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MY ⭐️ RATING: ?/5
Format: Kindle eBook
BOOK DESCRIPTION
In a dying land, the armies of the dead hold sway. And those who rule them are more god than human.
James Culdaine, the last heir of the Northern Throne, was just a young man when the armies of the South murdered his parents and subjugated his lands. He has never forgotten those responsible, nor has he forgiven. He has spent the last ten years living in isolation with The Feldarra; a sacred Northern clan of fierce warriors, led by the fearless Wulfee who, still reeling from the loss of her own children, finds new meaning in protecting what only family she has left.
Now, an ancient order of warlocks has returned to the North, singing dark songs composed of blood magic that null the elements and threaten all that is living.
With nature depleted and the Southern armies returning to the North, James struggles to embrace the unique power he has long tried to repress; the ability to commune with the spirits of the dead. In the bitter heart of a growing war, with the world dying around them, James and Wulfee desperately seek answers, vengeance, and a way to save the ones they love… No matter the cost.
Fires refuse to burn. The skies are thirsty and breathless. The earth won’t eat its rot…
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MY REVIEW
After I finished The Sound of Starfall prequel novella of The Last Ballad series, I knew I had to jump directly into A Memory of Song to see what the world was like 3000 years later. And this debut did not disappoint, it’s epic dark fantasy at its finest. Self-described as Braveheart and A Game of Thrones meets Stephen King is a tall order and the Stephen King bit intrigued me as to what type of horror Palmer was unleashing.
For lovers of classic fantasy, this story has everything you could ask for. It’s a multiple pov story where we get a hero’s quest with the reluctant hero of James Culdaine and a mother’s quest for vengeance in Wulfee, who reminds me a lot of Orka from John Gwynne’s Bloodsworn saga. A Memory of Song is a story of hope, love, and found family set in a sprawling Norse-inspired world with horrific creatures and a haunting magic system that shows psychological dread and supernatural chills that make the whole world feel alive and dangerous in the best way.
As a self-imposed rule, I’ve tried to stay away from Norse-based fantasy. I don’t dislike it, but I’ve read so much of it that I try to read outside of it. With that said, I’m very happy I finally took the plunge on this series after watching Palmer’s interview with my guy, P.L. Stuart. It made me realize how much I do love Norse-based fantasy.
I really liked James and his story, but Eurick was a character that I wasn’t expecting to like near as much when I first met him, but as the story went on, he became one of those characters that I didn’t want to see leave. I also really liked Wulfee, she’s the definition of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” She’s such a mom, but also a brutal warrior and it makes her even better. But like James’s pov, she has a character that steals scenes as well, and that’s Gen, Gen is the gentle giant with a child-like mind, and the entire time, all I could think about was Sloth from The Goonies, and that made me love Gen even more.
“It’s like the ugly things we hide deep down inside come out, after all, in our children. It’s the gods’ way of making you face who you really are.”
Palmer’s character building is top notch and didn’t feel like a debut author. The changes his characters made from the first line to the final line showed so much growth in how each one dealt with different things. The acceptance or coming to terms with who and what they are. The deep lore of the world was also done well, though the first half of the story does give it in a heavy dose, I wasn’t really deterred by that. I would say that the only thing that did feel a bit overwhelming was just the introduction to so many names and characters, but the payoff for that was that the second half ramped up the intensity with visceral battle scenes.
Another thing I liked about Palmer was that his world building was spectacular. For such a dark world, he loves letting the color shine when he can, whether it’s a sunrise or sunset, or magic illuminating a cave, the colors always pop showing life. It’s like he’s always reminding you that there is beauty and wonderment in this dark, grim world. I keep thinking of the scene in Hook when Peter Pan is eating imaginary food at the table and then it comes to life and the table is filled with bright popping colors. That example was food, but you get the gist.
So if you are looking for that classic epic fantasy that’s got a new age spin on it, with grimdark heart, visceral fights, found family and moments of real beauty cutting through the darkness, then A Memory of Song is absolutely for you. Highly recommended for fans of John Gwynne & Ryan Cahill.
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