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Last Song Before Night: The Harp and Ring Sequence #1 Kindle Edition

by Ilana C. Myer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 183 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
See all formats and editions

A high fantasy following a young woman's defiance of her culture as she undertakes a dangerous quest to restore her world's lost magic in Ilana C. Myer's Last Song Before Night.

Her name was Kimbralin Amaristoth: sister to a cruel brother, daughter of a hateful family. But that name she has forsworn, and now she is simply Lin, a musician and lyricist of uncommon ability in a land where women are forbidden to answer such callings-a fugitive who must conceal her identity or risk imprisonment and even death.

On the eve of a great festival, Lin learns that an ancient scourge has returned to the land of Eivar, a pandemic both deadly and unnatural. Its resurgence brings with it the memory of an apocalypse that transformed half a continent. Long ago, magic was everywhere, rising from artistic expression-from song, from verse, from stories. But in Eivar, where poets once wove enchantments from their words and harps, the power was lost. Forbidden experiments in blood divination unleashed the plague that is remembered as the Red Death, killing thousands before it was stopped, and Eivar's connection to the Otherworld from which all enchantment flowed, broken.

The Red Death's return can mean only one thing: someone is spilling innocent blood in order to master dark magic. Now poets who thought only to gain fame for their songs face a challenge much greater: galvanized by Valanir Ocune, greatest Seer of the age, Lin and several others set out to reclaim their legacy and reopen the way to the Otherworld-a quest that will test their deepest desires, imperil their lives, and decide the future.

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Harp and Ring Sequence
  2. Print length
    417 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Tor Books
  6. Publication date
    September 29, 2015
  7. File size
    1967 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

In prose both lush and lyrical, Ilana C. Myer presents her stirring opus of singing truth to power. Superbly paced, with vividly drawn characters and a fearless dramatic heart, Last Song Before Night is at once elegiac and triumphant. It's one of the most impressive debut novels I've ever read; I am in awe. (David Mack, New York Times bestselling author of 24: Rogue)

"Beautifully lyrical, Myer's high-fantasy debut weaves a multilayered tale of good versus evil and intimate self-discoveries. The gradual reveal of the main plot and the characters' personal truths builds to a poetic crescendo worthy of their epic quest. With detailed worldbuilding and vivid characters...this lush and luminous story combines exquisite splendor and fathomless cruelty as it champions the power of art and the resilience of the human spirit. While the plot comes full circle, it appears that the adventure is only beginning." - RT Book Reviews

"Truly epic...Myer's debut is exactly the kind of fantasy to lure back readers...who want great writing and great storytelling." - The Guardian

Gorgeous, finely-wrought fantasy... Luminous writing, well-developed characters, strong world-building, all come together to create a wonderful debut! (Jessica Day George, author of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow)

"Myers' depiction of Tamryllin and the land it inhabits is shadowy and lush, a tapestry of gossamer wonders as well as theocratic oppression and brutality. But the core of Last Song's strength is its characters. Bound by enmities, rivalries, lust, sacrifices, and ancient tragedies, the novel's sizeable cast forms a dizzying chemistry...Last Song Before Night is about music, but it's also a work of music itself: Lyrical, dynamic, and winningly melodic." -NPR

About the Author

ILANA C. MYER has written about books for the Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Huffington Post, and Salon. Previously she was a journalist in Jerusalem. Last Song Before Night is her first novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00V34YJAO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (September 29, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 29, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1967 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 417 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 183 ratings

About the author

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Ilana C. Myer

Ilana C. Myer

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Ilana C. Myer has worked as a journalist in Jerusalem and a cultural critic for various publications. As Ilana Teitelbaum she has written book reviews and critical essays for The Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, and the Huffington Post.

