Sunday, May 15, 2016

Christie's review: The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon



Title: The Bird and the Sword
Series: Standalone
Author: Amy Harmon
Release date: May 11, 2016
Cliffhanger: No

Synopsis:

Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?




When I heard Amy Harmon was coming out with a fantasy book, I was extremely excited to see what she had to offer the genre. I just knew it would be something different, something fresh, and something that would make me deeply invested in the characters. Those things are what I've come to depend on with her and once again, she didn't let me down. My mind is utterly blown at the intricate and fascinating world that she created. She brought to life otherworldly creatures, the clothing, the culture, the stunning magic of the persecuted gifted. It was so much to take in, my mind was buzzing with the majesty of it all.

The book starts you off with that day that changed Lark forever. The day she witnessed her mother's murder and her words (and the power they held) were silenced. With her mother's last breath, Lark was set on a long and arduous path. The path to a man and a destiny that could be her ruin or her salvation.

Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.

She was more than up for the challenge.

There were many forms of power that people could be gifted with. But they, along with Lark learned to hide their true selves from being discovered. Just as true in real life, people who are different, who don't conform how they're expected are feared. And from that fear grows hatred and death. When she's taken to King Tiras' castle in exchange for her father's cooperation and compliance, she exchanges one cage for another. But she also unlocks what has been withheld from her for so long, and it once again shows the mighty power that words can wield.

This was my favorite part of the book. Seeing Lark grow into herself. To see her and Tiras grow their attachment and fascination with each other. He was a strong king, a warrior, but when he was around him, she softened his hard edges. The invisible girl with no voice was finally seen.

He smiled wickedly and my breath caught. He was beautiful and terrifying, and he knew it.

Amid these budding feelings for each other, we discover King Tiras holds secrets of his own, and plotting and turmoil surround them. It was a power hungry time, and everyone wanted the throne through whatever means necessary.

I don't want to give away any more about the plot, I think the least details you have the better if you're going to read this. All I can do is attempt to explain how this book completely conquered me. I was so taken with this beautiful land, and the magical love story. Days later, I'm having a hard time moving on from the experience. My mind is still spinning with Lark and Tiras' tale.

Even if you're not particularly a fan of fantasy, I still think it's well worth your time to give this story a shot. Personally, this was really outside my typical choice of reading material but I was thoroughly enchanted and on the edge of my seat through every turn. I already respected Amy Harmon's incredible ability to tell a story, but this... I have no words for. Trust me when I say you don't want to miss out on this adventure.



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