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The Demon Girl's Song
More than anything, Andín dal Rovi wants to escape her small town life, helping her father in the store, watching her younger brother prepare to take the place at University she’d longed for.
Instead of escape, she gets a thousand-year-old demon stuck in her head, and she loses everything – her home, her family and her country.
In the quest to regain her identity, she finds herself racing against time to uncover the secrets of her world – and save it from utter annihilation.
Instead of escape, she gets a thousand-year-old demon stuck in her head, and she loses everything – her home, her family and her country.
In the quest to regain her identity, she finds herself racing against time to uncover the secrets of her world – and save it from utter annihilation.
348 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2016
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April 9, 2016
I received this young adult epic fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my first official review of an ARC (Arrrrr!) on my blog.
the demon girl’s song (Susan Jane Bigelow)
Title: the demon girl’s song
Author: Susan Jane Bigelow
Publisher: Dreaming Robot Press
Publication Date: currently September 25, 2016
ISBN: 9781940924151
Source: NetGalley
I have to say I was super excited to get this novel as the concept sounded rather fascinating. And I am so glad I read it. I loved the main character, Andín. Through no fault of her own, Andín ends up with a crazy old demon trapped in her head and has to deal with the consequences. These consequences are harsh.
Andín starts out as a simple village girl with a wish for a brighter future. She wants to go to university and study and travel. Her da tells her that he is not sending her. Then the demon happens. This book was full of surprises and plot twists. But basically the story revolves around how the demon changes Andín and what she does about it. And that idea is really what makes this book so interesting. I do not want to be a spoiler so I won’t get into how Andín and the demon thing resolves, but I have to admit it was quite something. So much so that I had to explain how the book ends to a much entertained first mate just to try and express how awesome I thought this relationship and resolution was.
Now, I didn’t think the world building was particularly interesting in that most of the towns and villages and countries sound the same. But I liked some of details in the story. For example, technology is shifting and we have railcars and airships and electricity moving on up. Politics are changing too. One of the more interesting characters that we see in brief is a woman championing for women’s rights. Then there is the question of emperors vs. more democracies. And yet you still have demons and religious superstitions in society as well. Oh and some happy diversity in this novel as well which I always love.
The ending of this book also just sort of made me happy in its unexpectedness. It is the kind of ending that makes you go “huh?” and yet seems perfect in its oddness and choices. So much so that I continue to let thoughts of it bounce around in my head. You see the “big conflict” to save the world really takes forever to appear and yet I didn’t care because I was enjoying Andín and the demon. Oh and Yshe. She is an awesome secondary character. There are hints about how you think the ending is going to go throughout. There are magic and dreams and coincidences. And what is happening to the world is interesting and intricate. I am just rambling now but it’s that kind of reading experience. An odd book that was super fun to read and is super hard to explain in coherent terms. Well at least for me. So read it when it comes out and let me know how it makes you feel. Maybe ye can put it into words better than this captain. So lastly . . .
Thank you Dreaming Robot Press!
To see this review on my blog visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
the demon girl’s song (Susan Jane Bigelow)
Title: the demon girl’s song
Author: Susan Jane Bigelow
Publisher: Dreaming Robot Press
Publication Date: currently September 25, 2016
ISBN: 9781940924151
Source: NetGalley
I have to say I was super excited to get this novel as the concept sounded rather fascinating. And I am so glad I read it. I loved the main character, Andín. Through no fault of her own, Andín ends up with a crazy old demon trapped in her head and has to deal with the consequences. These consequences are harsh.
Andín starts out as a simple village girl with a wish for a brighter future. She wants to go to university and study and travel. Her da tells her that he is not sending her. Then the demon happens. This book was full of surprises and plot twists. But basically the story revolves around how the demon changes Andín and what she does about it. And that idea is really what makes this book so interesting. I do not want to be a spoiler so I won’t get into how Andín and the demon thing resolves, but I have to admit it was quite something. So much so that I had to explain how the book ends to a much entertained first mate just to try and express how awesome I thought this relationship and resolution was.
Now, I didn’t think the world building was particularly interesting in that most of the towns and villages and countries sound the same. But I liked some of details in the story. For example, technology is shifting and we have railcars and airships and electricity moving on up. Politics are changing too. One of the more interesting characters that we see in brief is a woman championing for women’s rights. Then there is the question of emperors vs. more democracies. And yet you still have demons and religious superstitions in society as well. Oh and some happy diversity in this novel as well which I always love.
The ending of this book also just sort of made me happy in its unexpectedness. It is the kind of ending that makes you go “huh?” and yet seems perfect in its oddness and choices. So much so that I continue to let thoughts of it bounce around in my head. You see the “big conflict” to save the world really takes forever to appear and yet I didn’t care because I was enjoying Andín and the demon. Oh and Yshe. She is an awesome secondary character. There are hints about how you think the ending is going to go throughout. There are magic and dreams and coincidences. And what is happening to the world is interesting and intricate. I am just rambling now but it’s that kind of reading experience. An odd book that was super fun to read and is super hard to explain in coherent terms. Well at least for me. So read it when it comes out and let me know how it makes you feel. Maybe ye can put it into words better than this captain. So lastly . . .
Thank you Dreaming Robot Press!
To see this review on my blog visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
Read
April 6, 2016Copy received courtesy of NetGalley
Ordinarily I’m not much one for fantasy quest tales, especially ones that seem to shove the characters from monster fights to collecting plot coupons, amid geography that too often makes little geological, tectonic, or environmental sense.
But in this fantasy quest, the character development slowly grew on me, pulling me inexorably in, until the final explanation, which was nothing I would have guessed.
The story centers around seventeen-year-old Andín dal Rovi, who loathes her boring life as a shopkeeper’s daughter. She’s jealous of her younger brother getting to go to the University she’d had her heart set on.
But when she plans her escape, she gets a thousand-year-old demon stuck in her head, which results in her losing everything: her family, her plans, her home. Even her country, as she sets out to find a way to rid herself of the demon, a very old and imperious emperor who cannot believe he was tricked into the body of a peasant girl, rather than his son.
And so begins a great deal of travel in an odd, hodge-podge world of magic and motor cars, democratic revolutions and ancient artifacts. Because there are so many details of travel, including the dreariness of bad rooms, waiting, and long, long journeys, the book was easy to put down, but I always picked it up again because the demon interested me, especially as it and she began to find accommodation.
Andín’s travels were not always the same type, and she grew with each successive leg of her journey, with occasional mysterious appearances by a female who popped up in her dreams exhorting her to hurry. When weird tears in the world began appearing, opening onto nothing, the sense of mystery accelerated.
The story plays around with gender, and is decidedly queer-friendly, with women getting interesting roles in spite of paternalistic attitudes.
As we draw closer to the end, there is even a reason for the hodge-podge nature of the world, something I would never have guessed. It was a real surprise when I hit it, and even though after I finished I ended up with more questions than I had answers, I still felt that Bigelow had surprised me. Altogether a fun read, and though Andín started off as a self-focused somewhat obnoxious teen, she grew into a person I really liked reading about.
May 8, 2016
I received this as a free eARC, from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, but of course that doesn't alter my opinion at all :D
So, going into this I didn't exactly have any solid ideas of what this was about and honestly it was mainly a cover read. I skimmed the synopsis but didn't really absorb much information other than that it had demons in it and a quest, so I think, subconsciously, I had fixed on this idea that it would be some kind of epic fantasy... Of which, I feel it was not... But I can't say that this caused it not to be a great read for me.
