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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel so conflicted about this one.
pros:
- The world-building, where all the gifted/cursed are divided into Healer, Spinner, Changer, or Teller, and everyone else wants to kill them, is a great essential problem.
- Lark's story is pretty compelling, at least at first.
- It's nice to see her discover and use her badass skills, when she finally does.
- I enjoyed hating her asshole father on her behalf.
cons:
- The king's superpower is making people do things against their will, including -- specifically -- making Lark want to be queen, but then it's supposedly okay because he falls in love with her after all? Hell NO.
- The plot with the king's father was predictable from miles ahead.
- The plot with the Firi princess was predictable from miles ahead.
- The supporting cast was criminally underused.
- The idea that ordinary humans would suddenly forget decades (generations?) of hatred and genocide they themselves perpetrated against the gifted/cursed just because a king with an only marginally secure hold on his own throne shows up on the verge of battle with wings? Laughable.
- I really, really hated how little interest Lark had in using her position to make the world better. When a protagonist has badass powers and then decides her place is to make babies, ceding any power or influence (or responsibility) to her husband the king? As if all she's allowed to be is a mother? This was a denouement BADLY undermining the entire story that came before.
But it's still a good 'verse. I just wish the ending didn't make me hate having enjoyed the first half.
pros:
- The world-building, where all the gifted/cursed are divided into Healer, Spinner, Changer, or Teller, and everyone else wants to kill them, is a great essential problem.
- Lark's story is pretty compelling, at least at first.
- It's nice to see her discover and use her badass skills, when she finally does.
- I enjoyed hating her asshole father on her behalf.
cons:
- The king's superpower is making people do things against their will, including -- specifically -- making Lark want to be queen, but then it's supposedly okay because he falls in love with her after all? Hell NO.
- The plot with the king's father was predictable from miles ahead.
- The plot with the Firi princess was predictable from miles ahead.
- The supporting cast was criminally underused.
- The idea that ordinary humans would suddenly forget decades (generations?) of hatred and genocide they themselves perpetrated against the gifted/cursed just because a king with an only marginally secure hold on his own throne shows up on the verge of battle with wings? Laughable.
- I really, really hated how little interest Lark had in using her position to make the world better. When a protagonist has badass powers and then decides her place is to make babies, ceding any power or influence (or responsibility) to her husband the king? As if all she's allowed to be is a mother? This was a denouement BADLY undermining the entire story that came before.
But it's still a good 'verse. I just wish the ending didn't make me hate having enjoyed the first half.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very fast paced book and I wish there would be a direct sequel because I feel like the characters have a lot more to do and their story was wrapped up too quickly. I already miss them. The epilogue was really great though, but I still wish the characters had more time.
A beautiful, rich fantasy story that has an extreme flair for the dramatics.
I wish we could give 1/2 star ratings on Goodreads. I liked this for the most part, but it slowed down at the end and it was harder for me to get through. So this is more like a 3.5 star book, but I'll go ahead and give it the full four stars, since I liked the first 3/4 of the book so much.
I enjoyed this story, despite certain elements that seemed more fitting for a book published a decade or so earlier. In some ways, Lark was a strong, if quiet (ha ha) character. But so much of the story was spent with her waiting around while other people made the decisions and she reacted. It was frustrating to read. The verses she used throughout often sounded silly, as did the magical mechanism of solving the final problem. However, I did think the author crafted her climax finale well, and the end did feel satisfying, even if the final third of the book dragged a bit. Recommended to those whose enjoy a primarily romantic story, in a fantasy setting.
**Audiobook review: the narrator reads almost the entire thing in a voice about to burst into tears. Including the male dialog. The female voices tend to sound high-pitched and childlike. It sounded like juvenile melodrama. I may have enjoyed the story more with less over-done narration.
**Audiobook review: the narrator reads almost the entire thing in a voice about to burst into tears. Including the male dialog. The female voices tend to sound high-pitched and childlike. It sounded like juvenile melodrama. I may have enjoyed the story more with less over-done narration.
