The Stone Knife

The Songs of the Drowned #1

by Anna Stephens

A fantasy epic of freedom and empire, gods and monsters, love, loyalty, honour, and betrayal, from the acclaimed author of GODBLIND.

For generations, the forests of Ixachipan have echoed with the clash of weapons, as nation after nation has fallen to the Empire of Songs – and to the unending, magical music that binds its people together. Now, only two free tribes remain.

The Empire is not their only enemy. Monstrous, scaled predators lurk in rivers and streams, with a deadly music of their own.

As battle looms, fighters on both sides must decide how far they will go for their beliefs and for the ones they love – a veteran general seeks peace through war, a warrior and a shaman set out to understand their enemies, and an ambitious noble tries to bend ancient magic to her will.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, LGBT, Adult, Queer, High Fantasy, Fiction

608 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2020

About the author

Anna Stephens is the UK-based author of the Godblind trilogy - Goblind, Darksoul, Bloodchild - and The Songs of the Drowned trilogy - The Stone Knife, The Jaguar Path, The Dark Feather. Anna also writes for Black Library and Marvel Comics.
You can sign up to Anna's newsletter here: https://anna-stephens.com/get-in-touch/

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo

ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.

This was amazing. Great characters, lethal actions, and so much bloodbath; a vampire reading this book would probably find their thirst satiated.

This is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me; I am thoroughly impressed by what Stephens has crafted here. Her debut, Godblind, was a good grimdark novel that I liked, but The Stone Knife? Oh boy, it was absolutely bloody and magnificent. I personally think that Stephens’ skill as a storyteller has improved significantly since the release of her debut. That said, I've heard from many readers that the rest of the Godblind Trilogy has indeed displayed Stephens' growth as a storyteller already, so it could just be that I’m missing on that actions. And honestly speaking, after reading The Stone Knife, I would be crazy to disregard that notion.

The Stone Knife is the first book in The Songs of the Drowned trilogy by Anna Stephens, and the story takes place in the forests of Ixachipan. For generations, nation after nation has fallen to the Empire of Songs—their endless, magical music undefeated. And now, only two free tribes—Tokoban and Yalotlan—remain in Ixachipan, and they won’t submit to the Empire’s total domination. To make the struggle even worse for the tribes, the Empire has the Drowned—monstrous and scaled predators with their own magical music—at their side. I loved this book; it’s a different sort of beast from Godblind, and I am so damn pleased that Stephens has decided to write this rather than continue writing in the Godblind world. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m sure if she has decided to write more books that takes place in the same world as her previous series, it would be great as well, but there’s something about authors writing a new series in a new world that always excites me. This is a vicious tale about gods, monsters, love, loyalty, friendship, faith, and freedom.

“That’s what it sounded like. It sounded like the sunset looks. It sounded like all the world is there just to make you gasp with wonder, to open your heart so wide that it can absorb all that beauty and hold it and be it and never lose it, no matter what. That’s what the songs of the Drowned sound like.”

To me, one of the most noticeable differences between Godblind and The Stone Knife is the longevity of their chapters. In Godblind, Stephens uses very short chapters to prioritized fast-pacing, actions, and dialogue. The Stone Knife, however, is the other way around; chapters are longer, and Stephens focuses on characterizations and world-building first before filling the pages with blood. My preferences are definitely lean towards what she did in The Stone Knife. Although it took me around a quarter of the book to navigate and acclimate myself to the names and terms, I never felt bored because I found the setting and the intricate world-building—inspired by ancient Central American civilization—to be so refreshing. Also, there’s no info-dump; the majority of the unique names and terminologies are understood/learned through the context of the narrative, and she did it so well. Most importantly, the characters and their characterizations was terrifically written.

“I don’t ever want to be like that, she thought suddenly. I don’t want to have killed so many that it means nothing. I don’t want to be dead behind the eyes or in the heart.”

The story in The Stone Knife is told through the perspectives of seven characters—Xessa, Tayan, Etne, Lilla, Pilos, Ilandeh, and The Singer. Guess what? I’m so invested in all of them. Excluding the fact that there’s already a goodest boy named Ossa aside, I think Stephens has successfully nailed a great job of personifying her many characters here. Either faith, love, or both drives the motivation of these main characters; I personally found them all to be well-realized. It’s not often I praise romance subplots, and there were two or three romance subplots here, but I have to give my praises to Stephens on this aspect; the character’s love and fear for their loved ones were so palpable. Additionally, the disability and LGBT representation in the characters also felt totally genuine. Simply put, I loved reading all the character’s POV. But please do not let these lead you into thinking this is a romance book; oh god, this violent book will color your imagination red.

“You’ve broken the song and doomed us all, Great Octave. All that comes next, you have caused. All of it.”

Stephens has outdone herself on the creation of characters of Etne and the Singer. Yes, my favorite POV characters to read were Etne, The Singer, and Tayan. If you’ve read this book, or about to, before you call me deprave of sanity for claiming Etne as my favorite POV to read, let me first clarify that I don’t love her character; I doubt she was ever created to be likable anyway. However, her POV chapters were unputdownable, crucial, fierce, and engaging; I consider it a sign of a great storyteller when they’re able to make me THIS compelled to read an unlikable character’s storyline, and that’s what Stephens effectively did with Etne and her development with The Singer. The gradual changes in the tone of The Singer’s introspection were just spectacular.

As I mentioned, this is a pretty brutal book; this isn’t really grimdark, in my opinion, but the violence enacted is full-throttle. If you’re averse to reading much blood and gore, I suggest you read a different book or wait until you’re in the right mood for it. Stephens’ actions are merciless, and she unquestionably excels at keeping the intensity and emotions of each scene intact. Peace negotiations and dialogues ended up being some of the most pulse-pounding scenes in the book. I sometimes find that the loudest volume can be found in the sound of silence, and there were many moments in the book where that voiceless moments amplified the tension so much. The battle scenes were mostly spread out here and there throughout the entire book, but in the final 15%, Stephens totally pull out all the stops; the unleashed insane chaos were impossible to untamed (haha), and I can’t help but found myself intoxicated by the power of the blood song.

“My song will drive them to ruin. Those who live will do so in the agony of their wrongdoing. I am the song and it is bloody. I am the song and it is war.”

The crimson macabre sequences demonstrated by Stephens in The Stone Knife will stay with its readers for a long time. Whether it’s peaceful tranquility or ruthless bloodshed, the scarlet claw in the narrative had a visceral grip on the reader’s emotions and attention. I highly urge readers of epic fantasy with a darker tone and grey morality to join the rank of the violent Melody with me. I utterly look forward to the next Chorus in the series. Harper Voyager, if you’re reading this, promote this book; you have something special in your catalog here.

Official release date: 26th November 2020

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Diana, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Michelle, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm pretty gutted I wasn't into this. I was desperate to love it, especially since seeing some glowing reviews!

The mesoamerican setting was fresh and not your typical medieval-fantasy, one of the reasons why I loved Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse so much and the main cast were a diverse group. The action was solid and indeed bloody, with a focus on war and friendships - things I like in my reading.

Unfortunately for me, though 7 POVs isn't tonnes, most of the characters had very similar voices and were quite un-distinguishable to me. There were a couple who felt fully fleshed out and I enjoyed their chapters as they had an individual spark. The characters showed a lot of promise to start with and I enjoyed Stephens' unique choices, for example one character is deaf, however, quickly their voices blended and most of the them were just too passive for me to become fully invested in them and enjoy their arcs. As it is a 600 page book it got pretty samey.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stone Knife by Anna Stephens is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s grim, yes, bloody, brutal, and often bleak, but there’s always just enough hope shimmering in the distance to keep you going. That fragile thread of light is what makes it hit even harder.

