Now this is the kind of epic fantasy I can get behind!

- a great cast of complex, nuanced characters
- multiple POVs told in the third person
- fantastic and detailed world-building
- a very cool magic system
- solid, solid writing

The scope of this book - especially for a debut! - is massive, with so much plot, world, history, and characters jammed into its many pages. It hits a lot of buttons of epic fantasy, but also has a bit of a sci-fi side, with the magic system and techwork. Captivating and original, I'm very excited to see the whole story come together across the series.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

An exhilarating epic fantasy, A Song of Legends Lost delivers an unrelenting ride of action, intrigue, and emotional depth. Set in the Nine Lands, where only those of noble blood can summon ancestral spirits to fight in battle, the story follows Temi, a commoner from the slums who accidentally invokes a powerful spirit. What begins as a mistake soon becomes a dangerous revelation—Temi may hold the key to ending a centuries-old war, but the power she’s unleashed could be more destructive than anyone realizes. Ayinde masterfully blends elements of rebellion, betrayal, and spirit-driven conflict in a world where the line between history and myth is perilously thin. With rich world-building, a compelling protagonist, and stakes that grow ever higher, this debut novel is a whirlwind of ferocious talent that will captivate readers from start to finish. A Song of Legends Lost is a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy, featuring a truly unique and thrilling world that promises much more to come.

A Solid 3.7/5
The book is slow—not boring or tedious—simmering like a fine, flavorful broth you are patiently waiting for. Ten chapters in I found the author still setting up plots, characters and the world, quite an expected phenomenon in the genre/the first of a series. However, the story hooks the reader immediately with the feeling of, “There is going to be a massive explosion at the end of the tunnel, a satisfying catharsis.” Every new information, new character/setting (there are a few events occurring simultaneously) feels like solving a mystery, a sense of intrigue – the key being wound tighter and tighter.
There is the underdog shoved amid a world of magic/ chaos that they want nothing to do with except what they need from it to survive, between superstitious beliefs and survival they have to choose the later.
We have our accidental hero, the chosen one, my second favorite pov to read about. The offspring of privilege and a spare lordling, forced to be quiet about their own parental emotional abuse in the name of status.
Last but not least is our middle-aged priest Ngbali who just wants to enjoy his food in peace. For he has seen, heard and done too much in his long life to care about trivial skirmishes (almost all things are trivial skirmishes to him at this point until it is not). Dry humor on point, one is bound to love him.
The magic system is one of the most unique that I have seen in a while. There is ancestral bonding, powers granted to the nine ruling houses, riding on the undercurrent of generational experiences/ duties and trauma -things well documented in community-based cultures. There is also ancient technology (this is evil as taught by priests, the believed root of every blight in this world) and both of intertwine.
At its core this is a story about unchecked privilege born of exploitation, of corruption so deep seated that the lower end of the society could not even fathom the existence of the upper echelons. A tale of the top 1% and the dirty, blood-stained money we are all too well acquainted with. Or, the cost of power and the toll it takes on family. The characters pull at your heartstrings, the helplessness they embody despite having talent, each character is representative of a unique form of conflict. The author does an exceptional job of conveying “certain vibes” (for the lack of better words) people may give off quite well. The good, the bad, the manipulative, the ulterior motives her characters have, shine—almost life like. If you are the kind of reader that enjoys a good character arc and immersive reading be assured your blood will bubble over for people are rarely black and white, and your heart will weep for those that stayed for only a short while (‘the could have been’ moment we all sigh at).
Once the author is done winding her readers up with consistent glimpses of her world, she picks up pace and gets going! The story is told in parts corresponding to events and timeframes which leads to new ‘pov’ characters being introduced in the middle, something that may be tad disorienting for readers, and would require some amount of concentration and mental note of where what is; I did not find it too be too much of a pause in the flow. Certain descriptions of things, worldbuilding laws and ‘how to’s’ were explained well, while certain others left me in want of more description. However, this is only the first book and hopefully the answers will unfold in time.
Overall, a great new addition to the genre, with a fresh new world inspired from pre-colonial cultures which is where its magic system sits right at home.

This is the first book in a series and is very wide ranging. It is understood that only those of noble birth can call on their ancestors to help them particularly in battle. However, as is often the case, whatever is widely believed and understood, might not be the reality. This book opens with a priest investigating a large Blackglass relic, the cursed remains of a civilisation best forgotten. Priests are seen as those necessary to sanitise such relics so that they don't harm anyone. It is interesting that, despite being a relic, it appears that someone may have emerged from it very recently… From here we come across Temi as she encounters someone who "is not a witch". The outcome of this is interesting and leaves Temi with a follower who may look like a cat but isn't one. I was intrigued!

There are four fairly sizable parts to this book and in each part there are chapters taking the views of various main characters. The story is basically linear however because it is spread over a number of characters (and over 4 parts) I did find it hard sometimes to pick up the threads again. There are quite a few places and concepts involved in this. Some of the characters in this book I really found interesting and wanted to journey with. Temi is unquestionably one of them. Runt and maybe Boleo would also be in that category. A few of the others characters I never really got into and that made their parts of the narrative feel slow.

The world building here is massive. Possibly helpfully there is a cast list at the start that lists various characters including those from the seven clans. In general large cast lists leave me a little worried that I might not keep track of people well enough and that was definitely the case here. All in all some of this was really interesting and well done. But for me there was just too much and quite a few parts simply left me wanting to get back to characters I liked. It really felt so vast and varied I think it was a bit much for me in all honesty. That said it is very well worked out and planned and does have some great ideas and good characters.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy.