"Last Song Before Night" was her first novel, followed by "Fire Dance" and "The Poet King." A native New Yorker and longtime Jerusalem resident, she now lives in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
183 global ratings
Sexy, mysterious, and uplifting
5 Stars
Sexy, mysterious, and uplifting
This book is sexy, mysterious, and uplifting. Myer's compelling and richly-drawn settings and characters draw you into her world of struggle, truth, and justice, and make this a real page-turner. Couldn't put it down. Trekkie fans will love this book. PS The listing says published by "Author," but this book is published by Tor Books, which many consider the best science fiction and fantasy publisher in the world.
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Top reviews from the United States

James K. Burk
5.0 out of 5 stars The Magic is in the Music
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
LAST SONG BEFORE NIGHT by Ilana C, Myer is an impressive piece of work.
Some books are to be devoured while others should be savored. LAST SONG BEFORE NIGHT is a rich repast with fine vintages, and should not be hurried over. Its lyricism alone make it worth appreciating.
The writer gives us a world where a king has gained control over the singers and harpists and, in so doing, banished the magic they can summon with their music. This isn't the first book in which magic and music are intimately related but. like other elements of the story, the writer has stamped it with her own vision and made it her own.
The characters are vivid and fully realized. While the central protagonist is the catalyst for the story, others play almost equally vital parts. Indeed, in some ways, each character plays an essential part and the story would not have been complete without them. To use the symbols of the story, this is not a solo performance but a symphony.
The plotting is intricate without being endlessly recomplicated. The basis of the story is a malign power behind the throne, working its own dark magic that threatens to spill over with, among other things, a plague, and the protagonists must find the lost key to the magic that can defeat the force.
One of the interesting perceptions is how much of the evil done is the result of pettiness and beyond rational understanding.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this work and share the perceptions, insights, and visions, some of which are delivered in a sort of magical kaleidoscope. I believe Myer is only going to grow as a writer, and she's definitely hit the ground running with this debut novel. I look forward to seeing more of this writer's work.
6 people found this helpful
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Dragonbear82
4.0 out of 5 stars A haunting and beautiful book, I recommend it to anyone who loves ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015
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This book is written in a richly textured writing style, with a plot line that envelopes you more deeply with each chapter. It is not idealistic fantasy, but rather a story that peers unflinchingly into the human response to obstacles and tragedy. A haunting and beautiful book, I recommend it to anyone who loves a well-crafted, thoughtful story. Elana C. Meyer's debut is a smashing success, and I am really looking forward to reading the sequel!
One person found this helpful
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Laura
3.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read but not sure I liked it
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2016
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I found this book very easy to read, it had some interesting plot twists and the pace kept moving most of the time. I didn't get fully immersed in the world and I couldn't really relate to the characters. The character development felt superficial as well as their motivations and the danger was not consistently present through out. It sometimes feels like your reading young adult fiction but then hits you with some Game of thrones style graphicness. I can defiantly see why others may really like this book but it wasn't all there for me.
3 people found this helpful
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Valerian
5.0 out of 5 stars This has made Lin’s decision to abandon her home and travel to the capital of Tamryllin not only an easy one, but a necessary on
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
Poetry, music and magic combine into a sumptuous symphony in Last Song Before Night, the debut novel from Ilana C Myer.

Kimbralin Amaristoth is a scion of a northern noble family. A cruel and maliciously hate-filled one at that. This has made Lin’s decision to abandon her home and travel to the capital of Tamryllin not only an easy one, but a necessary one as well. Even so, Women are not allowed to attend the Academy and become Poets, and yet Lin, as she is now known, has a gift for music and poetry and will not allow her dreams to be denied. Even as she and her partner, as well as their friends and rivals, all seek to enter the yearly poetry contest at an important festival, events around them are pressing down on them. From the office of the Court Poet, to dark doings outside of Eivar, to the sleeping nature of magic in the realm, to her own family and her troubled past, trouble threatens to not only destroy Lin’s dreams and ambition, but her entire world.

The novel appears right off to be a typical fantasy (including that gorgeous Stephen Martiniere cover), with an entire party set right off, ready to face an ancient evil and go off in typical fashion. These expectations are subverted immediately, instead settling into a meditation on music, poetry, power, expectations of roles and much more. Although there are a braided set of stories and characters here, Lin is the standout, central character, and it is her story that Myer explores to most length, and to most potent effect.

The writing in a novel about poetry, and music, and the power and uses of language lives up to the high expectations that I had for it. Not only the snatches of poetry and verse that we get throughout the novel, but just the writing of scenes, of dialogues and characters, is artful and well formed, and fully and completely immersive. I felt like a companion to Lin and her friends as they struggled with the challenges and expectations of their stations, and how those conflicted with the desires and needs. For much of the novel, the story is extremely secondary world urban fantasy, and Tamryllin is a city I grew to adore and wanted to spend time in.

