A Mortal Song

by Megan Crewe

Sora's life was full of magic--until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Japan, Magic

382 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and son (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she's spent the last six years studying kung fu, so you should probably be nice to her. She has been making up stories about magic and spirits and other what ifs since before she knew how to write words on paper. These days the stories are just a lot longer.

Megan's first novel, GIVE UP THE GHOST, was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Her second, THE WAY WE FALL, was nominated for the White Pine Award and made the International Reading Association Young Adults' Choices List. Her Fallen World trilogy (THE WAY WE FALL, THE LIVES WE LOST, THE WORLDS WE MAKE) is now complete and she has a new trilogy forthcoming in October 2014, beginning with EARTH & SKY. Her books have been published in translation in several countries around the world. She has also published short stories in magazines such as On Spec and Brutarian Quarterly.

Reviews

[Megan Crewe]

I'm so excited to finally be sharing this book with you! It's been more than seven years in the making. :)

Heads up: The ebook is now available for Nook, iBooks, and Kobo as well as Kindle, and it's on sale for $0.99 for the first week of 2017, at every retailer, in every country! Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/31gJOv

Thanks for your support!

[Emma Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by the author to review! Full video review coming to my YouTube Channel soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Not that I was expecting to not enjoy it, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I gravitated towards this story. When Meagan originally proposed her newest novel to me, the part that REALLY got me interested in A Mortal Song was that it was meant to be a play on the stereotypical "protagonist finds out they're a part of some elite, mythical race and have to own up to their identity to save the world" trope we see frequently in YA urban fantasy. As this is a story about a girl who finds out she's NOT the princess to the Mount Fuji's spirit kingdom and is a human changeling to protect the real princess living unaware in Tokyo, naturally, I was sold immediately.

L I K E S :

Setting/Culture- I was really happy to find out this was a book with an entirely Japanese cast that took place in Tokyo. It's not a culture I'm often exposed to in YA, especially in fantasy, and it was really cool to learn more about it. I also found it interesting that the mythical creatures the story is focused on, the kami, are not just made up beings, but to my understanding, actually deities worshiped by those who practice Shintoism. I thought the combination of urban fantasy and Japanese culture suited the story as well as the author's writing very well.

Characters- I really enjoyed the crew we followed throughout this journey! Sora is an extremely strong willed character, while going through all this internal conflict about accepting she's human, her loyalty and determination never falter. Takeo is another extremely loyal character and the epitome of a proper guard good friend. Chiyo is probably my favorite character; She's virtually unfazeable. Never afraid to jump into the unknown, so accepting of the fact that there is an entire world of people depending on her and will stop at nothing to protect them. (And come on- you don't just not love a character with lavender hair.) Kenji is a character I struggled with at some points, but I ultimately think he has a good heart and I'm glad he was incorporated into the story. Another "mere human" who is ready to lay down his life at any moment for a greater cause. The dynamic between this unlikely group of people who never thought they'd cross paths was really interesting and I'm glad I was able to read about them.

Magic System- This was probably my favorite part of the book. The fantastical elements of this book were SUPER well developed, which is super important to me as a fantasy reader. It was so easy to visualize the kami's using their ki and the system of where their powers derive from/how they use them was extremely clear. I really don't even know the best way to describe it, but if you're looking for a good fantasy book for it's fantasy elements, this is definitely a book I'd recommend.

D I S L I K E S :

Romance- As an absolute romance LOVER, I am always looking for who I can ship with who, always hoping for more romantic scenes. Surprisingly, that is not the case for this book. It's not that I didn't like the love interest (whom I did like), it's not that it felt too insta-lovey (because I wouldn't even call what is in the book "LOVE"), or that the romance was too overwhelming (which it wasn't). I just personally felt like this story was strong enough WITHOUT a romance, which is actually a really good thing! So many YA novels these days rely too heavily on a love story, and A Mortal Song definitely stands out from that! It's not that I felt the romance weakened the story - I feel that's too harsh to say. But I personally think the absence of a romance would have made an already stable story stronger.

Ending- Without trying to spoil too much, the ending was not my favorite and I wish we had more. With A Mortal Song being a fantasy standalone, it's understandable that it has to be a first book and a conclusion all in one, and that's not something many fantasy stories can accomplish. I can't tell you how I would have changed it, but I think a few changes to the ultimate outcome as well as a little bit more concerning where things go from here would have benefitted the ending.

All in all, I really enjoyed this story! I would definitely recommend it to my urban fantasy lovers and am super grateful I had the opportunity to read it.

[Ben Alderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!

I really enjoyed this novel. I keep saying...

Dripping in Diversity, Mouthwatering mythology and a stunning setting. I loved the insight into the world of Kami, Ghosts and demons. Also, how Megan took the 'chosen one' trope and flipped it on its head. Its about the understand of not being special and how thats ok.

My only issue was some of the characters we so long that i felt they could of been halved and separated.
I will recommend this novel to anyone looking for a UNIQUE and MAGICAL adventure!

[mith · Rating 3 out of 5]

(when you say "thoughts to come tomorrow" but it's been like 11 days. oops)

so hi guys, i'd like to start off with a huge thank you to the author for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. i'd like to add a sorry for it coming so late!

for the most part, a mortal song was not bad at all. in fact, when i first found out about it via crewe's newsletter, i was pleasantly surprised because this was an instance where you'd expect a chosen one--only it's not the main character! i haven't read many books where this is the case so i was excited about this book.

sora is a changeling--she's not the real princess of mt. fuji's spirit kingdom. she's a human, not a kami and she doesn't find this out until her birthday--right after a bunch of angry ghosts attacked the only home she knew. now she has to rely on someone who's been labelled 'obtuse' to find the real princess and save the kingdom within the week. easy right? haha.

like i said, the book wasn't bad. the action was interesting but it wasn't something that would keep you on your toes. but it was enough to keep me going. another plus was that it wasn't dull either, so yay for that.

i liked the characters--they felt real and not too over the top. i can't really say much about them--not because of spoilers, but because i didn't really feel anything for them. i thought sora was a okay main character--she was levelheaded and i understood her feelings, or tried to, as the novel progressed. i do remember that, whilst reading, i found it a bit surprising--also weird?--that she didn't act like the world had just disappeared from beneath her. i mean, i guess that's kinda over the top, but dude. she just found out several surprising things. but that's just me.

the romance... was the iffiest thing for me. there's no love triangle, but at one point there is a back and forth between feelings and i absolutely hated that. but after that was settled... i still didn't feel anything for either party. it wasn't a romance that wow'd me or made me think was too cute for words. like most everything else, it was just okay.

and for the ending--god, i HATED it. it felt cliched and an ending you'd expect from every movie or book where there's a huge war. not action but through TALKING. and i hated that. i wasn't something MORE. it was a huge letdown.

overall, the best word i can use to describe this book was okay. i wish it was something more special, especially since it involved japanese mythology. but alas. 3.5 stars!

