I had the wonderful opportunity to read this book as an ARC reader through NetGalley, for which I want to express my gratitude! It is the first book I have read and reviewed as an ARC reader and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Every year, prophecy leaves fall from the Yubriy Tree. And every year, the Dayborn king sends his most trusted servants to collect the leaves and return them to the capital. Only this year, one of the leaves drifted into the forest unseen.

Three lives will be forever changed by the undetected prophecy leaf: the strong-willed daughter of a powerful family, the mysterious and reviled half-brother of the king, and a talented but unlucky musician, desperate to write the song that will bring him good fortune.

Meanwhile, reports emerge of the first dragon sighting in Ragar Or in over sixty-five years. And, as history warns, whenever dragons appear, royalty dies.

Review:
As a passionate fantasy reader with dyslexia, I enjoyed many aspects of this book. The story is compelling, and the world-building is immersive. I’m already intrigued to see how things develop in the second book.

Plot & Pacing:
The story aligns well with its genre, and there are some truly fun and original elements in the plot. I particularly enjoyed the immersive world with its rich history and clear, engaging plotlines. However, I found that the pacing in the first part of the book was a bit slow due to heavy detailing, which sometimes detracted from the momentum. Once the pacing picked up, it flowed steadily, and I became more invested in the unfolding story.

Characters:
The characters are original and well-thought-out, though I wish we had gotten to know them more deeply on a personal level. This would have helped me connect with them more emotionally, which is something I’m hopeful for in future installments.

World-Building:
The world felt magical and expansive, with plenty of mysteries and layers yet to uncover. There’s a sense of depth and history to it that drew me in, and I’m excited to explore more of the world and its lore as the series continues.

Writing Style:
The writing style is immersive and often beautifully lyrical. However, as someone with dyslexia, I found it challenging at times. The shifts in prose style and certain word choices sometimes made it hard for me to maintain my reading flow. It took me a bit longer to adjust to those changes, but overall, the writing carried a fun and engaging tone.

Themes:
The themes of the story—finding your own path and embracing your true self—are powerful and will resonate with many readers. These messages were clearly conveyed and added emotional depth to the narrative.

Final Thoughts:
The pieces of the story are now fully in motion, and I’m eager to see how things develop in the next book. The world feels vibrant and full of potential, with plenty of mysteries still to uncover. I look forward to continuing the journey!

Also: How gorgeous is that cover! Absolutely stunning!

This review is placed on Goodreads on Wednesday 25 September 2024, link is added.
This review will also appear on my TikTok-account called meltriestowriteastory and the review will be placed online on Saturday 28 September 2024.

This was brilliant. I was racing through this, and getting annoyed with myself because I knew it was an arc and there's gonna be a wait for the next book.
It's really EXCELLENT. A real big chunky fantasy to sink your teeth into, with dark GoT hints and brilliant chapter characters. A common criticism of some of the late GoT books is that some of the characters chapters' are just boring and you want to skip to your fave character again - this book has it perfect. I loved each characters arc, I loved the threads crisscrossing through the hook and enjoyed each character even when they're being awful!
If you like fantasy, you'll love this.
Please release an arc of the next one because I need to read more!

I loved the concept of this book. It was refreshing and something different for the genre.

Ben Spencer has a terrific way of describing characters and feelings. Especially with our main characters. This was a brilliant way of showing how grounded this story can be.

The plot itself was interesting and makes me eager for part two. Spencer kept me intrigued throughout and I was a massive fan of the unravelling.

I enjoyed this book. It's very character-driven but not to the detriment of the rest of the book. The descriptions were beautiful and the writing itself was very polished and pleasant to read.

That being said, nothing much really happens. Most of the action takes place in the last 20% and the whole thing really just felt like a lead-up the next book in the series (ending isn't really a resolution but feels like things are just getting going).

an imaginative and richly woven fantasy novel that takes readers into a world filled with magic, prophecy, and ancient secrets. At the heart of the story is the Yubriy Tree, a mystical symbol with the power to shape the fate of kingdoms. The characters are deeply layered, each driven by their own struggles, ambitions, and ties to the prophecy. The plot is filled with twists, well-built tension, and an intricate blend of magic and adventure. This novel offers a compelling narrative for fans of epic fantasy with deep lore and vibrant world-building.

The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree (The Song of the Burning Heart Book 1) by Ben Spencer. Publishing date: 19th October 2024. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked this book as the title intrigued me and I am so glad I did as it was fantastic!

The book centres around three main characters - Johanna Salk who is the lesser twin daughter of the Lord of a great house. Silas O’ the Songs who is a young lutist who longs to write and play his own original songs for a grand audience, and Gregor Thorn the bastard half brother (or is he??) of King Micah Dayborn. The Yubiry Tree and its prophetic leaves peaked my interest and I really enjoyed the ceremonial elements to its protection and gathering of the leaves.

The multiple character POV works really well in this book and fans of character driven fantasy will not be disappointed. I felt that was beginning to understand who the characters are by the end of the book (except Wyn who I cannot wait to find out more about!), yet wanting to know more of each characters back story as I went along.

The trio start on separate paths and we meet side characters on the way who are just as interesting as the main characters such as Easton Dayborn, Wyn Dunkin, and Madrig & Jacy (who I instantly loved). There are also tales of dragons of old and a dragon resurgent in the lands.

Ben Spencer has weaved together elements of a number of my favourite high fantasy books and come up with a brilliant story of his own. I couldn’t put it down. It has a rich but easy to follow plot with politics, magic, a little romance, and it’s full of interesting and intriguing characters which left me wanting more.

I honestly can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

I received this book as an arc read and my review is my own personal view of the book.

This is a great fantasy world build, but anyone who watched and/or read Game of Thrones will see the parallels. Of course this book has less graphic violence and sex, and no incest. But the fun last names, the politics, and the magic are very Game of Thrones

i enjoyed reading this book, and think that others will enjoy it also. i will try to give a spoiler-free review.

it checks a lot of boxes that we look for in fantasy: magic, dragons, medieval combat, and royalty. the characters are interesting, and their goals (specially for the main characters) are understandable and relatable within their stories. the setting and worldbuilding are relatable, but they don't feel cut-and-pasted from another fantasy world. we have things to look forward to. the second book in the series will not come quickly enough.

i would give the book five stars, but for one issue that plagued me throughout. the book feels like three good independent stories that were connected with a plot device of a prophecy tree. none of the three stories got much farther than its inciting incident. by the half way mark of the book i was wondering when the separate mc threads would join, and they almost never did. having said that, the title and cover of the book make the promise that the separate storylines will eventually become more relevant to one another. and, the book is still more than worth the time of reading it, and i feel sure i will want to read it again after it is released.

thank you for the opportunity to read the book.