What really makes this book shine is how human it all feels. No perfect heroes, no cartoonish villains, just people. People trying to protect what they love, people shaped by trauma and belief, and people who make terrible decisions for reasons that almost make sense. Over the course of the series, even the "villains" become more than just obstacles; you begin to understand them, even relate to them, in ways that sneak up on you.

Stephens doesn’t rely on flashy twists or action set pieces to grab your attention. Instead, she quietly pulls you deeper and deeper into the world and the lives of her characters until, before you realise it, you’re fully immersed and the real world has disappeared.

As with her first trilogy, this is very much on the darker side of fantasy. But once again, the diverse and vividly real cast is what kept me completely invested. Stephens has a rare talent for writing characters who feel fully formed from the moment they step onto the page. They fight, struggle, hope, love, betray. And every bit of it feels earned.

The setting is inspired by Mesoamerican (especially Aztec) cultures, and it’s not just aesthetic. It’s clear that Stephens did her research. Everything from the social structures to the languages, spiritual beliefs, and rituals feels richly imagined and deeply rooted. The cultural inspiration isn't surface-level; it shapes how characters think, how their societies function, how power is wielded and understood. It makes the world feel alive in a way that so many fantasy settings struggle to achieve.

The clash between the two nations at the heart of the book is handled so well. One side may feel more "right," but the other is written with enough nuance that you catch yourself sympathising with them, even when you don’t want to. That moral tension, rooting for one side while understanding the other, is one of the book’s greatest strengths.

I loved slowly uncovering more of the world and how it works. The spiritual and magical elements are mysterious and weighty, not just window dressing. Every decision has consequences, and nothing comes without a price.

Honestly, my only complaint is that I didn’t have the sequel lined up and ready to go when I read this. I needed to know what happens next, because this story had its claws in me and didn't let go.

By now I finished the whole series and can say it got even better and the whole trilogy just blew me away. Perfect, painful but perfect all around.

[Bethan Hindmarch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Stephens is back with a brand new trilogy for us, and I have been so excited for it for ages. I loved her Godblind trilogy, so I pre-ordered The Stone Knife back in April ready for the November release – but when Stephens offered me an ARC for review, I jumped at the chance!



The Stone Knife, book one of The Songs of the Drowned, takes place in a whole new world that is inspired by ancient Central American civilisations. It is the story of the Tokob tribe as they try to survive in the face of a relentless enemy hell-bent on colonising their world, and the monsters that live in their water-sources and sing people to their bloody deaths. It is also the story of the Pechaqueh as they try to bring the magic of their leader’s Song to the tribes around them, whilst those tribes murder their gods… As one should come to expect from Stephens’ writing, things are never black or white.

The opening to this story of siren-like song magic lulls you in – it’s exposition, but it doesn’t feel like a dump as it’s a tale being woven. Natural additions of the voice’s world filter through with no background information, which gives the narrative a sense of authenticity, that this voice is rooted in its place and sings with authority. Just when we feel at peace within this tale, the voice takes a sharp juxtapositional twist in tone and it’s a strong indication of the character’s personality. And what a character she’ll turn out to be; Xessa quickly insinuated herself into my heart and is now up there with the likes of Tara and Fell Noon as one of my all-time favourite characters. Stephens brings her monsters into play promptly, we certainly do not have to wait long for the trilogy’s eponymous creatures. And they are CREEPY. And violent.

‘Mottled brown and green like the riverbed, thin ribbons of hair on its head like weed, it stretched a clawed hand towards Xessa…’
I found myself immediately convinced of their threat. Our protagonist appears adept and experienced, and yet proves to be human and vulnerable. It is a dark and dangerous opening to a story, setting the scene for what seems a desperate, eat-or-be-eaten world. It’s softened by our protagonist’s canine companion, and her reflections on her society of historians and teachers, of people with specific and individual roles to play. And so in just a few short pages, Stephens introduces us to her new world in a succinct and impactful manner.

Water was life and breath and plenty, and water was death and pain and fear, held in a balance like day and night, sun and moon. Xessa was a thief, stealing from the balance without offering anything in return except her sweat, her fear, her blood. One day, perhaps, her life.
As with the Godblind trilogy, Stephens treats us to more multiple points of views in this new trilogy – seven in total, and from either side of the conflict. Stephens is relentless in her ability to tell every side of the story and blur the distinctions between the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’, certainly more so here than with Godblind. The first three chapters, excluding the brief opener, are all from the same tribe, so when we enter into the perspective of someone who up until that point we’d been told was the enemy, I found myself thinking ah, classic Stephens… There is no right or wrong. No good or bad. We simply have people existing as themselves in their world, firm in their belief that they are in the right, that they follow the true faith. Context, as ever, is key and that is a gift for us, a step removed. This is such an accurate portrayal of humanity – that of the ‘bad guys’ not seeing themselves as being the ‘bad guys’ – and one that seems safe to say is Stephens modus operandi.

Speaking of representation, I had expected to come across diversity in The Stone Knife, knowing its importance to Stephens. However, I wasn’t prepared for just how perfectly Stephens embraces it here. Xessa is deaf, and Stephens shows us so many little ways in which the character processes details instead that it comes across as a very different perspective, already showing me things I would not normally have considered.

Xessa eased herself onto her feet to approach the river when a double thump like a heartbeat shivered up through the soles of her bare feet… The dog jumped again, landing back feet, front feet… his throat rippling as he barked and barked.
Treated with equal subtlety and nuance, Stephens’ approach to gender and sexuality is seamless – there are no labels used. We don’t get told the sex of a person until personal pronouns are used; no awkward, assumption-based statements like “the female warrior”. Likewise with sexuality, there is quite simply the person the character loves or is attracted to – no mention of whether they are ‘gay’, or ‘lesbian’ or ‘bisexual’, or ‘straight’. No mention of only being interested in the one or the other. No judgement. It felt so natural to read characters in this way, so refreshing. We can imagine worlds bursting with magic and fantastic creatures, or worlds lightyears away from our own, and I felt like finally I am reading a world in which love is love.

I guess what’s important to take from everything I’ve said so far is that Stephens has created a world which feels so real. So obviously a secondary, fantasy world, and yet so obviously authentic and grounded. Stephens’ writing style of threading her worldbuilding through references that are unfamiliar but obvious in their context makes for a subtle means of creating an utterly believable world.

There are a number of similarities between this world and story and that of the Godblind trilogy. Stephens’ magic system is again heavily linked to belief, faith, and ancestors. Magic is gifted through gods and spirits. As well as this, Stephens’ writing still has that visceral quality that became something of a hallmark in Godblind. You can expect violence and gore from The Stone Knife, but again, it doesn’t overpower the story. The characters are very much what drives this story, and although there may be pain awaiting them, and plenty of twists, there is still hope and love that abounds.

These similarities make this story recognisably Stephens’ handiwork, and yet this story is a clear progression of her growth and evolution as a writer. The Stone Knife is a story that you will lose yourself in, breathless in its heady depths. So many times I found myself scared to read on, fearful for what Stephens, a notorious heart-breaker, would do to these new, innocent, utterly relatable characters. So many moments, despite knowing this author’s treachery, I found myself reeling from a new revelation. This is a powerful, dark, and beautiful song, that’s left me open-armed and ready for the next.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 reread: Still a 5 star read. It's just so goooooood. Also book 2 gonna be pain 🥲

2021 read: Oh Anna, you certainly know how to please my heart with brutal gore and death. This book was such a strong start to her new series. Stephens has grown so much as a writer since the first book in the Godblind series (which was a weak start but grew to be one of my fave series). And if the start is this good I can't wait to see what the next book in this series will bring me.

5 stars because I haven't had a 5 star book since December. I had some fears in the middle of the book it would only be 3 stars because I kinda fell out of my reading groove (the beginning of the book was 4 stars). But then I found my way back again and like I'm in awe from the morbid goriness that Stephens gives me.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first instalment in The Songs of the Drowned series.

