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kimsackleh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
barbaraskalberg's review against another edition
4.0
I somehow missed recording this one when I read it. I'm currently reading The First Girl Child and kept thinking a major portion of the plot sounded familiar. Now that I've figured out I read the follow-up book, it makes so much more sense. I do remember I really liked it.
nzkiwishen's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED Hod and Ghisla’s journey! It was so fun to be back in the world of Saylok. It’s been awhile since I read The First Girl Child (and I’d forgotten a lot), but Amy does a great job telling the story in a way that brings all of those memories back while also telling a brand new story. I loved the poetry of the songs written throughout the book, the Norse mythology, and of course the love story.
jenontheshelf's review against another edition
4.0
This story runs concurrent to the events in Harmon’s The First Girl Child, so you’ll definitely want to read that one first to get the context needed for The Second Blind Son. It had been a while since I had read The First Girl Child, so I had a bit of a rough time remembering the main events of the shared story, especially for the scenes that overlap with one another between the two books. But knowing how meticulous an author Harmon is, I’ve no doubt the overlapping scenes dovetail perfectly.
One thing I respected a lot about this book was that the main characters didn’t always act in the most likable ways. It made the suspicion they were treated with by characters we met in the first book feel more real. It also made the character development and relationships more complex and true to life.
Overall, this was a good read. It is also yet another good example of Harmon’s ability to render deep characters with complex emotion.
One thing I respected a lot about this book was that the main characters didn’t always act in the most likable ways. It made the suspicion they were treated with by characters we met in the first book feel more real. It also made the character development and relationships more complex and true to life.
Overall, this was a good read. It is also yet another good example of Harmon’s ability to render deep characters with complex emotion.
susloswing61's review against another edition
4.0
A different kind of sequel
More good characters. And revisiting familiar characters from the first book was comfortable and fun. Next time I hope the story is a completely new one but I still enjoyed this one.
More good characters. And revisiting familiar characters from the first book was comfortable and fun. Next time I hope the story is a completely new one but I still enjoyed this one.
beeppeep's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing, amazing, amazing. I'm only sorry it took so long for me to start reading it!
raynireads's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 ⭐️
I really enjoyed [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645], but more than that, I was captivated by the world and the potential, so it was great to return to Saylok. It was also a relief. After a disappointing read, the writing here took ahold of me right away. [a:Amy Harmon|5829056|Amy Harmon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341709289p2/5829056.jpg] demonstrates her skill here. The writing flowed well and I quickly developed an attachment to new characters. And really, as I kept reading, it felt like an elevation of everything that worked for me in the first book.
Hod is extremely endearing and Ghisla–and I know this may sound odd–reminds me of Sorcha from [b:Daughter of the Forest|13928|Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, #1)|Juliet Marillier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343589988l/13928._SY75_.jpg|1897725] with a touch of Jude from [b:The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574535986l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123], a sort of classic heroine with softness and sharp edges. Both Hod and Ghisla have unique magical (and not magical) abilities, which were fascinating to read about and also served their characters and their shared relationship. I am such a sucker for communication across great distance in fantasy, for mental links of sorts, for characters to be with each other always even when they are apart.
The connection between Hod and Ghisla was established rather quickly, but we do get to see it unfold and I found it believable and better developed than the romantic connections and friendships in [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645]. The characters themselves also felt more deeply explored. They felt more real. In the first book, there is more telling and a lot of work is left to the reader to dig in deeper. Things are outlined and the reader has to do some filling in. Here, things are more fleshed out. Rather than a tale being told about them, Hod and Ghisla were more active participants in the story and experienced it in a more tangible way. I do think this contributes to the feeling of this book as more of a romance than [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645]. And despite some rushed elements, I think the romance was executed well. I cared about these characters and their relationship. It did not feel forced or contrived. I think it is a romance that makes you feel and takes you on a journey.
All this being said, I do think there are a few things that hold this book back. One is the constraints placed on it by retreading the same ground already covered in the first book. The story and characters thrive when they go outside of the original story, but when they must return to events already told, it is less engaging and can feel repetitive, even when [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645] isn't super fresh in your mind. I found myself wanting to rush through the climactic battle since I had read it before.
