This book has filled the gaping holes that the Throne of Glass and Game of Thrones series have left in my heart. A plethora of characters whom we follow and love throughout the start of this epic fantasy of rebellion and revenge.

A Song of Legends Lost follows the stories of a shunned General's son, a fierce lowblood, a rebellious monk, a traumatised Captain, and a morally grey pauper. In the Nine Lands, only those of highblood can summon the spirits of the ancestors to fight in a centuries long war with the Greybloods. That is until a lowblood invokes a powerful spirit which could hold the key to ending the war and unravel the world as it was once known. The contrast between all of these characters was so beautiful. I particularly loved the dichotomy between two funeral scenes showing one character's loving family and the other's unloving cold family. I had my heart in my mouth in so many scenes as Ayeinde unravels her complex, fantastical world. Temi has my heart and I feel would be an excellent friend. Runt was such an exciting character to read and I cannot wait to see her develop and see how she fits as the story progresses. I can't say more without spoiling!

This novel unravelled so wonderfully and wickedly - just when I thought I knew what was coming, the path shifted and new facts emerged. At the 50% mark I vividly remember going "Oh shit, it was all a lie!" And proceeded to have "Oh shit" moments going on from there right until the last page!

Those epilogues have me in a chokehold, and now I am patiently waiting for the second book. I really can't wait to learn more about the Greybloods and their origin. I also can't wait to know more about Aan's kin and what they stand for. M. H. Ayinde is an epic contender in the fantasy space and I cannot wait to read more of her work! Watch out Sanderson and Martin, Ayinde is incoming!

Now this was great! I went in with no expectations, honestly, I just knew it sounded neat when I first preordered it (I try to preorder the most intriguing fantasy/horror books throughout the year, within my budget of course) so when I requested it on NetGalley I just knew it was on my preorder list. Well anyway, allow me to offer you some quick expectations: A Song of Legends Lost is the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy by British author M.H. Ayinde. This is very West-African inspired (with a bit of a mix! I certainly noticed a little Indian culture in areas), it's a multi-POV story with four parts, and each character offers the story something different.

This is a world with a lost people, the Scathed, wiped out millenia ago by their own creations: the greybloods. These are kind of mechanical people, made out of the cursed techwork people are told to keep away from, and humanity has been at war with them for as long as they can remember. Here in the Nine Lands, humans are ruled over by the Royal Ahiki clan, the golden clan with golden eyes painful to look upon. And within this world, only those called upon through specialised rituals within the Nine Clans can invoke their ancestors, a power used to defend against the attacking greyblood armies. Only... Temi begins hearing a voice in her mind, somebody who is not her ancestor, and the ancestors turn away from those who do not use the gifts they are given. Sounds good right?

So we've got a kind of arcane techwork that must be "cleansed" by a Royal Monk, it is forbidden for anybody but them to touch it as it is allegedly cursed. There are ... oh there are just so many moving parts to this book I couldn't even begin to explain it to you, just trust me. Each perspective moves the story along in its own way, and by the end paints a whole picture, and the way everything comes together, man, I couldn't stop reading. I have read the most I've read all year so far over the past 3 days because of this book. It's so unique, complex in a very good and satisfying way, and I loved all the characters. I wish I could dive right into the next book! But I will have to be patient.

I can however urge you to consider checking this one out! Especially if you're looking for queernormative epic fantasy written by an amazing black woman. It releases on the 8th April 2025, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of this trilogy pans out and yes I was naughty and went off and preordered the special edition from Goldsboro Books. Hey I may want to revisit this one, may as well do it in style, right?

2.5 stars rounded down.
A promising start that turned into a boring slog. I probably should have stopped reading but I was genuinely interested in some of the plotlines.

