The Song

Sons of Destiny #4

by Jean Johnson

The fourth installment in the national bestselling Sons of Destiny series.

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-- they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Isle, where women are forbidden. This presents a challenge for the brother whose magic has been destroyed ...

Evanor, fourthborn of the Sons of Destiny, lost his voice-- and with it, his powers-- in the violent battle that free his family from their greatest enemy. Thankfully, with the safe return of his twin, Evanor now knows precisely who can bring his songs back to life.

She is the enchanting widow Mariel, a Healer brought to Nightfall to help the brothers in their hour of need. For Mariel and her young son, that means leaving their beloved homeland for the unfamiliar island of Nightfall and its still-forbidden shores ... and with it, risking the passion she stirs in her intriguing patient's heart. But a new danger looms when the Council of Katan learns there might be women on the Isle ...

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

369 pages, Trade Paperback

First published February 5, 2008

About the author

Berkley/Jove Authors Bio

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author, science fiction author

Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.

Reviews

[Darian Froseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on how the romantic relationship and sexual tension in this one started to develop, I was really hoping that The Song was going to be one of the best in the series. And it was pretty good, but a lot of the focus was on world building (I get it, the 8 books have to be tied together somehow), and the kid (which basically ruins the whole fantasy romance aspect for me personally. While Evanor’s relationship chapters were really great, I just wasn’t interested in the daily life activities of a 10 year old, or the kind of random Council workings. Oh, well. I’ll still probably read the next one.

[Gardavson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was far better than I expected it to be. It probably is the best in the series so far. I didn't expect much, Evanor not being my favorite of the brothers. I don't dislike him, he just is the least "manly man" and I like the dominant type. However, it turned out pretty good. Evanor's story almost bordered on being a side story. He and Mariel were part of the story, but this story also had plot going on that took up a large part of the book. It worked well though. Their really wasn't much angst between Evanor and Marial so it mostly just highlighted their romantic moments and focused on the plot.

I like that the other brothers also make up a good part of the stories. The characters are very well done in the books. Except I still hate Kelly. She irritates me and I don't like reading about her but she was able to speak a few words here and there - though not many - that didn't insanely annoy me. If the author would kill her off, the characters would be perfect.

Next is Trevan's story (I think that's his name) and the book set up a bit for his coming story. There is a lot of suspense being built up though for Rydan's story and I can't hardly wait for it. I MUST know what's going on with him!

Anyway, off to the next!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series and this is no exception. This is the story of 4th born brother, Evanor who lost his vocal cords fighting Alys' uncle in The Wolf. A Woman, Serina's friend, Mariel is a Healer and comes with her young son to help heal Evanor.
Meanwhile the Council decides to surprise them by showing up on the Island unannounced, causign Kelly to finally declare Nightfall Island independent.

Magic, romance and politics.

I really enjoy the romantic development of these stories and can't wait to read the next until the story all comes together!

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 4/5
Characterisation: 3.5/5
Prose: 3.5/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One might think that a repetition of a theme, namely "brother meets Destined bride", would grow old by the fourth time, but not in these stories. New and fresh conflicts keep the stories interesting. I was unwilling to put the book down when the challenge in this book manifested- only allowing me 3 hrs of sleep for the night, but well worth it!

Though the story is technically about Evanor, and certainly revolves around his voice dilemma and the challenge of facing not only his Destined bride, but also getting to know her son from her previous marriage. The rest of the brothers, led by the indefatigable Kelly, struggle with finding a substitute for Evanor's magic of the Voice, which allowed communication throughout the Isle, and the threat of conflict with Katan, the nation that exiled the brothers in the first place. Ingenious ideas and unflagging spunk win the day... at least for now!

I am off to read book 5- The Cat.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the entire series that I've read so far, this has been the most boring! I don't know if the author just didn't know the main character well enough to write an entire book about him, or if she felt she had lose ends to pick up, or what, but there was so much going on that there was no focus! It almost felt like another Kelly/Saber book part of the time! Although maybe I should be grateful, because during the parts with Evanor, the fourth brother, and the woman he was courting, Mariel, the scenes were dry and boring. If it weren't for the developments in the last quarter of the book, I would say skip this one on your way to the next one!

