Lowan's Song

by Elaia Crowe

Azora's tracker seer sense is a death sentence, but she has no choice but to use it to provide for her family. When Azora's brother Lowan died, she paid a mage to store his essence in a stone bird. The song it plays often soothes her grief-stricken mother, but one night, thieves steal the bird. Azora will do anything to get it back, even confront Death himself.

Alcaius is the son of Death. He does his best to silence his inner monster by switching the names he's supposed to claim. He loathes his desire to reap and the thrill it brings him, so he tries to claim souls he believes deserve to die. When his actions are discovered by the fate determiners, it sends him down a forced path with the seer tracker woman he was ordered to kill but couldn't.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[Smuttybookoholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so soo good! I fell in love with Azoras and Alcaius’s characters! This book had everything I wanted in a book. Fantasy, adventure, overcoming struggles, and hard times, finding love, and friends a long the way, and spice! This book was written so well and had me hooked from page one. The plot was amazing and I can not wait to read book two. I 10/10 recommend reading this book if you love fantasy with some spice to it!

[Alison Semeraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is an absolute gem of a book filled with adventure, magic, danger, and love. The vivid and enchanting descriptions bring this fantasy realm to life! The world building is intricate, and immersive with every detail meticulously crafted to transport you into the adventure where there are glass cities, floating islands in the sky, many different kinds of dragons and other mythical creatures. The pacing is spot on with a perfect balance of heart pounding action scenes with moments of quiet introspection the deepen the emotional connection. The chemistry between Azora and Alcaius (the son of death) is electric, and their love story unfolds in a way that will make your heart soar. Their relationships is beautifully developed, with a slow burn tension that had me hooked. And if you’re a fan of witty banter, you’ll love this. The FMC in this is a force to be reckoned with. She’s courageous, determined, and fiercely independent. From the very beginning you’ll be rooting for her as she faces incredible challenges and discovers her own inner strength and abilities. 10/10 I highly recommend to my romantasy lovers and adventure fantasy lovers

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I am super grateful for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for Lowan's Song! I've not reviewed an ARC in detail before, but let's go ahead and get started.
I really did enjoy this book. It had a very colorful world (literally and figuratively) and tons of little quirks. Overall, it did read a bit YA. Yes, there was some mild spice, but overall, it just didn't read like an adult fantasy to me. That being said, it was a fun read. It had a very strong start, a great introduction to the world and to the characters. The ending I thought was also good as well. It was in the middle that I felt like things got a bit lost.
I mentioned that the world itself had some funny little quirks like, for instance, a goblin spinning away on a mini-tornado. Doesn't bring a very serious image to mind. It makes me chuckle a little bit but it's cute and it fits within the world.
However, there is a line between quirky and just not cohesive.
*spoilers ahead.*