The worldbuilding and the story are the strongest parts of A Song of Legends Lost. The setting of the Nine Lands is inspired variously by Nigeria, India, Mesoamerica, and probably others. The land is littered with ruins of the Scathed, who left behind mysterious technology, called techwork, and the greybloods, artificial creatures who have been attacking the humans in an endless war. Only monks and nuns are allowed to use techwork, as it supposedly needs to be cleansed before it can be used safely. Members of the highblood families can summon the spirits of their ancestors to aid in battle, called invoking. All of this is really interesting and different from most other fantasy. I won't get into the plot, but it sets up some intriguing mysteries and is what kept me reading to the end.

Unfortunately, the book is let down by two things: mediocre writing and characters that I did not care about.

The actual prose was mostly okay except for some strange word choices, but there were often times when something would be mentioned for the first time in a scene, but as if we already knew about it, which was confusing and would make me go back to see if I'd missed something. There were other small mistakes (I assume) which confused me. For example, in this quote:
"Princen Hothin, Lord Jinao here has a particular interest in the invokers of other lands. He was telling me just the other day that the shadow he invokes is mightier than all the others."
the speaker is referring to Hothin and addressing Jinao in the second sentence, but because they started the first sentence addressing Hothin, it makes it sound like the second sentence is about Jinao. In general the descriptions of places were quite sparse, and I found it difficult to picture things, although the author was better when it came to describing people.

The real problem was the characters. I couldn't really get attached to any of them except maybe Jinao and Temi. Their reactions and emotions all seemed so surface level, even after events that should have been very impactful. There is also a lack of meaningful interaction between any characters. I don't think I could point to any really interesting relationships in the whole book.

While the story was good it slowed down a lot in the middle, with a lot of scenes that are repetitive or don't advance the plot much. Elari's chapters were particularly hard to get through because she was extremely passive. In most of her scenes she is either asking Lyela to do something or just reacting to events. And her 'doves' were meant to be endearing I think, but mostly they just annoyed me because they kept wanting to kill people who were trying to tell Elari important things. The pace does pick up toward the end of the book, and I found the ending decent.

There are a few big reveals about the history of the setting. While these come as a shock to the characters, they fell flat for me, either because I had inferred them early on or because the book hadn't emphasised the 'lie' enough - there was no indication of the importance of this to the characters.

I think this book could still be enjoyable for someone who doesn't mind less emphasis on characterisation, or who is really interested in non-medieval fantasy settings. There is a lot to praise here and I would try this author again, but this one didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

So before I start my review, from the synopsis, I thought this book would be centered around Temi only - but I found myself in the midst of a multi-character fantasy that is a lot more ambitious than I have anticipated. I'm certainly not mad about it though, but it certainly took me by surprise.

We follow multiple POVs in this book - Temi, Jinao, Boleo, Elari and Runt. Each of these characters are from a different part of the Nine Lands, and we follow them mostly on their own paths before finally crossing it with each other. I don't have a problem with the multi POV because I do feel like that's very common in high fantasies especially as ambitious as this one, but the way this book was structured in multiple parts and a character would be introduced in a new part made me struggle with this book a little bit. I thought each of the characters are all equally well written - each were fleshed out with their backstory and despite my initial struggle, I did enjoy reading their POVs. However, my favorite POV to follow were Temi and Jinao.

World buidling wise, this was also really good! I thought the whole concept of ancestral powers being inherited by their descendants was really interesting and new, and Ayinde executed it really well. I think my only issue would be that sometimes this book can drag a little bit and there are definitely certain moments that I feel like could be shorten a little bit.

Thank you to Orbit UK and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Four parts in this book, five POVs. A magic system that includes raising ancestors, put versus 'techwork'.

This book is not something you can read lightly, you will need all your braincells. But then you will be rewarded with epic fantasy that has a slow but thorough worldbuilding. Yes it takes a while until 'things happen' but once they do you can almost hear everything falling into place.

A great and diverse read, and nothing I've ever read before.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @LittleBrownBookGroup_UK for the eARC!

