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| Review by Coll 4 Stars |
It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I have been a fantasy fan for a long time, so needless to say I was excited to get the opportunity to read this book. The Demon Girl's Song, by Susan Jane Bigelow, is not an easy book to explain in short. A young girl named Andín, through an odd encounter, gets a 1,000 year old demon stuck in her heard. As a result she must leave her home and have her family, friends, and country taken away from her. What follows is a journey with two goals, the first to try to have the demon removed, and the second to try to save the world around her from full annihilation. I know, this is slightly vague synopsis but without giving spoilers this is probably the best I can do.
The Demon Girl’s Song is made up of three sections, each being a new part of Andín’s journey as she travels the country trying to remedy her problem (oh, and save the world). I really wish there had been a map included with the book to trace her movements because at times it was a little hard to keep track of how far she was traveling and the direction. I did read this as an ARC ebook though, so for all I know there may be a map included in the final book when it is released. I also felt that it was hard to tell how much time had gone by during Andín’s travels and I found myself wondering if she had been doing something for days, weeks, or months. This was not a constant issue, and there were times when the duration of a certain scene was stated, I just wish it happened more often.
I loved the main characters in this book. They were explained in such a way where they came alive and seemed like people I actually knew. Even the demon, who I was sure I would hate, I ended up liking and had so much sympathy for. Everyone in this story has a past that we learn about and it helps to shape them. What I loved about Andín specifically, is that she is a strong female protagonist, determined to make her way and right the wrongs she has been forced to endure. I noticed a lot of underlying feminism tones and women’s rights issues brought up in the book, which was not something I expected going into it and I really enjoyed that. There was also a lot of diversity throughout the story and I appreciated that a great deal.
There was a slight romance aspect to this story but it was not a major component, and it was done in such a unique way that I found very refreshing (no spoilers here either!) and I actually liked it a lot. Now, this coming from me, the non-romance girl, is huge! As a matter of fact, the main relationships that were built in this book (romantic and platonic) were very strong and it gave The Demon Girl's Song the level of emotion that I love to experience in books.
At times the book gets a little confusing and you start to wonder where the story is going and how things relate to one another. There was a moment where I felt there were two completely different stories, and that the first story had been almost abandoned for a new one. For most of the second section of the book I found myself contemplating where things were headed and this, at times, impeded my interest slightly. However, throughout the third section, all the elements started to come together and form one cohesive story. I felt that just as I was at my most confused state the big “Aha!” moment came out and all the elements finally fused together in my mind and everything made so much sense. And honestly, I was a big fan of the ending. I just wish that all the points leading up to it had been slightly less confusing in their relation to one another.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Demon Girl’s Song. It had many of the fantasy elements that I love and also included a lot of diverse facets. I think this is a good read for people who are not huge into fantasy as well as those who have been long time fans. It had its high points and some low points, but what I enjoyed most was how satisfied I felt at the end and I was happy I was able to journey with Andín.
The Demon Girl's Song is scheduled to be released September 25th, 2016. If you are interested, check it out on Goodreads and add it to you TBR in advance.
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