--- product_id: 141699726 title: "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)" price: "30444CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/141699726-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-a-hunger-games-novel store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Set 64 years before original trilogy Focus on mentor role in 10th Hunger Games Prequel to global YA phenomenon The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) **Price:** 30444CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🔥 Unlock the dark origins of Panem’s most notorious villain! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) - **How much does it cost?** 30444CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/141699726-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-a-hunger-games-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Character-Driven Drama:** Unravel psychological tension and moral ambiguity in a gripping villain origin tale. - • **Award-Winning Bestseller:** Join over 70,000 readers who rated this dark, thought-provoking novel 4.5 stars. - • **Immersive World-Building:** Experience a war-torn Capitol and the raw, primal Hunger Games that shaped a dystopian legacy. - • **Dive into the Origin Story:** Explore the complex rise of Coriolanus Snow before he became Panem’s infamous leader. - • **Exclusive Insight for Fans:** Gain fresh perspectives on the Hunger Games universe with new characters and political intrigue. ## Overview The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a compelling prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, set 64 years earlier. It follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as he mentors a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games, blending immersive world-building with a deep psychological character study. This bestselling novel offers fans a fresh, darker perspective on the dystopian universe that redefined YA fiction. ## Description Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - ; every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. Three books, four films and one WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON, The Hunger Games changed the face of global YA. Review: Compelling, dark prequel to the Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins returns to the dystopian world of Panem in this origin story for the villain of her original 'Hunger Games' trilogy; President Coriolanus Snow. The novel sees Snow aged about 18, living in genteel poverty with his grandmother and cousin in a Capitol still recovering from the civil war which ended ten years before. In a new idea to increase public interest in the brutal Hunger Games, he and his classmates from the prestigious Academy are called on to mentor the Tributes in the Games. He is assigned Lucy Gray, from impoverished District 12, who seems more of a singer than a fighter, and throws his considerable abilities into helping her succeed. But the stakes are extremely high, for Snow as well as Lucy Gray, not least as old grudges against his family keep working against him. Collins is always a compelling and very readable author and she creates a world that is immersive and believable in all its brutality. Her use of Roman names and the gladiatorial parallels of the Games are the perfect way to reflect a society that is both incredibly sophisticated and unbelievably cruel. Snow is very well drawn - Collins manages to make him sympathetic and likeable, despite readers knowing how he turns out, and yet also avoids making him too nice or saintly in a way that would be inconsistent with his characterisation as an older adult. Lucy Gray is also an interesting and very likeable character and as the reader doesn't know what becomes of her worrying about her fate is sufficient to keep you hooked. There's also a very chilling villain (more sinister than even the adult Snow was). The plot is eventful, packed with both action and psychological tension. It zips along and is difficult to put down. Underpinning that are real questions about human nature and how to run an effective society. Whilst it is ostensibly a young adult book (more for teenagers than younger, due to its darkness) I read it as an adult and other than the youth of the characters didn't see anything to distinguish it from good adult fiction. The novel does undergo something of a slump in the second half, after the Games themselves end but the story carries on for some time. Whilst the second part is still good and compelling, it never quite regains the tension that had been building as the Tributes fought it out in the arena. I'd have been tempted to split it into two novels had I been Collins (people would certainly have bought a second!). I don't know if she plans any sequels featuring Snow during his rise to power - there is certainly scope for more, although it would mean following an older character which I guess might affect her YA credentials. Overall this is a very well written, gripping and thought provoking book. It is dark and cruel, but still feels very escapist. It will appeal to teenagers, but equally to adult readers of fantasy and futuristic fiction. I'd definitely read any other books Collins chooses to write set in this world. In terms of reading order for those who haven't read the original trilogy, I think you could read this one before or after. The evolution of the Games from this novel to the later three is interesting, but could be appreciated in either order. There's only one