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.