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book!

Firstly let me say that I loved Sora she was such a likable character and I was so sad about what happened to her.

Her whole live she lived thinking she was something she was not and after a dreadful day she learns that everything she knew was just a lie...

The pace of this book was fast and amazing, I really liked the magic system it was very unique and I really liked that the ending it was bitter-sweat for me and I couldn't imagine any other...

All the characters were well developed and had traits that made them stand out....

The only thing that didn't made sense to me was how Sora wasn't angry with her parents....

Overall, this is a well written book and I definitely recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley and Another World Press for giving this arc

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This book started out very strong for me. I really loved Sora, the main character, and I liked that this story was not, in fact, about the chosen one. Instead it was about the girl who always believed she was the chosen one, until one day she finds out that her whole life has been a lie. I really loved that. I also really loved the Japanese setting. It's not something that is seen often in YA, but as someone who knows a little bit about the Japanese culture, I devoured it. I loved the Japanese folklore and how the author created the world out of that.

However, the further into this book I got, the more my excitement waned. I wasn't very overly fond of any of the other characters that were introduced and I didn't love the romance subplot. I found that once the main characters started hunting down the sacred items, the book got repetitive. They travel, fight ghosts at shrine, retrieve sacred item, slay ghosts, recover and talk about their losses, Sora and Keiji romance each other, repeat. That type of repetitiveness made the book a chore to pick up. I also was not a fan of the ending. I'm not a fan of the "love conquers all" ending. I find them to be anticlimactic, weak, and not a representation of good writing. By making your hero show love and good to the villain so they understand that they've done wrong, you're really just avoiding writing an epic battle of any variety.

However I did enjoy the first half and I think Sora is a great lead. I also do commend the author for not writing another Greek mythology story, instead focusing on an underrated but incredibly interesting folklore in YA. For that reason, I gave this book three and a half stars.

[Kitty G Books]

So this is one of my #SPFBO books and unfortunately I didn't finish this one. I read to 25%, but I could tell by that point that this book just wasn't going to be my cup of tea. The story has Asian origins, and is set largely around Mt Fuji in Japan, but it's a blend of the fantastical and the modern day, and I have a hard time with more urban-based fantasies.

This story follows Sora, a young Kami who has been in training since she was born to grow up and take over. Her parents are very powerful protectors of the realm, they rule over the Mountain and with the other Kami they have incredible powers of magic to control the weather and other elements for the whole of Japan.

When the story begins we're introduced to a little dragon-fly sidekick and Takeo who is a body-guard/friend to Sora. Sora is in the midst of planning for her birthday and hoping her parents will finally agree to teach her the ways of the Kami so she can truly unlock her potential and join in with them more...however, a swarm of ghosts led by a demon come and attack the mountain, and Sora and Takeo have to flee in order to find the true heir who can save them all...

What I liked about this story was the faster pacing and the concept of the dragon-fly friend. I am a sucker for a cute little side-kick I must admit!

Sadly for me, this one had a few more negatives than I was prepared to go on with. The major complaint is that this feels super basic in writing style. For me, I was a little more wonder and magic in a world where magic is everything to the Kami, but I never really got that. This felt like it was geared heavily towards a younger age bracket, and the writing matched that younger reading age in my opinion.

As for the characters, ultimately I just didn't connect. The initial concepts were there, and they kept me reading til 25%, but by then I still had nothing to connect with and I just couldn't keep on reading a book where not a lot was making me have good/bad emotions of any kind.

I probably would have given this a 2.5*s, it's by no means a bad book, just a bit simplistic and predictable, and so I think if you're a younger/newer fantasy reader you may really enjoy trying this story, it just didn't personally appeal to me.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a passionate YA reader, especially in the fantasy genre, but I'm not blind to the flaws the genre has. There is an incredible saturation of the special snowflake trope. The hero/heroine is destined or prophesied to safe the world/their people or any such important thing and if they aren't the sons or daughters of gods or other supernatural creatures, they at least have some other kind of special power that sets them apart from the rest of the world … So, naturally, I was excited when I first heard about this book. A fantasy story set in Japan? Not enough books about that, so give me! A fantasy story with a female lead who thought she was the hero with super human abilities only to learn she was in fact only the sidekick if that at all? Hell, yes!
Sora, our main character, spent her life not only being a Kami (a god) but being the princess of the gods of Japan! Until one day she learns, she is in fact only a human changeling and she herself is absolutely powerless. Now she has less than a week to find the true princess, convince her of the truth of her heritage, and train her so she can safe the Kami and in consequence the whole of Japan. While at the same time having to come to grips with the fact she isn't who she always thought she was, the people she loved most had lied to her for her entire life, and she didn't really belong anywhere anymore.
So far it sounds great, and so far the book delivered on it's premise.
The writing was easy to follow once you got past the occasional unknown Japanese word. As for the Japanese setting itself: I'm not an expert on the topic so I'm not going to say anything about the accuracy of it, only that it could have been more detailed.
The real problems lie in the details and in the spoilers. ^^
1. The side characters: Sora as a main character and narrator was mostly fine. Even if we don't see her act, we read her emotions. The other characters on the other hand were really difficult for me to understand and get into. Takeo and Haru, as well as the two sets of parents, hardly have any personality at all. I didn't like Chiyo at all and it took me almost till the end to at least tolerate her. She seemed incredibly careless and self absorbed most of the time. Keji was … fine.
2. Sora's reactions. it is mentioned several times that humans have a more changeable emotional landscape. They feel things more intense than Kamis and their feelings change more quickly and easily (understandable, considering Kamis are immortal). And it is made very clear how hurt, confused and betrayed Sora feels … but she never acts on it! She is a seventeen year old whose entire life was a lie. She was basically used as a human sacrifice for Chiyo and yet, she never blows up! She doesn't blame anyone, she doesn't scream at her parents, real or adopted. None of the things I feel like she should have as a teenager. If I didn't know she was hurt I'd think, she didn't really care. More show and less tell in that regard would have been greatly appreciated.
3. Sora's love life. now that really bugged me. Her having a crush on Takeo is fine. It makes sense the way it is explained. It's also fine she realizes she isn't actually in love with him in the end. I'm also fine with her having a connection with Keji. But we are talking less than a week here! Why make Keji and Sora suddenly some kind of couple? I'd vastly preferred it if they had stayed on a more friendly basis with the option for a relationship in the future. The whole love stuff took away too much from the whole world saving plot. If the plot had been stretched for more than just a week I would have been fine, but this seemed just a bit ridiculous.
4. Now, my biggest problem, the ending: The author spend all this time making Sora realize and accept she wasn't actually the hero from the prophecy and find her own part in being useful and helping … only for her to end up saving everyone after all? To be the hero from the prophecy anyway, even if slightly more metaphorical and less literal? That felt like one hell of a cop out! Until that point I really could ignore all my other complaints, but with this? No! No! No! She wasn't supposed to be the hero!
In the end it was a great premise with a promising beginning with minor problems that could be easily forgiven until the cop out in the ending.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mortal Song was a wonderfully written, creative and interesting story. The plot was very well done and was very unique. Crewe wrote a beautiful and captivating story that is a must read novel for all fantasy lovers.

