Scan barcode
wordslinger42's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aliquip's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
paisleypikachu's review against another edition
1.0
Check out the original review and more on NovelKnight!
This book was provided by the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If I read one more book that isn’t actually the epic adventure that the synopsis led me to believe it would be then I just might cry. Why does this keep happening? Going into The Bard’s Blade, I was so ready to fall in love with a new fantasy adventure. Plus, obviously, a bard would be featured, which is something I love and have wanted to see more of in fantasy books. So yeah, I was pretty stoked for this one. Within twenty pages I felt let down.
My biggest issue was, you guessed it, the lack of adventure. I think I was hoping for something more along the lines of Eragon or LotR. That’s not what I got though. The two point-of-view characters stayed stationary in the story for long parts at a time, only to move on to another place where they’d be stuck for a good while. Not what I call adventuring. And yes, this is an issue of taste, so it could definitely appeal to others. But all of this really slowed the story down. It just felt like nothing was happening for pages upon pages. Which leads me to my next point.
This book wasn’t fun to read. What I mean by this is that, while it was slow and boring most of the time, whenever something did happen, it was bad. The characters were constantly in bad situations. And while this is necessary to set stakes for a story and engage readers, it just happened too much in this story. As a reader, I naturally want to root for the main characters. I want to have moments where I can cheer and. Celebrate along with them. I don’t want to constantly, for four hundred pages, be let down by the story because one bad thing after another happens. That’s not fun to read.
My last issue with The Bard’s Blade was the writing itself. It just… wasn’t very good. Not horrible, but nothing special either. The beginning was full of info dumps. The characters all felt wooden and were very much cookie cutter versions of the same characters seen in hundreds of other fantasy novels. The dialogue made me cringe at times. Overall the writing just felt so sub par, especially at a time when so many authors are going above and beyond in their own writing.
So yeah. I didn’t like this one. And I wouldn’t really every recommend it, not with the fantasy genre churning out so many other, better books on an almost weekly basis. But hey, if the problems I had with it won’t bother you, then by all means check it out. It’s a fast, easy read that leaves the story open for a sequel, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
For More Bookish Content: Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Bloglovin'
If I read one more book that isn’t actually the epic adventure that the synopsis led me to believe it would be then I just might cry. Why does this keep happening? Going into The Bard’s Blade, I was so ready to fall in love with a new fantasy adventure. Plus, obviously, a bard would be featured, which is something I love and have wanted to see more of in fantasy books. So yeah, I was pretty stoked for this one. Within twenty pages I felt let down.
My biggest issue was, you guessed it, the lack of adventure. I think I was hoping for something more along the lines of Eragon or LotR. That’s not what I got though. The two point-of-view characters stayed stationary in the story for long parts at a time, only to move on to another place where they’d be stuck for a good while. Not what I call adventuring. And yes, this is an issue of taste, so it could definitely appeal to others. But all of this really slowed the story down. It just felt like nothing was happening for pages upon pages. Which leads me to my next point.
This book wasn’t fun to read. What I mean by this is that, while it was slow and boring most of the time, whenever something did happen, it was bad. The characters were constantly in bad situations. And while this is necessary to set stakes for a story and engage readers, it just happened too much in this story. As a reader, I naturally want to root for the main characters. I want to have moments where I can cheer and. Celebrate along with them. I don’t want to constantly, for four hundred pages, be let down by the story because one bad thing after another happens. That’s not fun to read.
My last issue with The Bard’s Blade was the writing itself. It just… wasn’t very good. Not horrible, but nothing special either. The beginning was full of info dumps. The characters all felt wooden and were very much cookie cutter versions of the same characters seen in hundreds of other fantasy novels. The dialogue made me cringe at times. Overall the writing just felt so sub par, especially at a time when so many authors are going above and beyond in their own writing.
So yeah. I didn’t like this one. And I wouldn’t really every recommend it, not with the fantasy genre churning out so many other, better books on an almost weekly basis. But hey, if the problems I had with it won’t bother you, then by all means check it out. It’s a fast, easy read that leaves the story open for a sequel, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
For More Bookish Content: Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Bloglovin'
hugtherocks's review against another edition
4.0
Up to the halfway point, I was just ho-hum over this. It was shaping up to be an uninspired fantasy with likable, bit forgettable characters. Then it got more interesting. The second half was more engaging as the plot thickened. Bard-assassins? I’m intrigued enough to continue on to book 2.
dinapetko's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.5
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of The Bard’s Blade through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Bard’s Blade is the first novel in a brand new series by Brian D. Anderson. This series is called The Sorcerer’s Song, and is understandably setting a theme, one of a musical inclination. This is a fantasy series, one that flips tropes and expectations.