Although the nature of magic, and the art is different, Last Song Before Night resonates, for me, in the same way as The Golden Key, by Kate Elliott, Jennifer Roberson and Melanie Rawn did. That story is much more of a generational epic. However, like Last Song Before Night, that novel explores how artists can seek to try and transform their world, through art and through magic, and how the world transforms around them without their desire or provenance.

The novel’s subversion of the idea of it being a quest fantasy fades in the latter portion of the novel, after seemingly moving toward that in the beginning. Unfortunately, for me, the quest portions of the narrative did not feel quite as interesting as what was going on in the city. It is as if, in leaving the taverns and halls of power in Tamryllin, the novel loses some of what makes it so great. It may also be that the potency of the story, the characters (both protagonists and antagonists) and the richness of doings in the capital make the road trip seem somewhat less interesting only by comparison. However, Myer’s gift for language, description and evocation of character and themes remain strong throughout the book.

That said, the themes, ideas, and the strength of the main character and her personal journey more than make up for this shortcoming. Like a musical piece, I knew that my time with Lin and her companions in the world that Myer created was limited, and I was slightly sad that it had to come an end. Thankfully, there are going to be subsequent volumes set in the same world, and I am all ears to listen to more of Myer’s music.
4 people found this helpful
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Ayar
4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
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Great imagery, interesting characters and an engaging storyline. Only criticism is that the climax felt rushed. I would compare the feel to Michelle Sagara.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Matt Wennersten
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting premise and a book that keeps the pages turning ...
Reviewed in India on January 7, 2018
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Interesting premise and a book that keeps the pages turning. Reminiscent of Lisa Goldstein, the writing is fast paced and keeps you looking forward to the sequel
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L. Unrau
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard hitting heartbreaker
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2015
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When I first started the novel it reminded me a little bit of Payrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind. The language is well considered, the academy for poets reminded me of Kvothe studying while playing music at the University. The characters are deep and real and solid as if you could reach into the pages and feel them.

At the beginning the characters have hopes and dreams and are (mostly) happy. Fast forward to the middle of the book... The plot of the story has hit all of the characters hard and their true natures have been revealed. Again, these are deep characters with multilayered feelings that reach out and grab you. Anger, specifically, is a very real emotion in this book. The only reason I gave this book 4 *s and not 5 is because sometimes I did not like how the strong emotions of the book made me feel. I give much credit to the author as I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult some of the scenes must have been to write. There were moments when I almost shed tears - a real sign of how much I cared for the characters.

I am very much ready to go read a fun, funny, fluff book after this to encourage me to feel some hope again.
2 people found this helpful
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Mrs Mayer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Treat
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2016
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It's such a treat to find a beautifully written and crafted fantasy book. I loved reading fantasy when I was growing up, but have found, as the years have gone by, that it's become very difficult to find a book in the genre that appeals to the adult me. I tried this one after hearing about it on Twitter and I'm so glad I did - it's entirely compelling and is written with subtlety and sophistication. So many fantasy books seem to be treated by their authors as a vehicle for conveying their world, this couldn't be farther from the case here - this is a Story in its truest sense and is filled with complex characters that drew me in from the start (and then never let me go!)

Definitely keeping my eye out for Ilana C. Myer's next book; if you haven't tried this one yet, I recommend you do and would go as far as to say you don't need to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy it.
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Brough Milner
4.0 out of 5 stars Epic fantasy treated respectfully.
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2017
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'Last Song Before Night' is an enjoyable glimpse into a enchanting world, reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson's debut, 'Elantris.' Myer's principle characters are refreshing; everyone is convincingly flawed and integral to the plot. For me, the author's voice reaches a crescendo whenever the lavish details of the world are unveiled. Sights and sounds rarely march unaccompanied; passages are imbued with tactility and exotic redolence, adding spice to an already delectable brew. Ilana C. Myer is a masterful wordsmith, unafraid to let blood stain the pages. I'm excited to see how this world--and other worlds?--is expanded in the forthcoming sequel, 'Fire Dance.'
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Tania Hershman
5.0 out of 5 stars of love, music and power
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2016
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This is not the kind of book I would usually choose, but the author is a friend of mine and so I began it. And then I found I couldn't put it down! Ilana Myer's story is fantasy suffused with freshness and poignancy, a story of poets and of magic, of love, music and power. Many characters carry the story along and they work together like a symphony. Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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