As a reviewer, I rarely comment on the author. When reading and reviewing a book, I usually disconnect the author with the writing to create a unbiased review. However, during this book, I was in awe at the amount of effort the author put into this book when it came to depicting different cultures. Different cultures and countries are often under-represented in the young adult fiction genre and to see an author stepping outside of the box is something that myself as a reader can truly appreciate. Once I had read the book, I reads the authors acknowledgements and they wrote about how they had travelled to Japan to follow the footstep of their characters. The time and effort that Crewe put into this book is incredible and something that she should be recognized for.

I love how creative and unique this story was. Although part of that is due to the different culture represented in the book, it also has to do with the characters. Often in young adult fiction, we follow a character who has to deal with being “the chosen one” or someone who suddenly extraordinary. However, in this book, we follow a character who has learned that instead of being the extraordinary one, she is now an ordinary human. I really like how realistically this is depicted, with the struggles of being human and coming to terms that her life had been a lie. She has negative thoughts on many things but it is what would be expected. Crewe didn’t try to sugar coat her struggle with becoming a human which is something that I was grateful about when reading. The realistic depiction of the characters really added to what is a wonderful book.

I only had one small problem with this book which was the ending. Everything that happens in this leads up to the ending and sadly, it was quite anti-climatic. It was an enjoyable ending, don’t get me wrong but it just felt odd to suddenly have a ending when you’ve spent 300 pages getting to the ending. I would have much preferred another 50 or so pages so that the ending could be spaced out more and in turn, be less anti-climatic.

Overall, this book was wonderfully written but the ending of the book did let the book down in terms of it’s rating. It was a great read that I would definitely recommend. The diversity and culture in this book was so refreshing, especially since many authors don’t write outside their own country. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is one of my absolute favourite books that I have read this year and I highly recommend that you buy this book once it comes out in mid September.

[Tala · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinion in any way. *

A MORTAL SONG is about Sora, who has been raised as a member of the magical elite, kami. When their home, Mt. Fuji, is under attack, Sora believes that she will be its savior.

Only to find out that that is not her destiny at all.

Can I just say AMAZING? Yes, yes I can. This book deserves 5 stars, alright. It deserves all the stars. Because yes, it is amazing.

Megan Crewe took a worn-out cliché, the "chosen one", and turned it around. Because here, we do get a prophecy to be fulfilled by a heroine, but for once it's not the main character.

You know, perhaps this is what appealed to me most about this book. It's different. It's interesting. It's just so.. refreshing.

The setting, too, was interesting. Contemporary Japan? Yes, please. The world-building was superb. The author took the modern world and infused it with the magical elements that this novel explores.

The side characters were brilliant. Chiyo, in particular, had a personality often left unexplored in most YA books. She really was the light of the book and I really liked her.

My only criticism, however, was that I would have liked to see more of a certain.. 3-dimensionality to Sora's character. Granted, yes, she does develop over the course of the novel, but at times her personality was not very well-defined and just fell flat. Most of the side characters had their distinct personalities, but Sora's was a bit underdeveloped.

The reason that the above criticism does not deduct points from my rating was that the action and plot twists (yes, there were plot twists and yes, they were masterfully executed) made up for it, big time.

This is my first book by Megan Crewe, but I assure you, it won't be my last.

Do I recommend it? Yes. Yes, of course I do.

This review also appears on my blog, JustAddAWord.com

[Glory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Итак, в анамнезе: волшебный народ, пророчество, предрекающее его гибель, и наследница правящей семьи, наделенная особой силой...
Именно ей предначертано всех спасти и стать героиней столетия. Но чтобы прослышавшие о пророчестве враги раньше времени не прикопали спасительницу за ближайшим углом, добрые мама с папой ребенка спрятали. Подменили. В итоге девочка, обладающая властью над стихиями, живет себе среди людей, учится в школе и знать не знает ни о каких ками, призраках, демонах и прочем, а другая, обычная девчонка, человек, растет как наследница трона ками. Сил у нее немного, и она не в курсе, что это даже не ее силы, а родителей, горы, привязанных к ней волшебных существ - всех, кто решил поделиться, чтобы сохранить ее человеческое происхождение в тайне.

Знакомо? Все мы слышали/видели/читали эту историю. Ну или некое ее подобие.
Вот только Меган Кру решила рассказать не о настоящей наследнице, той, что была человеком, а потом к ней пришли странные существа и утащили спасать волшебный мир. Нет, автор выбрала героиней другую. Ту, что всю жизнь считала себя ками, а потом оказалась никем. Подменышем, ширмой, пустышкой.
Но Сора не сдается. Она не знает другого дома и другой семьи, а потому, когда гору Фудзи накрывает волной призраков и правда о ее происхождении выходит наружу, решает помочь и подготовить ничего не знающую об их мире девушку к важной битве.

Мне понравился сюжет, понравился мир. Современная Япония в сочетании с ее ожившими мифами, магией, духами...
Но героиня в какой-то момент начала раздражать. Даже не она сама, а нелепейший треугольник и попытки автора показать, мол, да, она обычная в сравнении с ками, но все же такая необычная, вы посмотрите, посмотрите. Здравствуй, Мэри-Сью.
Ну и сама манера повествования такая... анимэшная, что ли. Все несколько в лоб, по-детски. Не глупо, а именно немного наигранно. В стиле японских мультфильмов.
Если вам такое нравится, то, думаю, и книга придется по душе. Я же, даже признавая ее оригинальность и красочность, сильно высоко оценить не могу. Not my cup of tea, ага.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe was original, there's no denying that. I also loved that it was set in Japan because I haven't read a lot of books that are set there. But in the end I just didn't like the story enough for me to give a higher rating. The beginning was good, I thought but I started getting a little bit bored after that. Maybe this story wasn't just for me. I don't know.

