Song of Dakari

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Long ago, a nation was destroyed. Its people fled, but were soon dissatisfied with their lives. They sought to return to their previous way of life—something that many of them no longer knew—and their wishes were answered through a legend, which they have followed ever since.

The story begins with Adelinde and Rene, one unaware and one aware of the effort to recreate the 'first island.' From a simple romance, it branches into something greater. Some mysteries are better left unsolved, but sometimes there's no choice but to reveal them.

A large bulk of this story's cast is LGBTQ+, although it's not always the emphasis. Take of that as you will.

Song of Dakari takes place in the same universe asGin and Kuro, and spoils the latter's ending. You don't need to read Gin and Kuro to understand Song of Dakari, though.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Author: Veriana Rose

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 7
Views: 29,495

Chapters(110 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(4)

Sandaru JadeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Story: A soft and delicate story of a budding friendship, later may develop into romance between two young women. For me, it resembles a beautiful painting of a rainy evening in autumn.
It had an explosive start to grasp the readers to the story, and there are hints of ulterior motives in one of the MCs involved, which makes one curious to follow. I also feel Aurik's backstory will come later to add more twists.
Characters: Well rounded two main characters. In the first few chapters, they are still getting to know each other, but they have a promising story line for character growth. Waiting for the rest of the story to see that.
Style: Smooth storytelling, lots of inner thoughts involved, but it adds life to the story. Only little issue for me was the pov change in between chapters, but it's because I'm used to more of a limited pov structure.
Grammar: I didn't notice any mistakes, it's quite well written with a rich language.
Overall: Some may find it's a bit slow, but there are clues hidden to show that a big story is coming. I recommend this artistic and beautiful story as a cozy reading away from violent and epic battles.
CobaltWolfRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I love how this is starting. Quite literally. I think the way the author started this story is really impressive.
Adelinde and Rene's stories are done in media res, at the start of the middle. This is inherently jarring, as you are missing out on some context on how the characters and world got to where it is. While this might throw some people off, I love this and think it creates a much more intriguing tale than if we were given all of the immediate context. Aurik's Death for crimes we still aren't quite sure of acts as a strong hook. The machinations of the world, the magic system, and the politics are drip fed to us through natural interactions that doesn't force exposition down the reader's throats. The prose and style that this is all delivered through is strong, making the rather slow pace of the story never feel like it is dragging
The two leading ladies, Adelinde and Rene are strong POVs with interesting backgrounds. The trauma of Aurik's death is heavy over Adelinde, and Rene's family situation puts a strain on her ability to make genuine relationships. They're both pretty broken people, and that makes them work together quite well. The story is not really worth writing too much about, as not much has happened this early on. There's clear build up, but the major focus seems to be just on character and world building.
A good read, and one worth checking out if you want something different from the deluge of litRPG. Just make sure to expect that things will take their time.
MountainSkaldRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall: Really fascinating story of court intrigue that has a lot of potential. Very well written and engaging. But the fixation on the character’s internal struggles overshadows the broader world and conflict, which left me feeling a bit confused about what was really going on.
Style: I really like the style of this story – it’s very well written. It’s quite intimate and helps build the picture of two women, each faced with overwhelming life challenges while they grapple with internal tension. The emotions and introspection are well presented.
There were a few awkwardly phrased lines, but those are rare. My biggest criticism was the switch of POV over to Rene at her introduction in chapter 3. It was not explicitly stated, and it took me I think two paragraphs before I realized I wasn’t still reading about the Queen.
Story: The story is really fascinating. It opens with a court intrigue against the backdrop of some kind of ethnic conflict. I really wanted to hear more about the Omyns and their history, and how they relate to the kingdom of Dakari.
The first chapters open with a real punch – the Queen’s husband (or not? Didn’t really understand this) has tried to kill her, and she is struggling to deal with the emotional fallout of this event. While she’s trying to rebuild her trust in people, a character named Rene is trying to exploit her for some larger purpose. It’s a very strong hook that promises a ton of tension and conflict further down the line.
Unfortunately, I think much is lost by the simple lack of explanation of a lot of the setting and history. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. It’s crucial information because it drives the main conflict points with regards to Aurik and Rene. I didn’t get much of an idea of what kind of place Dakari is, or how the Omyns relate to it. I’m sure it’s waiting to be shared in later chapters, but the confusion at the beginning makes it difficult to feel immersed in the story.
Gr
William FlattenerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Adelinde only felt safe here because there were locks...
One of the first lines, spoilered above, tells so much about one of this story's characters in just nine words. There is a history here--not just to these two main characters who are dancing around something momentous in the offing--but to the carefully crafted society in which they are suspended.
Style: Reflective and thoughtful, with potent dialogue and descriptions that are swift and meaningful. It reads like a duet between two equally important singers... hmmm... 🤔
Story: The story moves to a rewarding rhythm. Read the first one and see what I mean. Instead of an exposition dump, these characters push the story forward and gradually carve out our understanding of the setting through their roles in it.
Grammar: No grammar issues. The author wields language very intentionally, especially in the dialogue's emphasis and interruptions.
Characters: Slight early spoilers here. There are two leads of this story and each POV is in its own distinct register. Adelinde is the very picture of someone trying to live her life without succumbing to her past (and if I understand correctly, public) trauma. Rene has some ulterior motives that may or may not be admirable. The resulting composition between the two is harmonious from the start.