On May 19, 2022, I finished reading Sofi and the Bone Song and said towards the end of my audio review recording, “I look forward to going through my notes – 1.5 hours of recording – and writing about this book on the blog”. It is Feb 11, 2023 when I am finally reviewing my notes and April now that you are reading this. 🙂 I am proud! Let’s dive into this cozy Young Adult fantasy, perfect for a winter read, with music and song.
Sofi and the Bone Song
By Adrienne Tooley | Goodreads
In this gorgeous standalone fantasy with a “sweet sapphic romance” (Booklist), a young musician sets out to expose her rival for illegal use of magic only to discover the deception goes deeper than she could have imagined—perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens!
Music runs in Sofi’s blood.
Her father is a Musik, one of only five musicians in the country licensed to compose and perform original songs. In the kingdom of Aell, where winter is endless and magic is accessible to all, there are strict anti-magic laws ensuring music remains the last untouched art.
Sofi has spent her entire life training to inherit her father’s title. But on the day of the auditions, she is presented with unexpected competition in the form of Lara, a girl who has never before played the lute. Yet somehow, to Sofi’s horror, Lara puts on a performance that thoroughly enchants the judges.
Almost like magic.
The same day Lara wins the title of Musik, Sofi’s father dies, and a grieving Sofi sets out to prove Lara is using illegal magic in her performances. But the more time she spends with Lara, the more Sofi begins to doubt everything she knows about her family, her music, and the girl she thought was her enemy.
As Sofi works to reclaim her rightful place as a Musik, she is forced to face the dark secrets of her past and the magic she was trained to avoid—all while trying not to fall for the girl who stole her future.
Content notes include abuse, death of a parent, self-harm, gaslighting and grief.
Sofi and the Bone Song – Review
This is my first book in adult reading memory that is about music and magic! Sofi is the daughter of the one of the Musiks of the kingdom and she has been training all her life with her lute to one day take her father’s place as a Musik in the king’s court. Her training has been strict and unforgiving and in many ways, Sofi herself has turned to suffering, thinking it makes her craft better.
Rigorous Practice
I reflected on the value of rigorous practice and the beliefs that come with it. Sofi’s days have been focused on one goal for as long as she can remember. Each day of the week has its unique routine and purpose, drilled into her by her father. There have been other people who have trained with her but in the race to become the next Musik, she has lost her best friend.
There is an element of religiousness in this routine. As more of Sofi’s music routine is revealed, it becomes apparent that her father exploited her love for him. In pushing her to be great at her instrument, he condemns her to a life of loneliness. Having never known her mother, she deals with her grief and loneliness through self-harm.
“The things you love shouldn’t hurt you, Sofi.” – Lara
Sofi’s father made Sofi believe that if she practised hard and was good at her craft, the world would reward her. The title would be hers. But the reality is the world does not care. Having a drive and passion does not mean others will applaud it. Does not mean that everyone gets what they think they deserve.
Walking with Broken dreams
On the day of the big test, what Sofi always expected as a given for herself because of her perseverance and commitment, she is shocked when Lara, someone who barely seems to have any music background, becomes the next Musik to take her father’s place. His unexpected passing leaves it on her shoulders to guide Lara on the journey to celebrate her appointment as a Musik in the court.
There is a lot of grief in these pages. On accompanying Lara on her trip around the kingdom, it is undeniable that Lara does have talent, though not exactly with the lute instrument itself. Sofi’s relationship with Lara evolves from suspicion to friendship. Lara is brilliant and hard to ignore. Lara is easy going and gets along with people, something Sofi does not. She has passion and love for music that Sofi has never witnessed before. She is a free spirit. I like Lara because she is a scatterbrain. She is empathic and kind. I loved why she chose to pursue music and the life that she left behind.
There are tense moments throughout this book where Sofi and Lara fight things out, bringing their true beliefs to the table. The emotions are intense. It’s a hard time for both the girls and they have to learn to support and heal each other. I loved it!
There is the notion in the creative community that you have to suffer to create. On learning about Sofi’s routines, Lara challenged Sofi’s idea that she has to suffer to make art. But their journey is not just struggle. They have good times. Together, they experience the joy of participating in the creative process with someone else.
Existential Crisis
When a sign on the road reminds Sofi of her mother, she pursues it and meets her mother’s side of the family for the first time. Her cousin takes Sofi to her grandma. They talk and she learns that Sofi still has a family. In the kingdom of Aella, magic is a gift everyone has but no one is allowed to practice. She learns the origins of her magic are due to her bloodline.
On learning the truth of her mother’s powers and death, Sofi is shaken. All her life she has strived to be a musician and she falls back into that pursuit, not knowing how to deal with everything else, the losses she has been dealt and the injustice of not being chosen. She is not perfect. The new found knowledge makes her even more angry and she goes on to do rash things.
The book gets dark from here. As the history of the kingdom is revealed, the escape of the witches and magic is explained. I really liked how everything came together and the perpetual winter of the kingdom was related to the history.
The conclusion
The finale was quite moving. Sofi was able to figure out how to move forward – to share the truth. Even if no one believed her, she had to do what she needed to do. She has grown as a singer through this book. She was dissuaded from singing as a child, her father being afraid of her magic, wanting to hide it more for his own self-preservation than hers. She was taught to chase perfection through her routine.
We started with Sofi, the young girl, who had a purpose, a goal in mind, a career. But then she didn’t get it. A journey around the kingdom with the girl who took her revered spot meant confronting her upbringing, beliefs and biases.
Good book. Loved it.
Ever Cursed is a book to check out next!
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book for an honest review. Add Sofi and the Bone Song to your shelf on Goodreads.
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