One of the general things that disagreed with me was that I constantly felt reluctant to read. I have never DNF'd (is that how you spell it?) a book (intentionally) before so I really wanted to carry on reading it (which may not have been a good thing to do?) but it just never held my attention for very long and I always ended up finding myself having to read large passages over and over to get the words to stick into my head!
I found that the writing style just wasn't for me. Although it wasn't terrible by any means, I just didn't like how some sentences linked up... Or rather, didn't. For a brief example, there was a really ''deep'' paragraph and all of a sudden it was talking about frightening a bear off and I just utterly failed to see a connection there, which broke any kind of connection I had experienced with the previous chapter.
I just want to quickly mention the romance.. Yes this did have romance! Another thing I wasn't expecting (nor found any need to have). Okay, I admit, in some of my progress notes I did come across unfair in how I worded things and after reading more about the author I now know this romance wasn't the author's way of being ''cool'' and ''edgy'', as I had previously mentioned, but I stand by my earlier point that I found it very rushed and a little silly when, if we gave it more of a subtle growth, the romance could have been really beautiful and help to induce emotions from me further on in the story. I just found that the emotions were obvious in one character but I was so unsure of whether there was any acknowledgement or reciprocation from the other character.
History. Every single character seemed to know an unbelievable amount of it. Though it did help to progress back story, I just found it a little aggravating.
There were only a few things I liked about this. One of them was that I found it interesting how periods (as in those horrid, bloody monthly's, not time periods... Lol) were mentioned. Even though I found it a cop out that our main character conveniently stopped having them, I did like how it was mentioned because, no matter what story I'm reading, I am always left wondering about how the females deal with these everyday struggles whilst doing things like epic quests! Especially when it's set in a different or unusual time period, where I assume sanitary towels and tampons don't exist!... Which leads me on to the next point, that is unfortunately one of my dislikes. Sorry to break up the happy times!
Time periods were not well expressed! I found it so terribly difficult to try to imagine the type of time period it was set in and although the novel had a lot of descriptions, it just really lacked imagery and I think that's a core aspect to have in story telling! I believe the reader should be able to play out the words in picture form, in their mind, and to me, that's what I find makes excellent writing!
Back onto some good stuff, I really appreciated that a nice, diverse handful of characters were provided. We had different ethnicities, ages, genders and sexualities which were great, especially for a book that is of a world, I'm gonna assume, that is definitely not as advanced as ours. But even still, a lot of them were, at some point or another, very irritating to read from.
The (almost) last enjoyable element for me was that I liked the political themes and the split between the empire and other countries. Now, it wasn't a fully developed or strategic aspect in this case, but I still enjoyed that this was included.
I thought the ending was clever and almost had an Neverending Story/ Garth Nix's The Old Kingdom feel to it, but because I had problems with the overall story, this carried through to the end, sadly overshadowing the otherwise interesting turn of events, making it feel rather flat.
My final point, which is unfortunately a dislike of sorts, is that I was hoping the 12 years later part would tie loose ends and mean no obvious sequel bate. This is because I find it difficult to not finish a series, so I would feel like I had to continue the series, one of which I'm not hooked on. However, the ending was left very open, a little too much so for my particular tastes. Anyway, I'm not sure if a sequel is confirmed or anything like that... I'm just putting that out there!
I honestly didn't think I would have much to say about this. Clearly I have and it was very unfortunate that they were rather negative. In saying that, I know there will be a lot of people that will enjoy this and hope for more!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
Gén
So, going into this I didn't exactly have any solid ideas of what this was about and honestly it was mainly a cover read. I skimmed the synopsis but didn't really absorb much information other than that it had demons in it and a quest, so I think, subconsciously, I had fixed on this idea that it would be some kind of epic fantasy... Of which, I feel it was not... But I can't say that this caused it not to be a great read for me.
One of the general things that disagreed with me was that I constantly felt reluctant to read. I have never DNF'd (is that how you spell it?) a book (intentionally) before so I really wanted to carry on reading it (which may not have been a good thing to do?) but it just never held my attention for very long and I always ended up finding myself having to read large passages over and over to get the words to stick into my head!
I found that the writing style just wasn't for me. Although it wasn't terrible by any means, I just didn't like how some sentences linked up... Or rather, didn't. For a brief example, there was a really ''deep'' paragraph and all of a sudden it was talking about frightening a bear off and I just utterly failed to see a connection there, which broke any kind of connection I had experienced with the previous chapter.
I just want to quickly mention the romance.. Yes this did have romance! Another thing I wasn't expecting (nor found any need to have). Okay, I admit, in some of my progress notes I did come across unfair in how I worded things and after reading more about the author I now know this romance wasn't the author's way of being ''cool'' and ''edgy'', as I had previously mentioned, but I stand by my earlier point that I found it very rushed and a little silly when, if we gave it more of a subtle growth, the romance could have been really beautiful and help to induce emotions from me further on in the story. I just found that the emotions were obvious in one character but I was so unsure of whether there was any acknowledgement or reciprocation from the other character.
History. Every single character seemed to know an unbelievable amount of it. Though it did help to progress back story, I just found it a little aggravating.
There were only a few things I liked about this. One of them was that I found it interesting how periods (as in those horrid, bloody monthly's, not time periods... Lol) were mentioned. Even though I found it a cop out that our main character conveniently stopped having them, I did like how it was mentioned because, no matter what story I'm reading, I am always left wondering about how the females deal with these everyday struggles whilst doing things like epic quests! Especially when it's set in a different or unusual time period, where I assume sanitary towels and tampons don't exist!... Which leads me on to the next point, that is unfortunately one of my dislikes. Sorry to break up the happy times!
Time periods were not well expressed! I found it so terribly difficult to try to imagine the type of time period it was set in and although the novel had a lot of descriptions, it just really lacked imagery and I think that's a core aspect to have in story telling! I believe the reader should be able to play out the words in picture form, in their mind, and to me, that's what I find makes excellent writing!
Back onto some good stuff, I really appreciated that a nice, diverse handful of characters were provided. We had different ethnicities, ages, genders and sexualities which were great, especially for a book that is of a world, I'm gonna assume, that is definitely not as advanced as ours. But even still, a lot of them were, at some point or another, very irritating to read from.
The (almost) last enjoyable element for me was that I liked the political themes and the split between the empire and other countries. Now, it wasn't a fully developed or strategic aspect in this case, but I still enjoyed that this was included.
I thought the ending was clever and almost had an Neverending Story/ Garth Nix's The Old Kingdom feel to it, but because I had problems with the overall story, this carried through to the end, sadly overshadowing the otherwise interesting turn of events, making it feel rather flat.
My final point, which is unfortunately a dislike of sorts, is that I was hoping the 12 years later part would tie loose ends and mean no obvious sequel bate. This is because I find it difficult to not finish a series, so I would feel like I had to continue the series, one of which I'm not hooked on. However, the ending was left very open, a little too much so for my particular tastes. Anyway, I'm not sure if a sequel is confirmed or anything like that... I'm just putting that out there!
I honestly didn't think I would have much to say about this. Clearly I have and it was very unfortunate that they were rather negative. In saying that, I know there will be a lot of people that will enjoy this and hope for more!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
Gén
April 6, 2016
Review on my blog, The Fictional Reader
I just realized this book will be released on my birthday! Ha. I don’t know why that’s funny to me. It’s early when I’m writing this, forgive me.