Additionally, some of those constraints felt self-inflicted. Certain beats had to be hit again, but [a:Amy Harmon|5829056|Amy Harmon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341709289p2/5829056.jpg] also reframed some of the first book in an effort to make the characters here feel more important. I felt the need to check back in the first book and compare certain scenes–was I crazy or did that thing not happen that way originally? Ghisla was already in the first book, but it seems Harmon felt the need to make her extra special somehow, adding in dynamics (like her relationship to the King) that now feel glaringly absent in the first book. Hod gets perhaps a more severe version of this, being tied to the King and Bayr in ways I found unnecessary and contrived (and again!–glaringly absent in retrospect). Both Ghisla and Hod were interesting enough on their own, and I didn't think they needed any extra assistance by rewriting.
And shocking–for me, at least–I sometimes thought the story would be better served by a more limited narration, even a first person perspective from Ghisla. I enjoyed Hod's point of view, but it was kind of sprinkled in there, and hearing from him lessened the impact of some reveals and limited Harmon's ability to explore the complexity of Ghisla's emotional reaction and experience. A more limited perspective was not even necessary, but the last third of the book would have hit harder if Harmon played more on the knowledge the reader had versus the knowledge the characters had.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great, the world and lore remain magical and engaging, and everything felt more tangible and grounded than in the first book while still maintaining some of the fairy tale feel.
I really enjoyed [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645], but more than that, I was captivated by the world and the potential, so it was great to return to Saylok. It was also a relief. After a disappointing read, the writing here took ahold of me right away. [a:Amy Harmon|5829056|Amy Harmon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341709289p2/5829056.jpg] demonstrates her skill here. The writing flowed well and I quickly developed an attachment to new characters. And really, as I kept reading, it felt like an elevation of everything that worked for me in the first book.
Hod is extremely endearing and Ghisla–and I know this may sound odd–reminds me of Sorcha from [b:Daughter of the Forest|13928|Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, #1)|Juliet Marillier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343589988l/13928._SY75_.jpg|1897725] with a touch of Jude from [b:The Cruel Prince|26032825|The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574535986l/26032825._SY75_.jpg|45959123], a sort of classic heroine with softness and sharp edges. Both Hod and Ghisla have unique magical (and not magical) abilities, which were fascinating to read about and also served their characters and their shared relationship. I am such a sucker for communication across great distance in fantasy, for mental links of sorts, for characters to be with each other always even when they are apart.
The connection between Hod and Ghisla was established rather quickly, but we do get to see it unfold and I found it believable and better developed than the romantic connections and friendships in [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645]. The characters themselves also felt more deeply explored. They felt more real. In the first book, there is more telling and a lot of work is left to the reader to dig in deeper. Things are outlined and the reader has to do some filling in. Here, things are more fleshed out. Rather than a tale being told about them, Hod and Ghisla were more active participants in the story and experienced it in a more tangible way. I do think this contributes to the feeling of this book as more of a romance than [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645]. And despite some rushed elements, I think the romance was executed well. I cared about these characters and their relationship. It did not feel forced or contrived. I think it is a romance that makes you feel and takes you on a journey.
All this being said, I do think there are a few things that hold this book back. One is the constraints placed on it by retreading the same ground already covered in the first book. The story and characters thrive when they go outside of the original story, but when they must return to events already told, it is less engaging and can feel repetitive, even when [b:The First Girl Child|43078423|The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylok)|Amy Harmon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554542273l/43078423._SY75_.jpg|64684645] isn't super fresh in your mind. I found myself wanting to rush through the climactic battle since I had read it before.
Additionally, some of those constraints felt self-inflicted. Certain beats had to be hit again, but [a:Amy Harmon|5829056|Amy Harmon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341709289p2/5829056.jpg] also reframed some of the first book in an effort to make the characters here feel more important. I felt the need to check back in the first book and compare certain scenes–was I crazy or did that thing not happen that way originally? Ghisla was already in the first book, but it seems Harmon felt the need to make her extra special somehow, adding in dynamics (like her relationship to the King) that now feel glaringly absent in the first book. Hod gets perhaps a more severe version of this, being tied to the King and Bayr in ways I found unnecessary and contrived (and again!–glaringly absent in retrospect). Both Ghisla and Hod were interesting enough on their own, and I didn't think they needed any extra assistance by rewriting.
