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#A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
nellasbookplanet · 2 months
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Book recs: possession, bodysnatching and bodysharing
Demons, ghosts, aliens, sentient bacteria, artificial intelligences - isn't there something fascinating about the idea of sharing a body with another being like a giant get-along t-shirt? No? Too bad, because I'm going to tell you about books featuring this trope anyway.
A note: multiple of these books are sequels where the bodysnatching/possession aspect plays little to no part in the first book. In all these cases, I still recommend starting with book one. I also in one case chose not to include a certain sequel that I loved as even mentioning it in this context would be a huge spoiler, so, uh, sorry about that.
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For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!
If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!
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Brain Plague by Joan Slonczewsji*
Chrys, a struggling artist, agrees to become a carrier for a sentient strain of microbes. With their help, Chrys breathes new life into her career and becomes a success. But every microbe society is different - some function as friends and brain enhancers to their carrier, while others become a literal brain plague, a living addiction taking over the life of their carrier. And like every society, the microbe community is in constant flux - including the one inside Chrys's head.
Children of Ruin (Children of Time series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky*
Sequel to Children of Time. Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of the Earthen empire, a project to terraform various planets and use them to uplift other species to sentience in left unfinished. However, both species and planets continue evolving on their own, and when what remains of humanity flees the dying Earth millenia later, these planets might be their only hope of survival. But the uplifted species aren't the only intelligent life out there, and are far from the most dangerous as the survivors encounter something capable of terraforming the human body itself.
Leech by Hiron Ennes*
Unbeknownst to humanity, a sentient hive mind has taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity. Leech hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. It’s spooky and a bit weird and wildly creative.
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A Memory Called Empire (Texicalaan duology) by Arkady Martine
Mahit Dzmare is an ambassador sent to the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire, where she discovers that her predecessor has died. Trying to protect her home, a small independent mining station, from being taken over by the empire, Mahit struggles to find out the truth of her predecessor's death while carrying the voice of his ghost in her head, guiding her as best he can. Features a sapphic relationship but focuses more on world-building than romance.
Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire trilogy) by Yoon Ha Lee*
Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with gay, lesbian and trans major characters, albeit little to no romance. Disgraced Captain Kel Cheris is given a second chance by allying with the undead Commander Shous Jedao, who in life never lost a battle, but also went mad and massacred his own army. Now, Cheris must decide just how far she can trust him, with her forces as well as with her sense of self.
My Heart is Human by Reese Hogan
Nine years ago, all complex technology was made illegal. This complicates life for Joel, young transgender single father, as a bionic just uploaded itself into his brain without consent. Scared of losing his daughter, Joel tries to keep the bionic secret while using it to fix his life, but things quickly get more complicated as the bionic gains more and more control of his body. A bit simplistic in writing style but makes a lot of cool parallels of bodily autonomy to Joel’s experiences as a transman.
Bonus rec: if you like the general concept of struggling for physical control over one’s body with an AI, may I also suggest the (much grittier and gory) movie Upgrade.
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The Host by Stehpenie Meyer*
The Host follows Wanderer, an alien part of an invading force on Earth. Humans have been defeated and are being used as host bodies, but Wanderer's host Melanie is being difficult and refuses to fade away. Instead she fills Wanderer's mind with images of Jared, the man she loves and who's still in hiding. With Melanie's feelings bleeding into Wanderer's the two reluctantly ally to find and keep safe the man they both love. While The Host does feature Meyer's trademark romance - of which I'm not the biggest fan - the more interesting and arguably more central relationship is that between Wanderer and her human host.
Needle by Hal Clement
1950s classic. A small island in the pacific ocean and a fourteen-year-old boy have just become the center of an interstellar chase between an alien Hunter and the criminal he’s pursuing. Robert is a regular boy, but he has a very special passenger: an alien symbiont hiding inside his body. The alien became stranded on Earth as he pursued a criminal of his own species, and now they are both trapped on the same island, playing a game of cat and mouse as Robert and the Hunter struggle to find their prey before it finds them.
Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*
Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.
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Goddess of Filth by V. Castro
Novella. What starts as a drunken seance between friends ends with one of them chanting in Nahuatl, the language of their Aztec ancestors. Following that night, the formerly shy Fernanda has changed. While her family calls for priests, claiming her possessed by a demon, Fernanda's friends believe what has taken up residence in her is something decidedly older. A quick read featuring female rage, desire and empowerment, this is a different twist on the typical possession story.