WORLD
The story starts in Viko Station, a small town in the Antrimanian Empire, when Andín finds out her father is sending her little brother to University instead of her, like he promised. Andín has dreamed of leaving her small town for ages. She wants to study, learn and travel the empire. As it states in the synopsis, things don’t quite go her way. Instead, she loses her country and her family, and has to travel to find the answers she’s looking for. As she travels, you get to discover her world. More than just the Empire she grew up in, as she is forced out. You learn about the different countries such as Shuyu and Alavia (Alavesh). She travels through deserts and over seas.
This fantasy world is a mix of the usual medieval style, and more modern technology. Trains have been invented, there is modern plumbing, big cities have electric lamps and guns have been created. That makes it even more interesting to me! You still get the magical aspects of old cities, horses, castles and emperors but you get part of the convenience of modern day tech.
I do have to admit that I could have used a map. Because Andín uses so many different means of transportation (a train, a horse, a boat) it can be hard to keep track of time, and thus of distance. It would have been nice to be able to visualize where the different countries shared a border, and where the mentioned cities were located. Maybe a map will be included in the final book, I’m not sure, but my Kindle ARC didn’t have one.
You learn more about the history of the lands as Andín does. As the demon inside her is 1000 years old, he has so much knowledge about the history which is a fun way to learn!
PLOT
The synopsis doesn’t really reveal much, which is a good thing in my opinion. This story is basically Andín’s journey of discovery. I highly enjoyed the story, and read it in 2 sittings. Her travels and discoveries were incredibly interesting to me, as she not only discovers the world, but so much about herself too.
Like I said before, it was a bit hard to keep track of time throughout this novel. At times, I felt like all these big events and discoveries were happening so quickly to her. Yet when I think about it, I believe this novels spans over more than half a year (last chapter not included). It thus felt quite filled with action and revelations while in fact they happened more spaced out. It made for a captivating, although at times a tad confusing, read.
My only real “issue” with this book is that the events just seem a bit convenient at times. She conveniently meets this person who can take her to this place. There she conveniently meets a person she’s been dreaming about. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence after a while.
To be honest, it’s refreshing to read a fantasy standalone!
CHARACTERS
Obviously, we need to talk about Andín. Andín is described as a provincial girl because she grew up in a small town. She’s also darker-skinned, as you can see from the cover, although it isn’t talked about much by itself. It’s more commented on when she travels through other lands and people notice her darker hair and eyes, and obviously skin. At first, she may come over as a bit childish because she throws a tantrum in the beginning. To me, it didn’t feel that way though. Her reasons for being so angry seemed justified. I was angry for her too, especially because her father literally tells her it’s because she’s a girl that she can’t go to the University. During these months, Andín grows up a lot. She really discovers so much about herself, and I found it an intriguing process to watch. She and the demon gradually converge, and eventually it will be like they are one person. The demon teaches her a lot, and vice versa. I liked her character a lot, especially by the end. She had truly grown a lot as a person.
Next, we have the demon (who actually has a name, but I don’t want to give anything away). At first, I thought it was a horrible being. Obviously, demons aren’t often good beings in our culture and literature. But like Andín, its character grew a lot throughout the story. From a mean and vicious jerk, to a kinder person. Another aspect of this book I enjoyed is that the demon is male, while Andín is female. However part of the demon’s whole being is that he intertwines with the person he inhabits, until they almost become one. So we start from a male demon, but as we go along he becomes more female? And the pronouns change, because that demon now thinks of itself more as female. Intriguing, no? Lastly, the most fascinating aspect of the demon was its knowledge, to me. Being over 1000 years old, he has so much knowledge to offer Andín: languages, skills such as horseback riding and shooting guns, history and so on. While Andín can make use of the memories to learn those skills, she needs to adapt too. For example, she couldn’t just immediately shoot perfectly, her muscles needed to adapt to the feeling and the recoil first. Same with horseback riding. She knows how to do it in theory, yet her body still has to adapt.
There are many more fascinating characters throughout this book. A woman who has become famous because she battles for women’s rights for example. A diplomat’s wife who wants to join that cause. This book embraces conservative viewpoints, and modern ones. Women have no rights, but people notice and women are starting to stand up for themselves. It has quite a bit of feminism mixed in, although it never feels like too much. And there are LGBT characters as well, without making it seem like a big deal. And the main character is darker-skinned! Yay for diversity. I love that the diversity is prevalent in this book, yet it never overshadows the actual plot and fantasy aspect.
I’d definitely recommend this book, especially to fantasy and/or YA fans. Keep your eyes peeled for September 25th, that’s my conclusion. While I would have loved the addition of a map to make the world clearer, and a more set time division to see how much time has truly passed, I still highly enjoyed this book. The fantasy aspect was intriguing, the characters developed massively and there was quite a bit of diversity in this book without making it seem like a big deal. It never overshadowed the plot, it was just there, you know?
I just realized this book will be released on my birthday! Ha. I don’t know why that’s funny to me. It’s early when I’m writing this, forgive me.
WORLD
The story starts in Viko Station, a small town in the Antrimanian Empire, when Andín finds out her father is sending her little brother to University instead of her, like he promised. Andín has dreamed of leaving her small town for ages. She wants to study, learn and travel the empire. As it states in the synopsis, things don’t quite go her way. Instead, she loses her country and her family, and has to travel to find the answers she’s looking for. As she travels, you get to discover her world. More than just the Empire she grew up in, as she is forced out. You learn about the different countries such as Shuyu and Alavia (Alavesh). She travels through deserts and over seas.
This fantasy world is a mix of the usual medieval style, and more modern technology. Trains have been invented, there is modern plumbing, big cities have electric lamps and guns have been created. That makes it even more interesting to me! You still get the magical aspects of old cities, horses, castles and emperors but you get part of the convenience of modern day tech.
I do have to admit that I could have used a map. Because Andín uses so many different means of transportation (a train, a horse, a boat) it can be hard to keep track of time, and thus of distance. It would have been nice to be able to visualize where the different countries shared a border, and where the mentioned cities were located. Maybe a map will be included in the final book, I’m not sure, but my Kindle ARC didn’t have one.
You learn more about the history of the lands as Andín does. As the demon inside her is 1000 years old, he has so much knowledge about the history which is a fun way to learn!
PLOT
The synopsis doesn’t really reveal much, which is a good thing in my opinion. This story is basically Andín’s journey of discovery. I highly enjoyed the story, and read it in 2 sittings. Her travels and discoveries were incredibly interesting to me, as she not only discovers the world, but so much about herself too.
Like I said before, it was a bit hard to keep track of time throughout this novel. At times, I felt like all these big events and discoveries were happening so quickly to her. Yet when I think about it, I believe this novels spans over more than half a year (last chapter not included). It thus felt quite filled with action and revelations while in fact they happened more spaced out. It made for a captivating, although at times a tad confusing, read.
My only real “issue” with this book is that the events just seem a bit convenient at times. She conveniently meets this person who can take her to this place. There she conveniently meets a person she’s been dreaming about. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence after a while.
To be honest, it’s refreshing to read a fantasy standalone!
CHARACTERS
Obviously, we need to talk about Andín. Andín is described as a provincial girl because she grew up in a small town. She’s also darker-skinned, as you can see from the cover, although it isn’t talked about much by itself. It’s more commented on when she travels through other lands and people notice her darker hair and eyes, and obviously skin. At first, she may come over as a bit childish because she throws a tantrum in the beginning. To me, it didn’t feel that way though. Her reasons for being so angry seemed justified. I was angry for her too, especially because her father literally tells her it’s because she’s a girl that she can’t go to the University. During these months, Andín grows up a lot. She really discovers so much about herself, and I found it an intriguing process to watch. She and the demon gradually converge, and eventually it will be like they are one person. The demon teaches her a lot, and vice versa. I liked her character a lot, especially by the end. She had truly grown a lot as a person.