The first major instance of that I noticed was the scene where Azora is trying to retrieve a key from a giant in order to save a bunch of octopus babies. That scene itself is not what I'm talking about, so bear with me. What I'm talking about is how Azora is captured by the giant and proceeds to sing the giant to sleep? It's giving Ella Enchanted. Take that how you will. (I love that movie, but it's very comedic). The giant then wakes and pursues her as she's escaping but then...falls asleep again in the midst of pursuing her? That honestly broke the immersion for me a little bit.
The second instance of that that REALLY lost me was when she was sort of kidnapped by the ring leader of the circus. She is then forced to perform in the circus but she kind of just goes along with it and doesn't really fight it at all. It felt very strange. I feel as if the book could have done without both of those things and it would've made a more cohesive story without some aspects that just kind of didn't make sense to me. Also the carnival itself was kind of immersion-breaking for me. You're telling me these people have the technology to make a ferris wheel, but they use magic shooting wands instead of guns? Guns were invented wayyyyy before ferris wheels. However, given that this is a fantasy book, I'm gonna ignore that one.
The third biggest issue I had with this book was the MMC. I liked him as a whole and his banter with Azora is great. They have a cute little romance going on, and while it was more of a dislike-to-lovers than enemies-to-lovers, I liked it. Throw in some forced proximity and yeah, I'm gonna like it. However, Alcaius wanted so badly to be the misunderstood bad boy, and he just wasn't. He was cute. But this is the same man that was incapacitated MULTIPLE times throughout the book, as in almost every time he and Azora encountered conflict, Azora had to stop what she was doing and save him. It was almost laughable how often he got his ass handed to him. Maybe that was the point, I don't know. I tried to read this book as seriously as possible but there were definitely times when I genuinely couldn't tell if the writing was meant to be serious or comedic (see goblin on a mini-tornado after delivering a threat). Like at the end when Alcaius FINALLY says 'fuck' instead of 'flick' and the enemy tells him he's being rude?? Am I being dense? That was funny! But it felt like the moment was serious because Azora was LITERALLY dying over in the corner lmao.
That brings me to point #4. The dialogue felt a bit jarring at times. Not necessarily BAD, it just didn't feel natural. Those moments were pretty few and far between, however, and I've already touched on the big ones. Mainly, it just felt very unserious. Again, maybe that was the point and I'm just being denser than a rock. If that WAS the point, well done.
I hope to see some more detailed world building in the sequels. The world building in this book was vast, but it was not very detailed. I was left a little confused regarding how the politics work both in the above-ground world and within the world of the reapers. Mainly, I think this book would benefit greatly from a map. What can I say, I'm a sucker for maps.
And that's about it! Once again, I am SUPER grateful for the ARC, and I hope this review does the book justice. If you're looking for a vast fantasy world with a variety of magical creatures and a cute romance with some light-hearted humor sprinkled in, this book is for you! Props to the author. Writing a book is not easy and Elaia Crowe did THAT. Well done. I wish her all the success in the world.

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: this read is crawling with instalove; cute romance, confusing writing; interesting characters but hard to follow story; this just wasn't the Reaper romance for me; snarky, witty prose...but also awkward, dramatic prose?

HUGE thanks to Elaia Crowe and Unchained Imagination Publishing for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.

"Death is your purpose, and purpose always calls to a person. Relentless in its pursuit for your heart."

"I know what I am, Rook. There's not a part of me that needs you to clarify that, and it would be much less damning to crave mayhem than murder."

"Mayhem can lead to murder. Your soul isn't any more damned than mine for carrying out your duty."

This book was as interesting as it was chaotic, as entertaining as it was confusing. I was at turns EXCITED about what was happening, would happen, had happened already....and yet somehow slightly annoyed with how few answers I gleaned from the read. Ultimately, this book just wasn't QUITE the right fit for me...but oh, how I think it COULD HAVE been with just a little more cleaning.

The concept for this story was SUPER intriguing. I was sucked into the world almost immediately, needing to know the backstory, needing to seek out and root around in all the nooks and crannies for the answers. I could not bring myself to put this book down--I NEEDED to see what happened next. The characters were at odds, both SUPER intriguing and yet entirely (at moments) irksome. The prose was witty and full of snark...and yet somehow also, at times, a little too dramatic with the emotional dialogue. I left this read, ultimately, confused...mostly questioning the world, the magic system, the backstory. How did we end up where we ended? What happened in the before, and WHY?

"Your cheeks are a little red. Are you thinking about what I said I want to do to you?"

"No, I'm thinking about what I want to do to you."

"Which is what? Tell me."

"Kick you from this island to find out if reapers can fly."

With some further clarity on the world-building, some polishing on the character motivations (there was a fair amount of instalove, but not a whole lot of relationship building to lend credence to the fast leap from "I mostly hate you" to "okay let's do this"). This book was intriguing, well-paced, and filled with snark. I definitely recommend to lovers of paranormal fantasies, reaper romances, and adventure-packed reads. Can YOU hear Lowan's Song, Penguins?

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elaia is an author who knows how to pull my strings. I've fallen in love with her work after reading Divine Arrows, Book 1 of her Celestial Archers series inspired by Dante's Inferno. Elaia had me at "Dante's Inferno" and has never let me go ever since.