Lem and Mariyah may not know it just yet – but they are about to go off on a wild adventure. Their reasons for going will be very different, as will their path. For you see, these two lovers will be following different paths.
Lem is the most talented musician around, and that’s being modest. His talents have allowed him to travel far and wide, even if he really would prefer to just stay home near Mariyah. But his talent – and destiny – call him onward.
Mariyah is the daughter of a winemaker, though it’s no secret that she’s the brains behind the operation at this point. She’s content with her lot in life. Especially with Lem by her side. That is, until he gets some news that changes everything for them.
“Never allow the wickedness of others to dictate who you are.”
The Bard’s Blade was a fast-paced and highly entertaining read. It sent our leading characters all over the map, chasing and running from one adventure to the next. Seeing their travels made for a very fascinating read, through and through.
The world created in The Bard’s Blade is a fascinating one. I found myself desperate to learn and see more of it within two chapters. And that feeling stayed the whole way through, an impressive feat. I’m happily looking forward to the sequel already, for that very reason. I loved the magical system, the different cities, and the border itself (which you’ll quickly learn about if you give this book a try).
This novel used switching perspectives (with Lem and Mariyah being two of the dominant points of view) in order to tell the story. I loved that, as it allowed me to see more of this world, the character involves, and the messes they seemed to keep getting themselves into.
What I loved the most about this novel is how it subverted expectations and prophecies. This isn’t a typical bard tale – though I couldn’t help but think “I got a four!” once or twice while I was reading (couldn’t resist the OOTS reference there, sorry!). It was in fact something completely different from what I expected, and I mean that in the best of ways. And that is truly saying something since I was expecting something fun and different from the beginning.
Okay, that might have been the thing I liked second best. What I enjoyed the most was how much The Bard’s Blade surprised me. I couldn’t predict anything that was going to happen in this book – for good or for bad. And that made for a highly entertaining read.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The Bard’s Blade is the first novel in a brand new series by Brian D. Anderson. This series is called The Sorcerer’s Song, and is understandably setting a theme, one of a musical inclination. This is a fantasy series, one that flips tropes and expectations.
Lem and Mariyah may not know it just yet – but they are about to go off on a wild adventure. Their reasons for going will be very different, as will their path. For you see, these two lovers will be following different paths.
Lem is the most talented musician around, and that’s being modest. His talents have allowed him to travel far and wide, even if he really would prefer to just stay home near Mariyah. But his talent – and destiny – call him onward.
Mariyah is the daughter of a winemaker, though it’s no secret that she’s the brains behind the operation at this point. She’s content with her lot in life. Especially with Lem by her side. That is, until he gets some news that changes everything for them.
“Never allow the wickedness of others to dictate who you are.”
The Bard’s Blade was a fast-paced and highly entertaining read. It sent our leading characters all over the map, chasing and running from one adventure to the next. Seeing their travels made for a very fascinating read, through and through.
The world created in The Bard’s Blade is a fascinating one. I found myself desperate to learn and see more of it within two chapters. And that feeling stayed the whole way through, an impressive feat. I’m happily looking forward to the sequel already, for that very reason. I loved the magical system, the different cities, and the border itself (which you’ll quickly learn about if you give this book a try).
This novel used switching perspectives (with Lem and Mariyah being two of the dominant points of view) in order to tell the story. I loved that, as it allowed me to see more of this world, the character involves, and the messes they seemed to keep getting themselves into.
What I loved the most about this novel is how it subverted expectations and prophecies. This isn’t a typical bard tale – though I couldn’t help but think “I got a four!” once or twice while I was reading (couldn’t resist the OOTS reference there, sorry!). It was in fact something completely different from what I expected, and I mean that in the best of ways. And that is truly saying something since I was expecting something fun and different from the beginning.
Okay, that might have been the thing I liked second best. What I enjoyed the most was how much The Bard’s Blade surprised me. I couldn’t predict anything that was going to happen in this book – for good or for bad. And that made for a highly entertaining read.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
abbeysbooktopia's review against another edition
4.0
Such an underrated fantasy that more people need to read!