Next, we have the demon (who actually has a name, but I don’t want to give anything away). At first, I thought it was a horrible being. Obviously, demons aren’t often good beings in our culture and literature. But like Andín, its character grew a lot throughout the story. From a mean and vicious jerk, to a kinder person. Another aspect of this book I enjoyed is that the demon is male, while Andín is female. However part of the demon’s whole being is that he intertwines with the person he inhabits, until they almost become one. So we start from a male demon, but as we go along he becomes more female? And the pronouns change, because that demon now thinks of itself more as female. Intriguing, no? Lastly, the most fascinating aspect of the demon was its knowledge, to me. Being over 1000 years old, he has so much knowledge to offer Andín: languages, skills such as horseback riding and shooting guns, history and so on. While Andín can make use of the memories to learn those skills, she needs to adapt too. For example, she couldn’t just immediately shoot perfectly, her muscles needed to adapt to the feeling and the recoil first. Same with horseback riding. She knows how to do it in theory, yet her body still has to adapt.
There are many more fascinating characters throughout this book. A woman who has become famous because she battles for women’s rights for example. A diplomat’s wife who wants to join that cause. This book embraces conservative viewpoints, and modern ones. Women have no rights, but people notice and women are starting to stand up for themselves. It has quite a bit of feminism mixed in, although it never feels like too much. And there are LGBT characters as well, without making it seem like a big deal. And the main character is darker-skinned! Yay for diversity. I love that the diversity is prevalent in this book, yet it never overshadows the actual plot and fantasy aspect.
I’d definitely recommend this book, especially to fantasy and/or YA fans. Keep your eyes peeled for September 25th, that’s my conclusion. While I would have loved the addition of a map to make the world clearer, and a more set time division to see how much time has truly passed, I still highly enjoyed this book. The fantasy aspect was intriguing, the characters developed massively and there was quite a bit of diversity in this book without making it seem like a big deal. It never overshadowed the plot, it was just there, you know?
June 16, 2016
**I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher, Dreaming Robot Press, in exchange for an honest review**
It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I have been a Fantasy fan for a long time, so needless to say I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this book. The Demon Girl's Song by Susan Jane Bigelow is not the easiest book to explain in short. A young girl named Andín, through an odd encounter, gets a 1,000 year old demon stuck in her heard. As a result she must leave her home and have her family, friends, and country taken away from her. What follows is her journey with two goals, the first to try to have the demon removed, and the second to try to save the world around her from complete annihilation. I know, this is slightly vague synopsis but without giving spoilers this is probably the best I can do.
The Demon Girl’s Song is made up of three sections, each being a new part of Andín’s journey as she travels the country trying to remedy her problem (oh, and save the world). I really wish there had been a map included with the book to trace her movements because at times it was a little hard to keep track of how far she was traveling and the direction. I did read this as an ARC ebook though, so for all I know there may be a map included in the final book when it is released. I also felt that it was hard to tell how much time had gone by during Andín’s travels and I found myself wondering if she had been doing something for days, weeks, or months. This was not a constant issue, and there were times when the duration of a certain scene was stated, I just wish it happened more often.
I loved the main characters in this book. They were explained in such a way where they came alive and seemed like people I actually knew. Even the demon, who I was sure I would hate, I ended up liking and had so much sympathy for. Everyone in this story has a past that we learn about and it helps to shape them. What I loved about Andín specifically, is that she is a strong female protagonist, determined to make her way and right the wrongs she has been forced to endure. I noticed a lot of underlying feminism tones and women’s rights issues brought up in the book, which was not something I expected going into it and I really enjoyed that. There was also a lot of diversity throughout the story and I appreciated that a great deal.
There was a slight romance aspect to this story but it was not a major component, and it was done in such a unique way that I found very refreshing (no spoilers here either!) and I actually liked it a lot. Now, this coming from me, the non-romance girl, is huge! As a matter of fact, the main relationships that were built in this book (romantic and platonic) were very strong and it gave The Demon Girl's Song the level of emotion that I love to experience in books.
At times the book gets a little confusing and you start to wonder where the story is going and how things relate to one another. There was a moment where I felt there were two completely different stories, and that the first story had been almost abandoned for a new one. For most of the second section of the book I found myself contemplating where things were headed and this, at times, impeded my interest slightly. However, throughout the third section, all the elements started to come together and form one cohesive story. I felt that just as I was at my most confused state the big “Aha!” moment came out and all the elements finally fused together in my mind and everything made so much sense. And honestly, I was a big fan of the ending. I just wish that all the points leading up to it had been slightly less confusing in their relation to one another.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Demon Girl’s Song. It had many of the fantasy elements that I love and also included a lot of diverse facets. I think this is a good read for people who are not huge into fantasy as well as those who have been long time fans. It had its high points and some low points, but what I enjoyed most was how satisfied I felt at the end and I was happy I was able to journey with Andín.
Check out this review and others on Double Letters Book Club
It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I have been a Fantasy fan for a long time, so needless to say I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this book. The Demon Girl's Song by Susan Jane Bigelow is not the easiest book to explain in short. A young girl named Andín, through an odd encounter, gets a 1,000 year old demon stuck in her heard. As a result she must leave her home and have her family, friends, and country taken away from her. What follows is her journey with two goals, the first to try to have the demon removed, and the second to try to save the world around her from complete annihilation. I know, this is slightly vague synopsis but without giving spoilers this is probably the best I can do.
The Demon Girl’s Song is made up of three sections, each being a new part of Andín’s journey as she travels the country trying to remedy her problem (oh, and save the world). I really wish there had been a map included with the book to trace her movements because at times it was a little hard to keep track of how far she was traveling and the direction. I did read this as an ARC ebook though, so for all I know there may be a map included in the final book when it is released. I also felt that it was hard to tell how much time had gone by during Andín’s travels and I found myself wondering if she had been doing something for days, weeks, or months. This was not a constant issue, and there were times when the duration of a certain scene was stated, I just wish it happened more often.
I loved the main characters in this book. They were explained in such a way where they came alive and seemed like people I actually knew. Even the demon, who I was sure I would hate, I ended up liking and had so much sympathy for. Everyone in this story has a past that we learn about and it helps to shape them. What I loved about Andín specifically, is that she is a strong female protagonist, determined to make her way and right the wrongs she has been forced to endure. I noticed a lot of underlying feminism tones and women’s rights issues brought up in the book, which was not something I expected going into it and I really enjoyed that. There was also a lot of diversity throughout the story and I appreciated that a great deal.
There was a slight romance aspect to this story but it was not a major component, and it was done in such a unique way that I found very refreshing (no spoilers here either!) and I actually liked it a lot. Now, this coming from me, the non-romance girl, is huge! As a matter of fact, the main relationships that were built in this book (romantic and platonic) were very strong and it gave The Demon Girl's Song the level of emotion that I love to experience in books.
At times the book gets a little confusing and you start to wonder where the story is going and how things relate to one another. There was a moment where I felt there were two completely different stories, and that the first story had been almost abandoned for a new one. For most of the second section of the book I found myself contemplating where things were headed and this, at times, impeded my interest slightly. However, throughout the third section, all the elements started to come together and form one cohesive story. I felt that just as I was at my most confused state the big “Aha!” moment came out and all the elements finally fused together in my mind and everything made so much sense. And honestly, I was a big fan of the ending. I just wish that all the points leading up to it had been slightly less confusing in their relation to one another.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Demon Girl’s Song. It had many of the fantasy elements that I love and also included a lot of diverse facets. I think this is a good read for people who are not huge into fantasy as well as those who have been long time fans. It had its high points and some low points, but what I enjoyed most was how satisfied I felt at the end and I was happy I was able to journey with Andín.