#SongOfLegendsLost #Netgalley #Bookstagram

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H.Ayinde

What blast that was. This is my first ever ARC, but what is surprising is that this is MHAs debut book. I do also have to point out that cover 😍

The prologue really reels you in, and from then on, I didn't really slow down. I feel like MHA did a really wonderful job in setting up the world and giving us the viewpoints of our characters.

I really like the African inspired setting and out of the African inspired fantasy I've read, I've found this to be the most interactive and informative.

I like how we come across the mysteries that are set, and later on, we get to find out what the mystery is. I am also a fan of how the book is split into parts that involve different sets of characters. MHA for me, walks just on the right side of the line in terms of allowing the reader to join the dots and just being confusing.

I am also a big fan of drip feeding the worldbuilding and lore.
The world building and lore for me is a real strength of this book. I think the idea of invoking the spirit of an ancestor is so cool, the techworks that one can have, the greybloods, very well thought out and balanced.

The twists were awesome and I'm now excited for the next book! I feel like this was more of a plot driven story and with quite the number of characters and plot lines I would recommend this to the slightly more experienced reader who is looking for something very unique.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟. 5

This was a crazy good debut novel. The story was gripping, the world full of vibrant and interesting culture, and the mystery kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. However, I felt there might have been a few too many povs. Especially since the book is divided into parts, each focusing on different pov characters. I got particularly attached to one character from the first part, but they didn’t reappear until the very end, which did disappoint me a bit as i was very invested in their story. The reveal at the end about a certain baddie had me shook, and now I’m desperate for the next book to find out what happens next! Overall a very solid fantasy book with a unique world and magic system, interesting politics and both loveable and hate-able characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown book group, Orbit for providing this ARC
My thoughts & review are my own:

This book has five POVs and is split into four parts. I didn't have any confusion and I felt the parts helped piece the story together nicely. I enjoyed the world building immensely, the magic system of invoking ancestors in battle was fascinating and the use of 'techworks' was thoroughly interesting.

Out of the five POVs we follow, I enjoyed Temi and Elari's the most; these were the chapters I was most looking forward to getting back to. These are fiercely strong women and I was absolutely here for the feminine rage.

So much happens but it never feels overwhelming. That being said, I am more of a 'go with the flow' reader and there's so much detail that I personally would have to keep notes of the finer details. As is, I vibed with this story and enjoyed the ride. This is true fantasy and I loved every moment of unraveling the world and characters.
It's quite a thick book, however you don't really notice, I found myself getting so lost in this world that time flew past and I wasn't ready for it to end. Speaking of the end, the twists the plot took had me absolutely shocked, I'm very much looking forward to continuing this series.

Back in October of 2024 I was at FantasyCon, I had a slot where there were no panels I wanted to attend to I stumbled into an epic fantasy reading where I listened to a debut author read the prologue of her upcoming release. That prologue lived rent free in my head rent free for months and I could wait to get my hand on the book, that prologue was from A Song of Legends Lost, and oh boy did this live up to the hype I generated in my own head.

This multi-POV epic fantasy debut is a tale of revenge and rebellion inspired by many pre-colonial tribes from the Middle East and Asia. With a beautifully diverse cast of character if you are looking to diversify your reading look no further than A Song of Legends Lost. Not only do we have the incredible non-western inspired world we also have LGBTQ+ representation seamlessly woven throughout the cast. On top of that I need to take a moment to talk about the *clears throat* STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS.

Usually in a multi-POV story I find there is always one POV that I seem to gloss over and become uninterested in, however the way in which the POVs have been split up between the parts of the book was so well done that in every chapter something important was happening. Everything was relevant and there was no padding out of the story so make the book more fantasy tome(ish), an issue I’m seeing with more and more debuts in the epic fantasy space. The lack of filler made this a thoroughly enjoyable fast paced read, that made the stakes always seem high.

