"[2] Thomas Lippman wrote a review of Songs of Blood and Sword for Washington Post in which he noted that "[I]t is at least 50 pages too long, larded with self-indulgent emotional outbursts and personality sketches of minor characters, and her reflexive anti-Americanism is tiresome", but he described it is a valuable read for those who want to understand why Pakistan is such an ungovernable mess.

[3] The Guardian also published a review by Roderick Matthews, who wrote: "This book is not an explicit prosecution of the Pakistani government; there are no damning documentary revelations.

Hope, injustice, drama and grief are all ably captured and conveyed in what is a highly readable introduction to the grim realities of domestic politics in Pakistan.

"[4] Shobhan Saxena's review in The Times of India pointed out unconvincing attacks on Zardari and criticised the author for being slanted on historical fact.

Critics and several relatives accused Fatima of twisting history to make unverified allegations that give a negative impression to the memory of Benazir Bhutto, the country's only female Prime Minister.

In the book, Fatima has suggested that Benazir also played a role in another family murder – the poisoning of her brother Shahnawaz in the south of France in 1985 – that has elicited the most vivid reaction.