Song of Ebony by Deborah Grace White

Song of Ebony
by Deborah Grace White

ISBN-13: 9781922636614
Paperback: 415 pages
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Released: December 26, 2022

Source: Free book.


Book Description from Goodreads:
Crown Princess Bianca has always been unusual, from her snow-white hair to the strange way her words dance. But just like every other Selvanan, she’s restricted to the trees, unable to set foot on the deadly soil. That is, until her stepmother betrays her on the eve of her coronation, sending Bianca to the ground to die. Except the jungle floor is not what Bianca expected—from supposedly mythical elves to magic gone wild, it seems there’s much she didn’t know about both her kingdom and herself.

Prince Farrin never intended to get trapped in Selvana forever. He only came to find a cure for his brother’s terrible affliction. But after two years, he’s no closer to his goal. And his continued survival depends on his ability to navigate both the treacherous Selvanan jungle and the ways of the bargain-loving miniature elves.

When he crosses paths with an exiled princess, his course takes an abrupt change. It’s not just because he’s rattled by his all-consuming determination to keep the princess safe. More Selvanans than Bianca will pay with their lives if the pair can’t find a way to outwit her enemies and harness the power of Bianca’s voice.


My Review:
Song of Ebony is a fantasy retelling of Snow White. While the major plot points from the fairytale do show up in this story, the author has extensively created her own fantasy world in which to place the story. Humans live in the trees of the jungle to avoid the wild magic of the ground that will kill them. The elves can live on the ground but have to constantly work to 'mine' the wild magic and place it into objects for specific uses. A jealous queen sends her stepdaughter to the ground to pay a debt to the elves and to maintain her control over the humans. She assumes Bianca will die. But she doesn't because she's a Singer (magic user). Some outcast elves and a stranded human prince help her survive repeated attempts by both the queen and the elves to capture or kill her.

It has things I like: a sweet heroine who is capable (and becomes more so), a trustworthy, supportive prince, and an interesting world with unique cultures. Bianca blamed herself for not taking control from the queen when her father died, but I felt like she had tried and the humans who should have backed her up didn't do so. Bianca's determined to do things right when she regains control, yet by the end planned to sail off with the prince to visit his land. I felt like she still had a lot of responsibilities requiring her to stay home at that moment, so that just felt irresponsible to me.

Anyway, there was no sex or bad language. It was an interesting retelling, so I'd recommend it to fans of fairytale retellings.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.