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

ความน่าสนใจของ The Master ก็มีมากพอจะทำให้แม็กซ์หยิบเอา The Song เล่มสี่ในชุดมาอ่านเกือบจะในทันทีที่ซื้อมา แม้ว่าตัวอีวานอร์พระเอกและเมอริลนางเอกจะดูไม่น่าสนใจเอาเลย

และคำตัดสินก็คืออีวานอร์และเมอริลก็ไม่น่าสนใจจริงด้วย ความรักของทั้งคู่มันราบเรียบ ลงตัว ไปเกือบจะในวินาทีแรกที่ทั้งสองพบกัน ไม่ต้องลุ้น ไม่มีทะเลาะ ไม่มีความขัดแย้ง และนั่นคือความไม่น่าสนใจ

อีวานอร์เป็นพ่อมดที่พลังอำนาจอยู่ที่เสียงของเขา ซึ่งเขาสูญเสียมันไปใน The Wolf สำหรับคนที่อยู่กับเสียงเพลงมาตลอดชีวิต นั่นเป็นความเจ็บปวดที่แทบจะทนไม่ได้ และแล้วความหวังที่จะกลับมาเป็นเหมือนเดิมก็มาในรูปของหมอสาวแสนสวย คนที่เขาเชื่อว่า นอกจากจะเป็นผู้รักษากล่องเสียงให้เขาแล้ว จะยังเป็นเจ้าสาวแห่งโชคชะตาให้กับเขาอีกด้วย

อย่างที่บอกค่ะ ไม่ต้องลุ้นเรื่องความรัก เพราะอีวานอร์เชื่อฟังคำทำนายโบราณมาก เพราะแฝดผู้พี่ซึ่งเป็นลูกชายคนที่สามได้เมียไปแล้ว คราวนี้ก็ถึงคิวเขาบ้าง เมื่อผู้หญิงคนที่สี่มาเยือนครอบครัวหนุ่มแปดคนนี้ ทุกอย่างเป็นไปตามลำดับ และคำทำนาย

ส่วนของโรแมนซ์อาจจะไม่เรียกว่าสอบตกนะ แต่มันไม่มีอะไรให้ลุ้นเลย ทั้งอีวานอร์และเมอริลเข้ากันได้ดีมาก พูดคุยกันเหมือนคู่สามีภรรยาที่แต่งงานกันมานานสักยี่สิบปี (คู่ที่ยังไม่ได้คิดจะเลิกกันนะ)

แต่ท่ามกลางความไม่น่าสนใจของพระเอกนางเอก แม็กซ์กลับพบว่าตัวเองหลงเข้าไปในโลกแห่งไนท์ฟอล คาตัน และจินตนาการของจีน จอห์นสัน เกี่ยวกับพี่น้องทั้งแปดคน หากแม็กซ์จะบอกว่า ความน่าสนใจของฉากหลังของเรื่องเอาชนะความน่าเบื่อของพระเอกนางเอกได้ ก็คงไม่ไกลจากความจริงนัก เพราะมันเป็นเช่นนั้นจริง ๆ

แม็กซ์ชอบที่จะได้ติดตามรู้ถึงความเป็นไป และอนาคตที่อาจจะเกิดขึ้นกับพี่น้องที่เหลือ ชอบตัวละครรองที่มีพลังเวทมนตร์เหลือเฟืออย่างไรเดน (น้องคนที่หก) และมอร์แกนเนน (น้องคนสุดท้อง) อยากรู้ว่าเมื่อไรคอร์เรนเนน (น้องคนที่เจ็ด) จะได้เจอผู้หญิงที่เขารอคอยเสียที

แม็กซ์อยากรู้ว่าเกาะไนท์ฟอลจะมีอนาคตเป็นเช่นไรหลังจากที่เคลลี่ (นางเอกเล่มหนึ่ง) ประกาศอิสรภาพไปแล้ว

คะแนนเล่มนี้ไม่ค่อยสูงหรอกนะคะ ที่ 63 แต่เรื่องราวที่เป็นฉากหลังของหนังสือชุดนี้น่าสนใจมากพอจะทำให้แม็กซ์ ตั้งใจจะอ่านต่อไปจนจบชุดค่ะ แม้ว่าจะไม่ถึงกับปิ๊งอะไรกับตัวเอกในเรื่องมากนัก (เพราะปิ๊งตัวละครรองอย่างไรเดนไปอย่างจังแล้วน่ะสิคะ)