This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman
Space opera in which humanity found a way to faster than light travel and began establishing colonies all over the galaxy, only to belatedly realize the method of FTL caused irreversible mutations and disabilities and leaving their nascent colonies to die. Much later, many of the colonies have survived and thrived, and one has found a new method of FTL travel, allowing an interconnected space society to grow. However, Earth is on the hunt for their method and is prepared to do anything to steal it. Trapped in the middle of all this and forced on the run is young Jamisia, who is little by little coming to realize that not only might she be the very solution Earth is after, she's also not alone in her own mind and body.
Touch by Claire North*
Kepler should have died long ago, beaten to death in an alley. Instead, a switch happened as Kepler leapt into and took control of the body of the killer. Since then, Kepler has lived in body after body, having gained the ability to inhabit anyone with a touch and stay for anything from a few minutes to an entire lifetime. Kepler cares much for the host bodies, and when one of them is brutally assassinated, Kepler must find the killer, avenge the host's death, and stop it from happening again. You want a fucked up main character with fucked up morals who still genuinely cares for people? Then boy do I have the book for you!
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The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk
Fantasy romance. Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress, but if her family gets its way she won't remain so for long. Married women are forbidden from practicing magic, and Beatrice's father is intent on marrying her off to save them from destitution. Beatrice has a different plan: become so powerful a sorceress that she can herself save her father's business and becomes too valuable to marry off. To achieve this, she strikes a bargain with a minor spirit of fortune. In return, the spirit demands to be present in Beatrice's body as she experiences her first kiss... a kiss with a man who might jeopardize all her plans.
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
Del Perce's world is almost indistinguishable from ours, the only difference being the presence of possessing entities that can strike with little to no warning. When he was young, Del was possessed by one of these demons, which was eventually exorcised. But now he’s experiencing a resurgence of symptoms, a voice in his head demanding to be freed. To save himself, Del races to find out the truth behind the possessions.
The Thousand Eyes (The Serpent Gates duology) by A.K. Larkwood*
Sequel to The Unspoken Name (please read that first, I promise this duology is very worth it). These books have a lot going on: portals, flying ships, orcs, elves, creepy snake gods, possessions, cults, immortal evil mages who traumatize teens as their hobby, gay and lesbian frenemies, the works. Csorwe, born and raised in a cult and meant as a sacrifice, escapes her intended death with a mage who becomes her mentor. But he has dangerous motives of his own, and Csorwe must decide where her loyalties lie.
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A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
Young adult, historical. All her life, Makepeace's mother has been teaching her how to defend herself from the possession of ghosts, until one day her guard drops and a wild and fierce spirit slips in. When Makepeace's mother dies and she is sent to live with her father's family, this spirit might be her only defence. Because her family is harboring dark secrets, and they have plans for Makepeace... plans which do not care for her well-being. Unlike most other YA I've read in terms of vibes and plot, A Skinful of Shadows is a unique and intriguing read.
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson*
Young adult fantasy. Artemisia prefers the dead to the living, and is training to become a Gray Sister, a nun who helps the souls of the deceased pass on to the afterlife rather than remain as dangerous spirits. To defend her convent, Artemisia accepts the help of a dangerous revenant, a powerful spirit which grants her great power but also could possess her the moment her guard is lowered. As evil threatens her homeland, Artemisia and the revenant must find a way to work together.
A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
Young adult fantasy. Sequel to A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. To save his family, Malik has made a deal with a dangerous spirit with equally dangerous demands - the death of the princess. Meanwhile, princess Karina is seeking her own power, meaning to resurrect her assassinated sister no matter what the prize. As their paths intertwine, the consequences of their pursuits keep getting higher, both for them, their nation, and the entire world.
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Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor trilogy) by Mark Lawrence
Sequel to Red Sister. Fantasy with sci-fi flavor. Nona is being raised to become a killer at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. But dangerous classes aren’t Nona's only problem: her planet is slowly dying, and her own inner demons whisper in her mind. As the sun grows weaker and ice creeps ever closer, Nona and her allies race to save themselves from extinction.