Like I said, the book was original. it does get some bonus points for that. I thought it was original because of the main character Sora. She finds out after seventeen years that she isn't a Kami, but a regular human and has been switched with another girl. Most stories I read were about someone finding out she's magical, not to other way around. So I really liked that about this story.

I'm also pretty particular about the romances I read about. And I really didn't care for this one at all. I didn't like that Sora going back and forth between the two guys in the book. Anyway, this is what I disliked the most about the story, unfortunately.

The writing was okay, but not it didn't amaze me or anything. I also thought the story went too slowly. Maybe because I was kind of bored through out it. But I gotta say that although I don't know a lot about it all, I think all the Japanese stuff, the legends about the Kami and everything else was well researched.

I wish I had liked this book more because it has a great concept and originality. There need to be more books like this with Japanese characters. I just had some issues with it, but I think other readers will like it more.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

Nice idea but couldn't capture my attention :(

[Claire Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty common in fantasy book for the main character to discover their special power or destiny and then come to terms with it throughout the book. Are you a little tired of that old story-line? If you are, A Mortal Song is for you! This fantastical YA novel is set in Japan and throws that old trope out the window.

Sora is a kami, a mythical Japanese spirit that protects and maintains the earth. Or at least she thinks she is! On the eve of her 17th birthday, her home of Mount Fuji is ruthlessly attacked by a demon and a horde of ghosts. Sora narrowly escapes with the help of two other kami, her dragonfly friend Midori, and the handsome warrior Takeo. They seek the aid of an ancient kami seer to defeat the demon, save Sora's parents (the kami king and queen) and retake Mount Fuji. But the seer turns Sora's world upside down when she reveals that Sora is not the girl prophesied to save the kami. Her parents switched their real daughter, Chiyo, at birth with Sora to keep her safe from their enemies. Sora is human--not kami at all.

Despite this bombshell, Sora is determined to help her foster parents, and she, Takeo and Midori travel to Tokyo to find Chiyo, as well as three sacred artifacts that will help them defeat the demon and his ghostly minions. Hounded by ghosts at every step of the way and unsure who to trust, Sora must come to terms with her true identity and learn what it means to be human, before it's too late.

This book is a page-turner with a unique premise. Sora was an extremely likeable character, tough but kind-hearted, talented but not entitled. You really feel for her when the rug is pulled out from under her and she realizes she is just a plain old human, but she doesn't give up or wallow in self-pity too much (there's a little self-pity, which is totally understandable). The characters are interesting and varied, and the differences between human and kami personalities is well-portrayed. The book is clearly very well researched from the settings across Japan to the kami mythology.

The story felt tailored to younger readers, almost leaning more towards a middle grade novel than YA. It was pretty clean, the romance was fairly innocent, and while the ghostly bad guys were unlikeable, nothing was that violent or horrible. Lovers of YA will still enjoy this book, however, especially if you are into Japanese culture and/or mythology!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My ship sank. Hard. Like Titanic hard. I know this makes me sound like an entitled first-worlder, but this has never happened to me before and I am kind of shell-shocked. The ending could have gone perfectly, but then it didn't. And I am sad, because the story up to that point worked for me.

Well, I'm not overly well-versed in Japanese mythology and culture, but despite the author taking seven years to research it, I think she needed to put in a few more years... There were no honorifics and a few reviewers were absolutely scathing in their breakdown of what was wrong with the mythology. I can't discuss it as intelligently as those reviewers, so I highly recommend you look at the 1 star reviews that are very long and you will get the picture.

That being said, it didn't bother me too much, but I am not a student of that mythology, nor do I belong to that culture, so my lack of knowledge probably helped me to enjoy the book more than someone who is more versed in the topic and culture.

However, my ship sank and I am ANGRY. The guy she ended up with was a moron at best and deceitful at worst. Not like the other guy, who legit couldn't be anything other than loyal. SIGH!

I also think seeing some of the MC's childhood growing up on Mt. Fuji with her parents and her kami friends and guard would have given a bit more depth to the MC. The characters were somewhat not as fully-fleshed out as I would have liked them to be, but it wasn't too bad. Chiyo's parents in Tokyo were kind of stupid though, which irked me.

Trigger warning, violence, blood and gore and a few very violent deaths. Only a few kisses. YA and up.

End result? 3, if the ending and the ship that sailed were different this wouldn't be three stars right now, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Another World Press for an eARC copy of this book.

[Danya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Raised on Mount Fuji, Sora has spent her whole life immersed in the ancient traditions of her people, the kami. For Sora, the heir to the kami throne on Mount Fuji, this culture is her birthright. Or so she always thought…for it turns out that Sora’s merely a stand-in for another. She will not take the throne, and she will not manifest the powerful ki that will enable her to defeat the ghosts and demons that have suddenly overrun Mount Fuji. Instead, Sora must guide the real princess, hidden away in Tokyo, through this strange new land and the dangerous battles ahead.

Without the powers of a kami, keeping the real heir to the throne alive will be a difficult task. Kami are spirits that typically embody forces of nature, elements, landscape, and animals; using their ki, a mystical energy, kami monitor and mitigate natural disasters thereby protecting the human population. These components of the world building were far and away the strongest part of A MORTAL SONG, largely because it was refreshing to read a YA novel featuring a magical system rooted in non-Western traditions. However, it was pretty obvious to me that this book wasn’t actually written by someone with Japanese heritage (the author is a Canadian who spent some time in Japan) since very few cultural traditions, places, or even Japanese people were described. If all the characters didn’t have Japanese names, I wouldn’t even know that they were meant to be non-white since their appearances were so glossed over!

The subversion of the Chosen One trope was initially a welcome change from more typical storylines, but it quickly veered into well-trod territory. Crewe’s sustained emphasis on Sora’s feelings of inadequacy when compared to the actual “chosen one” really started to wear on me; unfortunately, this continued repetition left me feeling annoyed by Sora rather than feeling sympathetic for her. While it would’ve been unrealistic for Sora to welcome the news of her true heritage with open arms, I did expect her to recognize that she still has an important role to play much sooner than she did. Girl needs some perspective, stat.