[Aurian Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the battle at the end of the second book, Evanor lost his voice, and with it, his power as a mage. Evanor is desperate, as none of the Katan Healermages is willing to come to the island and Heal him. Without his magic, he is nothing, having to use the Artifacts his brothers make for him to do simple things like shaving and laundry. His brother Dominor finally has some good news though. His wife Serina’s best friend Mariel is a Healer, and she is willing to come to Nightfall Isle with them, and her young son Mikor. She has not done major Healing in years now, and although she knows how to perform the magic, she wants to practice first. Queen Kelly graciously offers her the vicious citizen chickens to practice upon, and when Mariel meets them, she has no longer qualms to do so. Of course, she will make sure they don’t feel a thing, and are properly Healed in a few days time as well.
But after the “operation” to regrow his voicebox, Evanor will not be able to talk or communicate with his family for at least 3 whole weeks. Not even the whispers he can talk with now. She will even remove the desire to communicate, to make sure he doesn’t strain those delicate throat muscles. Having heard his voice in the music box he gifted Kelly upon her wedding, she wants to make sure he gets it back just as beautiful as it was before.

When they were still talking through the mirror, with Evanor on Nightfall Island, and Mariel in Natallia, they were already attracted to each other. Evanor was happy that she was not as slender as her friend Serina, he liked a more mature and filled woman. And so, even before the surgery, their courting begins. Mariel’s son Mikor really wants to have a new father, living amongst a bunch of nuns was not an ideal situation, as he needs a male influence in his life. At first he is disappointed that Evanor is not as good with a sword as Dominor, or Saber, but he comes to like Evanor soon enough. And Evanor knows that Mariel comes as a package deal, and he does want to take care of her and her son.

Evanor used to be the point of communication between his brothers and sisters in law, they only had to sing his name to get his attention, and he could relay all their messages to the others. So now, they have to come up with another means of communication. I have to admit, I got pretty soon tired of all the talk about cell phones from our world (where Queen Kelly is from, see book 1), and how they can reproduce it here with magic. It sure took a lot of time out of Evanor and Muriel’s story, no matter how handy the things are.

Kelly has proclaimed herself Queen of Nightfall Isle, and Nightfall independent from Katan, but now the Katan government has gotten suspicious about the strange shipments delivered to the Corvis brothers lately. Are there really women on the island? That is punishable by death! And so the King of Katan and almost half his council set sail to Nightfall Island, to see for themselves. And when Challenged, Kelly “rings the bell” to proclaim themselves an independent country, which means they have one whole year and a day to find a Patron Deity to worship, and who will protect them, and Katan will have to leave them in peace until then. More fighting ensues, and Saber kills Alys’ last cousin when he tries to kill Kelly, finally freeing Alys from all the spells laid upon her (see book 2, the Wolf). Of course Katan will not give up without a struggle, they had a very nice income from the free salt and algae blocks the Desalination plant produced for the past centuries. And to give in to those exiles? Never! But for now, they will have to leave, and Morganen sure sets them on its way.

Kelly really does not like the idea of a new god or goddess for Nightfall, that all the current and future inhabitants of the Isle will have to worship. She is American, and she is used to the freedom of belief. She wants to same for Nightfall Isle, but how to reach that ideal stage, is not easy. Still, she is stubborn, she will find a way. After all, they are determined to make Nightfall Isle prosper again, and repopulate it. For that, they will have to build houses for the new immigrants, and a city and everything that is necessary.


I enjoyed Evanor’s story for the most part. He is the quiet brother, content with running the household, and organizing the chores and provisions. He is a natural father to Mikor, and stern when needed with the energetic boy. Losing his voice is a total disaster, as he has lost his magic and his self worth with it. He fell for Mariel so hard, even though they tried to keep a bit of a distance at first, as they are Healer and patient, but that certainly did not work out. They became lovers pretty quick.
Mariel is a brave woman to start her life over again, and moving to Nightfall Island. I admired her for that. She is a nice person, a very good Healer, and a good mother. After losing her husband a few years ago, she is finally ready for a new man in her life, something more than the one night stands she sometimes arranged when on a trading mission with the nuns. Her Healing is also done with Songmagic, so she and Evanor really complement each other. Both quiet and really caring about others.