Check out this review and others on Double Letters Book Club
May 22, 2016
Please Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinions in my review in any way.
Since becoming a book blogger and really delving into reading, I have noticed that if a character is gay, the book (no matter what subject it was SUPPOSED to be about) becomes an 'Issue' book. It's as if some authors feel that being gay is the only important thing in a character's life. That is why I really enjoyed The Demon Girl's Song, by Susan Jane Bigelow. There are some gay characters, but it is only one aspect of their lives. These people are allowed to be full characters, have big adventures, AND have romance. It was so refreshing to see this representation.
What I Liked:
Setting:
I liked the vagueness of the setting. Since this is a fantasy book, the author has the freedom to create a world rich in it's own traditions. There are emperors, kingdoms, and demons. There is some technology, such as trains and electric lights, but only in the rich areas of the kingdom. Sexism is alive and well in this universe. There are plenty of reminders of what it must have been like for women around 120 years ago.
Andin:
This young woman is resilient, resourceful and going crazy when a demon jumps into her body. I loved how she had to figure out how much control the demon had over her. Since they blend together, she questions who she is. Is she different from before the demon entered her body? What would she be like without the demon? It is our experiences that shape our personalities, after all. Good and bad experiences help to form our lives.
The Romance:
I loved the romance in the book. It is realistic and heartbreaking. I don't want to spoil anything, so I am reluctant to get into details. But I thought is was a very good depiction of how a romance such as this would pan out in that society.
What I didn't like:
The Ending:
As the book progressed towards the ending, I thought there was going to have to be a sequel in order to resolve all the loose ends. But the author chose to end the book quickly, and (I felt) unrealistically. I didn't understand what had happened. Also, in the Epilogue, they mentioned a problem that would occur in 12 years, but there was no mention of how it was resolved.
If the ending had been stronger, this would have been a five star review. But I am still giving it four stars, for the wonderful characters, unusual story, and a strong romance.
Since becoming a book blogger and really delving into reading, I have noticed that if a character is gay, the book (no matter what subject it was SUPPOSED to be about) becomes an 'Issue' book. It's as if some authors feel that being gay is the only important thing in a character's life. That is why I really enjoyed The Demon Girl's Song, by Susan Jane Bigelow. There are some gay characters, but it is only one aspect of their lives. These people are allowed to be full characters, have big adventures, AND have romance. It was so refreshing to see this representation.
What I Liked:
Setting:
I liked the vagueness of the setting. Since this is a fantasy book, the author has the freedom to create a world rich in it's own traditions. There are emperors, kingdoms, and demons. There is some technology, such as trains and electric lights, but only in the rich areas of the kingdom. Sexism is alive and well in this universe. There are plenty of reminders of what it must have been like for women around 120 years ago.
Andin:
This young woman is resilient, resourceful and going crazy when a demon jumps into her body. I loved how she had to figure out how much control the demon had over her. Since they blend together, she questions who she is. Is she different from before the demon entered her body? What would she be like without the demon? It is our experiences that shape our personalities, after all. Good and bad experiences help to form our lives.
The Romance:
I loved the romance in the book. It is realistic and heartbreaking. I don't want to spoil anything, so I am reluctant to get into details. But I thought is was a very good depiction of how a romance such as this would pan out in that society.
What I didn't like:
The Ending:
As the book progressed towards the ending, I thought there was going to have to be a sequel in order to resolve all the loose ends. But the author chose to end the book quickly, and (I felt) unrealistically. I didn't understand what had happened. Also, in the Epilogue, they mentioned a problem that would occur in 12 years, but there was no mention of how it was resolved.
If the ending had been stronger, this would have been a five star review. But I am still giving it four stars, for the wonderful characters, unusual story, and a strong romance.
September 4, 2019
I got an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review :) this book has been sitting on my kindle for the longest time... I don't even want to admit how many months... but when it comes to fantasy stories... especially as unique and different as this one :) I have to be in a specific mood to really enjoy them :) so I'm very glad I waited for the right time to appreciate this novel :)
This is a standalone story that follows our main character, Andin... she is almost eighteen at the beginning of the book, and the whole novel takes place over the span of just a few months... at the beginning she lives in a small village in this giant empire, and has plans to leave it, to study at the university... what she doesn't know, is that her life will be much different than she expected... because one day, Andin gets a demon inside of her... and that is just the start of some crazy journey filled with surprises... :) there's not really anyting else I can share about the overall plot of the book, because it is filled with surprising twists and turns along the way and I don't want to spoil you anything, so let me jump into my thoughts and feelings about it ;)
I have to say that I quite enjoyed it ;) I didn't really expected that, so that was a nice surprise... :) Andid was a very interesting main character... yes, she started as this a bit obnoxious teenager, but I loved to see her growth and character development throughout the story... :) her interactions with the demon were very entertaining as well... not to mention that he also changed... the more time has passed, the more they merged together, influencing one another along the way... ;) even though I really want to say more about their adventures, I can't possibly do that without spoilers, so let's just say that don't be discouraged if you feel like the story is chaotic and a bit all over the place... it's all explained at the end... maybe not in as many details as I would like, but still ;) so don't get frustrated if not everything makes sense from the start and just go with the flow ;) the main theme of this book can be described with one word: surprising :) there were so many turns I did not expect, so many things that made me gasp in shock... I definitely enjoyed this story :) so if you are looking for a diffeent read, then give it a try :)
XOXO
A
This is a standalone story that follows our main character, Andin... she is almost eighteen at the beginning of the book, and the whole novel takes place over the span of just a few months... at the beginning she lives in a small village in this giant empire, and has plans to leave it, to study at the university... what she doesn't know, is that her life will be much different than she expected... because one day, Andin gets a demon inside of her... and that is just the start of some crazy journey filled with surprises... :) there's not really anyting else I can share about the overall plot of the book, because it is filled with surprising twists and turns along the way and I don't want to spoil you anything, so let me jump into my thoughts and feelings about it ;)
I have to say that I quite enjoyed it ;) I didn't really expected that, so that was a nice surprise... :) Andid was a very interesting main character... yes, she started as this a bit obnoxious teenager, but I loved to see her growth and character development throughout the story... :) her interactions with the demon were very entertaining as well... not to mention that he also changed... the more time has passed, the more they merged together, influencing one another along the way... ;) even though I really want to say more about their adventures, I can't possibly do that without spoilers, so let's just say that don't be discouraged if you feel like the story is chaotic and a bit all over the place... it's all explained at the end... maybe not in as many details as I would like, but still ;) so don't get frustrated if not everything makes sense from the start and just go with the flow ;) the main theme of this book can be described with one word: surprising :) there were so many turns I did not expect, so many things that made me gasp in shock... I definitely enjoyed this story :) so if you are looking for a diffeent read, then give it a try :)
XOXO
A
April 28, 2016
So I was excited to read what sounded like a great fantasy book but was instead given a story about an annoying teenager who acted selfish and instead of an awesome ending it fell flat.
Here you follow Andin dal Rovi who wants to get a higher education but girls never go to school and so her father instead sends her younger brother. Andin is smart but daydreams a lot and is a little scatterbrained. Her world changes when a strange women comes out of nowhere and says she is sorry and Andin wakes up with a demon in her head. The demon is thousands of years old and has lived in the bodies of kings and princes and passes on his knowledge to each one. Until he is forced out of the kings line and into Andin's body. Andin now has to deal with an angry demon who wants revenge but soon her world is coming apart at the seams and it's up to Andin to figure out how to put it back together.
