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A review by melissatrew
The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon
4.0
”There are many ways that men are blind…”
The Second Blind Son puts a unique new spin on the first novel in this series. This book takes the storyline and events from The First Girl Child and retells them from another perspective. This dynamic adds new layers of complexity to a familiar story for readers who have already read the first book, but enough detail is provided to make this novel work fairly well as a standalone if you’re skipping ahead and jumping straight to this one.
”To rebuild without understanding the past—both the triumphs and failures—was to start over instead of moving ahead.”
I enjoyed the return to Saylok and appreciated hearing from additional characters, some new and some familiar. The characters felt more nuanced and dimensional in this second book, which could be a side effect of reading both books back to back and being fully immersed in what is essentially the same story, told twice over.
”Our weaknesses and our strengths are the very same thing. Two sides of the same sword.”
My favorite part of The Second Blind Son, as with The First Girl Child, is the enchanting world of Saylok and it’s unique magic system. I read the two books back-to-back, and did struggle a little bit with how repetitive some of the details felt between the two books. If I’d had a span of several weeks/months in between readings, it might have felt like a helpful refresher to have scenes and dialogue from the first book fully rehashed, but to read both books in the same week, that element took me out of the story a little bit.
”I will guard your heart—and your back—all the days of my life.”
Even so, I really enjoyed The Second Blind Son, even more than The First Girl Child! Hod and Ghisla’s story was incredibly sweet, and the epilogue of this book was just everything I could have hoped for.
The Second Blind Son puts a unique new spin on the first novel in this series. This book takes the storyline and events from The First Girl Child and retells them from another perspective. This dynamic adds new layers of complexity to a familiar story for readers who have already read the first book, but enough detail is provided to make this novel work fairly well as a standalone if you’re skipping ahead and jumping straight to this one.
”To rebuild without understanding the past—both the triumphs and failures—was to start over instead of moving ahead.”
I enjoyed the return to Saylok and appreciated hearing from additional characters, some new and some familiar. The characters felt more nuanced and dimensional in this second book, which could be a side effect of reading both books back to back and being fully immersed in what is essentially the same story, told twice over.
”Our weaknesses and our strengths are the very same thing. Two sides of the same sword.”
My favorite part of The Second Blind Son, as with The First Girl Child, is the enchanting world of Saylok and it’s unique magic system. I read the two books back-to-back, and did struggle a little bit with how repetitive some of the details felt between the two books. If I’d had a span of several weeks/months in between readings, it might have felt like a helpful refresher to have scenes and dialogue from the first book fully rehashed, but to read both books in the same week, that element took me out of the story a little bit.
”I will guard your heart—and your back—all the days of my life.”
Even so, I really enjoyed The Second Blind Son, even more than The First Girl Child! Hod and Ghisla’s story was incredibly sweet, and the epilogue of this book was just everything I could have hoped for.