Finally, the magic system, the blend of the ancestral magic and techwork is an intriguing blend of sci-fi and fantasy, feeling both familiar and innovative at the same time. The techwork in particular is unlike anything I have personally read. The invoking of the ancestors is awesome, and I couldn’t help but think I’d love to see this on the big screen as I was reading.

All this combined made A Song of Legends Lost a breath of fresh air in a genre that while I love with my whole heart is becoming a bit stale in terms of innovation. I cannot recommend this enough and am waiting so impatiently for book 2.

Thank you to NatGalley and Orbit Books UK for an ARC copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Fantastic start loving the story. The magic system is an interesting take and love the idea behind the grey bloods .
I am invested in the POV characters and like how each chapter is dedicated to one of them. I haven't quite finished but looks forward to the end and the follow up books thank you M.H. Ayinde for my first ARC and for writing such a wonderful book #ASongofLegendsLost #NetGalley.

epic fantasy could be so back. what an ambitious debut, and i'm so glad it was this ambitious because it was so impeccably done. in awe of the skill on display here, from the prose to the worldbuilding to the character work to the sheer breadth of it all - it's so pleasant as a reader to be able to appreciate all the hard work that went in a project this big (in length but also in range).

i really loved the entire concept of the book from the get go, but i was so happy to discover that the story takes it much farther than i thought it might, and doesn't deny itself the depth it deserves. it asks questions and then relentlessly asks more, never satisfying itself with an easy answer, constantly wanting to do more and go just a little bit further. there's a lot of moving pieces in this, it's very impressive to see m. h. ayinde move them around while keeping track of them all and (crucially!) without leaving the reader fighting for their lives trying to remember everyone's names. don't be spooked like i was by the very long list of characters at the beginning, it's actually very pleasantly easy to dive into. it took me a while to read through it, which makes sense considering its size, but i don't feel like i had to sludge through a really long set up. the pacing is what you'd expect from the genre, yet there's such energy in the writing and different povs that it doesn't drag, i found myself going back to it easily and excitedly.

another thing i was pleasantly surprised by is how much i cared for each pov (almost) equally. usually there's always this character or that in fantasy books with so many povs that will fail to get me and feel more like something i have to get through than chapters i'm excited for, and i'm happy to report that i was deeply invested with every character and found the merging of their narratives at the end very satisfying. the themes of class, power and legacy are sooo refreshing as well, i love when a monarchy doesn't go unchallenged (too many fantasy books are way too comfortable with having kings in there). even in those more black and white conflicts (yes kings should be decapitated), i really had fun with the greyness of it all. the book pulls no punches and doesn't try to have its characters avoid consequences even when they are correct which again. much too rare in the recent fantasy i've read. its reversal of certain tropes (ancient civilization vs technology) is also a delight, and the uniqueness of the worldbuilding + constant striving to do even more than just reverse is one of this book's biggest strengths. it has many :-)

highly recommend this! also need to talk about horizon zero dawn with m. h. ayinde asap!!!

Thank you netgalley for this arc to read and review honestly, all thoughts are my own.

A song of legends lost is an epic fantasy and science fiction blend where 9 noble tribes of spirit invokers battle technological foes called "graybloods" to protect their home. The world is large and feels lived in with diverse cultures and queernormative language, I even spotten neopronouns! An often forgotten part of queer identity. Its a book that everyone can find themselves in.

S.O.L.L is a multipov book that utilizes its different points of view cleverly, showing us perspectives from different social classes and occupations. Temi, a girl from a rundown part of her city living with her large multigenerational family getting by with their bakery and providing lifesaving tech to their customers, we follow her journey with being discovered! Jinao, a man of noble blood who has failed to bond with his ancestor and therefore cannot summon him and his spiritual journey after a tragedy in his family. Elari, the spouse of an invoker and the captain of his quartet, who deals with the disapearence of her invoker and the aftermath. Boleo, a monk with a curious facination with the forbidden illegal tech and his story after a big discovery. And finally Runt, a peasant girl working for a wealthy crime family in exchange for scraps trying to keep her sick brother alive while guarding a treasure she recieved from her mysterious father.

