Review: A Mortal Song

A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I finally finished this. I ended up really enjoying this. I did find the pace a bit slow throughout the whole book, which is why I think it took me so long to finish it. That could have been a product of pure distraction on my part though.  I think I was reading way to many things the first time I picked this up, then I got distracted by library books and other books that came in. It took me a couple of attempts to get into it. Overall I really enjoyed the unique mythology, I don't know much about Japanese culture and mythology, and I really enjoyed getting to learn something new in this novel. You could tell Crewe did her research on Japan, the culture, and the mythology when writing this novel as everything was very detailed.

In A Mortal Song, the main character Sora, who you expect to have all these amazing magical Kami powers, finds out she's not the chosen one. Throughout the story, she has to come to grips with the fact that she's had magic her whole life, but it was just on loan and she has to help the real savior rescue Mt. Fuji and everyone Sora loves from destruction. She has to accept that her destiny is not to be the savior but to find the savior and help her save the world. Sora, raised as a princess, accepts this news with all the grace and honor you'd expect her to have, and takes on this mission with her trusted guard and friend Takeo. Upon finding Chiyo, the actual chosen one, Takeo and Sora, as well as a few others take on the ghosts that are plaguing Japan and Mt. Fuji. They have to find all of the sacred artifacts and awaken Chiyo's kami powers to save the day before the demon who has invaded the mountain and controls the ghosts completes his sinister plan. The ending felt really rushed and convenient to me. Given how much of a battle it was to get to the mountain, the ending was just so easy and nice.  I also felt the romance aspect of this book was unneeded.  The Sora-Takeo relationship felt a bit forced and it wasn't fully developed and never fully addressed.  The Sora-Keiji relationship was OK, but it wasn't needed to drive the plot.  I feel the story would have been better without the romance.

Overall I liked the book, and I'm glad I grabbed it.  I think had I been more focused and read in one pass I would have enjoyed it alot more.  I'd like to give it another go as I love stories with mythology and this one was well researched and well written.

View all my reviews