I really enjoyed this one. I’m so glad I finally picked it up!
The premise was so interesting and that cover art definitely enticed me.
I really enjoyed both perspectives we follow. The growth the characters go through, as they are thrust into a different world where everything is more dangerous and the people are so untrustworthy, was so well done. I really grew a connection with them and felt horrible for all the horrendous stuff they went through.
Their relationships with each other are pretty well established at the start of the book and seeing them fight to get back to each other was wonderful to see.
I will say the only reason I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because the last quarter of the book seem to go more slowly after such an action packed first three quarters of the story.
That and a time jump that although necessary kind of put me off balance a little bit.
Other than that though such an excellent read that I can’t wait to continue onto book 2!
I really enjoyed this one. I’m so glad I finally picked it up!
The premise was so interesting and that cover art definitely enticed me.
I really enjoyed both perspectives we follow. The growth the characters go through, as they are thrust into a different world where everything is more dangerous and the people are so untrustworthy, was so well done. I really grew a connection with them and felt horrible for all the horrendous stuff they went through.
Their relationships with each other are pretty well established at the start of the book and seeing them fight to get back to each other was wonderful to see.
I will say the only reason I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because the last quarter of the book seem to go more slowly after such an action packed first three quarters of the story.
That and a time jump that although necessary kind of put me off balance a little bit.
Other than that though such an excellent read that I can’t wait to continue onto book 2!
mylhibug's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
briarsreviews's review against another edition
1.0
The Bard's Blade by Brian D. Anderson is a fun, fantasy tale!
This book didn't hit me like I had hoped. I've been diving into more fantasy lately since I'm slowly beginning to enjoy the genre (as a whole) more. This book seemed like the perfect fit and sounded like a fun ride. Unfortunately, the book didn't grab my attention all that well and it didn't interest me. The pace also didn't grab me, so I'm a little disappointed! This book has glowing reviews and I can tell why! It is well written and it has a cool story. I'm sad it just didn't grab me as a reader - but I am sure many other readers will love it!
The characters are a little odd. The already established relationships made me not enjoy their story as much. I wanted to see these characters fall in love, even if it was just a chapter worth of the back story. Then the characters just... drove me insane? Lem was annoying to me on all fronts. I didn't want to read his parts of the chapters at all. He didn't seem all that bright and made me want to throw the book against the wall or shred it.
I also felt like the plot and story jumped around a bit and didn't seem coherent (but I am also not a big fantasy reader so maybe that's a trope I'm just not used to?). The high fantasy style was also odd since it didn't necessarily feel like the genre it was going for. From the marketing and synopsis I thought this was going to be a fun Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass or other fantasy ride - but it felt more like a middle grade or YA novel fantasy that couldn't quite decide on what it wanted to me. I give this book the benefit of the doubt because it has such a cool premise and I did like Brian's writing style.
Overall, this book felt like a massive D&D campaign that fantasy lovers will enjoy. It's just not a book for me!
One out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book didn't hit me like I had hoped. I've been diving into more fantasy lately since I'm slowly beginning to enjoy the genre (as a whole) more. This book seemed like the perfect fit and sounded like a fun ride. Unfortunately, the book didn't grab my attention all that well and it didn't interest me. The pace also didn't grab me, so I'm a little disappointed! This book has glowing reviews and I can tell why! It is well written and it has a cool story. I'm sad it just didn't grab me as a reader - but I am sure many other readers will love it!
The characters are a little odd. The already established relationships made me not enjoy their story as much. I wanted to see these characters fall in love, even if it was just a chapter worth of the back story. Then the characters just... drove me insane? Lem was annoying to me on all fronts. I didn't want to read his parts of the chapters at all. He didn't seem all that bright and made me want to throw the book against the wall or shred it.
I also felt like the plot and story jumped around a bit and didn't seem coherent (but I am also not a big fantasy reader so maybe that's a trope I'm just not used to?). The high fantasy style was also odd since it didn't necessarily feel like the genre it was going for. From the marketing and synopsis I thought this was going to be a fun Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass or other fantasy ride - but it felt more like a middle grade or YA novel fantasy that couldn't quite decide on what it wanted to me. I give this book the benefit of the doubt because it has such a cool premise and I did like Brian's writing style.
Overall, this book felt like a massive D&D campaign that fantasy lovers will enjoy. It's just not a book for me!
One out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.