And shocking–for me, at least–I sometimes thought the story would be better served by a more limited narration, even a first person perspective from Ghisla. I enjoyed Hod's point of view, but it was kind of sprinkled in there, and hearing from him lessened the impact of some reveals and limited Harmon's ability to explore the complexity of Ghisla's emotional reaction and experience. A more limited perspective was not even necessary, but the last third of the book would have hit harder if Harmon played more on the knowledge the reader had versus the knowledge the characters had.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great, the world and lore remain magical and engaging, and everything felt more tangible and grounded than in the first book while still maintaining some of the fairy tale feel.
erinremen's review against another edition
5.0
A well written work of art that takes us on a deeply emotional journey as Hod and Ghisla navigate the paths they find themselves on, the darkness that can overtake them when all seems lost and the strengths they find deep within in that may just carry them through and back to each other. Written during the events of the first book we find ourselves reliving a few events through a different set of eyes that creates a whole new point of view, as well as really getting to know where Ghisla came from and her harrowing journey from orphan to Sayloks shores as well as following Hod as he navigates life as a supplicant who happens to be blind. It's spellbinding, dark, unbelievably heartbreaking and such an absolute joy to read. A magical world full of old Norse lore, characters you cherish and a storyline that is unforgettable! I. Want. More!
thebookscript's review against another edition
5.0
All the stars. Not enough stars. A new favorite. ♥️
Every time I step into one of Amy’s book I am completely transported. She has this ability to transfix you with her words and completely envelope you in the story at hand.
I took my time traveling through Saylok. This dark land full of North Mythology and Viking-esque lore. Stepping back into the same world from The First Girl Child was highly satisfying and while this second book can be read as a stand-alone...I highly recommend reading the first to get a more fully fleshed out experience for The Second Blind Son.
The characters? Completely on point. Hod is the blind hero we have desperately been looking for in stories. His kindness and bravery and gentle nature stole my heart. A new favorite character of all time...seriously though. And Ghisla? She is tough and unafraid and loves fiercely. The coupling of these two souls was the heart of this book and I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH.
“Don’t worry Ghisla, I am just a blind man. Everyone looks past me”
“I didn’t”
“No...I felt the moment you saw me”
“You put your hand on your heart”
I loved it. The gritty, raw and dark nature of this story...and honestly I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was swept up in all the magical and political elements that just kept adding layer upon layer of depth to this story.
I’m so sad it’s over but I sincerely hope Amy writes a third book for this series. There is a certain couple id love to see more of in the future.
Thank you Amy and the publisher for this gifted book. I am so very grateful.
**violence and mature romantic content
Every time I step into one of Amy’s book I am completely transported. She has this ability to transfix you with her words and completely envelope you in the story at hand.
I took my time traveling through Saylok. This dark land full of North Mythology and Viking-esque lore. Stepping back into the same world from The First Girl Child was highly satisfying and while this second book can be read as a stand-alone...I highly recommend reading the first to get a more fully fleshed out experience for The Second Blind Son.
The characters? Completely on point. Hod is the blind hero we have desperately been looking for in stories. His kindness and bravery and gentle nature stole my heart. A new favorite character of all time...seriously though. And Ghisla? She is tough and unafraid and loves fiercely. The coupling of these two souls was the heart of this book and I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH.
“Don’t worry Ghisla, I am just a blind man. Everyone looks past me”
“I didn’t”
“No...I felt the moment you saw me”
“You put your hand on your heart”
I loved it. The gritty, raw and dark nature of this story...and honestly I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was swept up in all the magical and political elements that just kept adding layer upon layer of depth to this story.
I’m so sad it’s over but I sincerely hope Amy writes a third book for this series. There is a certain couple id love to see more of in the future.
Thank you Amy and the publisher for this gifted book. I am so very grateful.
**violence and mature romantic content