‘A relentlessly gripping, glorious epic fantasy – the exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of 2025’
Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
A SONG OF REBELLION. A SONG OF WAR. A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST.
In the Nine Lands, only those of noble blood can summon the spirits of their ancestors to fight in battle. But when Temi, a commoner from the slums, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending a centuries-long war.
But not everything that can be invoked is an ancestor. And some of the spirits that can be drawn from the ancestral realm are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.
A relentlessly gripping tale of revenge and rebellion, A Song of Legends Lost is an unmissable debut from a major new voice in epic fantasy, perfect for fans of John Gwynne, Anthony Ryan and Evan Winter
‘A truly excellent debut, with a genuinely fascinating magic system, engaging characters and deep worldbuilding. A fantastic read’
James Islington, author of The Will of the Many
‘An epic tale of conflict, betrayal, and intrigue . . . M. H. Ayinde weaves a rich and engrossing story through a unique and fascinating world’
Anthony Ryan, author of Blood Song
‘Stunning and vividly told . . . Ayinde is a master storyteller’
Andrea Stewart, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Shard Daughter
Reader reviews:
‘A breathtaking debut that delivers a compelling mix of action, intrigue and emotional depth . . . an absolute must-read’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh my GOD. Temi, my GIRL! Jinao, badass. Runt, JEEEEESUS . . . thank you M. H. Ayinde for a fantastic book’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A breath of fresh air . . . I cannot recommend this enough and am waiting so impatiently for book 2′
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book has filled the gaping holes that the Throne of Glass and Game of Thrones series have left in my heart . . .Watch out Sanderson and Martin, Ayinde is incoming!’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘So impeccably done. In awe of the skill on display here, from the prose to the worldbuilding to the character work to the sheer breadth of it all’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I absolutely loved this book! . . . till thinking about it days after I finished’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Exhilarating . . . delivers an unrelenting ride of action, intrigue and emotional depth . . . a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy, featuring a truly unique and thrilling world that promises much more to come’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘My biggest challenge with this novel is expressing just how much I loved it . . . I highly recommend picking it up, letting it captivate you, and preparing for an unforgettable adventure that will leave you longing for the sequel as soon as you turn the last page’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
A SONG OF REBELLION. A SONG OF WAR. A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST.
In the Nine Lands, only those of noble blood can summon the spirits of their ancestors to fight in battle. But when Temi, a commoner from the slums, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending a centuries-long war.
But not everything that can be invoked is an ancestor. And some of the spirits that can be drawn from the ancestral realm are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.
A relentlessly gripping tale of revenge and rebellion, A Song of Legends Lost is an unmissable debut from a major new voice in epic fantasy, perfect for fans of John Gwynne, Anthony Ryan and Evan Winter
‘A truly excellent debut, with a genuinely fascinating magic system, engaging characters and deep worldbuilding. A fantastic read’
James Islington, author of The Will of the Many
‘An epic tale of conflict, betrayal, and intrigue . . . M. H. Ayinde weaves a rich and engrossing story through a unique and fascinating world’
Anthony Ryan, author of Blood Song
‘Stunning and vividly told . . . Ayinde is a master storyteller’
Andrea Stewart, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Shard Daughter
Reader reviews:
‘A breathtaking debut that delivers a compelling mix of action, intrigue and emotional depth . . . an absolute must-read’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh my GOD. Temi, my GIRL! Jinao, badass. Runt, JEEEEESUS . . . thank you M. H. Ayinde for a fantastic book’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A breath of fresh air . . . I cannot recommend this enough and am waiting so impatiently for book 2′
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book has filled the gaping holes that the Throne of Glass and Game of Thrones series have left in my heart . . .Watch out Sanderson and Martin, Ayinde is incoming!’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘So impeccably done. In awe of the skill on display here, from the prose to the worldbuilding to the character work to the sheer breadth of it all’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I absolutely loved this book! . . . till thinking about it days after I finished’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Exhilarating . . . delivers an unrelenting ride of action, intrigue and emotional depth . . . a must-read for fans of high-stakes fantasy, featuring a truly unique and thrilling world that promises much more to come’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘My biggest challenge with this novel is expressing just how much I loved it . . . I highly recommend picking it up, letting it captivate you, and preparing for an unforgettable adventure that will leave you longing for the sequel as soon as you turn the last page’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Reviews
A truly excellent debut, with a genuinely fascinating magic system, engaging characters and deep worldbuilding. A fantastic read
A Song of Legends Lost is a brilliantly original, genre-busting Science Fantasy epic. It blends a seemingly ancient world with spiritual magic and mysterious technology into a sprawling landscape of societal injustice and widespread conspiracy. The mysteries unravel at a gripping pace in a rich and elegant world. I've never seen anything like this before and I love it!