The beginning of the story took a really long time and both the demon and Andin got on my nerves very quickly. Andin for me was not a very strong character and although the author tried a different route with Andin on her sexuality it fell flat. The imagery the author used was great and I loved that Andin got to travel around her world and we got to see the different countries. That ending though.....I don't know. I felt like it was a cop-out. It was weird and I didn't think it really worked with this story. :/
Here you follow Andin dal Rovi who wants to get a higher education but girls never go to school and so her father instead sends her younger brother. Andin is smart but daydreams a lot and is a little scatterbrained. Her world changes when a strange women comes out of nowhere and says she is sorry and Andin wakes up with a demon in her head. The demon is thousands of years old and has lived in the bodies of kings and princes and passes on his knowledge to each one. Until he is forced out of the kings line and into Andin's body. Andin now has to deal with an angry demon who wants revenge but soon her world is coming apart at the seams and it's up to Andin to figure out how to put it back together.
The beginning of the story took a really long time and both the demon and Andin got on my nerves very quickly. Andin for me was not a very strong character and although the author tried a different route with Andin on her sexuality it fell flat. The imagery the author used was great and I loved that Andin got to travel around her world and we got to see the different countries. That ending though.....I don't know. I felt like it was a cop-out. It was weird and I didn't think it really worked with this story. :/
October 18, 2016
Unfortunately, not my cup of tea
I struggled with this. I just found it hard to relate to. Obviously though, plenty of others loved it.
Basically the main character, Andin and subsequently the plot, did not draw me in. I took 7 days to read this. If I'd been engaged I would have taken a couple of hours.
Because so many others were so positive, I can only conclude that this book was not a good fit for me.
A NetGalley ARC
I struggled with this. I just found it hard to relate to. Obviously though, plenty of others loved it.
Basically the main character, Andin and subsequently the plot, did not draw me in. I took 7 days to read this. If I'd been engaged I would have taken a couple of hours.
Because so many others were so positive, I can only conclude that this book was not a good fit for me.
A NetGalley ARC
July 29, 2019
Very light on romance and heavy on the Romance. Just my speed. Well written story with an interesting character, though she could have been a tad more proactive than reactive. Still worth the read.
May 8, 2019
Full review now up on the blog: https://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk...
Well paced throughout, there was enough suspense and intrigue to keep me turning the pages without going at too fast a pace. The plot was also well structured, and I enjoyed getting to know more about each different region through the eyes of the main character, Andin, as she travelled the length and breadth of the land.
Most of the characters were fully fleshed out and each carried their own motivations and unique personality traits - although there were certainly a few surprises hidden along the way! I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Andin and the demon progress as the story continued. Similarly, Yshe was an interesting character that I enjoyed reading about.
In my opinion, I felt that Andin adjusted to events a little too quickly. Not only is she young, but prior to the events of the book she lived quite a sheltered life and I feel she seems rather too worldly at points to be entirely in keeping with her character. However, this is a minor niggle at it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
Overall, my biggest issue with the book (and the reason it wasn't rated higher) was its ending. Up until the very end, I found little fault with the plot, the characters, the setting, or the writing, then at the very end, I was left feeling both confused and a little cheated by the final chapter. Of course, I don't want to give anything away so I won't leave any spoilers, but I really wish that the author had penned a different ending to what was otherwise a brilliant story!
Well paced throughout, there was enough suspense and intrigue to keep me turning the pages without going at too fast a pace. The plot was also well structured, and I enjoyed getting to know more about each different region through the eyes of the main character, Andin, as she travelled the length and breadth of the land.
Most of the characters were fully fleshed out and each carried their own motivations and unique personality traits - although there were certainly a few surprises hidden along the way! I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Andin and the demon progress as the story continued. Similarly, Yshe was an interesting character that I enjoyed reading about.
In my opinion, I felt that Andin adjusted to events a little too quickly. Not only is she young, but prior to the events of the book she lived quite a sheltered life and I feel she seems rather too worldly at points to be entirely in keeping with her character. However, this is a minor niggle at it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
Overall, my biggest issue with the book (and the reason it wasn't rated higher) was its ending. Up until the very end, I found little fault with the plot, the characters, the setting, or the writing, then at the very end, I was left feeling both confused and a little cheated by the final chapter. Of course, I don't want to give anything away so I won't leave any spoilers, but I really wish that the author had penned a different ending to what was otherwise a brilliant story!
June 28, 2018
There’s a lot to like here, and I would definitely recommend the novel. However, this does come with some serious caveats. The second half or so of the novel is relatively rushed after the buildup prior, and the ending comes from nowhere, though there is a good resolution to that. I was left with the feeling that certain characters and arcs were meant to be much longer, perhaps drawn into a series, but were instead condensed and left feeling as a drastic shift in tone and style. But again, there was a lot to enjoy here at the same time.
November 27, 2025
Set in a world ruled by men, Andín has dreams of going to school, but her father sends her brother instead. Then she accidentally gets demon inside her.
The writing was really rough and the story didn't hook me at all.
The writing was really rough and the story didn't hook me at all.
October 26, 2018
I really did not expect to love this book as much as I did!
April 25, 2016
Featured on All Our Worlds: https://allourworlds.wordpress.com/20...
All Andín dal Rovi wants is to study at the University in the capital. She finally gets to the city- but as a demon-possessed outcast. And then she is exiled from her country, her home, everything she’s ever known. The only thing she can do is keep moving, hoping somebody can take the demon out of her mind.
The complexity of her world is evident very early on. The first thing Andín sees in the city is a famous women’s rights speaker arrested by Imperial police. The characters see race, class, and gender issues in different forms in different places.
Social unrest is not the only issue her world is facing. Patches of void are appearing at random, indiscriminately swallowing parts of the world, and nobody knows why or how.
The book does a very good job of illustrating the effects of empire, immigration, social upheaval, and (super)natural disasters on a world of many countries and peoples. The countries are both distinct in culture and blended by centuries of empire and immigration. Politics is not the main focus of the story, but it is of crucial importance to the world. Like the rest of the worldbuilding, it fits naturally into the world both as background detail and a relevant driving force for characters.
I especially liked the character development. Andín starts her tale young and hopeful, surrounded by family but limited by society, and through her travel and association with the demon, becomes powerful and experienced, but very often alone.
The loneliness of travel makes Andín’s interactions with the women she meets along her journey all the more important.
Though friends are few and far between, they are indispensable. Andín meets Yshe, a diplomat’s wife who accepts Andín in all her strangeness; Lynde, tasked with returning the magic sword of legendary hero Judy Shashalnikya; and Vi, a sorceress who might be able to help her find an answer.
And then there’s the demon- the arrogant, cruel spirit who has possessed every Emperor for millennia. At first, Andín and the demon want nothing more than to be separated, but as time goes on, they learn from each other, become accustomed to one another, and learn the other is more complicated than they expected.
I recommend The Demon Girl’s Song for the richness of characters, worldbuilding, and the growth of both.
(I received an ARC)
All Andín dal Rovi wants is to study at the University in the capital. She finally gets to the city- but as a demon-possessed outcast. And then she is exiled from her country, her home, everything she’s ever known. The only thing she can do is keep moving, hoping somebody can take the demon out of her mind.
The complexity of her world is evident very early on. The first thing Andín sees in the city is a famous women’s rights speaker arrested by Imperial police. The characters see race, class, and gender issues in different forms in different places.