Fifth Quarter (Quarters series) by Tanya Huff*
Sequel to Sing the Four Quarters. Fifth Quarter is only loosely connected to the first book in the series so you could read it as a standalone, however I still recommend starting with Sing the Four Quarters as it is very good. Bannon and Vree are siblings and highly skilled assassins, but they are put to the test when a failed assassination finds them sharing a body, their intended victim having stolen Bannon's. Now, they must choose between remaining loyal to their Empire, or helping their supposed victim find a new body to steal - and he doesn't want just any body, he wants the royal prince.
The Nein Eyes of Lucien by Madeline Roux*
Recommended with the caveat that you're unlikely to get the full experience unless you have also watched Critical Role Campaign 2 (which is quite the time investment, but very worth it). It follows the antagonist Lucien, first owner of the body we know as Mollymauk Tealeaf, both before Lucien lost his body and after he regains it in the ultimate struggle against Mollymauk's old friends, the Mighty Nein.
Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool
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The Scratch Daughters (The Scapegracers trilogy) by H.A. Clarke
Sequel to The Scrapegracers. Sideways Pike used to be able to perform only party tricks, but in finding new friends and starting a coven, the four become powerful witches. But not everyone wants witches around. After having gotten her spectre stolen and losing her ability to perform magic, Sideways is forced to rely on Mr. Scratch, a book demon taking the place of her spectre to keep her alive. Now she must struggle to get her magic back before it’s too late.
Riding the Odds by Lynda K. Scott
Sci-fi romance. Tara Rowan is a spaceship captain with secrets - a past she wants to leave behind, and Zie, an organic symbiote which grants her greater strengths and reflexes. But when sexy Holy Knight Trace Munroe blackmails her in an attempt to rescue a missing princess, Tara's secrets are in danger of being revealed.
What Doesn't Break by Cassandra Khaw
Like The Nine Eyes of Lucien, you're unlikely to get the full experience of What Doesn't Break unless you're also a viewer of Critical Role. It follows the backstory of Laudna, undead sorceress and warlock with the ghostly presence of the necromancer who once murdered her keeping residence in her mind and tugging at her strings.
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Every Day (Every Day trilogy) by David Levithan
Every day, A wakes up with a new body and a new life. A has rules on how to deal with this existence - don't get attached, don't get noticed, and don't interfere. But when A finds themself falling in love, all their established rules no longer apply. This one has also been adapted as a movie!
This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero
A. and Z. Kimrean are twin siblings and private eyes - they also share the same body, calling themselves A.Z. When someone starts murdering the sons and heirs of a ruthless crime boss, it falls on A.Z. Kimrean to solve the case and find the killer before all out gang war breaks out.
A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift series) by Kate Griffin
Two years ago, sorcerer Matthew Swift was killed. Today, he woke back up. And he isn't alone in his body... Now, he seeks vengeance not only against the one who killed him, but also against the one who brought him back.
Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Bone Rider by J. Fally, The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu, What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang, Hunter of Demons by Jordan L. Hawk, Odder Still by D.N. Bryn
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fantasybooktournament · 11 months
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reinedespres · 1 year
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ASOWAR & APOSAS side by side❤️‍🔥
I can't believe it's already been a year since one of my favorite duology concluded, I was so in love with the world of Sonande that I made fanart for each release to help me wait. Time isn't real 😭
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bloodmaarked · 27 days
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a song of wraiths and ruin // roseanne a. brown
first published: 2020 read: 19 february 2024 – 29 february 2024 pages: 472 format: paperback
genres: fiction, young adult, fantasy, mythology (african-inspired), romance favourite character(s): the kestrel, karina least favourite character(s): farid
rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 thoughts: i had a really good time reading a song of wraiths and ruin! it reminded me of quite a few similar books that i've read over the years, like raybearer, witches steeped in gold, and the final strife for example (and i felt it was definitely better than the latter two).
keeping my review short and sweet because i think generally this is just quite in line with books i've enjoyed in the past. i thought the worldbuilding was stellar, the characters were well crafted (unpopular opinion but i liked karina more than malik; it took a lot longer for me to come around to him!), i just loved all the cultural and fantastical elements that drew from various african cultures. it's a fairly chunky book but it didn't even feel like it. there was a big twist that i saw coming (i didn't trust [REDACTED] from the very beginning 😒) but what unfolded following the revelation had me locked in.
i think it may lose a star because at times i felt it was almost indistinguishable from similar books in its genre, both in terms of worldbuilding and plot points. it's not massively innovative but again, this may be just because i kept drawing comparisons to other books. i felt that it also got a little convoluted as it was wrapping up, and i had to go along with it without necessarily entirely understanding how or why certain things were happening.
very much excited to read the sequel, which i went out and bought a few hours before finishing this book!