Captivating, A Song of Legends Lost is what I want to point to when we talk about why modern fantasy is so good. Do not miss this one
An epic tale of conflict, betrayal, and intrigue . . . M. H. Ayinde weaves a rich and engrossing story through a unique and fascinating world
A sprawling tale brimming with mysteries that elide the tantalizing truth of its fantastic world . . . M. H. Ayinde's debut promises grand revelations, cutthroat intrigue and desperate conflict, all in service of an ending fated to be as satisfying and definitive as the pressing in place of the final piece of an elaborate puzzle
Intricate and imaginative, A Song of Legends Lost is a masterpiece of storytelling, where every secret begets a deeper, more pressing mystery. Ayinde's world is both ancient and new, satisfying but moreish, poisonous yet oh so delicious - a book fulfilling wishes you never knew you'd made
A Song of Legends Lost is a relentlessly gripping, glorious epic fantasy - the exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of 2025
This debut offers you everything you could possibly wish for from epic fantasy: a rich new world inspired by multiple pre-colonial cultures, complex characters all vying for their place in this world (often against each other, and yet you can't help but root for all of them), and SUCH cinematic battles. But then Ayinde gives you even more. Towering ancestors who fight like Final Fantasy summons, glittering and deadly techwork, all wrapped up around this delicious mystery that comes together in the most satisfying way. You will gasp, you will cry, and most of all, you will not stop turning the pages.
A Song of Legends Lost is stunning and vividly told, an incredible blend of tech and magic in a world where the characters are rediscovering the truth. It is impossible not to be swept away, to yearn as hard as the characters do, to feel both dread and joy as the events unfold. Ayinde is a master storyteller, and readers are in good hands from the very first pages to the very last
Ayinde's impressive debut invites readers into a detailed and imaginative fantasy world . . . Ayinde juggles a sprawling cast and multiple plotlines skilfully . . . The result is a rich and wonderfully complex world that readers will be eager to revisit
A Song of Legends Lost absolutely delivers on the promise of adventure. It's a fantasy of epic proportions, with an expansive world and complex characters who inhabit it - everything feels so alive and vibrant . . . a sweeping and impressive debut
M.H. Ayinde has layered a cast of instantly-compelling characters and a gripping plot over a setting that blends fantasy and sci-fi in fascinating ways
Every now and then I read a book that reminds me why I fell in love with fantasy. A Song of Legends Lost is such a book! Ayinde has crafted a masterpiece bursting with imagination, feeling, and just sheer awesomeness. I had a ton of fun reading this and I know readers will too
A hugely ambitious science-fantasy epic, a whirlwind debut of ferocious talent and compulsive storytelling that lifts you up from the first page and never lets go. It's joyous from end to end - and highly recommended!
At once a genre-bending epic, a magical multi-family saga, and a paean to secondary world fantasy, A Song of Legends Lost has it all. Ayinde storms into the fantasy genre with a triumphant shout of a novel, and takes no prisoners; this book will capture your heart and re-ignite your imagination. In portraying a world where certain families can invoke the ancestors to fight alongside them in battle, Ayinde invokes the storied tradition of epic fantasy whilst giving it a glorious new twist. I loved it.
An epic tale of ancestral summoning, complicated families and forbidden magic in the Nine Lands, rich with hidden histories, kinetic battles and immersive, Africa-inspired worldbuilding. It's Game Of Thrones meets Jagun Jagun by way of Final Fantasy with a healthy dose of something new and unique that is entirely its M. H. Ayinde's own, and I am here for it!