A Song of Legends Lost - (Invoker Trilogy) by M H Ayinde (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of the year." --Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author

An unforgettable tale of revenge and rebellion unfolds when an inexperienced king implements a doomed plan to end a thousand-year war in this relentlessly gripping epic fantasy debut.

A SONG OF REBELLION. A SONG OF WAR. A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST.

The people of Nine Lands know their history. The kingdom once belonged to the Scathed people, until their greyblood servants rose up and slaughtered them. King Ahiki and his warlords laid claim to the realm by defeating the rebels and driving them out to the Feverlands.

Now, thousands of years later, attacks by the greybloods are rebuffed by the invoker clans, warriors of noble blood who summon their ancestors to fight with them in battle. But the war has gone on too long. A general draft is called to take the battle to the Feverlands and defeat the greybloods once and for all. A plan that seems doomed to fail.

When Temi, a commoner, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she believes it could be the key to ending the 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.

Review Quotes

'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, New York Times bestselling author

"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."--Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

"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!"--Justin Lee Anderson, author of The Lost War

"A relentlessly gripping, glorious epic fantasy - the exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of 2025."
--Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

"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!"--Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award-winning author

"Ayinde storms into the fantasy genre with a triumphant shout of a novel, and takes no prisoners. Ayinde invokes the storied tradition of epic fantasy whilst giving it a glorious new twist."--Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, bestselling author of A Principle of Moments

"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."--Tobi Ogundiran, Locus Award nominated author of Jackal, Jackal

"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."--Devin Madson, author of We Ride the Storm

"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."--Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

This debut offers you everything you could possibly wish for from epic fantasy. You will gasp, you will cry, and most of all, you will not stop turning the pages." --Annabel Campbell, author of The Outcast Mage

About the Author

M. H. Ayinde was born in London's East End. She is a runner, a lapsed martial artist, and a screentime enthusiast. Her debut novel is A Song of Legends Lost. Her short fiction has appeared in FIYAH Literary Magazine, F&SF, Fantasy Magazine, and elsewhere, and she was the 2021 winner of the Future Worlds Prize. She lives in North London with three generations of her family and their Studio Ghibli obsession.