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sarahs-delights · 1 year
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erileigh-defunct · 1 year
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fablesbookstuff · 1 year
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I want to commit to reading at least one book a week if possible this year and trying to read books on my bookshelf I haven't read before and so im gonna put them here and cross them off each week when I read them.
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Ruin of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan
Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
Misrule by Heather Walter
A Song of Wraiths and Ruins by Roseanna A.Brown
A Psalm of Storm and Silence by Roseanna A.Brown
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta
A lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
The Sun and the Star Rick Riordan
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Forget me Not by Alyson Derrick
LegendBorn Tracy Deon
BloodMarked Tracy Deon
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
The Serpents Shadow by Rick Riordan
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Kings Cage by Victoria Aveyard
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken
ThreadNeedle by Cari Thomas
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
This Poison Heart by Kaylynn Bayron
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien
The Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkien
These are all the ones I have on my bookshelf currently that I either have not read yet or I plan to read again this year. And hopefully I can stick to this one book a week deal
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mothandnessieread · 2 years
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Happy Pride month! And what better time to share my latest book haul than now? I’ve heard only good things about these three books and I can’t wait ‘til I have time to read them!
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blacknerdscreate · 1 year
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Excited about Black Magical History Month? Us, too! Get ready for February by throwing it back to some of our favorite content celebrating Blackness and fantasy with this two-part panel, "Black Girls, Fantasy Worlds," featuring Black fantasy authors: @roseanneabrown, Namina Forna, Jordan Ifueko, Tracy Deonn, Bethany Morrow, Nandi Taylor, and Kalynn Bayron.
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Note
there's an afrofuturism tv series coming to hulu being adapted from this book called Binti by this nigerian author
a book series called A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is coming as a tv series to ABC studios
we've always wanted more black fantasy to come to big screen and its finally happening. thank god for black panther for setting the road for this
Oh wait! Binti is being made into a show?! I gotta make a list cuz all the other ones always leave out books to movie adaptations made by Black authors.
LegendBorn by Tracy Deonn is getting a show
Children of Blood and Bone is being made into a movie and the script is written by the author aka Tomi Adeyemi
I also think The Nightmare Verse by L.L. McKinney is being made into a show/movie as well.
There are more and when I find them imma make that list.
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sambaldyke · 1 year
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"You tear yourself down for things you could not have known or done. Why punish a seed for not yet being a tree?"
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reviewsthatburn · 1 year
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There's something very satisfying about sitting down to read a series that's complete, ready and waiting for you to crack open and devour it. Finishing a series also requires readers to have supported each book along the way as they came out. Well, these duologies, trilogies, and series by authors of color are finished, available to be read entire. We've previously reviewed every entry on this list and included links to those thoughts for anyone who wants a bit more detail. While it's entirely possible that these authors may publish associated stories in the future (either sequels or just set in the same story universe), what's available now feels complete. Each entry includes the synopsis from the first book in the series.
Full post at link, book titles in tags.
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caitsbooks · 2 years
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BookTok || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter  || Reviews
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Y'all I love this duology so much 🥺 and the anxiety rep! The author recently said she's working on something new in the same universe and I NEED.
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bloodmaarked · 27 days
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➫ monthly book round-up: february 2024
books read: 6 [1 DNF] [-14%] average rating: 3.6 [-4%] average speed: 7.8 days [-20%] total pages: 2,083 [-27%] yearly goal progress: 11/50 best of the month: the space between here & now, sarah suk worst of the month: knife skills for beginners, orlando murrin
4* reads:
the space between here & now, sarah suk
a song of wraiths and ruin, roseanne a. brown
3.5* reads:
flux, jinwoo chong
when we were birds, ayanna lloyd banwo
3* reads:
gleanings, neal shusterman
DNFs
knife skills for beginners, orlando murrin
currently reading:
saving time, jenny odell
the murder at the vicarage, agatha christie
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helianthus21 · 7 months
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i can't believe the sentence i just read in a book (upper image) and the one i wrote like months ago (lower image)
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