Months ago, I was approached by budding author Sade Andria Zabala to review her newest collection of poems called War Songs, and I was so excited to hear from her! She has one other book out called Coffee and Cigarettes, and, naturally, I couldn’t wait to dive head first into War Songs. And can we just talk about that title? It’s so simple — just two words — but that’s all you need to get an idea of what is to come when you turn the first page. I was pleasantly surprised to be met with some beautiful illustrations. The watercolors scattered across the book are the perfect match for Sade’s poems.

I’m just going to come out and say it. Every single one of these poems is magic. Sade has such a gift with her words, making each poem something incredibly raw and utterly relatable. Her writing is incredibly visual, transporting you into her world and taking you by the hand as you walk with her through the journey of self-discovery that is War Songs. Sade goes back and forth between free verse and traditional rhyming schemes, showing her versatility as a poet and a storyteller.

To get ahold of this amazing book (and honestly, you really should try and get your hands on it!), you can go to Sade’s Etsy store. There she has both of her books available for purchase in both hard copy and ebook form. You can also purchase hard copies of War Songs on Amazon or Lulu. One thing I will say is that most of these poems contain mature content, so keep that in mind when purchasing.

She is also very active on her website, posting excerpts of her poetry and answering questions from her readers.

Here is an excerpt from War Songs from one of my favorite poems: “She-Wolf”

Grab your copy today!