Despite Sora’s own difficulties with the situation, she treats Chiyo, the real “chosen one,” with respect and kindness from the very first encounter. I really appreciated that Megan Crewe chose to have the two girls support one another rather than tear each other down, since that would’ve been both predictable and problematic. It would’ve been a tough sell too, since I thought Chiyo was by far the most likable character in A MORTAL SONG. With her purple pigtails, novelty socks, and her bubbly, chirpy personality was the perfect foil for Sora’s more serious nature, and she added some much-needed levity to the story.

Although the storyline was certainly grim at some points, I wouldn’t exactly call it gripping. The plot ofA MORTAL SONG was incredibly predictable, a fact that I couldn’t overlook in the face of all my other issues with this one. One scene in particular made me want to tear my hair out, as Sora is shocked to discover that someone has betrayed her…when this person was so clearly a double agent from the very beginning. I just found it difficult to believe that these savvy teens could’ve been so easily fooled.

For a book with so much promise, I found A MORTAL SONG to be quite disappointing. But you might like it more than I did, and if you’ve read and enjoyed it please let me know! I’m always sad when I dislike a Canadian read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sora is a kami princess just turned 17 and ready to take on her responsibility with the mountain and the rest of the kami. There's only one problem. She's human. After a surprise attack and a narrow escape, Sora and her companions, Takeo and Midori, race to Tokyo to find the real kami princess to save the mountain, her parents, and gain her place among the kami.

This story was beautiful! My heart hurt for Sora when her life was turned upside down and it lifted with hers too. It was a nice breath of fresh air to follow a main character who wasn't the chosen one, even when it was offered to her to take up the place when it looked dire. Sora found many different weapons to use against the antagonist that any person would be able to do. I enjoyed watching how brave she and Keiji were and how they looked out for each other in a throng of supernatural. I really loved Sora's decision in the end.

I only found one mistake when out should have been our. I would have liked to have seen something done with Midori in Sage Rin's house, but that is my only minor complaint. This was fun and easy to read that kept me and my emotions engaged in the story and the characters. I did not want to put it down. I recommend reading this book. I will be reading it again.

[Kel (Faerie-bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: A Mortal Song
Author: Megan Crewe
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Shelf: ARC
Pages: 382
Rating: 5
Heat: 1

Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED this book!! It's one of the few stories where the main character, Sora, is NOT the hero but one of the "sidekicks". Granted she still played a huge roll in saving the world but it was such a refreshing change from most stories. The characters were awesome, I'm actually bummed that I finished the book, I feel like I've lost touch with some friends. I also really enjoyed all the new to me magic of Japan. I read at the end of the book how Ms. Crewe actually went over to Japan and traveled the same beautiful path as Sora. The detail was awesome, makes me want to explore the same path. I don't think I've read anything that takes place in Japan and it was such a nice change for me. This is also the first book I've read by Ms. Crewe and I am looking forward to reading more by her. The writing just drew me in and the descriptions made it seem so real.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received A Mortal Song as a free copy from the author. I finished this book Jul 8th and held my review, per author request. The gifting did not determine the review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion.

Although a different genre than the Lotus Wars series (steampunk by Jay Kristoff), there were many similar elements that lead me to believe many of Kristoff's fans would enjoy the fight sequences and plots involved within A Mortal Song. The novel had a definite anime feel to it with larger than life characters, quests, and mystical Japanese myth/creatures woven throughout the story line. The book would be entertaining for teens through adult, although there was a level of violence and gore the more sensitive readers may want to be brace for. Lots of fight scenes which were well done (and numerous, for those who love good fight choreography), as the characters join in a quest to collect magical objects and get the heroine to the final confrontation. I enjoyed the story and the characters.

[Tequila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Megan Crewe, and I have to say it will not be the last. I also have to say I'm a bit heart broken that this is a stand alone novel.

I love these characters, the plot, just everything. When I started reading this book, I was instantly sucked into the story and I fell in love with the characters. This is a great story of self discovery, friends, family, and love. This book is really an amazing read and I can't recommend it enough!

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sora's life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known.

Rating: 4.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: diverse setting with an intriguing look into culture and mythologies from the region; strong-willed, resilient, endearing characters; lots of action and fight scenes; quick, entertaining read with a very large side of sass; awesome, unique story filled with well-crafted, relatable morals/lessons

Huge thanks to Megan Crewe, Another World Press, and Giselle @ Xpresso Book Tours for granting me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

Takeo offered me his hand. As I curled my fingers into his familiar, steady grasp, my mind flashed back to the taste of peach and the gentle pressure of someone else's lips. That unwelcome heat tickled through me.

Was this just one more horrible human thing: the inability to remember who you'd dedicated your heart to?

So first and foremost: I signed up to read this book PURELY because of the intrigue surrounding it. When I signed on for a review copy, I didn't even have a cover or title. There was no blurb. What can I say--I'm the kind of person who picks up mystery grab bags because I want to know what's in them! This is not, honestly, the first book I've signed up to review before knowing what it was--and I sort of have a ton of fun doing it this way. It's like...mystery fuels my little penguin heart, or something.

That being said, this book? Took me by total surprise. For one thing--read that blurb up there. Read it again. This book? Takes "switched at birth" to a WHOLE new level. The setting is diverse...but THE FOCUS, guys! The focus of the plot here--on the cultures and mythologies of the region--is my favorite part of this entire read. Megan Crewe knows how to weave a story around what she learns of a corner of the world--and she proved that with this book. I had not, until opening this on my kindle, known anything about the kami mythology. Having read this, I'm disappointed by that fact--despite leaning more toward the fantastical (I mean...Sora DOES live with the kami in Mt. Fuji for most of her young life), Megan Crewe depicted the lore beautifully and with respect.

I was supposed to have centuries before I faced that place. Millennia. So many years I got weary counting them. Not seventeen. Seventeen was nothing.

But I was human, and this was how humans died. In an instant, a claw ripped across a throat.

The plot was fast paced and entertaining. From page one, we are thrust into Sora's life, and all the drama that unfolds within just a matter of several days. There is a LOT of character growth happening in this book, as well--and not just in the case of Sora. Even the minor characters have some small semblance of growth, of backstory--every contributing character is fleshed out and brought to life almost seamlessly. This story evokes a lot of conflicting emotions, as well--as Sora struggles to come to grips with her newfound identity and role in the life she THOUGHT was hers, readers are taken on a roller coaster of an emotional journey.

There are also many profound, relatable morals and lessons sprinkled throughout that readers--particularly those struggling to come to terms with who they are or what their roles in life are--will appreciate and emote with. This is not necessarily, however, a "heavy" read--the sass in these characters is real, and it's HUGE in several chapters. And you all know I love my books full of sass--snark is like hot fudge on a sundae in my world.