real spoiler in the later trilogy which is the ultimate fate of Snow himself. So readers with the option could enjoy in either order. Review: Fascinating Character Study - This is such a difficult novel to review, despite the fact that I actually enjoyed reading it, as I don't think that it is what a lot of fans were expecting. The Hunger Games Trilogy featured fast-paced violence and a strong female protagonist. Due to the focus on Coriolanus Snow, this prequel has an entirely different feel. It is a much slower novel, focusing more on the world-building and philosophy that would eventually shape Snow into the tyrannical president of Panem. The world-building of this novel is captivating. It is set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games and only 10 years after the war. Due to this, we see Capitol in a very different light. The city is still war-torn and rife with poverty. The Hunger Games exists, but is a primal shade of what it would later become. Everyone bares scars of what happened in the conflict and would rather forget what happened. I personally found it interesting to see Panem in such a state, especially as Snow and his class gradually began to shape The Hunger Games into something closer to what fans will recognise. Yet, I did sometimes think that the novel was too heavy-handed with its call-backs. While some of the minor changes, such as the introduction of sponsors and betting to the Hunger Games, were nice little nods, other things were less subtle. This was particularly obvious in the final section of the story, in which Coriolanus witnesses the origin of The Hanging Tree song and gains an irrational hatred of Mockingjays. Yeah, that is certainly on the nose. In terms of pacing, I do think that this book has the potential to divide fans. Due to its focus on Coriolanus, it is no where near as fast-paced as the other books. After all, Coryo is a stage removed from proceedings. He is not in the arena fighting - he is watching from the safety of the mentors' box. What this did give the time for was more of a character study. We followed Coriolanus in his daily life within the Capitol as he attended school and mentored Lucy Gray. This allowed readers to see Panem from the other side - a world that is far different from the empoverished life of Katniss Everdeen. Yet, at times, the novel could be incredibly slow. While I was utterly captivated by the first two-thirds of the novel, the section after the climax of the 10th Hunger Games did start to lose me a little. Coriolanus's time in District 12 was surprisingly uneventful for the most part. While things did pick up again over the last 40 pages, for the most it seemed to be a bit of a come down after the excitement of the Games. In terms of character, the novel was also perhaps a little varied. As a character study of Coriolanus Snow, it was spectacular. Coryo is a fantastically complex character. His empoverished upbringing and desire to protect his family could have made him incredibly sympathetic, but this was offset by his ambition and underlying nationalism. Even at his most vulnerable, there was always a sense that Coryo would do anything to come out on top, which prevented him from ever being truly likeable. As a villain origin story, I would say that this was incredibly effective. You could certainly understand Coriolanus, but you could never like him. Yet, while there was a large supporting cast, most of these faded into the background. This was, in part, because Coryo was so self-serving that he never really paid much attention to him. The two that really shone were Lucy Gray and Sejanus. Lucy Gray made for a compelling love-interest who was refreshingly different from Katniss. While her motivations were occasionally a little hard to grasp, she was very lovable and served as a representation of how different Coriolanus's life could be. Sejanus was also a fantastic character as he represented new money - a character unable to fit in with the Districts or the Capitol. Although his naivety grew more and more frustrating as the novel progressed, the situation he was in was terribly sad and held a mirror up to Coryo. Here was a person who had a similar education to Coriolanus, but his upbringing allowed him to see the world in a very different light. All in all, I actually really enjoyed reading this novel. While I can see why some fans were disappointed, I found it to be a wonderful character study that added a lot of depth to the series's villain. It's definitely one that I wold recommend. ## Features - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes A Hunger Games Novel The Hunger Games - Product type: ABIS BOOK - Brand: Scholastic ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 63,626 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 6 in Politics & Government for Young Adults 6 in Dystopian Sci-Fi Books for Young Adults 8 in Books on Death for Young Adults | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 72,014 Reviews | ## Images ![The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61xCJNYdljL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compelling, dark prequel to the Hunger Games *by B***M on 10 October 2021* Suzanne Collins returns to the dystopian world of Panem in this origin story for the villain of her original 'Hunger Games' trilogy; President Coriolanus Snow. The novel sees Snow aged about 18, living in genteel poverty with his grandmother and cousin in a Capitol still recovering from the civil war which ended ten years