So, you can only imagine my excitement when I got the opportunity to be her ARC reader again, this time for her Lowan's Song series. Lowan's Song vastly differs from Celestial Archers; you simply can't compare them. And I am not saying that is a bad thing, not at all, quite the contrary.

Lowan's Song offers a new and exciting world. If you enjoy high fantasy in all its richness, you will love Lowan's Song. The lore is exquisite, the world-building is detailed without being overbearing, and the characters make it so easy to love them and cheer for them. Even a certain reaper...

There are so many different magical races present, so many mysteries, secrets, and threads of fate weaving in. The story deals with family ties, love, pain, loss, rage, hurt, and devotion in the most beautiful, profound way, interwoven with a layer of humour and banter.

The banter between the MCs is what makes this story stand out—the way they communicate, learn from each other and about each other, and the way they slowly build a relationship. I found myself giggling and laughing more times than I could count. I also found myself on the verge of tears. And I also fell in love with Alcaius and Azora and their connection.

A seer, a reaper, and a quest. A girl driven by sadness and revenge, a boy lost in a world of duty and moral dilemmas, and a journey that will unite them. A girl and a boy learning sometimes home isn't a place but a person. A girl and a boy trying to navigate the threads of fate and finding their place in the world. A seer, a reaper, and a story to inhale and store close to your heart.

[Rikka Kang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought pairing a forbidden seer and the son of the grim reaper would lead to a harrowing adventure. Crowe does a superb job in allowing a strong FMC not only to aid in protecting and fending for herself, but spew quippy banter that is a part of leading our enemies to lovers. Azora is recruited by the grim reaper to track and retrieve objects with his essence and bring them back with the help and supervision of his son.

Crowe's writing style has grown in her continuation of new work and her character descriptions continue to get better. I love her descriptors and verbiage used to try to create a strong picture for the reader and aid them to easily follow along her story's journey. We do not miss out on various forms of grief and heartbreak but also build a relationship that previously did not exist.

I look forward to where this story continues.

[Samantha Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best highly immersive, fun, fantasy stories I’ve read. Azora had the wit and will to instantly make me root for her. I loved all the fantastical creatures and scenery and audibly giggled with some of its quirks. I loved the adventure, the spice, struggles, heartaches, humor, whimsical world, all of it. This was a very refreshing, fast-paced fantasy that had everything. Definitely a book to reread and absolutely would recommend. I can’t wait for the next book (later this year! 🙌🏽).

This was smack between 4.5-5 stars for me but I could push all the way up to 5. Thank you to Elaia for an ARC of this story. It was amazing!

[Sweetpea4me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so immersive and brilliant! Azora, a girl with a gift, and Alcaius (the son of death) are forced to retrieve 4 items linked to his father. She also has the ability to end him. Crowe has crafted this sensational whimsical world (glass cities; sky islands) with the most rare creatures (mud and plant people, very unique dragons, and a fairy companion. Their quest endures many harrowing tasks that will have you on the edge of ur seat or biting your nails while anticipation of what is next to come. There's also a nice level of spice and banter for days as well. I can't rave enough about Lowan's Song!!!!!

[Ashley Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I hate not DNF a book but I just couldn’t get into it. I love fantasy and romance but I kept getting stuck and not wanting to pick it back up. The story had great promise but it wasn’t for me. I really Do feel like it would have been a great book but just not my cup of tea. I hope y’all enjoy it!

[Hannah Britton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is very GENEROUS 2.... not *really* spoilers


It *kinda* had good bones? But the writing in this was SEVERELY lacking. Several typos, words in a weird order/missing/extra words added in.

I.e. "The bird or the money, but both will seal her choice at a probability so I high I can call it a guarentee"..... what?