Love was such a powerful thing, but it could bring guilt and desperation. It could obscure everything else that mattered.

Despite going into this read literally blind, I LOVED the journey, and will definitely be looking out for Megan Crewe works in the future. She blended mythology and culture with the fantasy/paranormal seamlessly--and made the roller coaster of emotions both profoundly relatable and emotive. Lovers of switched at birth tales, diverse settings/cultures, and stubbornly kick-ass characters will ADORE this (currently) stand-alone novel. If this sounds like your type of book--pick it up!

[Bright Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Mortal Song was an enjoyable fast-paced reading set in Japan. And while there is a lot of action it lacked in characters depth and feels, though. I didn't feel emotionally captivated and I didn't attach to any characters. It isn't a bad story but the absence of this aspect penalized the book.

[Chocolategoddess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I decided not to finish this book 23% of the way through. There was nothing specifically that made me stop, but when I realised my goal of "read one chapter a day" was in danger of not happening because I really just didn't want to pick up another (short) chapter of this book ... enough was enough.

The best word I can use to described A Mortal Song is "shallow". It felt superficial right from the start, where we see the main character, Sora, spying on some humans before heading home for a bit of a shindig.

Home is Mount Fuji, where the "kami" live. I think the kami are gods/spirits of an old religion of Japan. I was pretty excited to read some fantasy set in Asia because I'm not terribly familiar with Asian religions, customs, folklore, or really anything except their food.

After nearly a quarter of this book, I'm still no more familiar because to me the book read like a western author had heard that people were crying out for non-western based fantasy and wrote a western fantasy book with some generic Asian stuff painted over the top. Everyone has Asian names, the kami are drawn from Shinto, and they wear the appriopriate clothes, but other than that I didn't get even the slightest hint that I was reading a book about a culture radically different from my own. Crewe may have done a ton of research about this stuff (I hope) but sadly it doesn't come through in the book.

A lot of this may be due to the writing style. The book is written from Sora's perspective, in first person, and she's a whiny teenage girl. The narrative is more interested in her making eyes at her much older bodyguard who's known her since she was a child (ew) than in describing anything around her. Apart from mentions of drawing paper screen doors aside, I have NO idea what Mount Fuji, home of mystical fantastical godlike beings, looks like. This is incredibly disappointing, particularly since one of the big draws of the fantasy genre is absorbing yourself in something completely different. This lack of description means I just washed generic notions of what houses and stuff looked like, which kind of defeats the object of setting something in a different culture.

The plot was surprisingly uninteresting. I was incredibly excited to read a book from the point of view of a girl who is NOT gifted with magical powers (I'm writing a book like that myself and I've seen it very, very rarely) but Crewe kind of throws all that interest away immediately by having someone gift Sora magical powers. Yawn. The whole swapped babies thing could be interesting, but the narrative made it dull.

The army invading Mount Fuji happened so fast (everything felt rushed, apart from the self-indulgent whininess to be honest) that I didn't really care about it. I didn't care about any of the people left behind, including Sora's parents, because they had only a scant few lines of dialogue before they rushed off to defend the mountain.

When Sora and totally hawt bodyguard go after the girl living Sora's human life, it felt like it started to become an anime. The girl (I can't remember her name) is the most prettiest perfectest loveliest sparkliest girl who all the boys love and she has a stalwart boyfriend with no personality but he's totally hawt too and then she starts trying to dress Sora up so she can fit in as a human and kill me now that's when I stopped reading. They're supposed to be training and saving Sora's foster parents on the mountain and instead they're farting around dressing up. It was irritating, if you're struggling to catch that from my tone.

This brings me to the characters. They were all flat, or fleeting. Sora's parents lasted a few pages, the mystical prophet person lasted a few pages (and was the dullest seer I've ever read, which is saying something because prophecies are SO overused), the body guard is just a stoic bodyguard who just maybe could lurve Sora zomg, and the changeling girl who's actually a magical spirit is a shallow, flippant, bimbo. There wasn't a single character I was remotely interested in.

None of these things were so bad on their own but somehow cumulatively, I just really, really didn't want to read any more. Really. So I gave up, despite this being a NetGalley book, which I usually finish so I can review more fully. Generally if a book is horrifically bad, I'll finish it specifically so I can review it as scathingly as possible. This book wasn't good enough to finish for any reason, so I guess it was kind of aggressively average. If you like a shallow story where things just happen, you might like this. There's definitely a market for it. But it's not an interesting non-western culture fantasy. Don't expect too much.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

It was the cover that caught my attention and the blurb that convinced me I had to read this one. I was so happy I managed to got a review copy from netgalley. I really enjoyed A Mortal Song, it was an unique read with how the story is told from someone who would normally be a side character. It took place in Japan and there was some Japanese mythology in there as well. There was action, magic and a saving the world plot line, but it's also more than that. It's about how power and strength can come in different shapes, finding out who you are and what being human is about.

A Mortal Song follows the story of Sora, who always thought she was a kami, but then she learns everything she believed was a lie. She's just a normal human and the people she thought were her parents aren't. It was very interesting to read about Sora her struggle with this. She has to deal with knowing her whole life was base don a lie, not having magic and just being human and everything that comes with it. I liked how this book turned things around, instead of the normal main character finding out she's special, we have a main character who thought she was special, and finding out she isn't. I really liked this.

This book is mostly Sora her journey, her mortal song as the title calls it. It's very fitting I think and the cover fits the book as well. I think we get to know Sora the most of all the characters as we only get her perspective, but that was fine with me. Sora was an interesting character and there's a lot of character change in this book. The side characters all were great too, although I would've liked to get to know them a bit better. From Takeo who has been Sora her friend since they were young. To Keji who was just a normal human who gets involved. Then there is Chiyo who is the real kami and who got switched with Sora at birth. And more. I also liked how the kami felt a bit off to human standards and how Sora eventually realizes this and how kami and humans are different. It was interesting. There is a bit of romance, but it really is just a subplot, I did like it and how it was handled. It's very subtle, but done well. I also liked how Sora handles things with the romance.

Then there is the story, the danger and Sora and her friends their journey throughout Japan to save their home. There are obstacles, doubts and difficult parts. The book kept my attention the whole time and I really enjoyed reading it. The pace was very well done. It is a bit of a longer book than I normally read at close to 400 pages, but the length was perfect for the story. I did think the ending was a tad rushed, it also seemed a bit too easily how things got solved in the end, but on the other hand I also liked how things were handled as it was a bit different. I also would've liked to see more of what happens afterwards or maybe a sort of epilogue, but that also might be because I got so involved in the story and wanted to read more about Sora and how she would adjust to life after everything that had happened in this book.