Two tribes are all that remain of the free people residing in the forests of Ixachipan, but they may soon cease to do so when just to survive through each day is such a struggle. On one side they are hunted by the empire's melody, which seeks to trap them into servitude, and on the other they are haunted by the song of the drowned, which infects the mind before the creatures kill the body.

This was such a unique fantasy novel. I loved exploring the rocky geographical and political terrain of this kingdom, as well as learning to understand the monsters that dwelt there. There was much horror present here, which the blood-soaked pages could attest to, and the dark deeds were inflicted by and upon almost every character, at some juncture in this narrative. There was also much intrigue surrounding whether the persecutors were the saviours and if those that opposed them were rebels or anarchists, which was just as interesting to explore as the frequent action scenes.

Whilst I highly appreciated the ingenuity of all Stephen's inventions, I sometimes did find them a little overwhelming. The multiple perspectives granted the reader insights to all sides of the war and I was, on times, confused about who was where and why. This may well be more to do with my sleep-deprived brain struggling to comprehend this masterpiece rather than any structural flaw, and it certainly didn't hamper my enjoyment or dissuade me from being excited to continue on in this world, either.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Anna Stephens, and the publisher, Harper Voyager, for this opportunity.

[Ash | Wild Heart Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Stephens brings a whole new world to life with bloody glory in The Stone Knife. The Empire of Songs has slowly been advancing its reach over Ixachipan through bloody conquest. It will not stop under every single person is under the Song. They worship the holy Setat, sacrificing untold numbers to keep their gods appeased. But for the Tokob and Yaloh these creatures are not holy, they are the Drowned and to hear their song is to meet death. Terrifying monsters that infest rivers, killing without discretion. With the Empire of Songs marching on them and the Drowned growing more numerous every day, the Tokob and Yaloh fight a desperate battle for survival.

Something indefinable had changed, and she didn't think it would ever go back to the way it was again.

The Stone Knife follows seven perspectives; Xessa - an eja, Lilla - a Fang leading a Paw of Tokob warriors, Tayan - a Tokob shaman, Enet, Spear of the City, Pilos - High Feather and commander of the Melody, Illandeh - a Xentib refugee and finally The Singer, who's will shapes the Song. I would not be intimidated by the number of pov characters in The Stone Knife. Anna is fantastic at multi-pov stories, not just in terms of being able to forge distinct characters but also in terms of being able to weave together a story that is seamless and stays engaging throughout. Even when you hate a particular character you still cannot put the book down.

One of my favourite elements about The Stone Knife is that it features a queernorm society and it's done fantastically. As Anna and I spoke on in my interview with her, though it's getting better, grimdark fantasy can still be very allocishet and heteronormative or what rep is there is just used as cannon fodder. In The Stone Knife, there are numerous queer characters; a lot of the mcs, side characters and minor characters. Casual use of 'all genders' rather than the alternative. Tayan and Lilla are an established married gay couple and their love for each other is just so heart-wrenching. The Stone Knife also gives us some wonderful deaf representation through Xessa. Xessa is deaf but for her and other eja this is never presented as a hindrance, more than anything it makes them an incredible asset in the fight against the Drowned. Sign language is used and Xessa has the goodest boy Ossa by her side. I am partially deaf, not deaf, however it was fantastic to see this representation on the page in an epic fantasy.

Anna writes fantastic villains. They are hateful people and more than a few of them in The Stone Knife brought out some murderous tendencies but you cannot fault Anna's ability to craft a villain. I wouldn't even necessarily call them villains because it's too simplistic. These people, much like some in real life, are so devoted to their beliefs and so utterly sure of the righteousness of their path that they see themselves as the heroes and saviours. They don't see the bloodshed and pain they unleash on others as a bad thing, they truly believe they are bringing salvation to these people by bringing them under the song. You have a character like Pilos, who's on the side of the oppressor and believes he can bring peace through war and there are moment when you catch yourself thinking that compared to say Enet, he's not so awful and he has moments of apparent kindness, where you think could he be redeemed? Then in his next chapter he does something awful and it's jarring in a way. It makes you think about the ways in which we can be conditioned to accept a lesser evil and think 'this person's isn't so bad'. But just because an enemy respects your courage, it doesn't negate the fact he will still kill you for what he believes in. What I am saying is for all you will hate them, Anna does not write 2D villains, they are infuriating as they are brilliantly written.

The Stone Knife is relentless. It is intense and brutal and all sorts fucked up but my gods is is brilliant. I made the mistake of drinking a hot chocolate while I was reading one time and I'd caution against food or drink because some of it will turn your stomach 😅 It is not for the faint-hearted but I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a fantastic grimdark fantasy. There's queernorm societies, multiple queer characters, deaf characters and the bestest doggo. If you loved Godblind, you'll love The Stone Knife. I wasn't sure if there was more room in my heart for characters that will stab you straight in the feels after Godblind but Anna has done it again with this (Tayan I love you).

In the gloom, Xessa smiled like a lord of the Underworld. Like a fucking Drowned, all teeth and malice and hunger.

Content Warnings: slavery, child death, animal death, extreme violence, gore, human sacrifice.

*I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

They said that the Drowned were the souls of the dead, angry that the living still walked beneath the sun, still breathed the air and ate the good food of the land.

On my blog.

Actual rating 2.5

Rep: gay mcs, deaf mc, bi mc

CWs: gore, torture, violence, human sacrifice, animal death, child death, cannibalism

Galley provided by publisher

Usually, I think I’m pretty good at picking books I know I’ll like. Or rather, I don’t pick books I know I’ll actively dislike. So, I thought, with The Stone Knife, I had a shoo-in.

I did not have a shoo-in.

It’s hard to say exactly why I didn’t like this one. On the face of it, a slowburning adult fantasy with depth to its worldbuilding, I should have loved it. And it wasn’t really a mood thing, because I started this at the same time as another book I could thus describe.

I think the primary reason for me not getting along with this was the fact it’s 600 pages long and not a whole lot happens. I mean, things do happen, but nothing Happens. There was never any point where I thought oh shit and was, from then on, fully engaged. None of what happened in the plot grabbed me, none of it made me urgently want to read more. There weren’t really any questions that I had of the plot, if that makes sense. The events that happened in the book felt somewhat superficial, as if they had no underlying significance. Of course, this could well be just me. But I just felt that the narrative didn’t throw up any questions.

It’s entirely possible this is what bored me. It’s entirely possible I was bored well before that. Either way, it wasn’t really a gradual decline into boredom – it only took about the first 100 pages, really, for me to be able to tell it wouldn’t be for me. I think, actually, that length played a role too. Six hundred pages is a pretty big book, and there were at least seven POVs, so the story felt stretched out in a way that I didn’t enjoy. The plot slowed down (not that it was massively fast to begin with) and I – you guessed it! – got bored.

And there wasn’t anything like a final act holy fuck moment. Everything just went to shit, without any sort of hopeful twist to it. In all honesty, it felt like 600 pages of build up to a big event that never happened.

On top of this, it was also pretty gorey, and that’s not something I particularly like my fantasy to be.

None of this is not to say it’s a bad book, however; it just wasn’t a book for me. The worldbuilding was immersive and thorough (and had no homophobia!), and I did, somewhat, like the characters in the sense I didn’t want bad things to happen to them (and, predictably, bad things did happen). And, overall, I wish I had enjoyed it!

So, really, if this book sounds like something you would enjoy, just ignore my review.

[Kirsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I... think I need a moment.

Edit: the next morning
General thoughts - this was good, immersive and very atmospheric in the most visceral, brutal sort of way. This was also horrible in the way that a really awful but well written story gets under your skin. I liked this book a lot, but I also don't quite know what to make of it. I also need the sequel immediately, please.

