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Songs of the DeadBrandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Urban fantasy

Songs of the Dead

by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Book 1 of the The Strata Wars series

464 pages · First published 2026

After being shot alongside his mentor, London heavy-metal musician Jack Solomon returns to life—and discovers that death has opened a door into a hidden world. Beneath the city lie the Strata, layers of London’s remembered past inhabited by the dead and accessible to magic wielders called thanatists. As Jack learns to use powers intertwined with music, light, and memory, he and his friends become caught in a conflict threatening both the living city and the worlds below. His new abilities come at a deeply personal cost, forcing him to confront what he is willing to sacrifice for others. Turn up the imaginary soundtrack for a stormy-night adventure filled with macabre magic, found family, and history that refuses to stay buried.

Paired for this story

London Calling + Gin and Tonic

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At a glance

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Spice1 of 5
Suspense3 of 5
Creepy3 of 5
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No surprises at chapter twelve

Content notes

Murder and gun violence; torture, blood, and gore; recurring self-harm references; grief and parental abandonment; necromancy, reanimated dead, and disturbing supernatural creatures; romantic kissing.

Alcohol-Free Pour

London Calling

Earl Grey, lemon, and tonic give this London-inspired pour a sharp, lively edge for a city where music shapes the worlds beneath its streets.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice. Add chilled Earl Grey and lemon juice, top with tonic water, and stir gently.
  2. Garnish: Lemon wheel.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.
21+

Cocktail Pour · 21+

Gin and Tonic

For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

Brisk gin, bittersweet tonic, and lime bring a London bar feel to Jack’s world of rock clubs, dangerous magic, and hidden history.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the gin, then gently pour in the tonic water. Stir briefly to combine. Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink and add it to the glass.
  2. Garnish: Lime wedge.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.

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