Review: Song of All Songs by Donna Dechen Birdwell

Donna Dechen Birdwell has crafted an immersive and visceral vision of the future with Song of All Songs, a novel that begs to be savored like few others in recent memory. In an unspecified future Earth, after humanity has once again been decimated and reborn, this first installment of the EarthCycles series plays out as both a wonderful adventure and a well-crafted prophecy.

A rare treasure and a hidden gift leads Meridia on a journey that will uncover the truth of her past, her family, and the fate of the world as she knows it. After being separated from her most trusted friend, she must find the courage to persevere, seeking the truth about the powerful stone now left in her care. Damon defies death against all odds, sparking his own revelatory path towards enlightenment, but the pair’s stories are closely woven, and their destinies seem inseparable. As they discover more about their own origins, and the path unfurling ahead, the true importance of the stone they carry – and the song within it – becomes clear.

The evocative setting is both post-apocalyptic and fantastical at once, a clever meshing of genres that both grounds readers and stirs the imagination. The concept of biophotons is just one of many mind-bending ideas that drives this blend of fantasy and fact, where the remnants of humanity’s science and understanding remain, but have been altered in nearly unimaginable ways. The weaving of these themes throughout the story and the passions of various characters, specifically Damon, will be thrilling for fans of Carl Sagan, Cormac McCarthy, and Terry Brooks alike.

The writing itself is reflective of how far-flung this world is from our own, yet oddly recognizable in the most fundamental aspects of human nature. The gestures, speech patterns, body language, relationship styles, and natural descriptions often feel foreign, but there is something universal about the connection of two people. The economy of language in certain moments is striking, while the poetic flow in other passages makes this novel a delicious pleasure to consume. This rare blend of naked imagination, careful storytelling, poetic flair, and meticulous language is reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin at her best. Additionally, the author’s incorporation of words composed of colors, and the whimsical flexibility of sensorial descriptions, is deeply satisfying.

Despite the experimental style of the writing and the syntax, the prose is very well-edited, and consistent within its own original vernacular and pace. There are occasional hints of speech more closely resembling that of today, but there is a skillful absence of idiomatic language, aside from the elements of Shoon speech and other linguistic minutiae that Birdwell has sewn into the narrative. Some of the exposition-heavy passages feel that they could be presented in more subtle or patient ways, but with such depth to this world’s detail, some longer explanatory passages are to be expected. All told, this book has all the fingerprints of a skilled author and editor, and the end result is a testament to their discretion.

Reflecting powerful lessons humanity has learned from the past, while showcasing the speculative fiction of a wildly gifted author, Song of All Songs is a very special book – an enigmatic and inventive treasure, and certainly not one to be missed.

Song of All Songs won the Silver Prize in the 2020 SPR Book Awards.