So. The setting of this story is an Aztec-type of society in the middle of a brutal war of absolute conquest. The "bad" side is the mighty Empire of Songs, hell-bent on pacifying the world through colonisation, subjugating all other peoples and bringing them under the song, i.e. indoctrinating them to the point they adopt the empire's culture and gods as their own. This seems to be going pretty smoothly, too, because the ever-present background song in the empire, spread by pyramids and managed by the pharaoh-like Singer, has some kind of a hypnotic quality bordering on a hive mind. On the surface, the empire appears to be a functioning society where everyone knows and accepts their place. Below the surface, there's seething injustice, slavery on a massive scale, indentured service, racism, fierce political maneuvering, corruption and back-stabbing, a spoiled and debauched totalitarian ruler, and regular human sacrifices to the predatory aquatic gods known as the Setatme.

There's also the fact that the last remaining free tribes are not at all enthused about the idea of joining the empire. At a horrid disadvantage, they're officially out of options and have formed a desperate last-ditch alliance to preserve their freedom. This is the "good" side, whose very existence is threatened not only by the empire but also by the fact that the aforementioned man-eating aquatic predators, which these people know as the Drowned, infest all freshwater sources and are a deadly threat to anyone who gets near due to their hypnotic song. A special group of warriors known as the eja even dedicate their lives to fighting these creatures to ensure their people can get water - one of the POV characters is an eja who is immune to the song of the Drowned due to her deafness, but the others ingest a special hallucinogenic tonic to be able to block out the song... and eventually go mad from the side effects.

At the onset, the rainy season has arrived and forced the empire's army to retreat for the duration of the rains. The fragile alliance of the two tribes sends a peace delegation to their capital to negotiate. As to how well it goes... well, just read and find out.

I found the setting to be fascinating and was immediately invested in the story. One of the main strengths of this book is that we get... I think a total of seven POVs from both sides of the conflict, and they're all interesting and if not always exactly likable, at least somewhat relatable. The deaf eja, Xessa, was probably my favourite, but I also could not help but like Pilos, who is the ruthless head of the empire's army but also a deeply loyal and honourable man. I had a similar experience with the other POV characters as well - there were some I utterly despised and thought deserved to die screaming, but then, suddenly and a bit disturbingly, I kind of got where they were coming from and why they were doing these awful things. Picking sides and judging who was right and who was wrong was, at times, quite difficult. These characters all have their own motivations and truly believe in them, which makes them feel like real people. There's some superb character work in this book, and in the end, telling the difference between "good" and "evil" people is impossible.

I'm not going to go into the plot in any more detail, but I'll just say that it is brutal. I've previously read the Godblind trilogy by Anna Stephens, so I knew I wasn't going to get candyfloss and rainbows when I started this book. I was actually pretty surprised at the halfway point that there hadn't been a major bloodbath yet. Then, of course, um, things happened and escalated. After finishing the book, I started listing the content warnings I thought might apply, and oh boy the list just kept on growing. Readers who are particularly sensitive to blood and gore might want to skip the Stone Knife or at least proceed with caution.

Another point worth mentioning is that there's a LOT of information to take in at first, and Anna Stephens doesn't hold your hand any more than she did in the Godblind trilogy. Straight to the deep end you go, and things are going to feel very confusing at first. It gets easier, though, as the story progresses.

That said, I really enjoyed this reading experience and will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water was life and breath and plenty, and water was death and pain and fear, held in a balance like day and night, sun and moon. Xessa was a thief, stealing from the balance without offering anything in return except her sweat, her fear, her blood. One day, perhaps, her life. It was a fair trade fro the lives of her people and the refugees from Yalotlan, fleeing the Empire's endless ravening.

Rating: All-Time Favorite

This book was a masterpiece. I started it when I was feeling a bit slumpy, so it took me a long time to read it because I had 5 or so other books going at the same time, but once I sat down and gave it proper attention, I polished it off in 36 hours. I will definitely be going back and reading the Godblind trilogy and anxiously awaiting the upcoming installments in this series.

The Stone Knife tells the story of the land of Ixachipan, which has slowly over the decades been colonized by the Empire of the Song. The Song has spread, conquering every free tribe until there are only two left: Tokoban and Yalotlan. We essentially are a party to their conflict; however, there is so much more going on on both sides of the conflict, including a fundamental difference in religion in which the Pechaqueh worship the Holy Setat and provide human offerings to the river beings each month while the Tokob call them the Drowned and fight and kill them for access to the water supply.

This world is inspired by the jungles of Central America, and we follow multiple perspectives on both sides of the war: we get the colonizers, and the tribes attempting to remain free. There are a lot of themes and deeper meanings explored, such as expansion and colonization, class systems, the role of disability in society, the role of religion in society, and so many more.

A few things I loved about this book:
* It's a queer-norm society. Two of the POVs that we follow from the Tokob perspective are Tayan and Lilla, a m/m married couple. Xessa, an eja who stands against the ground, is the daughter of a m/m couple

* The acceptance of disability in Tokoban. Xessa was born deaf, and the other eja engage in spirit magic to become deaf for prescribed periods of time so that they are unable to hear the Drowned's siren songs. The whole of Tokoban knows sign language and uses this as well as spoken language to communicate. In the Empire of the Song, deafness is seen as a terrible defect and the children are sacrificed to the Drowned because of it. I loved the interactions between Xessa and the refugees that were not native to Tokoban and seeing the growth of some of those characters as they learned to be more open and accepting of differences. Also, all the eja have what are essentially service dogs to help them with the Drowned and when they are under the spirit magic. So that was delightful.

*I loved the multiple perspectives. I believe that we ended up with seven perspectives, so about an even number on each side of the conflict: Xessa, Lilla, Tayan, Ilandeh, Pilos, Enet, and the Singer. I loved showing both sides of the conflict so that it became less black and white. The chapters are on the longer side, but I ended up really invested in all the POV characters. I thought that Anna Stephens did an excellent job in crafting her characters and creating characters that you could like and root for despite them being on the wrong end of the conflict. My favorite POV chapters were Xessa and Pilos. I enjoyed how the different POVs came together and moved apart as well. She did an excellent job with the multiple POVs

*This book is dark. There is a lot of blood, a lot of battles, some human sacrifice, and it's just rather grim. There's a decent amount of hope as well, but it was definitely dark. I was a bit nervous as I was unsure how much of that I was up for, but it all made sense and didn't feel like it was senseless or needlessly dark. It fit the story.

*I just really loved the exploration of all the different themes in this book. I can't wait to see where we go in book 2! I really hope we learn more about the Drowned because they are fascinating, and I just hope that Xessa can eventually live her best life. That's all I want!

There was one thing that I didn't really see as a drawback, but I did want to point out:
- This book is slow moving. Despite the action and the blood and monsters, this is primarily a character driven story that then has a lot of action, particularly towards the end. Because it is multiple POVs, it takes a bit to become invested in all the characters (although I was immediately all in on Xessa) because there are so many and we take some time setting up the world and the political situation.

I would say it was a somewhat similar experience to reading Malice by John Gwynne - I was just trying to get my bearings for a bit and then turned around and realized at some point I became heavily invested in all the characters. Although, I would say that I was more deeply invested earlier in this novel than I was in Malice. BUT if you are going in looking for guns blazing straight from the start, or a single character to latch onto immediately this may not be for you.

Other than that, I honestly can't think of many complaints that I had. I did wish at times that we had a pronunciation guide just because there were a lot of names with an X in them that I was unsure how to pronounce properly, but I just used my best guess and ran with it.

So overall, loved this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of Stephens' work! I highly recommend this book and am definitely excited for the rest of the series!

