Songstone

Author: Lena Goldfinch

Author Website/Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/Lena_Goldfinch  

Publication Date: August 28, 2013

Summary: One girl who, against all hope, yearns for freedom.

One boy determined to be more than he's meant to be.
The desperate journey that will leave them both forever changed.

Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village--a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.
A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Source: Author, in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3 stars 

Review: This book has a totally unique concept, I had never heard of the Maori people or their lore, so I was instantly intrigued by this book. It is an adventure and fantasy type read which is right up my alley. However there was a lot of language I was unfamiliar with and not enough context clues to figure it all out. 

The plot was a bit slow, so it took me a little while to get into this book. It also felt like there were a few missing transitions, like things shifted a little too quickly to fully absorb it all. I also felt like certain things didn’t quite connect or flow. – almost as if there were a few too many plotlines running at once. However, I really did enjoy Kita’s journey. 

I liked the main characters. Kita was a bit inconsistent, but I think that is due to her circumstances. Pono is wonderful; strong, sweet, and caring. The villain is detestable, as he should be.

The writing was good, the imagery was fabulous, I could visualize everything. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for people who enjoy fantasy and adventure.