The ongoing story arc really makes me want to read all the books back to back, remembering more and more details the more I read. Jean Johnson has created a wonderful fantasy world, filled with magic and good and evil people. They are going to plan to build a new city, houses, a harbor, and make sure the new people are willing to contribute to the community. This series just has everything I love in a book, a great world building (although too much detail sometimes), great characters, magic, believable love stories, and hot love scenes aplenty. And all the brothers and their new wives keep working together to revive Nightfall Island. Jean Johnson has a wonderful writing voice, and I keep wanting more of her books. So far is has pretty much been that the brother falls in love with the first woman he sees, who is his Destined bride, after his brother-before-him gets hitched, but I know that will change.

The fourth of Sons shall find his catch
The purest note shall turn to sour
And weep in silence for the hour
But listen to the lonely Heart
And Song shall bind the two apart

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian

Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Isle of Nightfall – the 8 towered castle, the docks; Katan – council room; councilor’s offices

Theme: independence; destiny; love; next father;

Characters:
Evanor Corvis: 4th born; Lord Chamberlain (keeper of the household); his magic was through his voice, which he lost when defending his family against bad uncle who had taken over their lands stateside, and wanted to kill each of them and take their magic; recognizes Mariel as his mate from when first saw her through the mirror communications – not just because of the prophecy, but because of her pull; he takes to fatherhood easily, loving Mikor as easily as his mother;

Mariel Vargel: magical Healer; from Women’s magic land with Serina; lost her husband 2 years earlier, and continued to live with the nuns as Healer and raise her son; loved husband, grieved for husband, ready for next phase of her life; agrees to live on Nightfall as their Healer (paid and everything), and believes son will benefit from 8 brothers; first patient is Evanor – to restore his voice and his magic;

Mikor Vargel: her 8 year old son; eager to explore; full of energy, and testing limits; well loved and managed by his mother; is ready for his next-father;

Seer Milon: Mariel’s first husband; as seer, saw his own early death, and that his family had another man destined to care for them; he wrote 2 letters, given to Morg, to give to his wife, and to his son – his wife after first being with her new intended to assure her of his love and his faith in the gods to give her to another, the other to his son, when first bristled with limits placed by his next father, to tell him of his love, and his need to accept another to guide him;

Consus, Sea Commerce Councilor: Katan – in charge of monitoring the trade on Nightfall; realizes that Corvis brothers getting a raw deal, and does his best to keep their activities away from scrutiny by council – as much to avoid conflict as anything else;

Lord Duke Finneg, Councilor of Conflict Resolution: proud; likes to throw power around; not a diplomat, but gets results;

King Taurin and Queen Samille of Katan: he more retactive, she more thoughtful; decide to go with Councilors to see what is going on at Nightfall;

Barol, Count Pro Tem of Corvis: continuing in father’s machinations against Nightfall, still tied to receive their powers if they die; gave self forgetful potion that holds memories of his father’s machinations in a crystal so as to pass lie detector test when questioned about father – his abhorrant magical creatures, his killing of his own brother as a sacrifice in black magic;

Saber / Kelly: head of brothers / Queen of Nightfall; when Council shows up, she negligently sits on throne reading a book about Katan laws and the protocols for independence;

Wolfer / Alys:

Dominor / Lady Serina: Lord Chancellor & Master of Ceremonies / Royal Echequer; she = ex-Guardian of Koral-tai & mathmagician;

Trevan: Lord Vizier; inventive; shape shifter; interested in courting Mariel – getting horny, and wants a woman of his own;

Rydan: night (vampireish?); Lord Protector of Nightfall; controls the magic fountain; can move through time – getting from beach to castle in 3 steps;

Koranen (flame): Secretary to Her Majesty and Pyromancer

Morg / Hope: Royal Mage; strongest mage, in charge of making sure prophecy fulfilled, and all brothers gain their mate; watches Hope through the mirror as much as he can – eager for his turn for a mate;

Summary:
Courtship of Evanor and Mariel is sweet; both are attracted to one another from day one, both are taking it slowly; the begin with massages of sore muscles, leading to sexual release, leading to sex; when she finally performs the operation on his vocal cords, they bind his speech for 5 weeks – and when he first wakes up, he does not understand Mariel’s speech – only actions; and she is his woman, and he wants to show her how he feels… with touch, and ultimately making sweet love to her… ahhh; gains voice and magic back… and they begin to make plans for their bonding – blending Katan and Natallian wedding ceremonies;

