Songstone by Lena Goldfinch

 

About the Book
Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling--the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone--is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he'll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can't see him for what he really is.
Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.
Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village--a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.
The story of a girl who yearns for freedom, a boy determined to be more than what's expected of him, and the desperate journey that will leave them both forever changed.
A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Maori people.

My Thoughts

fter enjoying Lena's previous two books I really wasn't surprised that this one was as good! Even though I rarely like fantasy books Lena has a way of completely capturing me and making me forget that I'm reading fantasy!
All of the characters were superbly written, from Kita and Pono, who were fantastic main characters, to the evil Matiko, who made my skin crawl.
Kita and Pone's journey was fascinating and took many turns I was not expecting. Whenever I thought I'd figured out how it would end it turned out I was wrong and something entirely different happened!
This book was so unique and fresh that it had me constantly reading more and not wanting to leave this wonderful world. If you enjoy fantasy or not I would still advise you to give this book a try-it's worth it!

Meet the Author

LENA GOLDFINCH writes fantasy and romance for teens and adults. She's a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it's a novel, novella, or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even when she's writing something light and contemporary. Her latest release is TAKE A PICTURE, a lighthearted contemporary romance for teens and new adults, which includes a bonus short story, CHAIN REACTION, a prequel to HAUNTING JOY. You can learn more about Lena and her books on her website.

Giveaway

Lena's got some sweet treats for a couple of readers! One winner (U.S. & Canada only) will receive a paperback copy of one of Lena's books (winner's choice) plus some candy, and the other winner (can be international) will receive an e-book copy of Lena's latest release, Take a Picture. Both winners will be announced on Saturday, March 15th. You can enter via the Rafflecopter form below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.