before. In a new idea to increase public interest in the brutal Hunger Games, he and his classmates from the prestigious Academy are called on to mentor the Tributes in the Games. He is assigned Lucy Gray, from impoverished District 12, who seems more of a singer than a fighter, and throws his considerable abilities into helping her succeed. But the stakes are extremely high, for Snow as well as Lucy Gray, not least as old grudges against his family keep working against him. Collins is always a compelling and very readable author and she creates a world that is immersive and believable in all its brutality. Her use of Roman names and the gladiatorial parallels of the Games are the perfect way to reflect a society that is both incredibly sophisticated and unbelievably cruel. Snow is very well drawn - Collins manages to make him sympathetic and likeable, despite readers knowing how he turns out, and yet also avoids making him too nice or saintly in a way that would be inconsistent with his characterisation as an older adult. Lucy Gray is also an interesting and very likeable character and as the reader doesn't know what becomes of her worrying about her fate is sufficient to keep you hooked. There's also a very chilling villain (more sinister than even the adult Snow was). The plot is eventful, packed with both action and psychological tension. It zips along and is difficult to put down. Underpinning that are real questions about human nature and how to run an effective society. Whilst it is ostensibly a young adult book (more for teenagers than younger, due to its darkness) I read it as an adult and other than the youth of the characters didn't see anything to distinguish it from good adult fiction. The novel does undergo something of a slump in the second half, after the Games themselves end but the story carries on for some time. Whilst the second part is still good and compelling, it never quite regains the tension that had been building as the Tributes fought it out in the arena. I'd have been tempted to split it into two novels had I been Collins (people would certainly have bought a second!). I don't know if she plans any sequels featuring Snow during his rise to power - there is certainly scope for more, although it would mean following an older character which I guess might affect her YA credentials. Overall this is a very well written, gripping and thought provoking book. It is dark and cruel, but still feels very escapist. It will appeal to teenagers, but equally to adult readers of fantasy and futuristic fiction. I'd definitely read any other books Collins chooses to write set in this world. In terms of reading order for those who haven't read the original trilogy, I think you could read this one before or after. The evolution of the Games from this novel to the later three is interesting, but could be appreciated in either order. There's only one real spoiler in the later trilogy which is the ultimate fate of Snow himself. So readers with the option could enjoy in either order. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating Character Study *by A***S on 25 May 2020* This is such a difficult novel to review, despite the fact that I actually enjoyed reading it, as I don't think that it is what a lot of fans were expecting. The Hunger Games Trilogy featured fast-paced violence and a strong female protagonist. Due to the focus on Coriolanus Snow, this prequel has an entirely different feel. It is a much slower novel, focusing more on the world-building and philosophy that would eventually shape Snow into the tyrannical president of Panem. The world-building of this novel is captivating. It is set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games and only 10 years after the war. Due to this, we see Capitol in a very different light. The city is still war-torn and rife with poverty. The Hunger Games exists, but is a primal shade of what it would later become. Everyone bares scars of what happened in the conflict and would rather forget what happened. I personally found it interesting to see Panem in such a state, especially as Snow and his class gradually began to shape The Hunger Games into something closer to what fans will recognise. Yet, I did sometimes think that the novel was too heavy-handed with its call-backs. While some of the minor changes, such as the introduction of sponsors and betting to the Hunger Games, were nice little nods, other things were less subtle. This was particularly obvious in the final section of the story, in which Coriolanus witnesses the origin of The Hanging Tree song and gains an irrational hatred of Mockingjays. Yeah, that is certainly on the nose. In terms of pacing, I do think that this book has the potential to divide fans. Due to its focus on Coriolanus, it is no where near as fast-paced as the other books. After all, Coryo is a stage removed from proceedings. He is not in the arena fighting - he is watching from the safety of the mentors' box. What this did give the time for was more of a character study. We followed Coriolanus in his daily life within the Capitol as he attended school and mentored Lucy Gray. This allowed readers to see Panem from the other side - a world that is far different from the empoverished life of Katniss Everdeen. Yet, at times, the novel could be incredibly slow. While I was utterly captivated by the first two-thirds of the novel, the section after the climax of the 10th Hunger Games did start to lose me a little. Coriolanus's time in District 12 was surprisingly