And when Council and King become aware that Nightfall may have women, and that they are charging for salt and algae blocks – biting into their taxes, they go to the island to confront them… first to talk, but with the Councilor of Conflict Resolution (war) to use force if deemed necessary – instead are faced with a well defended (both physically and magically) fortress; Kelly and brothers respond to talks with the ways that Katan failed in their role to protect them as citizens, told that prophecy is being fulfilled without harm to Katan; and when push comes to shove, they ‘ring the bell’ declaring them as an independent nation – and they have a year and a day to find a sponsoring deity, or Katan can intiate war; Fennig challenges Kelly for rulership – she accepts, and as such can determine weapon – hand to hand, no weapons, no magic… and of course, our kung fu trained Kelly takes him down…

And they have initiated, and informed council they are looking for settlers to join them;

Memorable scenes:

Prophecy re Finneg: ‘Beware, Lord Finneg, no man may be your downfall, (Kelly) but your pride in your prowess will end with the fall of night (Nightfall), when you will eat your own words at the foot of a true leader!’

Mikor most intimidated by Dominor, and Serina advises that him to just stand tall and tell him that he is not afraid of him… which he does, to Dominor’s confusion;

[Jessa Fae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally well written, unlike most romance novels that seem like the author was just trying to write as fast as possible. This one is beautiful in the use of descriptions and actually has a story line! I'll have to go back and read all the others in this series that I've missed, plus the ones after it.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a four star read no problemo except for the treatment of the child. It was nothing but harping on Mikor. I felt no love for him by anyone, even his mother, through out the whole story. Not sure if that was me or the fault of the author. My guess it was the author. :)

[Geri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good. Unlike others she's already been married once and has a child. He being without a voice makes him more aware. The prophecy continues.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread. One of my favorites.

[Jennifer R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series! Each brother and his spouse is so different and their trials to happy ever after.

[Vampyress · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[LWB Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Fourth of Sons shall find his catch:
The purest note shall turn to sour
And weep in silence for the hour
But listen to the lonely Heart
And Song shall bind the two apart”

Eight mage-brothers who were born in four sets of twins, all on the same day two years apart each time, are known as the Sons of Destiny. They fulfil the Curse of the Eight Prophecies, therefore they were exciled by the Council of Mages of Katan to Nightfall Isle to prevent the fulfilment of the prophecies. But the Council should have known better, for destiny will not be stopped...

During an ugly attack on their Isle, Evanor the fourthborn of the twins lost his voice and with that his magic, for he is a voice-mage. He finds living without his magic hard while he is surrounded by the magic of his brothers, his only hope is to find a healer skilled enough to heal him. With the return of his twin Dominic and his bride Serina, Evanor now knows that he is next to face his destiny, therefore the moment he meets his healer he knows she is the one. Only how do you seduce and chat up a woman without your voice...

Mariel is a widow for over two years now, as Serina’s friend and more important as a capable healer she has come to Nightfall Isle to make a new start for herself, her son Mikor and to practise her healing skills. But of all the brothers on the Isle she is only attracted to her patient, Evanor, and that is not very ethical. But does she really want to resist the one man who makes her feel like a woman again and leaves her breathless every time they are together...

But a new disaster is looming up at the horizon, for the Council of Katan got wind of the presence of women on the Isle and that is strictly forbidden...

I was eagerly awaiting the fourth part in the Sons of Destiny series, so it did not take me long before I was fully immersed in this dazzling and magical story. Once again I got swept along by those eight sexy brothers and I could not move from the couch until I finished the very last page. Moreover this story stirred up my emotions and at the end it left me breathless and craving for more, it just gets better and better with each part!

Jean Johnson has an imaginative skill that knows no boundaries, she has created a magical world that is refreshing, new and stands out in the crowd of the many paranormal romance novels and series. She takes her time to paint in rich detail a very vivid picture of the magic, Nightfall Isle and its inhabitants and blends this with a passionate love-story and a stunning plot.

It is so easy to connect with the hero and heroine of this story, because basically they want the same things as most people. Evanor is loving, caring and very sexy but don’t mess with him or else, he is most willing to embrace his destiny and has many hidden talents. The heroine, Mariel, is a charming lady, a fantastic healer and a good mother, but at the same time she also needs to feel like a real desirable woman. The attraction between them crackles of the pages, the heart pounding love scenes are so sensual that they are almost too hot to handle and from now on you will never think the same again about a simple massage!