Winner of the 2021 Future World Prize, A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde is an epic fantasy novel I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. I was thrilled to finally receive a copy ahead of its April 2025 release.

This novel is challenging to summarize. The book’s structure and world-building evoke comparisons to A Song of Ice and Fire, as we explore the world through the perspectives of various characters situated in different locations. We witness their daily lives and challenges, from surviving in the slums to uncovering secrets about history and religion, to learning how to connect with ancestors and wielding the art of combat. The stories are as diverse as the characters themselves, with an overarching plot gradually coming into focus, making them pawns in a larger-than-life narrative. I will not say much about the latter as I think it is best to go blind and make your own mind.

The magic system is one of the novel's greatest strengths. Tradition and technology are seamlessly intertwined; some characters have the ability to summon their ancestors—spirits of past "warriors"—while remnants of ancient technology can either aid or pose a threat. I especially appreciated how M. H. Ayinde introduces spiritual principles through the story, allowing the characters to examine, critique, or even reject them. This makes the spiritual themes come alive, as we, along with the characters, wrestle with their doubts and questions.

Ultimately, my biggest challenge with this novelis expressing just how much I loved it. Every detail I could share feels like a spoiler, and I don’t want to ruin the excitement for anyone. I want readers to experience the mysteries unfolding and I can’t wait for someone I know to finish it so we can exchange impressions and theories.This is undoubtedly a book meant for discussion and sharing with friends. I highly recommend picking it up, letting it captivate you, and preparing for an unforgettable adventure that will leave you longing for the sequel as soon as you turn the last page.

A Song of Legends Lost is a Multi-POV story about a land where the precursors to humans have been killed off by their own creations, the Greybloods. These mindless technological monsters and ruins are all that remain of the scathed, the land they left has been claimed by Humans now which fear the technology the scathed used, believing that it will bring Greybloods directly to them. However, nothing is quite what it seems.

The magic within this series is based within the ability of the Nine Great House members to bring back the spirits of their ancestors to fight on their behalf, with their expertise in weaponry and hulking size.

I thought this was a fantastic debut. The story was interesting, majority of the lore dumps felt organic as we follow different individuals learning about their own hidden history/culture. And the characters are very well written, while I didn't necessarily like certain POV's, I thought that they were still well done, and unique to each other which can always be difficult with a story like this.

My main issue is due to how the book is structured, with each part changing the cast or order of the POV characters, very reminiscent of how Brandon Sanderson structures the Stormlight Archive. But this meant that you could get really into a POV, to then find that the character gets cycled out after that part and you don't get to see them again for the majority of the book. While it makes sense in hindsight, as a first time reader it was really disruptive and made me feel like the book was lacking appropriate focus.

Getting past that, I was happy with the end payoff of the novel, and in hindsight, I can really see how each and every character helps to build off each other, creating a much more vivid world. I really enjoyed this novel and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H Ayinde publication date 8th April 2025. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I actually can't believe this is this authors debut novel! It's so incredibly well written.

If you enjoy epic fantasy with no spice, this is a must for you!

This book is based in the Nine Lands. Where people of noble blood can summon the spirits of their ancestors into battle. A "low blood" or commoner to us, accidentally summons a spirit from the ancestral realm and it unlocks a chain of events which will alter the course of the Nine Lands and everyone in it. The world is inspired by pre-colonial cultures and I just found the world building so eloquently written.

Firstly I want to start with the characters. There are five POV's in this book which can be confusing at times however each part of the book (its split into four) tells you what characters those parts are focussing on. In the epilogue there are three individual POVs for different characters and Lyela's is epic.

I loved Temi! Her chapters were the ones that really brought out the emotions for me. I had a tear or two in one particular scene. Jinao is another favourite of mine. I enjoyed his progression through the book and really felt his frustrations. Elari is a warrior and even though she is tough her love for her husband really tugs at your heart strings. Boleo is an interesting character. I'd love to find out more about him. Towards the end we get Runt who is very similar to Temi. I really can't wait to see what's in store for them two!

I thoroughly enjoyed the world building in this book. The way the Nine Lands are described, I really liked the different clans, learning their differences and it was so interesting how the characters could tell what clan someone was from just from the way they looked, dressed and spoke. The techwork's role in this book is so unique, as are the grey bloods, they seem very scary!

The invoking of the spirits / ancestors really reminded me of Sword of Kaigen in how they summon the whispering blade and the ice.

This is definitely a fantasy book to read when it comes out in 2025. The world building is so immersive and I absolutely loved this book. The only reason it wasn't 5⭐️ for me was it felt a tad too long, however, considering how much is packed into this book, it's only a minor downside to the vast amount of positive. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the arc copy of this book. This my own honest review of this book.

4.5! Thank you so much for NetGalley, the author and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

THIS IS A DEBUT???? I actually can’t believe it, it’s amazingly written for a high fantasy.

We begin in the Nine Lands, where people of a higher class have the power to summon the spirits of their ancestors to help them in battle. The world is rich and so interesting to learn more about!!

The multiple POVs do get a bit overwhelming at the start, since there’s 5 but you’ll soon get used to it (it’s so worth it guys) Temi is definitely my favourite character, I absolutely loved following her journey throughout the story.

World building was so great, learn in about the dynamics between the clans and how the characters interacted with them was really interesting! The Techwork in the story was a unique aspect of the story that I just LOVED. Everyone needs to put this book on their radar ASAP.

My only issue with the book was the amount of POVs, I felt like I couldn’t keep up and made the book drag a little but everything else about this book makes up for it!

Absolutely fantastic fantasy. I really enjoyed and loved everything about this debut. Great writing, world building and lore. I am definitely looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy and an immersive world.