uneventful for the most part. While things did pick up again over the last 40 pages, for the most it seemed to be a bit of a come down after the excitement of the Games. In terms of character, the novel was also perhaps a little varied. As a character study of Coriolanus Snow, it was spectacular. Coryo is a fantastically complex character. His empoverished upbringing and desire to protect his family could have made him incredibly sympathetic, but this was offset by his ambition and underlying nationalism. Even at his most vulnerable, there was always a sense that Coryo would do anything to come out on top, which prevented him from ever being truly likeable. As a villain origin story, I would say that this was incredibly effective. You could certainly understand Coriolanus, but you could never like him. Yet, while there was a large supporting cast, most of these faded into the background. This was, in part, because Coryo was so self-serving that he never really paid much attention to him. The two that really shone were Lucy Gray and Sejanus. Lucy Gray made for a compelling love-interest who was refreshingly different from Katniss. While her motivations were occasionally a little hard to grasp, she was very lovable and served as a representation of how different Coriolanus's life could be. Sejanus was also a fantastic character as he represented new money - a character unable to fit in with the Districts or the Capitol. Although his naivety grew more and more frustrating as the novel progressed, the situation he was in was terribly sad and held a mirror up to Coryo. Here was a person who had a similar education to Coriolanus, but his upbringing allowed him to see the world in a very different light. All in all, I actually really enjoyed reading this novel. While I can see why some fans were disappointed, I found it to be a wonderful character study that added a lot of depth to the series's villain. It's definitely one that I wold recommend. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you are a big fan of the original trilogy YOU WILL LOVE THIS *by W***A on 12 June 2020* I loooooooooooooved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are a big fan of the original trilogy YOU WILL LOVE THIS. I was very apprehensive before reading this for two reasons, 1) The original trilogy is AMAZING, do we really need more and how could it possibly live up to it? And 2) When the protagonist was announced, I was very unsure as to whether we need to hear from President Snow, can anything really justify or even explain his actions? Especially when a Haymitch prequel has been so heavily requested. Nevertheless, my original concerns were quickly addressed. 1) Yes the original trilogy was amazing, this book did not take away from that. I do not like to compare them, it is not possible to say that this book was in any way better or worse than the rest of the series as in my opinion they work well alongside each other in a complementary way. I would certainly argue that this book added a lot of depth to the overall story of Panem and the Hunger Games, it also helps us understand why President Snow’s hatred for Katniss is so deep. This book also contains a lot of familiar names that fans of the original series will recognise, we also learn about how the Hunger Games have changed and the reasons behind that which was all remarkably interesting to read about for me. 2) This book, luckily, does not justify President Snow’s actions. Snow was an extremely well-written villain in the original trilogy and this book adds so much depth to his already complex character. Rather than being a justification for his actions, the book allows us to understand the series of events which led Snow to becoming who he was in the original series. Some of Snow’s traits, such as his ambition and hunger for power, were already rooted in him from the beginning of the book and motivated him throughout. At the end of the book, I still hated Snow, I understood his character much better, but he remains a villain, nonetheless. I loved how nostalgic this book felt whilst I was reading it, I loved having the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of Panem once again. All the characters in the book, especially Lucy Gray, were so well-written. I have since read some of the criticism that this book received, with many readers considering it to be quite slow. While I understand that some parts of the novel lacked the fast pace that the original trilogy had, I personally enjoyed the thought-provoking themes that this novel also explored, with Snow’s exploration of the ideas behind social theory, government, and war. There is something about the Hunger Games world that will always draw me in, therefore I would certainly not be opposed to Suzanne Collins writing more in this universe. I definitely recommend this book, it might not float everyone’s goat but it definitely makes for a compelling read. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) (The Hunger Games) - Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) (The Hunger Games) - Mockingjay: TikTok made me buy it! The third book in the international No.1 bestselling series: 3 (The Hunger Games) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/141699726-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-a-hunger-games-novel](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/141699726-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-a-hunger-games-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-09-15*