Social unrest is not the only issue her world is facing. Patches of void are appearing at random, indiscriminately swallowing parts of the world, and nobody knows why or how.
The book does a very good job of illustrating the effects of empire, immigration, social upheaval, and (super)natural disasters on a world of many countries and peoples. The countries are both distinct in culture and blended by centuries of empire and immigration. Politics is not the main focus of the story, but it is of crucial importance to the world. Like the rest of the worldbuilding, it fits naturally into the world both as background detail and a relevant driving force for characters.
I especially liked the character development. Andín starts her tale young and hopeful, surrounded by family but limited by society, and through her travel and association with the demon, becomes powerful and experienced, but very often alone.
The loneliness of travel makes Andín’s interactions with the women she meets along her journey all the more important.
Though friends are few and far between, they are indispensable. Andín meets Yshe, a diplomat’s wife who accepts Andín in all her strangeness; Lynde, tasked with returning the magic sword of legendary hero Judy Shashalnikya; and Vi, a sorceress who might be able to help her find an answer.
And then there’s the demon- the arrogant, cruel spirit who has possessed every Emperor for millennia. At first, Andín and the demon want nothing more than to be separated, but as time goes on, they learn from each other, become accustomed to one another, and learn the other is more complicated than they expected.
I recommend The Demon Girl’s Song for the richness of characters, worldbuilding, and the growth of both.
(I received an ARC)
March 29, 2016
I almost put this book down in the first chapter. I'm quite glad that I pushed past those moments of frustration though as I was quite taken with this story as it progressed.
The reason for my initial frustration was that the main character seemed a petulant child at the start of the book, despite being 17 and I found her very difficult to identify with. She thought of herself as smart and a good student, but she exhibited none of the traits that would accompany that personality at the beginning of the story, or if she possessed them she did not show them.
Indeed, it took me quite a while to come to like the main character, however, I still found her story compelling as it unravelled and in the end I was so entranced with the characters and the story itself that I found myself wrapped in the story enough to accept what was by all reckoning a strange and seemingly nonsensical ending.
However, at the time of reading it, my belief was suspended, my willingness open and the ending seemed beautiful and appropriate to the book.
Which is the more real experience, my rational reflection on it now, days later? Or my willing acceptance of it at the time that I first experienced it?
I would argue that, as when I put the book down I felt nothing but satisfaction with the ending and good will toward the author, that that is very telling about the writing and magic behind the book. Meanwhile, thinking about it now, the ending seems strange, disjointed and altogether unsatisfactory in retrospect.
But I will the paradox of that ending lie, and say that I give the book 4 stars instead of 5 for only being temporarily brilliant and satisfying and not permanently so. And in the meantime, I found it so refreshing to read about characters that weren't bound by standard gender norms, or a heteronormative romantic narrative, that the majority of the book holds up to my deepest critics even long after I've put it down.
Make of that what you will.
I will look forward to reading more from this author.
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The reason for my initial frustration was that the main character seemed a petulant child at the start of the book, despite being 17 and I found her very difficult to identify with. She thought of herself as smart and a good student, but she exhibited none of the traits that would accompany that personality at the beginning of the story, or if she possessed them she did not show them.
Indeed, it took me quite a while to come to like the main character, however, I still found her story compelling as it unravelled and in the end I was so entranced with the characters and the story itself that I found myself wrapped in the story enough to accept what was by all reckoning a strange and seemingly nonsensical ending.
However, at the time of reading it, my belief was suspended, my willingness open and the ending seemed beautiful and appropriate to the book.
Which is the more real experience, my rational reflection on it now, days later? Or my willing acceptance of it at the time that I first experienced it?
I would argue that, as when I put the book down I felt nothing but satisfaction with the ending and good will toward the author, that that is very telling about the writing and magic behind the book. Meanwhile, thinking about it now, the ending seems strange, disjointed and altogether unsatisfactory in retrospect.
But I will the paradox of that ending lie, and say that I give the book 4 stars instead of 5 for only being temporarily brilliant and satisfying and not permanently so. And in the meantime, I found it so refreshing to read about characters that weren't bound by standard gender norms, or a heteronormative romantic narrative, that the majority of the book holds up to my deepest critics even long after I've put it down.
Make of that what you will.
I will look forward to reading more from this author.
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
April 11, 2016
3.5 stars
*I was given a free e-book by Netgalley, this in no way affected this review*
When i read the synopsis of this book, i was very interested to read this book. I very much enjoyed it, but there were a few things that bothered me.
Let's talk about the world first. Bigelow build a world that felt real to me. Every state or country had its own history and habits. I liked how we learned things about every place the main character went to.
I could have used a map a few times though. Because the main character travels a lot, it was hard for me to really picture her trip and how long it took her. There were a few indications about how long she travelled, but i really wanted to visualize the world Bigelow built.
I LOVED ANDIN! Yes, the girl has her faults but that makes me love her even more. She grows from this innocent young girl to a strong woman. At first i was like, aw honey, i know you have big dreams, but don't act like you're the only girl out there who wants to be treated better by men.
But she actually takes initiative to change things and chase her dreams, and why you ask?
THE DEMON. It seemed to be a classic demon at first. A thousand years old, grumpy and determined to get rid of this peasant girl. I epxtected the classical ' oh no, a demon! Let's take a quest to get him out of my head!'
But it's so much more?? I think it's the first time i actually liked a demon, because how can you not love him by the end??
I had some troubles with the plot. There were too many coincidences. At first, it didn't really bother me. Okay, this person is conveniently in the same place, no biggie. But the ending felt way too forced for me.
'OMG, we need this one thing to solve the whole thing! Oh look, it comes floating towards us with almost no reason whatsoever.'
Overall, the book was good and i really enjoyed big chunks of it, but some parts felt too forced for me. Everything too conveniently worked out...
*I was given a free e-book by Netgalley, this in no way affected this review*
When i read the synopsis of this book, i was very interested to read this book. I very much enjoyed it, but there were a few things that bothered me.
Let's talk about the world first. Bigelow build a world that felt real to me. Every state or country had its own history and habits. I liked how we learned things about every place the main character went to.
I could have used a map a few times though. Because the main character travels a lot, it was hard for me to really picture her trip and how long it took her. There were a few indications about how long she travelled, but i really wanted to visualize the world Bigelow built.
I LOVED ANDIN! Yes, the girl has her faults but that makes me love her even more. She grows from this innocent young girl to a strong woman. At first i was like, aw honey, i know you have big dreams, but don't act like you're the only girl out there who wants to be treated better by men.
But she actually takes initiative to change things and chase her dreams, and why you ask?
THE DEMON. It seemed to be a classic demon at first. A thousand years old, grumpy and determined to get rid of this peasant girl. I epxtected the classical ' oh no, a demon! Let's take a quest to get him out of my head!'
But it's so much more?? I think it's the first time i actually liked a demon, because how can you not love him by the end??
I had some troubles with the plot. There were too many coincidences. At first, it didn't really bother me. Okay, this person is conveniently in the same place, no biggie. But the ending felt way too forced for me.
'OMG, we need this one thing to solve the whole thing! Oh look, it comes floating towards us with almost no reason whatsoever.'
Overall, the book was good and i really enjoyed big chunks of it, but some parts felt too forced for me. Everything too conveniently worked out...
April 5, 2016
**I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had a lot of magic and mystery combined with some contextual history. There was, however, a massive personal trigger warning, which in hindsight I should have foreseen if only I looked up the author's background.
Honestly, I thought the book was a bit long but I know of other, much longer books than this. Also, since this appears to be a stand alone book, it was fine for its length.