[Jessica McMinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not been this feral for a book since Legacy of the Brightwash.

I need a moment to gather my thoughts.

Coherent review to come. Maybe.

OMG.

[S A M | The Book in Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Afternoon Bookish Folk!

Today I am really happy to be sharing with you my review of Anna Stephens ‘The Stone knife‘ and on its day of publication no less!

YAYY!! Happy Publication Day!

Firstly, I would like to thank HarperVoyager for approving my NetGalley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Here are a few things you can expect from :

Gods and mysterious monsters;
Love, loyally and family;
Bloody battles;
Political intrigue;
Darker scenes and swift melodic brutality; and
Mesoamerican vibes.

On to the full review…

You know it is always so fascinating reading the works of a new author, and no I don’t mean debut author but an author new to the reader. That is what Anna Stephens is to me, a new author. So it was a delight to dip my toe into the waters of her wonderful writing. Stephens sets up her novel really really well, it was honestly great seeing the many interpretations of the Drowned to start off this story, especially considering they are such a big part of the book. However, what made this book have such a great start was something even more skilful. It was the delicate weaving of seemingly insignificant world facts that by a few pages into your reading have you building such a well-grounded and magnificent world so efficiently and one your imagination can truly go wild with.

Stephens writing as a whole is beautiful, and while I rave about her world building and more in this review that is not its only strength. Stephens prose are beautiful while remaining wholly authentic. If it is your first time reading her writing worry not, her writing is fluid, understandable and very well balanced. She is a brilliant storyteller!

“It sounded like the sunset looks. It sounded like all the world is there just to make you gasp with wonder, to open your heart so wide that it can absorb all that beauty and hold it and be it and never lose it, no matter what.”

And the battle and fight sequences are epic, Stephens give you all the action and the impact!

This story is a beautiful one, and inexplicably powerful. It is a bloody tale of gods, monsters, war and death but it is one of family, love, loyalty and faith. Stephens manages to authentically showcase the development of her character’s relationships, though not in a tasteless and too obvious way, and when we are shown just how far those characters have come you truly understand the depths of their actions and the significance of them.

”She hesitated, then she licked her thumb and pressed it to his temple and he stilled, shocked, before a rush of affection and gratitude surged through him. She had gifted him a piece of her courage, her spirit, to aid him in the war. She had named him family.”

I think this is quite possibly the first book I have read that is written in such a setting too. The lush jungle (even though Goodreads says forests I see nothing but jungle soo) and wonderful cities steeped in such history and lore were beautiful to read. It really gave me Apocalypto vibes, and I would pay good money to see this as a TV series! I want to say that it based off Mesoamerican, as it greatly reminded me of the Maya civilization and/or the Aztecs but I could be wrong.

The Stone Knife is a larger book, with a page count of 600+ but Stephens used the pages effectively. It has great focus on the worldbuilding and introducing us to this book’s incredible characters. The chapters are also a little longer, though this is actually really well done. When an authors opt for several POV’s they run the risk of not introducing them with enough depth that by the time you next see their chapter you’re not sure who they were. This is not an issue in The Stone Knife, after each introduction you are clear on who they are and where they are.

“I‘d rather die fighting than die at the teeth of one of the things after years on my knees for these arrogant shits.”

I think that there are maybe seven character POV’s in this book, but don’t quote me, and each and every single one of them is a thrill to read! I really like that more books, or at least the ones I have been reading, are giving both sides POV. You still know who you are rooting for and who you want to win but all are still enjoyable. I don’t sometimes like it when I see the ”bad guys” POV because you can so blatantly dislike them and you just don’t want to listen to their shit, but Stephens does an incredible job of avoiding that. One of my favourite characters to read was definitely not good and I loved their world bubble, their family and side characters that surrounded them. I think that says a lot about Stephens’s ability to write outstanding characters!

Something’s I truly loved about this was the political manoeuvrings and intrigue, it is too often that I see some politically sly genius who always gets their way and they are infallible in their position. Everything goes in their favour until the main character somehow thwarts the attempts through chance, so it was so exciting to see the sly political genius written in a truer light. They win some and they lost some and it only amped up the tension and risk for the characters who are playing such dangerous games.

A final note of praise for this book too is the ability of Stephens to seamlessly represent the many and not in a ’hey look my main character is deaf” way. Stephens did not need to make her writing shout about character relations or the fact that Xessa had a disability, it was just there. Natural, refreshing and REAL!

I finished this book in two days, it made me into the biggest book sloth ever. I moved from my reading corner to eat and that’s about it. This book will inevitably grip you in some way when you start reading it and I really hope you do. I am already dying for the next book in this series.

The Stone Knife is an incredible book. Remarkable characters, a breathtaking world and savage brutality! It is bloody and it is magnificent, so at least add it to your Goodreads!

As you are now aware I rate on a buy the hardback, buy the paperback, buy eBook or library rental/wait for a sale scale. I really need a buy the audiobook in there too now I listen to audiobooks!

Anywho back to the book in hand (mmmm see what I did there?)

RIGHT! Well, I don’t know if you could tell but I really liked this book and I am super excited to say it is definitely a BUY THE HARDBACK rated book. Even better it is also the Goldsboro Book sooo…I am way to excited to get that!

The Stone Knife is a world I WILL return to
The cover is beautiful
It is the first book of this type for me, or at least the first I have loved this much because if I have read any other I don’t refer them at all, so it deserves a special place on my bookshelves!
I want this trilogy standing proud on my shelves! I am so excited for book two and the direction it will take!

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stone Knife is book one of The Songs of the Drowned series and I loved the uniqueness of this book. I found it quite fast paced and not a book you can rush through. The first half of the book does a good job of painting the scenes and who's who (as there's several POVs in this book). I found the short chapters of The Singer cleverly written and flicked back to how his viewpoints were changing. The Drowned themselves were terrifying. My heart pounded so many times when Xessa was near them and the Empire held their sacrifices.
The story follows two sides - the people of Ixachipan and the people of the Empire of Songs. The Empire are a force to the reckoned with due to the magic that runs through their leader The Singers veins and his dangerous acts of change that are now infecting the Song. Some parts of the story were really hard to swallow such as the sacrifice of the singers young son. I loved that there are disability REPs in this story too. I'm reading The Jaguar Path right now and really enjoying such a new and unique series. The only thing I could suggest for this series is a glossary at the back of all the unique names and titles, places and references to flick to to refresh what they mean/who they are etc as I sometimes had to flick back in the book to refresh my memory (and it's a big book). And a map would have been a fantastic touch too.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANNA STEPHENS IS BACK! This is the first in a brand-new trilogy, in a brand-new world, and I loved every single moment of this book from the very first word until the last.
The Stone Knife, as might be expected to anyone familiar with Stephens’ first trilogy, is brutal, although not so much in the ‘grimdark’ way that Godblind was often characterised as being. But, still brutal and bloody, and written with such vividness that you can’t help but have a visceral reaction to what is happening on the pages. Not for the faint at heart, but it is so beautifully executed that it has you reeling even as you need to keep reading, need more of the intensity. The best thing is that it never overwhelms the plot or the characters, even as it is an essential part of the narrative, and it has different notes – there are the moments of loud, chaotic violence and brutality, and then there are the quieter moments that have you holding your breath, and praying that the characters will survive.
Because, the characters – and there are multiple POV characters – are so well-realised and individual, that you can’t help but become heavily invested in each and every one of them (as well as all the secondary characters) and I am absolutely terrified for what might happen to them in future books. Xessa was an almost instant favourite, and remains up there and will most likely be one of my favourites for the entire series, while Lilla and Tayan completely stole my heart, but there was not one single character that I wasn’t invested in. Every one of the characters, regardless of which side of the ‘conflict’ they are on, have their own voices and motivations, and what I have always loved about Stephens’ characterisation, is that there is never any black and white between the sides. Every character is a person, complex and living within their own world, their view of the world around them and their actions and faith, all shaped by context and interactions with other characters, and not only does that make for a much richer world, but it also breathes life into them and the narrative and feels so wonderfully, painfully human even when we are different from them and even when they are at their core unlikeable characters.
I don’t want to call it representation because here it is so much part of the world, that you couldn’t imagine the characters or the book without it, but it is excellent. Xessa, one of the main POV characters is deaf, and it is univocally part of her character, and it is there in the little details – from feeling vibrations to being partnered with a dog – realistically depicted in a fantastical world, and it is just one facet of who she is just as it shapes her, and is an integral part of the world, of her society, and that is how it should be. Similarly, gender and sexuality are just there, part of the world, as natural as breathing – people are just who they are, love who they love – and I need to read more books where it feels like this.
The world-building was spectacular and intricate, and while it took me a little while to acclimatise to this very different world, it was so refreshing and well-written that it was worth that patience because this is a world I want to live in more and more (even with the terrifying monsters). Inspired by Central American Civilisations, this world was new and had such breadth and depth from the start, that you can’t help but be pulled in even while trying to find your feet, and there is such a variety of faith and cultures and experiences, while still leaving that tantalising feeling of so much more to come. The threat of the ‘Drowned’ was imminent and palpable from the very beginning, and they are deliciously creepy, and it was fascinating to see them so irrevocably entangled with the characters and cultures, a threat that had to be adapted to rather than outright avoided.
The Stone Knife feels like the song that is so integral to the plot, it weaves around you from the beginning, and it feels like the book has a voice of its own that wraps around your heart. There is a lot of information, an entire world to be built, and yet there is never any feeling of there being info dumps or being strong-armed into the world because the story is woven around us word by word, page by page, character voice by character voice. The multiple POVs builds into this, offering us so many different viewpoints and experiences, built up with longer chapters and slightly slower pacing before the blood starts to cover the pages.
This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, and now probably my favourite read of 2020. Brutal, beautiful, and I have already lost my heart to this new cast of characters and will live in fear and love for them until the end of this series. I cannot recommend The Stone Knife highly enough; it has everything I want from my fantasy and more (with added bloodshed).