Not only that but the book also uses these perspectives to build tension by knowing when to cut away and even leave out a POV for the entire middle section of a book, which was particularly painful. Its a book full of plottwists that never leave you feeling lost. The only downside for me is that I now have to wait for book two. And that the list of characters in the begining really should include family trees for these large families. For your readers sake, please. Any extra characters unrelated by blood could still be in a seperate list format.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Enjoyed this one, although it is not an easy read. There are many POV's which normally I don't have any problem with, but in this book the POV chapters for certain characters were very far apart which made it harder to become immersed again in their story. Aside from this, there was a lot to enjoy here, within a rich complex story. There are two highlights regarding the magic system - the first being how unique it is and the second the complex relationship with technology. There are still has a lot of unanswered questions, and I do wish some of these had been explored more or better explained, but I will still pick up the next book in the series!

⤷ 4.25✩
Thanks to Orbit for providing me with the E-ARC via NetGalley.

A Song of Legends lost is an epic multi-pov fantasy story. It is incredibly engaging and does a lot of work regarding world building and character arcs. However, this has both its advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly, the book features many povs. Throughout the story you follow five characters, with a switch in perspective each chapter. This often made it difficult to recall what was happening to each character and thus to follow the intricacies of the story. Therefore it was hard to pick up certain story threads.

The large cast of main and side characters also posed a challenge considering following those threads. All of the character arcs are strong, but some were way more entertaining than others. The arcs of Temi, Runt and Jinao were ones I looked forwards to, while I cared less for Elari or Boleo.

The large and diverse cast contributes to a wide world with complex issues and great potential. Every chapter is a smaller puzzle piece of the larger whole. This makes the narrative more interesting, because you can already sense potential of how everything could come together perfectly, but again, specifics of these puzzle pieces are challenging to follow and remember.

A huge plus is the cultural aspect of the worldbuilding. The world is very unique and the magic system incredibly interesting. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book, but you just need to be aware- It requires some serious brain power to keep up with the details!

a song of legends lost being my first 5 star book in months should speak volumes on how much i enjoyed it!

i received an arc on netgalley in exchange for my review, but my opinions are completely my own.


i'll start with the negatives because that's what i have the least to say about:

i don't know if it was an issue with me or if the pacing was complicated in the beginning, but it took me a good deal of time to get through the first 50% of this books. i could tell i was enjoying it, but the multi povs was confusing me, and we didn't spend enough time with each character to get attached to them. this got solved later on, though.


now with the positives:

i enjoyed some characters straight away and found it devastating when they disappeared for hundreds of pages but i realise now that it served the plot. everything the author wrote was intentional.

other characters had to grow on me but it's proof of their growth, not everyone is likeable at first glance.

i found the world building so incredibly intricate and well thought out. even when you think you've gotten the hang of it, you discover something that completely changes your view on the world the author crafted. for this, i applaud her.


i'm so grateful i got to read this first instalment early, but that means i have to wait a few months before everyone else discovers this little gem, and even longer for me to read the sequel! i'm so excited for what m.h. ayinde has in store for us!

3 - 3.5 ⭐

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Here is my honest opinion:

I'll start by saying that the idea is quite cool and the setting really interesting. I liked the magic and creatures. It's slow paced and it takes a while to get captivated by the story. Sadly, it didn't click with me. The book itself was very long, yet little happened. I had high hope and the story had a lot of potential. Maybe the next book will be better.

The book has multiple POVs, so as a reader you get to see the events from different angles. I liked the characters.

MH Ayinde’s A Song of Legends Lost is an breathtaking debut that delivers a compelling mix of action, intrigue, and emotional depth. With its rich world-building, multiple character perspectives, and a unique magic system, this novel is a eye catching entry into the epic fantasy genre.