Evanor to Mariel and vice versa:

“Get ready for bed.” “ I owe you a massage.”
“You don’t have t—.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Will you let me pleasure you?”

The supporting cast of family and friends is familiar, you immediately feel at home again with the witty and snappy banter between the brothers, Kelly, Alys and Serina. Their interactions are funny, hilarious and they sparkle all over the story, this alone will make you laugh out loud. With a plot that is not only thrilling but also captivating Jean Johnson knows how to keep her readers spellbound. Now that a part of Queen Kelly’s plan for Nightfall Isle has been accomplished, we can only impatiently wait for the rest of the plot to unfold.

The Song is the perfect mix of a dazzling world full of magic, a thrilling and exciting plot that thickens with each part, a sensual love-story, witty banter and not to forget, eight sexy mages. The Sons of Destiny Series is highly addictive and sinfully sexy to read, I cannot wait to read the next part!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several places in this book were so well written that I could not have put the book down if I tried, however there were other places where things moved so slowly and so tediously that I thought I would never get through them.

The one drawback to this book was that they were building and explaining how to build a sophisticated technological marvel on the world where technology doesn't exist. The description of all of the detail of this read very slowly.

[MaggieReadsRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally...Evanor's story has arrived. From the first book his character intrigued me. The musical twin who was happy to take care of the household.
And I can say his story was beyond my expectations. Jean Johnson has the knack for surprising her readers. Just when I thought that I had an idea of where she was taking us in the previous book, she came, saw and conquered with unexpected and very original turns in the plot and the romance between Evanor and Mariel.

The Song brings us the story of Evanor, where we return to the Isle of Nightfall, the problems with Katan and the Curse.
Evanor has a hard time dealing with the loss of his voice and his magic, drawing more and more towards depression. But his salvation comes in the form of Mariel. The Healer who brings him hope and is destined to be his Prophesied bride.
I adored both Evanor and Mariel. Evanor is capable and romantic. He melted my heart with both his sweetness and his determination. I liked him in the other books but I loved him in his own. Mariel is very much like Evanor. A gifted healer, lovely and outspoken.
They are both down to earth and realistic despite their magic abilities, wanting to have simple things in life, the things all people want: happiness and love. I closed them in my heart easily and throughout the book I wished for their happiness, knowing they both deserve it.
Mariel's son Mikor was endearing. A true nine-year-old boy. Blunt, direct and with an inquiring mind. He put a smile on my face several times.
The brothers and their wives were as magnificent as before. Bit by bit we get to know them all, especially the ones who haven't found their destined brides yet. I'm anxiously anticipating their stories.

This time we also get more information on the mysterious Council of Mages from Katan. The veil was lifted from the people who exiled the brother to Nightfall. It's very nice how in every book more and more of this magical world is unveiled, how the plot thickens and how it takes new and unexpected turns. I really look forward to what the stories of the remaining brothers will bring.

The world building Jean Johnson does is detailed and exquisite. Both in the magical and mundane things. The way the Isle of Nightfall is evolving into an independent and self-sufficient kingdom is described in an intriguing and amazing way. But also the way Jean Johnson describes how the Nightfallers take 21st century concepts like the concept of cell phones and turn them into magical artifacts, or the way the concept of religion is explained. I was really amazed by the way this was blended with the love story. This is only possible because of Ms Johnson's extraordinary writing talents.
This talent also stretches to the love scenes. They were absolutely spine tingling. The sensual tension between Evanor and Mariel is built up gradually in a formidable way. I was just as wooed by Evanor as Mariel was.

With The Song Jean Johnson has only made me more eager for the following installment so I can explore this magical fantasy world she has created with it's delicious twins, their wonderful women and the never-seize-to-amaze-me plots.

[The Window Seat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my reviews at http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/

The Song is about the fourth born brother on Nightfall Island, Evanor, and the healer Mariel. Since the end of the second book in the series, Evanor has lost his voice and, since his magic works through his voice, his magic. Desperate to have his magic back, he is willing to try just about anything to get it back. Luckily, his twin brother Dominor just happened to have been kidnapped and bought as a slave by a woman whose best friend is a healer who specializes in singing magic. As Dominor and his wife Serina return to Nightfall Island, plans are made for Mariel and her son, Mikor, to join the growing family. Of course since she will be the fourth woman to come to the island, everyone assumes she will also be Evanor's destined bride.