https://beneathathousandskies.com/202...

[Jordan (Forever Lost in Literature) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing, I can't believe it took me so long to get around it after how much I enjoyed Stephens' previous books. Genuinely cannot wait for the sequel, I don't think I've enjoyed something this much in a while.

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stone Knife is a visceral and epic tale of Empire, that is set in an original world that tells a tale of heroism, love, betrayal and resistance.

The story takes place in the forest land of Ixachipan and revolves around the people of Tokoban and the Yolotlan and their struggle to remain free from being enslaved by the Pechacan, The Empire of song.

For Generations, the Pechecan have slowly been absorbing every free tribe, enslaving the people that they conquer and expanding the influence of their magic, the song. A hypnotic magic that turns the people into subservient drones, all for the good of the Empire.

However, whilst the Tokoban and Yolotlan attempt to maintain their freedom, other horrors are attacking the people of these tribes in the form of The Drowned. A two legged amphibious predator that live in the rivers, preying on those who get too close to the water.

Stephens tells the story form the point of view of about seven characters that are from both sides, and they are fully realised characters that you relate to immediately, even though you do not like some of them. The standout character for me was the despicable and devious Enet whose lust for power rivals that of Lady Macbeth. There is no depth that she will not go to in order to cement her status, and the levels of depravity that she stoops to is truly horrifying. However, there are others, Xessa the Eja who protects the land of the Tocoban from the voracious Drowned.

Xessa is a really interesting character. It has to be mentioned that Xessa is deaf. However, Anna Stephens writes her with such depth that her deafness is not the focus of her character. In fact, her deafness is not a disability but an advantage in her role as protector as The Drowned who hunt by using a hypnotic song that mesmerizes their prey so that they can feast on their flesh.

The other characters are equally as intriguing, such as Tayan and his husband Lilla, and Pelos, a military leader of the Pechocan.

The world that the story takes place in is refreshing in so many ways. For instance, same sex marriage is a norm in this world and the intricate jungles of Ixachipan are so intricately woven into the story that the environment becomes a character in its own right. Every change in temperature and climate is palpable and impacts on the story in some way.

The Drowned are fascinating aspects of the story and highlight the differing world views of the two nations. Whereas the Empire of Song sees them as living gods, the Holy Setatme. The free peoples of Tokoban see them as monsters who hunt them mercilessly.

One of the things that I found to be particularly noteworthy was her depiction of the Empire of Songs and the song itself. This was something that blew me away. The Empire seems to comprise of a hive mind and when people are under the influence of the song, they are governed by the Singer and as one they feel the emotions of what he is experiencing.

The Singer is a truly monstrous character even before the story progresses the way that it does. He is spoilt, cruel and vicious. He treats those around him with contempt and encourages the machinations of those that strove for power and influence.

Stephen's writing is enthralling and absorbing. Initially, she intricately weaves the plot, building both the world and the characters. However, when she comes to the final act of the book she commands the story like a maestro, carefully orchestrating each strand of the story to reach a tumultuous climax that literally had my jaw dropping as the story takes bloody and surprising turns. At times, the story is akin to a Greek tragedy with the twists it takes and I had to stop for a minute to take a breath.

At times, this is a brutal and bloody book, whilst not grimdark, it is definitely dark. The battle scenes are brutal and the Singers storyline is both bloody and horrific. However, whilst the story is painted in swathes of blood and darkness there are periods of lightness and romance. There is lots of love and tenderness in the book, particularly with Tayan and Lilla whose devotion to each other counterbalances the darkness. Even the Machiavellian Enet does show some niceness in her love for her son and her role as a mother.

As this is my first introduction to the work of Anna Stephens, I have to say that I will be searching out her other works while I wait impatiently for the second instalment of the Songs of the Drowned.

I received an advanced reading copy form the publishers Harper Collins and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The enjoyment was all my own!

If you liked this review, have a look at my other reviews on my blog www.fantasybooknerd.com

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! Anna Stephens is back and better than ever! What a fantastic book this is, a new world and a brilliant new story have emerged. This was one of my major anticipated reads of this year and it has delivered on every level!

[Set Sytes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesoamerican fantasy is so rare, and I'm especially grateful that the first novel in this new epic fantasy series turned out to be so good, easily exceeding my expectations.

It expertly juggled so much in one novel. The unglamourised, panicked combat reminded me of Joe Abercrombie, but somehow even uglier, perhaps because of less lethality. There are very few quick deaths. There is no sense of 'I'd love to be doing this!' as I read about spears scraping off bones and puncturing shoulders and thighs and faces.

The emotional (the good and bad kinds) character work reminded me of Robin Hobb. Here there are character scenes that enraged me, which (well, when for the right reasons), is definitely a sign of a good storyteller.

I enjoyed that there were antagonist POVs supposed to be on the same side, and both bad, but that they were also antagonistic to each other, forcing you to maybe root for one of them a little bit - at least in the short term. This layered antagonism, and the treachery and scheming, reminded me of GRRM, but not more than a couple of scenes of shocking, intense, sickening brutality did. The author does not pull her punches; in fact I can't recall reading scenes of that level of human horror in fantasy before (and none of them are to do with sexual assault). Readers should be cautious if they are of sensitive disposition.

I don't think I've ever read before a SFF book that gives time and weight to both loving relationships, and the depths of human evil, and not skimping on either.

The inclusion of a major POV being a deaf female warrior was fascinatingly handled. In her culture, her deafness is actually such an advantage to fighting the creatures called the Drowned that sing to lure people to their deaths, that it is seen as a blessing. Signing is worked perfectly into the novel, and the deafness, how it was perceived and treated by different characters and cultures, and how it affected every situation - was handled really well in my inexpert opinion.