The world building isn't the focus of this book, but the world did came alive. We learn about the kami, their magic and tasks and mount Fuji. We get to travel through Tokyo and the surrounding regions with Sora and her friends. There are ghosts and demons and along the way they find out a bit more about ghosts and what works against them. I liked the focus on Japanese mythology that gave the book a unique feel. And I loved imaging how everything looked like.

To summarize: I really enjoyed this book! The book follows Sora her journey after finding out she isn't a kami, but just a normal human. I liked reading about her struggles and seeing her character change and find her own strength along the way. This kept my attention the whole time and the pace was well done. The ending felt a bit rushed and like things got fixed a bit too easily, but I also liked how things got handled. I just would've liked it to get a bit more dragged out around the ending. Sora is a great main character and I liked reading about her, the side characters are fun too although we get to know less about them and there's a bit of romance which was subtle, but well done. I also like the Japanese mythology and feel of the book. Overall this was a great read and I am glad I read it!

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

First things first.

Congratulations to the author for inspiring me to get off my metaphorical ass and write a review.

This does not bode well for the book, however. Typically speaking, I review books that make me angry. And, oh boy, did this book (or the few pages I read) piss me off.

I hate A Mortal Song. Like, loathe and despise. If it were dying on the side of the road, I’d not only let it, I’d hide it so no one else could help. Why? Because it took something I genuinely find interesting and did the writing equivalent of crapping all over it.

I’m going to start with the good. A Mortal Song presented an interesting idea that, could I continue, might have proven to be well executed. The writing style was smooth with only one glaring exception, which leads me to my first, admittedly trivial, point.

The romance in this, presented within the first few pages, reeks of just being bad.

‘If I’d had a camera like the ones the tourists carried, I’d have captured the look he was giving me for keeps.’

Who past puberty says that? ‘For keeps’? This is the first of some indicators of a poorly executed romance to follow. But I’ll keep this part short and just say that if your female character sounds like a preteen and has a crush on her nanny, you might be writing a toxic romance. It’ll poison the story. And in this case, it’s also pseudo-incestuous.

Now, onto my real beef. And that is the ‘kami’. Okay, I feel that the author did basic research then ignored most of it, because I have serious issues with two unnamed ‘kami’ being the rulers of the ‘kami’. (Note, I have only read the very beginning of the book. If these parents get named later on, unless the names of Izanagi, Izanami, or Amaterasu, or any other canon god are mentioned, fuck them.) There are real gods, much better than the paltry attempts in this, and it feels just inconsiderate that the author decided to elevate her characters to a higher stance than the existing ones.

You want a good story that includes Japanese mythology, read Noragami, Band 1. It respects the canon, puts and interesting story in there with original characters, and is actually good.

Furthermore, in Shintoism the gods (do you know kami also means paper? Fun fact.) are immortal. They live so long as they are worshiped (As Noragami, Band 1demonstrates. It’s even a plot point.). They don’t need to run in fear of a bunch of demons and ghosts because they’re motherfucking gods . Only the best and most powerful demons could even hold a candle to them, especially if they’re supposedly the rulers.

Though I understand why these gods are so terrified of demons and ghosts. They’re such wimps they probably don’t have any worshippers and their existence is already endangers.

Oh, and why doesn’t Sora have any responsibilities? I imagine it’s because she’s a changeling (more on that later) but let me point something out: culturally (and generally) speaking, Japanese youth mature quicker than American youth. (I’m assuming American due to the stupid ‘for keeps’ moment and lack of British spelling). Why the fuck does Sora sound like a whiney little kid who wants to know why her parents insist on getting her a babysitter?

Also, I think the author is confused on the concept of kami. She seems to think it’s a species and by the virtue of being the kid of a couple gods, Sora automatically is one. But in Shintoism, you aren’t a god unless worshiped, you aren’t worshiped unless you do stuff for people, so by the mere fact of Sora doing nothing, she is not only not a god, she also shouldn’t even exist. But her moronic pretender parents (who cannot be real gods) don’t give her anything to do. They don’t even give her a small shrine to take care of. (For interesting reading that involves kami and shrines, try Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 1Kamisama Kiss, wherein a human girl becomes a god and actually works at it).

Now, onto the use of the word kami. And not meaning, but use. First of all, do no leave just one thing untranslated. If you’re using kami, use youkai, obake, mononoke, etc as well. Youkai are demons (and what Sora’s family actually sounds like a clan of youkai instead of kami) and mononoke are spirits.

Furthermore, why not use honorifics? This is just a petty complaint, but really, Sora, if you’re close enough to Takeo to drop honorifics, you can probably take a chance and confess. Even if you get rejected, it won’t affect the friendship.

My final complaint is how very European this story is.

I mean, a sage makes a prophecy. Can’t use a kudan or anything, because they die after predicting the future and there wouldn’t be any convenient person to question after the enemy takes over the palace. But this might be me being tetchy. Maybe this is the only thing that feels European—
Changeling. Oh, right, Sora is a changeling, something most common in European folklores. Her family didn’t say ‘Fuck prophecy, we’re gods), they hid their child away to circumvent a prophecy…not at all like Oedipus….

And why is Sora the heir? I mean, her parents should be immortal, so planning for their deaths seems—OH! Oh! The European ‘divine right to rule’ that gods never really seemed subject to? And Sora has to get the real heir and train her to take back her throne because it’s hers by birth! And Sora doesn’t have to protect her existence by actually doing stuff a real kami would do because she’s divine by birth (or switch) and therefore everything is her right!

This is just an opinion, but damn, could you get any less Japanese in a story set in Japan?
Also, I think Sora and her family are actually youkai because they remind me of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 01 (something better. I should read that.). And because Midori is a dragonfly 'kami’? So, is she a dragonfly people worship (why?) or a dragonfly other dragonflies worship (that’s a story worth telling!)?

And what’s with these weak names? Sora, Takeo, Midori, Ayame? Sky, Warrior/Man, Green, and Iris? (depending on characters used). What happened to the gods worthy of respect? Where’s Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Inari, Takemikazuchi, Susano-oh, Kanseon Bostatsu, Bishamon, Konohanasakuya…..I mean, these are (incomplete, because I’m no expert) names that you remember and respect. Amaterasu’s full name is Amatrasu-oomikami which means 'the great august god who shines in the heavens' . THAT’S a name that demands worship.