Originally posted on Slow Reader's Blog
The Bird and the Sword is Amy Harmon at her brilliant best. She conjures up a mystical tale filled with meaning, love, and truth, which left me in a state of awe and some disbelief because she turned a stone in me that I was unaware existed, or one I was reluctant to admit existed. Amy's talent is fiercely displayed and I don't have much to say other than what's been said before, so to avoid redundancy, I'll write about how this book made me feel and urge you to read it so you may experience the wonder that I did.
The Bird and the Sword is a tale with a message and the message is the power of words. It’s about the spells we create with words, the changes we make with words, the people we are because words, the strength we relinquish, and the strength we claim with our words. This book is powerful. It's a quiet power, an unassuming power, but powerful nonetheless. I fell in love with the messages imbedded in this enchanting story.
In The Bird and the Sword, we follow Lark, a lonely girl who loses her voice and freedom after the death of her mother. Lark can't speak, but she is not silent. As a reader she speaks to you, and you can't help but listen. I so enjoyed getting to know Lark and falling under her spell. Through Harmon’s words, which are like a song, Lark became real to me, and experiencing her vitality was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced as a reader. She’s multidimensional and I felt her loneliness, I felt her curiosity, I felt her bravery, her insecurity, her strength and resolve. I felt every damn thing with her. She’s an inspiration.
Lark’s arc and development is the focal point of The Bird and the Sword, but her story is brilliantly and flawlessly intertwined with the other cast of characters. I keep using that word, but it really can’t be overstated how brilliant this novel is. The characters are brilliant! Of course Lark is the be-all end-all for me, but Tiras is a captivating character, and worthy hero. His story is compelling, and his character so romantic and noble that I swooned more than a few times, and I hate that word. But, there’s no other way to describe how I felt. His interactions with Lark…their chemistry together… Jesus.
Amy Harmon’s books may have a reputation for being tame compared to what else is out there in the romance genre, but don’t let anyone convince you that this isn’t a sexy read. It’s subtly sexy. Sneakily sexy. I swear, there was a scene when Lark and Tiras were together and simply standing next to each other, hands brushing, and I about lost my sh*t. It’s one of those books. Also, Tiras does something for Lark, something that’s so simple yet so vital for her and I think it might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever read. So, this book is romantic, and it is sexy, as well as being a fantastical adventure.
The other characters are also greatly exciting and so fun to love and loathe. Each was colorful and layered, and I hated to part with a single one, even the ones I wanted run through with a sword.
I’ve seen it mentioned that some readers are hesitant to read The Bird and the Sword because it’s a fantasy romance, and that just isn’t their thing. I have a few friends who have read this out of their comfort zone and they’ve fallen for it hard, as well as many readers that I’ve seen on the web that took a chance and loved it. Also, there's a flip side to that reluctance. I'm a reader who's enjoyed fantasy and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Amy Harmon, but I was still somewhat skeptical when I saw she was doing a complete genre flip (though she’s written stories with fantastical elements before). The world building, the rules, the history, the adventure, the length of the story, the length of the series (was it a series?)… I had a few questions. But the thing about being a talented writer and storyteller -- you've got the skill to deliver anything, and she delivered.
With The Bird and The Sword, Amy Harmon took a chance and experimented with her craft, and the end result is something so wonderful, it’s incredible. This fantasy romance lives up to it’s definition, it’s imaginative and emotional. I’ve already read this one twice and have no doubt I’ll read it a ridiculous amount of times more, because I just love how it makes me feel. This is undoubtedly my favorite book of the year so far.
The Bird and the Sword is Amy Harmon at her brilliant best. She conjures up a mystical tale filled with meaning, love, and truth, which left me in a state of awe and some disbelief because she turned a stone in me that I was unaware existed, or one I was reluctant to admit existed. Amy's talent is fiercely displayed and I don't have much to say other than what's been said before, so to avoid redundancy, I'll write about how this book made me feel and urge you to read it so you may experience the wonder that I did.