The Demon Girl's Song takes you on a journey around a fictitious land where power - magical and social status-wise - ruled everywhere and everything.
The main character Andin, was always referred to as a "peasant" and she always insisted that she was not a peasant. I liked Andin's strong will to push forward even though she knew sometimes that she was set for doomed. For a while, her character is lost and the reader in me got lost, too, in her journey.
Downside(s):
As I said above, this book is very long for a YA literature. I'm not sure if other YA readers will have the endurance to continuously read this. It is by no means a book that you can get addicted to, despite it being a well-written piece. I, myself, had to put this down a number of times because there were many parts of the book that I just wasn't feeling it.
I wish the demon had more of a say in the story as well because in the middle of the book and towards the end, he/she didn't really end up saying much.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had a lot of magic and mystery combined with some contextual history. There was, however, a massive personal trigger warning, which in hindsight I should have foreseen if only I looked up the author's background.
Honestly, I thought the book was a bit long but I know of other, much longer books than this. Also, since this appears to be a stand alone book, it was fine for its length.
The Demon Girl's Song takes you on a journey around a fictitious land where power - magical and social status-wise - ruled everywhere and everything.
The main character Andin, was always referred to as a "peasant" and she always insisted that she was not a peasant. I liked Andin's strong will to push forward even though she knew sometimes that she was set for doomed. For a while, her character is lost and the reader in me got lost, too, in her journey.
Downside(s):
As I said above, this book is very long for a YA literature. I'm not sure if other YA readers will have the endurance to continuously read this. It is by no means a book that you can get addicted to, despite it being a well-written piece. I, myself, had to put this down a number of times because there were many parts of the book that I just wasn't feeling it.
I wish the demon had more of a say in the story as well because in the middle of the book and towards the end, he/she didn't really end up saying much.
June 6, 2016
Originally reviewed at West Coast Book Reviews.
I won my copy of The Demon Girl's Song in an awesome prize bundle I received when I attended the Facebook release party. I'm not sure why I chose to read it first. Perhaps the title intrigued me as it promised a binding of darkness, innocence and beauty. I was not disappointed.
The Demon Girl's Song was a lovely combination of many things. History, magic and gender expectations to name a few. Andín comes to us with her heartfelt desire taken away. She's quickly stripped of everything else she's given to take the place of her dream of university.
I really liked that Andín didn't choose to love the person she did 'because' of the demon or anything else. She loved Yshe because of the people they were.
Andín's journey, both in travel and self discovery, is touching, adventurous and empowering. For all the action, danger and fear she experiences in her travels, she's a wonderful character. She's strong, gentle and loves so much.
Bigelow has a delightful hand for crafting such a bold story. The scope of her many-countried land balances nicely with its comprehensive but not overwhelming history. Very much recommended.
I won my copy of The Demon Girl's Song in an awesome prize bundle I received when I attended the Facebook release party. I'm not sure why I chose to read it first. Perhaps the title intrigued me as it promised a binding of darkness, innocence and beauty. I was not disappointed.
The Demon Girl's Song was a lovely combination of many things. History, magic and gender expectations to name a few. Andín comes to us with her heartfelt desire taken away. She's quickly stripped of everything else she's given to take the place of her dream of university.
I really liked that Andín didn't choose to love the person she did 'because' of the demon or anything else. She loved Yshe because of the people they were.
Andín's journey, both in travel and self discovery, is touching, adventurous and empowering. For all the action, danger and fear she experiences in her travels, she's a wonderful character. She's strong, gentle and loves so much.
Bigelow has a delightful hand for crafting such a bold story. The scope of her many-countried land balances nicely with its comprehensive but not overwhelming history. Very much recommended.
October 14, 2017
Stars: 3
Read: Apr. 30 2016 – Jun. 11 2016
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this one. I had never read anything like it but was very curious about it.
The first thing I noted about this story is the wonderful female lead. She has dreams and aspirations beyond her position in life – and she is not afraid to act. Then this thing happens where a demon gets stuck in her head. And she’s very intelligent about that too, I liked that. She gets the hang of the demon and the additional information he offers very quickly and uses it to her advantage. He leads her into a wonderful, unexpected, dangerous, interesting adventure.
There were a few things I didn’t like while reading: too many paragraphs, repetition, too much travel description, slow pace and fast pace.
I did, however, like the concept of how the demon got transferred into her head: The human body is mortal, the mind is not. So, you have to transfer the mind from the dying body to allow it to survive. This theory is so much more believable than keeping yourself young by drinking blood.
Even with everything that was unexpected to me, the final chapters were even more unexpected, but in a good way.
This is fantasy with a tinge of science fiction.
Read: Apr. 30 2016 – Jun. 11 2016
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this one. I had never read anything like it but was very curious about it.
The first thing I noted about this story is the wonderful female lead. She has dreams and aspirations beyond her position in life – and she is not afraid to act. Then this thing happens where a demon gets stuck in her head. And she’s very intelligent about that too, I liked that. She gets the hang of the demon and the additional information he offers very quickly and uses it to her advantage. He leads her into a wonderful, unexpected, dangerous, interesting adventure.
There were a few things I didn’t like while reading: too many paragraphs, repetition, too much travel description, slow pace and fast pace.
I did, however, like the concept of how the demon got transferred into her head: The human body is mortal, the mind is not. So, you have to transfer the mind from the dying body to allow it to survive. This theory is so much more believable than keeping yourself young by drinking blood.
Even with everything that was unexpected to me, the final chapters were even more unexpected, but in a good way.
This is fantasy with a tinge of science fiction.
May 5, 2016
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This is the story of Andin dal Rovi, a peasant girl who somehow ends up with a centuries old demon in her head - a demon that usually gets transferred from emperor to emperor. The story started off a little slow, but it was really interesting to see how Andin and the demon slowly merged and the effect it had on both of them. Eventually, they find out that parts of the world are disappearing, and they set out to find out why. There's also not many books, especially fantasy, that feature a prominent lgbtq relationship, which is also noteworthy. This book could have used a quicker pace and a little more action, it was definitely slow at parts, but the characters were interesting and I thought the conclusion had a unique spin as well.
This is the story of Andin dal Rovi, a peasant girl who somehow ends up with a centuries old demon in her head - a demon that usually gets transferred from emperor to emperor. The story started off a little slow, but it was really interesting to see how Andin and the demon slowly merged and the effect it had on both of them. Eventually, they find out that parts of the world are disappearing, and they set out to find out why. There's also not many books, especially fantasy, that feature a prominent lgbtq relationship, which is also noteworthy. This book could have used a quicker pace and a little more action, it was definitely slow at parts, but the characters were interesting and I thought the conclusion had a unique spin as well.
September 7, 2016
What a pain in the ass, getting stuck with a demon! Our young protagonist just wants to start her adult life on her own terms. Enchanting scenery, a quick pace to the story, and a serpentine path to the finish make this a must read, especially for new adult trans readers who will find more in this book under its surface.
dnf
August 25, 2016I received this book courtesy of Dreaming Robot Press.
I didn't make it very far into this book. I just couldn't get into it. The whole demon in the head thing just wasn't working for me. It's a DNF for now. Maybe one day I'll be able to start again and finish it but not right now.
I didn't make it very far into this book. I just couldn't get into it. The whole demon in the head thing just wasn't working for me. It's a DNF for now. Maybe one day I'll be able to start again and finish it but not right now.
April 12, 2017
The plot was the least interesting part of the story. The world-building is great and it's nice to read a fantasy that is set in a time that isn't ye-olden-days, steampunk, or this year.
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