3.5/5

Recommended to me on Instagram as queer and witchy, I thought I'd give Song a try. Based in a fictional Appalachian town, Ezra is despondent following a poor meeting with his academic advisor near the anniversary of his father's death. Gray of the Winged Folk has been following and falling for Ezra and after a fateful meeting in a graveyard, their lives become irrevocably entangled.

- The story itself was fast-paced, almost rushed. I enjoy it and the developments but wish there was more depth to some of the elements. As someone only vaguely aware of Appalachian folklore, I wish there were more in prose explanations of things. There is a glossary at the back describing characters and elements but it contains spoilers so I did not read it until the end.

- The characters were really cool. Obviously Gray and other Winged Folk characters were fascinating and I enjoyed the Mothman elements a lot. I loved that there were several gender diverse characters and they/them pronouns were considered default and the norm unless otherwise stated. 

- So now I have to go and research lots of folklore and regional knowledge for Appalachia. The setting was well crafted and the flavour and essence of the area was incredibly vivid. The darker elements of the book were super creepy and I would love more explanation of those in later books (if there are any).

For those who enjoy folklore-based fantasy, queer characters and cryptid romance. Creepy, vivid and enticing.