This is a story set in one of my favourite kinds of settings, and one that engaged me emotionally, viscerally, in multiple different ways. It also presented interesting questions to the reader, with lots of rich ideas. One side believes the creatures they fight are monsters, the other side believes they are gods to be worshipped - but contrary to what you might imagine, the side that treats them as monsters are the protagonists, and the worshipful ones are the enslaving, corrupt and wholly unequal Empire. I am sure there are more answers to come about the true nature of the Drowned/holy Setatmeh in the next books.

Then there are the difficult ethical questions, most rife in wartime. If you are set on freeing fully brainwashed slaves, what do you do when they are free, but their minds are not their own? Do you let them walk off, to work against you and warn your enemies? Do you send them back with an escort, when you can't spare the warriors? Do you keep them with you, slowing your campaign movement, scuppering existing tactics, and risking an attack from within? Or do you resort to killing them?

And what about if you are enslaved, but told you will be free (albeit on the bottom rung of society's ladder) after years of slavery? Do you keep your head down and be a good slave, or do you resist and risk your life and those of your family - in a place where resistance seems impossible?

The antagonists - Can you ever root, even in the short term, for a bad guy, if they are opposed to a baddy who is so much more hateable? What if the more rational, less reader-enraging one is the more likely to keep the Evil Empire stable and successful, and the horrible, cruel, arrogant one is the more likely to bring it to ruin? Do you root for a Tywin Lannister over a Ramsay Bolton? (Note: These are not close comparisons with the characters of this book)

I could write a lot on this book, but I won't go on. This was a rich, deeply interesting world and story, and I look forward to the next book. Because oh boy, this certainly wasn't a standalone - and if you treat it as such, you won't be a happy camper.

[Xerxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My express and gratiude to Jamie at Harpervoyager for allowing me to access an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. My thoughts only.

The entire continent of Ixachipan became an ever torment mass of fire, fighting and blood. I watched, as an observor, witnessing the events of a fight that would soon engulf everyone. Wars fought for the purpose of religion. Conflicts started because empires must expand. The cost of innocent lives. War is brutal. And a religion that demands sacrifice to our esteemed Singer and the Song is no less than a evil cult from what I have seen of the Singing City and the Pecha. I like how Anna has described a city of perfection in this novel, and you will witness its unravelling in front of you. You will witness fighting in the Sky City, witness ambushes you have never seen before, and blood will run through this novel.

And never have I felt so much sadness in one book. The shackles of royalty create a growing dark feeling within the Singer himself. That is the only clue I will give. He is a character that you will despise, but somewhat sympathise. Because the most truly evil people weren’t evil in the first place. Circumstances, events and time presented itself. You may say that the reason the Gods don’t appear anymore in this world, is because of humanity’s free will. Everything is a consequence of human will. If this structure of a story was put in a sci-fi and historical fiction, it would fit very well.

That said, I did feel the pacing of the novel could have been a bit faster. I would have had wanted more native style words of swearing. That would have added a little more immersion in my opinion. The Empire of Songs is a perfect example of what happens when a cult is developed around one figure called the Singer, and that Godhood slowly reveals the madness that the people living in the Empire of Songs are witness too. It is not a perfect empire. It is not an honourable empire. Eventually, all the benefits for their slaves will go to waste at some point. The Empire has a fanatical ability to believe that spreading the Song will bring peace. The people of Tokoban and Yalotan want to be left in peace, but their Council is very arrogant. Very arrogant indeed not to realise the impending threat that the Empire of Song is doing.

And to the characters of this story, I think they are mature enough to understand that they live in a world that is inherently grim-dark to an extent. Mesoamerican society however is intrepreted from the viewpoint of Monks and not very favourable viewpoints come often. However, there was a Spanish Monk named Bartolomé de las Casas, who arrived in New Spain at the time when the Aztec Empire had ceased to exist. It was he that opposed the colonisers brutal efforts of commiting atrocities over the local natives of Mexica. An entire story can be written on this hero himself. He owned slaves and then seeing the atrocities that Cortes’s administrators were inflicting, he freed them. He was ahead of his time and it brought the wrath of the Church on him.

Bartolomé often argued in favour of the Native Peoples that were now under Spanish rule, and during a debate in 1550, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, a theologian, philsopher, and an active opponent of anti-slavery, argued that the Indians were less than human and they needed the full might of Spanish civilization to master and subjugate them. In this book, you will see a lot of this when it comes to the Empire of Songs believing that they are superior.

Back to this tale however, Las Casas argued that the Indians were free, fully human, and that subjugation was not only unjustifiable, it was immoral and against the word of God. Las Casas would go on to fight 50 years to stop the atrocities inflicted on indigenous peoples, trying to persuade the Spanish Court to adopt the human policy of colonization, and he opposed those priests who sought to destroy the indigenous people’s native books. I have no doubt there were many other prudent administrators, soliders, priests that supported Las Casas in this endeavour and hence we still have the preservation of Aztec and Mayan manuscripts and Anna did a lot of research when it comes to the worldbuilding of this culture.

We don’t have enough viewpoints from the Mesoamericans because the Spanish did order their holy texts to be burned. Temples raised to the ground. The Romans destroyed Carthage and razed it to the ground. Often, we get a viewpoint that has to be intrepreted from the winner’s point of view. The loser’s viewpoint is harder to study. Does no one remember the valiant efforts of the Gauls against Julius Ceasar? Who is celebrated more, tell me. Julius Ceasar or his Gallic enemies? Julius Ceasar of course. The reason I bring this to attention is the fact that Anna has done a very good attempt at creating an authenthic immersive world that is very free of this bias. The themes of colonalism is rife and the theme of subjugation is ever present in this novel.

And there is the prescence of good vs evil. Of good and evil co-operating with each other. The character I began to symapthise with was the Singer. A man that has a tragic crisis in terms of identity. I don’t wish to spoil what happens. Enet was truly, the most despicable character that I hated. She’s a true politician at heart, and a wretched soul. You will discover the reasons why. Xessa was a true dragon at her heart. Along with her lover, Toxte. Tayan and Lilla are the central characters and I really liked their viewpoints. Tayan because his mystical viewpoint as a Shaman allowed more exploration into the Drowned and who they were. I felt the story detracted from this very exciting character arc, as it had to focus on other viewpoints. In book 2, I would like to see more of this happening. As for Pilos, he’s a man fighting for the wrong side. He is! The fool should realise that the Empire of Songs is crumbling and it will do no good for him! None! None whatsoever! And there’s an enormous cast of characters that you will come to love and despise.

For many years, I have wanted a fantasy novel that was set in Mesoamerica. It seems HarperVoyager and the Gods listened to my prayers. This is truly part of a epic novel. It has the hero’s journey to an extent. But it is more than that. It is about the freedom of people from tryanny. The freedom of a free life crushed by tyrannical rule by those who think they are doing right. Often, we think ourselves as heroes. Never for once, do we see ourselves as villains. Human nature is fickle. That’s what I felt from this story. Is humanity so fragile that it cannot stop to think for a second that war is pointless? That love, loss, suffering and grief are the same? That’s what made me think in this novel. Tragic stories but a hint of hope as well.

This was an excellent novel. I give it a 10/10 and I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2!

edit"review: the stone knife by anna stephens"

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Azu ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

RTC

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

My main issue with this book was the sheer length. It was just so long and felt like it really lacked focus. I kept wondering what I was supposed to be rooting to happen, and waiting for something to happen that would grab me. Instead, the book just dragged on. I feel like the book could have been 200 pages shorter and thus more engaging. Once it fell to the inevitable battle, I lost all interest because it was two sides I didn't care about fighting.