The Bird and the Sword is a tale with a message and the message is the power of words. It’s about the spells we create with words, the changes we make with words, the people we are because words, the strength we relinquish, and the strength we claim with our words. This book is powerful. It's a quiet power, an unassuming power, but powerful nonetheless. I fell in love with the messages imbedded in this enchanting story.
In The Bird and the Sword, we follow Lark, a lonely girl who loses her voice and freedom after the death of her mother. Lark can't speak, but she is not silent. As a reader she speaks to you, and you can't help but listen. I so enjoyed getting to know Lark and falling under her spell. Through Harmon’s words, which are like a song, Lark became real to me, and experiencing her vitality was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced as a reader. She’s multidimensional and I felt her loneliness, I felt her curiosity, I felt her bravery, her insecurity, her strength and resolve. I felt every damn thing with her. She’s an inspiration.
Lark’s arc and development is the focal point of The Bird and the Sword, but her story is brilliantly and flawlessly intertwined with the other cast of characters. I keep using that word, but it really can’t be overstated how brilliant this novel is. The characters are brilliant! Of course Lark is the be-all end-all for me, but Tiras is a captivating character, and worthy hero. His story is compelling, and his character so romantic and noble that I swooned more than a few times, and I hate that word. But, there’s no other way to describe how I felt. His interactions with Lark…their chemistry together… Jesus.
Amy Harmon’s books may have a reputation for being tame compared to what else is out there in the romance genre, but don’t let anyone convince you that this isn’t a sexy read. It’s subtly sexy. Sneakily sexy. I swear, there was a scene when Lark and Tiras were together and simply standing next to each other, hands brushing, and I about lost my sh*t. It’s one of those books. Also, Tiras does something for Lark, something that’s so simple yet so vital for her and I think it might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever read. So, this book is romantic, and it is sexy, as well as being a fantastical adventure.
The other characters are also greatly exciting and so fun to love and loathe. Each was colorful and layered, and I hated to part with a single one, even the ones I wanted run through with a sword.
I’ve seen it mentioned that some readers are hesitant to read The Bird and the Sword because it’s a fantasy romance, and that just isn’t their thing. I have a few friends who have read this out of their comfort zone and they’ve fallen for it hard, as well as many readers that I’ve seen on the web that took a chance and loved it. Also, there's a flip side to that reluctance. I'm a reader who's enjoyed fantasy and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Amy Harmon, but I was still somewhat skeptical when I saw she was doing a complete genre flip (though she’s written stories with fantastical elements before). The world building, the rules, the history, the adventure, the length of the story, the length of the series (was it a series?)… I had a few questions. But the thing about being a talented writer and storyteller -- you've got the skill to deliver anything, and she delivered.
With The Bird and The Sword, Amy Harmon took a chance and experimented with her craft, and the end result is something so wonderful, it’s incredible. This fantasy romance lives up to it’s definition, it’s imaginative and emotional. I’ve already read this one twice and have no doubt I’ll read it a ridiculous amount of times more, because I just love how it makes me feel. This is undoubtedly my favorite book of the year so far.
Five stars! I loved this!
I mean, I'm not 100% sure why so many fantasy novels these days begin with the heroine getting kidnapped but...
Nevertheless, this was so good. I loved a mute heroine! I loved her spunk and spark! I loved the utilization of magic and the subtle refutation of racism, classism, and ableism!
Five freaking stars and this book is easily on my list of 2017 favorites!
I mean, I'm not 100% sure why so many fantasy novels these days begin with the heroine getting kidnapped but...
Nevertheless, this was so good. I loved a mute heroine! I loved her spunk and spark! I loved the utilization of magic and the subtle refutation of racism, classism, and ableism!
Five freaking stars and this book is easily on my list of 2017 favorites!
This book was actually quite lovely... I’m a sucker for a fairy tale and the breakings of a curse.