The structure of A Song of Legends Lost unfolds through multiple POV characters spread across different locations and social strata in the Nine Lands, each navigating their own struggles—whether it be a hardscrabble survival in the slums, uncovering lost histories while trying to enjoy meals close to retirement, or mastering combat while dealing with parental emotional abuse as a spare heir. Their individual narratives gradually converge into a larger, grander conflict, revealing how even the most disparate figures are insignificant pieces in a much greater game.

Each character is compelling in their own way, embodying different types of conflict—personal, societal, and existential. The novel masterfully examines unchecked privilege, exploitation, and the stark divide between the elite and the destitute, delivering sharp social commentary that resonates well beyond its fantasy setting.

The magic in A Song of Legends Lost is one of its greatest strengths. It intertwines tradition and technology, where some characters wield the power of ancestral spirits, while remnants of forbidden ancient technology lurk in the background, demonized by religious doctrine. The ruling houses wield unique powers tied to generational knowledge, trauma, and duty, grounding the magic in cultural and communal legacies. This blend of arcane mysticism and lost technology adds depth to the novel’s world and its conflicts.

The pacing of the novel is deliberate, immersing readers in the world before accelerating into full momentum. The book is structured in distinct parts, corresponding to major events, and introduces new POVs as the story progresses. While this may feel disorienting at times, it ultimately adds to the richness of the narrative. Some aspects of the world-building are meticulously detailed, while others remain tantalizingly elusive—hopefully to be explored in later installments.

With themes of rebellion, betrayal, stolen history and the blurred line between history and myth, A Song of Legends Lost is a remarkable debut. Ayinde’s writing is vivid and engaging, bringing to life a world teeming with political intrigue, supernatural forces, and deeply human struggles. While it embraces many epic fantasy hallmarks, it also introduces elements of science fiction through its technology-infused magic system, making it a refreshingly unique addition to the genre.

For fans of character-driven fantasy with high stakes and a richly immersive world, A Song of Legends Lost is an absolute must-read. With its vast scope and ambitious storytelling, this debut signals the arrival of an exciting new voice in fantasy, and I can’t wait to see how the series unfolds.

ARC provided by NetGalley, Orbit Books, and the author in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC - opinions are my own

I absolutely loved this book! If I had to compare it to something I'd say it's a mix of the world and atmosphere of Horizon: Zero Dawn (the videogame) and the theme of heritage and lineage from The spear cuts through water, two pieces of media I absolutely love.

There are multiple POVs here that at first seem very seperated from each other but then get woven together so beautifully and it's so satisfying.

The different characters definetly have their own defined voices and they are very different and diverse.

I loved the theme of fallen civilizations and how history is remembered and the world building came together slowly and is executed so well.

The writing is really good especially during the fight scenes and I loved the descriptions of people and places, the images in my head were very vivid with this book

The only critique that I could come up with is that there isn't really a huge climax/end of an arc at the end of this book. The ending is really open and it's all a big setup for the series and while it left me being really hyped and excited for book 2 I can see how this could bother some people.

I am left blown away by this book, still thinking about it days after I finished and am really sad that I now have to wait for so long to read book 2.

Oh my GOD. Temi, my GIRL! Jinao, badass. Runt, JEEEEESUS.

To summarise without too much detail. We follow multiple povs through the build up and beginning of a huge war with the human and ancestral realm. The LIES! The action! The twists! Nothing is what it seems.

I started this slow as I knew I'd devour the remaining 40% and didn't I just.

What I loved most about this story was that I understood EVERYTHING. I get nervous reading action packed fantasy as I worry stories and characters would blend and get mixed up but everything was CRYSTAL CLEAR.

God, I'm so excited for people to pick this up in April!

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC and thank YOU M. H. Ayinde for a fantastic book I am already impatient to read the sequel to!

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.