Mariel is a widow with a nine year old son. She is a rare healer and she is a perfect match for Evanor. Evanor has been the one to take care of his brothers during the exile. He has been the "mother hen" of the group. Mariel is also of the same personality. When the two meet, there is an instant attraction. But Mariel had loved her husband. She is very reluctant to let go of the memory of her happy marriage and fall completely for Evanor. In addition, she is afraid that Evanor doesn't understand that her and her son are a package deal. If Evanor wants her, he will have to accept her son as his own, as well.

Evanor is not only willing to do so, he is wants to take on the two. His biggest concern is that he can't woo her properly because he can't talk. He has to wait for her to heal his voice before he can truly work at winning her affection. Just as his voice returns, trouble reaches the island. Mikor is in trouble and it is up to Evanor to save him and to try to win his love and respect in the process.

This is one of the good books of the Sons of Destiny series. Kelly remains mostly in the background, there are unique twists and plots with the widow and the son. My only concern was that the author felt the need to use very predictable means of getting Evanor and Mikor to accept each other. Of course, the first time Evanor disciplines the kid for nearly getting killed, the kid decides he doesn't want Evanor as a step father. I felt that was such a weak ending to what had been, until then, a good book.

Despite the weak ending to Mikor and Evanor's rocky relationship, I thought the love story between Evanor and Mariel was sweet. She was not your typical heroine. Instead, she was the mother hen figure and so was he! :) Throughout the book, you could see a true affection growing between the two characters and the differences in the story made it pleasant. This wasn't a virgin bride that Evanor was courting but a widow and a mother and he handled the unique situation well. Although I may not LOVE the whole of the Sons of Destiny series, there are a few gems. And this is one of them! :)

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other than being a bit confused at the start, I loved the way Ms’ Johnson introduced the history of Evanor’s voice problem right from the start without becoming an info dump later.

I found the story interesting but not what I expected. It was not about Evanor finding his destined mate. Though we did know who that would be, I’d expected more of a challenge.

Here are the story elements in order of page quantity: 1) creating cellphones magically. (I mean, what? Cryslets? Really? Way too much detail on that). 2) How to handle a 9 year old boy. (He’s a brat who definitely needs a father.) 3) Setting up the island as an independent and self-sufficient kingdom. 4) Katan’s events leading up to and ‘invading’ the island. 5) Kelly and brothers handling the Katan visit (too silly) Then we get a mishmash of relationship stuff.

Evanor himself seemed a little bland to me. He was a bit too perfect and understanding. Even his relationship with young son (who didn’t come over right) seemed more important. Mariel’s preparation for and healing of Evanor took up most of the relationship scenes. And though, kind of interesting, after all the buildup, Evanor’s healing was too brief.

Footnote: 1) They learned real fast about how annoying phones can be.

2) Kelly’s recital of the Katan independence laws closely resembles America’s Declaration of Independence. Or is that where she got it from?

3) I love the ‘Son of Sting’.

4) I hove how caring the sets of twins are for each other. How they tease, but have each other’s backs.

5) I know a lot of parents who could use that time-out spell.

Fave scenes: Saber learning about a cellphone, Evanor trying to train Mikor, Morganon’s mirror ‘answering machine’, the Katan delegation discovering the women and Kelly’s challenge battles.

[Erinaceina]

The first couple of books in this series were guilty pleasures for me, despite the sometimes clonky dialogue and cheesy world-building. The author's determination to write a semi-medieval fantasy world with very modern attitudes towards religious tolerance, homosexuality and feminism could have been pulled off, but was often made awkward by the stridency and smugness of Queen Kelly, and by lack of subtlety. Rather than showing us the way in which the world of Nightfall works, we're told, often in such a way that it jerked me out of the narrative. However, as I enjoyed the books, I tended to ignore these problems.

However, with The Song, I was also bored by the romance. Evanor was about as interesting as dishwater. I'd be the first to admit that I have a weakness for ultra-alpha heroes, especially bad boys, but I do also appreciate well-written beta heroes, heroes who show a different kind of strength. Evanor just bored me. I'm not interested in heroines who like housework (it's a necessary evil, not actually something to get excited about), and an ultra-domestic hero just made me want to climb the walls to escape the tedium. Evanor came across as a nice guy, but not an interesting or sexy one.

