This is a standalone, not a series. I think this book defies my every attempt to encapsulate it into a single synopsis. Let’s break it down to a cast of very unreliable narrators, every one with secrets, in a land where music is magic. A band of poets, facing down an evil censor in a battle for truth and art in the face of a plague that tells them that evil magic has once more been resurrected. The book is beautiful and lyrical and the city is atmospheric in the same way that GGK often is, and the story’s many threads weave themselves together to create an epic whole. Myer’s background as a journalist and living abroad is definitely reflected in her writing. ( )

While Last Song Before Night is a remarkable first novel for Ilana C. Myer, it is also one which, for me, doesn't quite live up to what I believe is Myer's full potential as a writer.

The plot line is a good one, albeit not particularly new: old magic lost, a new menace, innocents led to suffering and slaughter, a reluctant heroine. These elements are the stuff of epic stories, and the reason we return to them over and over again.

And certainly Myer's prose proves lush and evocative.

So, why am I raining all over this parade, you ask. Well, because, and again this is purely my own perspective, Myer relies too heavily upon known tropes and literary devices. One could as easily be reading a Guy Kay novel, or any of a myriad of other fantasy novels. It is all so familiar. And one wearies of the familiar and longs for the startling.

A good escapist read. Comfortable. Familiar. But left me wanting the entrée after the appetizer. ( )

I really liked this book. The world was fascinating, the characters had depth, and the idea fascinated me. However, towards the end, things got confusing. I guess I'll have to relisten to the last few chapters and pay close attention, because I have the nagging feeling that I didn't grasp everything during the first round. There were just too many portals/would-be dreams and changes of perspective to make it easy to follow. Maybe it is clearer if you actually read the book, instead of listening to it.

The narration was excellent, it left nothing to be desired. ( )

This was one hell of a pleasant surprise!

I expected an interesting fantasy, having thought the premise looked promising, but I hadn't realized I was stepping into a wonderfully pure story. Every character was crystal clear and everyone changed naturally, proving to be much more than any single trope, growing into wonderfully *likeable* people. Even the antagonists were exquisitely balanced.

I fell into this novel as if it was always meant for me, and I never once had to use any of my willpower to plow through either plot, circumstance, or reversal. This was pure candy, leaving out everything except the elements absolutely necessary for the protagonists, the over-story, and the magic.

Best of all, Poetry is Magic, and poets are powerful in the realm. How cool is that? Sure, they're bards, and a few of them rule from behind the throne, but most glorious of all, words have power again.

No fireballs, no uber-powerful assassins, no young girls overthrowing kingdoms... oh wait... that last one is true, but how it happens is simply and truly delightful.

The old ideas are made fresh. The people want to bring magic and enchantment back to the world. To do that, the poem must be found to open the door to the Otherworld. Of course, magic always comes with a price, and the old Poet who had gone there and come back was not willing or able to pay it. It's fresh because it is written so damn well. I feel the draw of the magic, the efforts of our heroes, their pains and their hopes, and, eventually, their tragedies.

Everyone shines and the pacing and characterizations are divine.

It is one of the easiest reads I've had this year, but don't assume it's not smart. It's very adult and it's very modern classic, focusing on better writing, evocative events, and practically no exposition. It has got to be the most organic and natural fantasies I've read in a long time.

Even the ones I swore by over the past few years seem rather contrived with stylistic tomfoolery compared to this novel.

There's only a few places where the time of events is reversed, but it doesn't feel bad or seem like a mistake. It just propels the plot forward and keeps the overall pace perfect.

Myer is going to be an author I'm going to follow with great anticipation from now on. Something this deeply enjoyable and spot-on is rare and just plain lovely.

I will say one last thing: I was frankly amazed and in awe of the fact that women weren't raped willy-nilly through the tale. Men were actually behaving with honor, and I am even including the bad guys.

I kept expecting coercions of one type or another, and indeed, they do happen fairly regularly, but it's an open question as to who is coercing whom. Lin is the exception. Her brother was a real bastard to her.

But in the end, I never thought that any character was without agency. They were all heroes to their own stories. I liked Lin, Darien, Rianna, and Marlen. They all start out as archetypes but they definitely grow into their own and I never once had a problem with believability.

What I did bring out of this novel was not a throwback to old fantasy themes, but a purifying of them. ( )

I was originally drawn to this book by the plurality of good reviews. Unfortunately, my opinion was rather different. To me, at least, it feels very much like a retread of too many other books to mention, especially Lin's storyline. For more thoughts, see here. ( )