There were at least six POVs, on all different sides of the war, but I don't know what the point of most of them was. What did Lilla add, for example? Given that the characters were on the opposite sides of the war, I think I was meant to be rooting for both sides? But I just ended up not caring about either. Enet was just too selfish for me to like her at all, and the others were mostly flat and emotionless. The only one I really liked was Tayan, but he fell out of prominence and impact in the second half.

I don't know if this book is being called grim dark, but there wasn't the grim hopelessness that feels necessary to me to merit that name. Instead it just felt excessively bloody, gory, and violent. The empire felt like it could be beaten, but wasn't going to be as this was the first book, and the endless swearing just meant the words had no impact.

The world was about the only interesting bit of the book - a stone and jungle based world that I think (judging by names and environment) is loosely inspired by one of the empires native to South America. There are pyramids and blood sacrifices and words that conjured up that general vibe to me.

Well, considering I picked up the book with the intention of seeing if I was interested in reading her debut trilogy, at least I know I won't be attempting them now.

[Eren]

“Un-Follow Me Now, This Is Gonna Be the Only Thing I Tweet About For The Next Week. Ive Wanted This For Years Fuck. What The Fuck.”

—Tyler the Creator

[Peter McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blood-drenched, Aztec-inspired mesoamerican fantasy epic begins. This thing is just glorious. Under the song!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a pretty cool idea, I just thought the execution didn't do it as much justice as it should.

We follow these characters, some from the Empire of Songs, and some from Tokob, one of the last remaining free tribes fighting against the Empire's attempt to take their land and enslave them. All of the Empire claimed land has an actual Song the people can hear 24/7 and it makes them feel things especially the stronger it is or the closer you are to the source, aka the holy lord Singer who wants to conquer the land and finally raise the world spirit. And there's the holy Setat, creatures that live in fresh water that eat people. The Tokob live on a sacred mountain(?) that they believe to be the body of Malel, the earth mother I think, and use spirit-magic to help some warriors to keep from hearing the Drowned (the creatures) from basically siren calling them to their deaths.

It's just a shame that not only does this book drag, it's at times boring and the book keeps all the interesting bits off the pages. No, I'm serious!! Enet with all her politicking and manipulations, all her research and having books so she can blood the song, are all off the page and happened already. Tayan learning from the Drowned is completely off page. There's more certainly but all these things being kept from me just fail to make me actually care about the characters. I don't get to see them actually succeed or see their inner motivations as they try anything.

Enet? I get conflicting information because it's so clear she wants power but she's also like "everything I do I do for the Empire, the song, the Singer" vocally and internally and we never see her actually seem to give a shit about any of those things? She clearly has fucked up and she's just like yeah I'll ride through it I guess??? I know she's supposed to be this powerful player and good at manipulation, and smart but all she does is make a thousand mistakes and fail. Her successes of becoming Great Octave or Chosen? Happens off page!!!

Xessa and Tayan were arguably some of the better characters, mostly because it involved the Drowned and learning about the Empire of Songs. I also appreciate Xessa's deafness being integral and not just labeled as a disability. I enjoyed them both.

Lilla and Ilandeh were the most boring chapters in my opinion. They felt like mostly background filler noise of the war going on. There was honestly WAY too many battles. I like Lilla but he doesn't contribute much of anything here. And Ilandeh serves as trouble in the beginning but later, a view of how the Empire is when you're NOT full blooded Pechaqueh and you're not a slave, but instead you have half of Pechaqueh blood and half of another tribe.

Pilos while his battle and traveling scenes were mostly a snooze fest, he was a good character because at least he seems to actually give a shit about the Empire, the song, and the Singer.

Also, there are some things in this book that are just a little confusing or unexplained. The Great Star's absence? Is it the Sun that disappears for 90 days????? How do they even see and they mention dawn and such?? Also, several characters have hearing and state that even covering the song doesn't stop it, they feel it in their own bones and body. But Xessa is deaf and never mentions it. If people feel it in their bones, shouldn't she feel it??

I guessed who the Drowned were especially as the Singer started to deteriorate. It's extremely fascinating and I think anything to do with the Drowned's that's the strongest part of the story. All the rest was just kind of failure upon failure upon failure of all the characters where it wasn't really fun or engaging to read.

I don't think this is a bad book but definitely didn't enjoy my time with it. Although, I kind of want to know what happens?

[K.S. Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empire of Songs has been assimilating the surrounding clans for generations. Now the last two clans must fight for their freedom.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story is split between several of the characters.
The last free clans are in danger. The Pechacan (the Empire) has stolen their homelands, and forced them to the edge of civilisation.
On one side, the Empire's army nips at their heels, building roads and pyramids that relay their song, building their strength for a final push.
On the other, as the wet season rolls in, the danger from the Drowned increases. These are water-predators. They are humanoid, but more beast than human. They are violent, focussed on the kill, and have the ability to hypnotise their prey with song.
Setting up the pipes and pumps to provide the village with water is a very dangerous job. The Eja train for this, and are honoured to sacrifice their lives for this important task.
I really enjoyed following Xessa. She was born deaf - which in her community is a gift, not a disability. She is one of the best, she fights monsters every day, and keeps going back out there.

A last-ditch attempt at a peace treaty introduces the Empire, as the peace-weavers head the the very heart of the city.
On the surface, everything looks idyllic. Everyone is entranced by the Song, they are all connected by it, and can't live without it. The city provides advancements, comforts, and riches that are beyond the clans' simple lives.
When you look closer the cracks appear. The Empire enslave and brainwash the clans they capture, to serve them in any way they see fit. To be sold as a slave, or to be sacrificed to the gods.

They all worship the Singer, the leader of the Empire, a man so powerful that he transcends humanity and is viewed almost as a deity.
After a lifetime as being treated like a god, the Singer is a dangerous man. He is spoilt, and his mood quick to darken, with terrible results.
Around him, his Council are all rich and powerful people, driven by their own interests rather than what is best for the city and their citizens.

I really enjoyed the world-building, and I thought it was a very original take on the fantasy-fight-against-oppression; with the song infecting the masses. The Drowned are also suitably scary monsters, and how they are viewed differently by the free clans and the Empire.

The story and tensions are slow-building, a little bit too slow sometimes; but it was all worth it in the end.
There are very high stakes, and violence throughout.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the series, and look forward to the next installment.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stone Knife has a lot of heart, and is as brutally bloody as the fantasy scene has come to expect from Anna Stephens’s works. The Stone Knife, however, also raises her personal bar to new heights as she explores colonialism with her own blood-soaked take. Never has music sounded more terrifying in The Stone Knife, where colonisation is as unapologetically bloody as it is devious. It is indisputably one of the most impressively insidious entries in the fantasy genre I’ve read in 2020. A violent, dark, and beautiful song, The Stone Knife is a powerful start to Stephens’s new series The Songs of the Drowned.

My full review is available here and you can find the rest of my reviews here!

I received an early review copy from HarperVoyager and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - many thanks for the privilege!

[S. Naomi Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating : 4.5 of 5 stars

Having thoroughly enjoyed Anna Stephens' previous Godblind trilogy, I had high hopes for this, and it did not disappoint. This book rocks. It's the first in a new series, with the second one due out early next year, and honestly I really can't wait for that next outing in Ixachipan.

[Alicia Wanstall-Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional world building, striking out beyond the cliched borders of traditional fantasy, where dark eddies of intrigue and Stephen’s unique brand of brutal storytelling set a strong foundation for another epic series.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This was bloody brilliant and violent. I did find that the plot meandered at times, but that is like my one true criticism. The characters were magnificently fleshed out, the world building was exquisite, the action was unforgettable. Anna Stephens came out swinging and landed herself another fantastic book. I am all prepped and ready for book two, bring on The Jaguar Path!