A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, #1)

by Roseanne A. Brown

“Don’t panic,” Leila said sharply, a phrase that had only ever caused Malik to panic more.

At times like these, it felt like every other person in Sonande had been given a guide on how to interact like a normal human being, and his had never arrived.

But his heart raced whenever he thought of the epic love the old stories spoke of. Love so strong people would cross oceans and face down gods just for the chance of it—that was what Malik wanted. But he was too anxious, too poor, too strange to ever have something like that, so wanting it would have to be enough.

“She told me that the people we lose never truly leave, but that only we get to define how they stay.”

But the best lies were the same as the best stories—both molded themselves around a kernel of truth.

“Helping one person won’t fix everything I’ve ruined.” “That may be true. But it’s also true that to aid even one person is to save an entire world.”

Do not underestimate the strength it takes to be kind in a world as cruel as ours.”