[Marguerite · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.

A Mortal Song was an adorable, fast-paced novel with a well-developed romance (which was amazing!!!) and strong characters. The plot is unique, and whilst I really liked the angle, I'm not completely sold on the ending (which I'll talk about later in the review), overall, I loved reading the character development and action. I'm going to break my review down into each section - characters, setting, plot and finish with overall thoughts.

Characters: Sora, the heroine, was the best! She was accomplished, thoughtful, considerate and her struggles through the bombshells and reveals was realistic and admirable. Some of the secondary characters (I felt) did become a little lost in the wider plot (all of the awesome fight scenes), but in particular Takeo and Keiji were particularly well rounded. Chiyo was interesting, and her perpetual happiness cute and I kept on thinking of Chiyo Mihama from Azumanga Daioh every time I read her name. I don't feel like we got enough time with the parents, which would have helped, but it did make sense with the flow of the plot, so it didn't upset me that much.

Setting: Awesome - the beauty of Japan was explored really well. I felt like I was there!

Plot: Alright, the plot was nice and quick, with lots of fight scenes and character growth. Nothing was revealed too quickly or too slowly, and I actually liked the ending for the villain - follows with the different approach of the novel and made perfect sense to me. What I did have a problem with is that at the end, after Sora and Chiyo are both adamant about wanting to enjoy there 'normal' (as in, not running around almost being killed all the time saving the world time of the book) lives, whilst gradually incorporating their new parents, they both just swapped lives at the end, no probs. I didn't think that was completely realistic, and I would have thought that Chiyo would still want to be with her friends, go to school etc. whilst Sora started school, continued with her training (she could become an awesome guardian for them!) or something. Rather than cutting it off immediately. Probably just me, but I felt that after hundreds of pages of angst and shock, that you wouldn't just be completely fine with dropping your old life and picking up another.
The romance was wonderful - an awesome slow-burn that was so cute. (okay, it is sort of obvious what is going to happen, but I loved reading it anyway!)

So, if you want to read a fun, fast book with an interesting reversal of supernatural themes, set in Japan, cute romance, great character growth and just an awesome book all round, then pick up A Mortal Song! (Also, standalone! So you don't have to commit to a series)

*Thank-you so much to the author, Megan Crewe, for providing me with this ARC. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

*The author kindly sent me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. My opinion has not been influenced by this*

Cool idea but the book felt mediocre.

The thing that absolutely drew me in was the cover and the synopsis. The cover is gorgeous and a story about a princess who turns out not to be the special princess? Give me! But in the end this book ended up being pretty mediocre. There was so much potential but I couldn't find it in the book.

First of all: the writing style. The writing style is pretty straight forward. This is is a thing that I normally really like but I think that a story like this would have been better with a bit more flowery writing style. Everything was so straight to the point that I did not get that mystical feel that I was expecting to get when reading the book.

Second: the characters. They just fell flat for me. I didn't like them, I didn't dislike them. Sora was a fine protagonist but nothing special. Her friends were fine friends but nothing special. I did not feel anything if they were hurt and I also felt like we didn't get to know them all that well except some minor little details. Basically I wanted more of them. I wanted more emotion, I wanted to see more development and get to know them better. The details that we did get felt a bit stereotypical and overly dramatic, especially Keiji. Whenever he was sharing something of his sad past I just kinda rolled my eyes. We only hear him talk about it once or twice and that just wasn't enough for me to see it as anything less than a cliché, a badly worked out one that is.

Third: the romance. It was kinda insta-lovey sadly. It was just a look in his eyes and !BAM! fluttering hearts everywhere. I did not believe it, the characters didn't know anything about each other. There was even a big of a triangle in the beginning but that was actually solved rather nicely. I really liked how the author let Sora approach and fix this. Probably one of the best solutions I have ever seen in any YA book!

And finally: the world building. I thought that the concept of these kami living on Mt. Fuji was really cool and the parts that we got to see of their culture (mainly the first couple of chapters) were really cool! But after that we kinda lost that cool element. It went from slowly diving into the kami world to teens fighting ghosts by putting pieces of paper on their heads. And that's fine but after reading about the same type of fight for the third time I did wish that we would go back to the kami world and their way of living.

So overal this book is just okay. All the elements are fine but nothing really shines. Would I recommend you to pick this book up? Sure, it is an easy read with an interesting story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Sora is very real, very relatable, very sympathetic. The idea of going from normal to special permeates YA novels, and with good reason. We all want to think we’re special, or that someone out there is. That there’s more than the every day normalcy of our lives. But going from special to normal? That���s much harder to come across, and Crewe pulls it off by creating a character that we can all relate to. The side characters are wonderful and three-dimensional as well, including upbeat Chiyo, endearing Keiji, and honorable Takeo.

Crewe also created a vivid world around the kami, mixing both the fantastical and the real (just as she did with her characters). You can tell that she put a tremendous amount of research into creating a realistic world. On her blog, she even details her trips to Japan to follow in her characters’ footsteps.

The plot was fast-paced, with lots of action-packed fight scenes and a little bit of slow-burning romance. The way that “magic” is incorporated is beautiful and realistic – it’s not just a magical free-for-all. There’s a system, and Crewe makes her characters stick to it. This makes it hard for Sora, but it needs to be as she learns what it means to be “human” instead of “kami.” Even the villain is well-developed and the climax/ending was well-done and appropriate for the villain and Sora.

In summary, A Mortal Song is a beautiful, unique, and captivating standalone novel, with diverse characters and a fresh take on the “Chosen One” trope.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this eARC from Megan Crewe in exchange for an honest review of A MORTAL SONG.

I absolutely loved this story. It was a magical story about betrayal, finding who you are, and accepting your destiny. The story is so great that I have no words of dislike or I am speechless of how amazing it is. I think this would definitely be something great and new if it were to become a movie. I also learned more about magical creatures and it just opened up my mind to what could be out there (or what could not) and just makes life a little more magical thinking that maybe there could be friendly magical creatures controlling the weather. Maybe there aren't, but it's nice to think certain things and have a little fun thinking it could be from a magical creature.

You kind of learn that people aren't turned bad for no reason. There is a reason. Maybe that reason was originally what you thought would be good and beneficial but it isn't. Your reason and logic could be clouded over so greatly because you are so focused on this reason that you don't see the harm it's doing instead of good. Maybe you'll realize it, or maybe you won't. In the end, everything turns out the way it's supposed to. Everything happens for a reason.

I highly recommend reading this book if you love being submerged in a different world with different powers and magic.