Also, it is not a pair of quotation marks, but a single quotation in the middle of a sentence of someone already talking. I had to re read so many different spots to try to understand what tf was happening

The dialogue attempted to be witty but came off completely cringey most of the time. There were no descriptions in the dialogue, so it was just line after line of alternating dialogue without saying who was saying it, what they were doing with their hands/face/voice, etc. Kind of like watching a movie you've never seen before but only listening to the audio without watching the screen to know what was going on. And the way that character reacted and just spewed out whatever they would have said in one giant blast of dialogue gave me some secondhand embarrassment...

Now, it's not a direct quote, but along the lines of:

"Ah! See how angry your actions make me! I will do this to anyone who does this to me! Can't you see how important this task is to me?! Argh! You will obey me or else! Your consequences will be so very very bad for you! ARG!" ALL AT ONCE DUDE.

Now, the story did dive into grief and sorrow, and the morality that reapers have to face when taking and not taking a life that the determiners of fate have deemed necessary. Fun idea. Kinda executed, but just meh.

The rest of the story was kind of a shit show.

It felt like every single idea that was ever had in a fantasy book needed to be included with absolutely no editing on what was absolutely necessary. All of the creatures and places were just so random I got a headache.

All of the characters just came off so annoying to me because there was absolutely NO TIME spent on character development. We don't even know these people really. And anytime there was any type of sharing, it came out in a brief monolog about the entire life they've lived, and then the next minute they're in love.

The only good thing I can say about it is that the MMC was nice to FMC. That and underneath the 1500000 meaningless events that happened, the base storyline was the okayest ok I could give.

The last like 5 chapters were completely just "wouldn't it be crazy if this happened?" And was completely unnecessary and poorly paced. I've got damn whiplash from this mess.

Sorry to the author, I'm sure she tried very hard to bring her world to life. Unfortunately, it just read as a first draft.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put 4 stars, but it really is closer to a 3.5 for me there just isn’t a half syar option for rating and would rather round up. This does deserve to be rounded up over down. I really like the premise of the story, but it reads very children's storybook like with the pacing and elements. The exception is obviously the spice element which that feels forced to happen. I wanted to like the characters but they feel surface level and at times petulant and not in a good way. There were references to different things that left me a bit confused. There were also a couple of inconsistencies but they were minor. Descriptions could have been expanded on more too. An example, the dragon guarding the star needed to be described better. It read like it was fairly small with describing how Alcaius kicked it in the cheek quickly but later was described as very large. I finished the book and, like I said, I do enjoy the actual premise of it but the details are my hang ups. I wanted and hoped for more. It's decent but I don't feel it is something to write home about.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowan’s Song by Elaia Crowe was such a great book! I absolutely loved it. When I read the blurb I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it; it sounded to be right up my alley. I read this book in a day, I couldn’t put it down. This had everything I could have wanted from a fantasy read. I thought the writing was great, as was the steady plot that held my interest throughout. Also the book descriptions were so good that I was able to clearly imagine everything I was reading. Plus it also had the added bonus of my favorite trope of all time which is enemies to lovers. But I think what I loved the most in this book was the characters of Azora and Alcaius. Their banter was so on point, it was next tier good. I really enjoyed the build up between them. I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next. Overall I had an amazing experience reading this book. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading book two. This is a definite recommendation from me.

Final review:
4 out of 5 stars

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book...the beginning of the book had be rooting for both characters, and the relationship that developed for them was an easy transition for me. Deaths son really liked her and basically wants to get to know Azora and protect her. He's entranced with her.
The author made this enemies to lovers very believable. Trust me...the banter...the laughs..the adventure are amazing.
Basically death needs the seer to find some objects, all other seers were killed by deah. So he sends Azorea and his son on a quest to find these objects, battling dragons and all other things to get the objects. She just wants to save her family, and deaths son just wants her. Love, romance and adventure await in this book...very good and when the spice hits...it hits. I recommend this book for those fantasy lovers out there.

[Brynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I want to start out by saying the premise for this book was enticing. The execution, however, fell short for me.
Let’s start with the two main characters. Their banter was amusing at times but for the most part felt more childish. Definitely was an insta-love situation, which is a bit disappointing because one of my favorite parts of any “Romantasy” book is watching the little things along the way that make characters fall in love.
The world building. It was a lot of information. A lot. There were a lot of creatures and places that were described in great detail then never mentioned again. I think if just a few places and a few creatures had been expounded upon then revisited throughout the book then we would’ve had a more cohesive story.
I think the author had some beautiful ideas, just needed a little more focus.

[Millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC copies for an honest review.

To start I want to say the idea behind the book is very interesting but sadly to me it did not capture my interest. That doesn’t mean is a bad story. Didn’t DNF because I felt intrigued enough to read it to the end.

First it was the banter before the two main characters, some of it was pretty funny but the rest was too childish for me. In areas that I would had liked to see more of the progress we only got a snip of things.

The “adventure” they went on was too repetitive I didn’t found a true challenge and it was the same outcome every time. To me it got a bit boring after the 3rd time.

Too many characters to keep track specially at the beginning. Through out the book I thought it was the same guy talking to the FMC but apparently that wasn’t the case.

I hope that if you pick up Lowan’s Song you can enjoy it!

[Katherine Pogatshnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes terrible things just happen, and no one is to blame."

Acceptance of death, how to keep living, and an epic quest to tie it all together. That is what Lowan's Song is. I found the story line intriguing and the characters interesting. The quest to retrieve the 4 items and a box seems monumental and yet, in reality, very condensed down so that it fits neatly into one book. My favorite was the underwater portion, not giving anything away, I thought it was very creative.

The reason I am giving this book 4 stars, vs. 5, would be that there are parts that I feel are rushed (her father) and others that slow down more than they need to be. The flow of the story just seems a little off to me. That doesn't, however, take away from it being a solid fantasy book. Curious as to where the characters will be lead in the 2nd/3rd books.

[TABATHA MERCURIO · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'd wanted to die with Lowan, but because of him, I figured out how to live."

This is a story that follows Azora, shes the last of her kind, and is able to track things others do not have this extra sense to do. She does underground jobs for not great creatures to keep food and a roof over her families head.

She ends up tracking an item and stealing it that lands her in the hands of Death's son, Alcaius. They get put together to go on a quest for Death and collect five items before his son dies or her soul is void. Through that quest, they start to build a relationship and fall for eachother.

The quest gets rocky, a castle is overrun, someone almost dies, and another persons memories are wiped.....but do they stay that way?? And is this the end of their story??? Gonna have to read to find out.

[Thatonegirltarrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank the author so much for allowing me to be apart of the arc team and I know this is late but man life has a way of taking over and I’m so sorry.
But here goes

This story is such an amazing book. The story really grips you and pulls you in. Our main characters have such chemistry. And when the spice comes in (it’s no dark romance by any means to please don’t go into this expecting smut, but it’s a great spice for fantasy!).

The reasoning I’m going this a 4 is because I wish we had been given more information in something’s. I felt like I had missed a story before this like a prequel or a story in the same universe that would have the missing little pieces that would have helped!

If you want an over all sold fantasy book please read! Because you won’t be disappointed!

[Eden Huntsman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️
This book is not something I’ve read before. I find the idea of the book and the plot interesting. I did few like the were some parts rushed where I wish there were more details and others that we perfect. I almost wish it ended on a huge cliffhanger but it also nice to have it left off with hope. I didn’t feel super connected to the book or so drawn that I couldn’t stop reading it. There wasn’t an emotional aspect that was big either and the big bad guy part seemed too quick. I like the mystery aspect of what might be to come by their new enemy. I’m wondering what path things will take next.

[LJ Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been in such a slump lately, this story broke that quick! Everything had my imagination going wild. The world building was so good. I felt so intrigued by every little detail.

Between the fantasy, Azora’s and Alcaius’ connection, it was perfect. The beginning had my mind going everywhere, what was going to happen, were they going to succeed in their mission. While doing so they created some magic of their own. The son of d3ath and a Seer. Two different people who have a hot connection.

