throughout the entire book, but in the final 15%, Stephens totally pull out all the stops; the unleashed insane chaos were impossible to untamed (haha), and I can’t help but found myself intoxicated by the power of the blood song.

“My song will drive them to ruin. Those who live will do so in the agony of their wrongdoing. I am the song and it is bloody. I am the song and it is war.”


The crimson macabre sequences demonstrated by Stephens in The Stone Knife will stay with its readers for a long time. Whether it’s peaceful tranquility or ruthless bloodshed, the scarlet claw in the narrative had a visceral grip on the reader’s emotions and attention. I highly urge readers of epic fantasy with a darker tone and grey morality to join the rank of the violent Melody with me. I utterly look forward to the next Chorus in the series. Harper Voyager, if you’re reading this, promote this book; you have something special in your catalog here.

Official release date: 26th November 2020

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

The Stone Knife, book one of The Songs of the Drowned, takes place in a whole new world that is inspired by ancient South American civilisations. It is the story of the Tokob tribe as they try to survive in the face of a relentless enemy hell-bent on colonising their world, and the monsters that live in their water-sources and sing people to their bloody deaths. It is also the story of the Pechaqueh as they try to bring the magic of their leader's Song to the tribes around them, whilst those tribes murder their gods... As one should come to expect from Stephens' writing, things are never black or white.

The opening to this story of siren-like song magic lulls you in - it's exposition, but it doesn't feel like a dump as it's a tale being woven. Natural additions of the voice's world filter through with no background information, which gives the narrative a sense of authenticity, that this voice is rooted in its place and sings with authority. Just when we feel at peace within this tale, the voice takes a sharp juxtapositional twist in tone and it's a strong indication of the character's personality. And what a character she'll turn out to be; Xessa quickly insinuated herself into my heart and is now up there with the likes of Tara and Fell Noon as one of my all-time favourite characters. Stephens brings her monsters into play promptly, we certainly do not have to wait long for the trilogy's eponymous creatures. And they are CREEPY. And violent.

'Mottled brown and green like the riverbed, thin ribbons of hair on its head like weed, it stretched a clawed hand towards Xessa...'

I found myself immediately convinced of their threat. Our protagonist appears adept and experienced, and yet proves to be human and vulnerable. It is a dark and dangerous opening to a story, setting the scene for what seems a desperate, eat-or-be-eaten world. It's softened by our protagonist's canine companion, and her reflections on her society of historians and teachers, of people with specific and individual roles to play. And so in just a few short pages, Stephens introduces us to her new world in a succinct and impactful manner.

Water was life and breath and plenty, and water was death and pain and fear, held in a balance like day and night, sun and moon. Xessa was a thief, stealing from the balance without offering anything in return except her sweat, her fear, her blood. One day, perhaps, her life.

As with the Godblind trilogy, Stephens treats us to more multiple points of views in this new trilogy - seven in total, and from either side of the conflict. Stephens is relentless in her ability to tell every side of the story and blur the distinctions between the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys', certainly more so here than with Godblind. The first three chapters, excluding the brief opener, are all from the same tribe, so when we enter into the perspective of someone who up until that point we'd been told was the enemy, I found myself thinking ah, classic Stephens... There is no right or wrong. No good or bad. We simply have people existing as themselves in their world, firm in their belief that they are in the right, that they follow the true faith. Context, as ever, is key and that is a gift for us, a step removed. This is such an accurate portrayal of humanity - that of the 'bad guys' not seeing themselves as being the 'bad guys' - and one that seems safe to say is Stephens modus operandi.

Speaking of representation, I had expected to come across diversity in The Stone Knife, knowing its importance to Stephens. However, I wasn't prepared for just how perfectly Stephens embraces it here. Xessa is deaf, and Stephens shows us so many little ways in which the character processes details instead that it comes across as a very different perspective, already showing me things I would not normally have considered.

Xessa eased herself onto her feet to approach the river when a double thump like a heartbeat shivered up through the soles of her bare feet... The dog jumped again, landing back feet, front feet... his throat rippling as he barked and barked.

Treated with equal subtlety and nuance, Stephens' approach to gender and sexuality is seamless - there are no labels used. We don't get told the sex of a person until personal pronouns are used; no awkward, assumption-based statements like "the female warrior". Likewise with sexuality, there is quite simply the person the character loves or is attracted to - no mention of whether they are 'gay', or 'lesbian' or 'bisexual', or 'straight'. No mention of only being interested in the one or the other. No judgement. It felt so natural to read characters in this way, so refreshing. We can imagine worlds bursting with magic and fantastic creatures, or worlds lightyears away from our own, and I felt like finally I am reading a world in which love is love.

I guess what's important to take from everything I've said so far is that Stephens has created a world which feels so real. So obviously a secondary, fantasy world, and yet so obviously authentic and grounded. Stephens' writing style of threading her worldbuilding through references that are unfamiliar but obvious in their context makes for a subtle means of creating an utterly believable world.

There are a number of similarities between this world and story and that of the Godblind trilogy. Stephens' magic system is again heavily linked to belief, faith, and ancestors. Magic is gifted through gods and spirits. As well as this, Stephens' writing still has that visceral quality that became something of a hallmark in Godblind. You can expect violence and gore from The Stone Knife, but again, it doesn't overpower the story. The characters are very much what drives this story, and although there may be pain awaiting them, and plenty of twists, there is still hope and love that abounds.

These similarities make this story recognisably Stephens' handiwork, and yet this story is a clear progression of her growth and evolution as a writer. The Stone Knife is a story that you will lose yourself in, breathless in its heady depths. So many times I found myself scared to read on, fearful for what Stephens, a notorious heart-breaker, would do to these new, innocent, utterly relatable characters. So many moments, despite knowing this author's treachery, I found myself reeling from a new revelation. This is a powerful, dark, and beautiful song, that's left me open-armed and ready for the next.

This book is SO GOOD! Really well written and I was hooked from the start. Cant wait to get my signed edition from Goldsboro