Fantasy romance is thin on the ground, and I did enjoy the first couple of books, so it's with a genuine sense of regret that I'm saying goodbye to this series.

[Lady Lioness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I have figured out that while Johnson's world building skills are excellent, the stories themselves could use more of a polish. Johnson seems to be trying to make each book accessible to every reader, meaning you could start the series with any book and be able to follow along. The downside to this is that fans who began with book one, The Sword, have to put up with info dumps in each book. I don't think it's as noticeable if you read each book when they first came out, a year or so apart, but if you re-read them in a matter of days like me, there's a fair amount of "I know this already" that takes place.

As far as The Song itself is concerned, it's better than The Wolf, but not as good as The Master. The main redeeming point of The Song is that the overall series arc gets a major push forward. Since the relationships between all the heroes and heroines are very similar, events surrounding the series arc is what keeps the books feeling fresh and different. So while The Song may not be beyond fabulous, it's still an important book in the series as that's when the bell rings, if you catch my drift.

[July · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book "The Song is about the fourth Son Evanor who has the gift of voice and uses it along with magic and when he loose his voice saving his sister-in-law he has no magic. Now Evanor needs a healer, when fate sends Mariel along with her son Mikor to Nightfall Island because Mariel is Evanor's twin Dominor's wife Serina's best friend. So luck would have it that Mariel would travel here to heal him and she is his destined bride.
Now Katan decides they want to know what is going on with the Eight Brothers because they have started to charge for the salt and now they are going to visit. But they do not release that Queen Kelly may just have a few things to say about how they have treated the men in the last three years.
This was a very good book. Cannot wait for the next book.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, not a bad read. But there are times when the amount of detail gone into is frustratingly annoying. For example, the pages that it took to describe the functions for their cellphone bracelet things. You really didn't need to say that much about them.

And Kelly... there was way too much Kelly in this book. She is such a dis-likable character in my eyes. And the way that she's always right and always need to go on about her other-worlder ways. Considering nearly everyone who reads the book is an other-worlder, it feels erroneous.

But I like Ev and Mariel was a lovely bride for him.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series... This ones about the 4th brother who lost his voice box in the 3rd book protecting his brothers "potential bride" from a maniacal uncle . It was the source of his magic so without it he's helpless and in great despair... Until they invite a widow healer and her son to the island (from the end if book 3) and that's where the story of Evanor begins.. This book in the series is sweet and loving and very "family"... (With "adult only moments" of course)...
Next up .. The Cat! ... I have No clue where this one will go... They didn't hint at all in this book like the author did in the other books.

[Yogesh Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been the best I have read so far in this series.

I liked the pov of mikhor. The ending between them was a bit too much but I think I can look over that fact. The chicken jokes where going over too much bcs all the time same joke can get very boring so I would have liked to see something new in that way instead.

After reading this book I don't know if I should continue reading the series bcs it all looks nearly the same. The only difference is a change of sex position or a sexual detail in the relationship factor. The relationship between the characters are getting more or less same between all the books.

[E.rai · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up @ page 66 when the hero pops out of his room to offer the heroine a massage (rme). The kid is annoying. The writing is repetitive and overly descriptive(they tell the heroines son not to wander over and over and overrrrr). The hero knows that the woman is his destined bride so of course he wants to be with her all of the time smh. It was just bad all around. I also loved how these 8 brothers who are mages didn't think about becoming a nation until "queen" kelly came along!
2 words should have sent this book hurtling from me in disgust...ULTRA TOUNGUE

Ok I'm done.

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the story and characters, but I can hardly finish this book. It's so slow, drags on forever. Though with the bedroom scenes taking up 5 pages at a time it shortens the book a whole lot, as I keep flipping by all that garbage to get back to the story.
After 5 pages go by it's easy to flip another 5 while they talk about how to set up a cell phone system..blah, blah, go on and get on with the story, flip over 5 more pages for the next pathetic sex scene.
I'm done with this series.

[Stasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, should have seen that twist coming...It was obvious when it happened. I'm finding that I do better considering this a late teen sci-fi/fantasy series with love scenes rather than a romance novel. After all I really don't want to hear that my heroine is short, fluffy with sagging breasts. Not everyone who has kids ends up sagging.