Between the details of grief, the amazing story line and adventure. Lowan’s Song earned a quick 5 stars from me. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

XxX-Laura

[Kailey Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This is definitely gonna be on the top for my favorite fantasy reads!!
I loved the story line, the way the characters developed, and the quest/ adventure they went on!
Azora is a tracker who can track things that she forms a connection with. She teams up with the son of Death himself on a quest she is sent on. Even with all their hatred and banter and bickering they still can’t help what fate has in store!!

*spoiler*
If Azora doesn’t become a reaper to stay with Alcaius then I don’t want it

[Kristina Marquardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can not recommend this book enough.  I would give it 10 stars if I could. A reaper, a trader, a fairy, and an octopus, to name a few characters.  A quest to help their family survive in their world. I found myself laughing, crying, and screaming at the main characters, and I even slammed the book in frustration. I was lost in this world as I devoured this book in one sitting. If you enjoy fantasy with a sprinkle of romance, this is a story for you. I am excited to read more from this author as their writing style has easily become one of my favorites with this amazing fantasy.

[Courtney]

I was all in when I started this book, but I eventually lost steam. I'm not doing a star rating, because to be honest, it may have been my mood. I was very sick for over a week and was traveling just before that so I never had the opportunity to sit down and become submersed in the book. That being said, the author did a wonderful job with her world building and descriptions. I could envision what was happening thanks to her wonderful descriptions. I would definitely try another one of her books.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an easy read and I did enjoy the story very much. Such a creative world and a different spin on love, reapers, magic, and creatures.
I do think it read more like a YA with the spice being kicked up a notch but there’s nothing wrong with that ☺️.
I will be reading the rest of series because I can’t wait to see how this story continues to evolve and grow. I believe this was the authors debut novel and as a first I thought it was done well and can’t wait to see her writing evolve as the series continues!

[Maria D. Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the banter between Azora and Alcaius. I also really loved Alcaius's nicknames for Azora, they had me cracking up. This is a fast-paced book, so a lot of the scenes happened quickly, I would have liked a bit more detail and a bit more depth to some of the scenes. There are supposed to be two more books, if I read that correctly, which is good because there are unanswered questions lol.

[Bookgal13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author. Honestly, it took me almost half the book to really start to gel with it. It also didn’t help, that I found the FMC annoyingly irritating and arrogant. She was really the main reason it took me so long to get into the story. The flow of the story was kind of choppy, but I liked the premise. I’m on the fence if I read Book Two or not.

I’d like to thank the author for the wonderful chance to arc for her.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book. I really loved the storyline and the way the author describes the plot, it really pulled me in. The two main characters must journey on a quest to recover five hidden items. This makes the story really fun as the characters travel and basically have mini quests in various lands! This was a pretty quick read, I didn't want to put it down once I got started and really loved the two main characters. Definitely recommend!!

[bookish_adventurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautifully written story following Azora (a tracker) as she ends up embarking on a quest with the son of Death, Alcaius, to find 5 objects scattered all across the realm before time is up. The character dynamics and banter of these two had me cackling! This tale is filled with adventure, humor, connection, and intrigue. The world building is engaging and easy to follow. I look forward to reading more from this author!

[Siobhan O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I maybe read book 2 by accident and 3 chapters in so I had major comfort with the spoiler I gave myself. However I absolutely enjoyed this journey.

The sass between Alcaius & Azora is great, my favourite being “go with the shortest one.” I opened my eyes so he could see the annoyance flashing through them 😭😂

But as always you have my attention on the main characters but also invested in the minor characters!! Look forward to the remainder of the series

[Jaimee Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY hope a sequel is coming for this one to expand on the “after” story. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book as I haven’t read many fantasy books like this in a while. I truly enjoyed and loved this story ❤️ so many strong bonds between friends/family and who doesn’t like a good forbidden love story 😍
Sorrow, adventure, some spice and a good love story. This book has it all!