"We are abused. We are used. We are bartered and abandoned. But rarely are we loved. So be it. From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok for any of you to love."
BLURB:
Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once levelled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fuelled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.
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~BOOK REVIEW
You will enjoy this if you like:
~Fantasy
~Norse Mythology
~Romance
PLOT: 4.5/5
CHARACTERS: 5/5
WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 5/5
OVERALL RATING: 19.5/20
I always enjoy going into the worlds Amy Harmon creates, its no secret I have loved all her fantasy books ( The Bird and the Sword is pure perfection and I do not use that word lightly!) The story revolves around the curse placed by Bayr's mother; Desdemona.
The impact of which has far reaching consequences; some so tragic that I don't think even poor Desdemona would have truly wished it with her dying breath. She is only in the story for a short while (and the reason why I gave a 4.5 for plot, I wanted to know so much more of this fierce Shield Maiden who had such a thirst for life we saw it shining out of her even as a child, but I understood the need for it so I did not mark it down too much, to be honest I feel mean by even lowering it by 0.5!)
The curse affects the whole of Saylok, and as the story progresses we are introduced to more characters, this I thought was done especially well, I was not lost or confused, rather each character kept enriching the story.
We are introduced to Dagmar with his warriors body and the gentle soul of a keeper (A monk-like role). Ghost, a seemingly helpless captive, stolen from her native country by the marauding Saylok Clans. Bayr the orphan who grows up in the temple, and of course Alba, the girl who even as she is held up to be the salvation of the clans but still is no less a captive than Ghost. With seamless interweaving of their point of views, the world of Saylok is brought to life in all its vivid harshness.
The Norse mythology was engrossing, and the marauding aspects of viking life was informative. Blood and rune magic has always been fascinating to me it was not at all surprising that a brutal way of life would produce such a violent form of magic and it was interesting to see how it was used manipulated and used by the characters.
The writing is simply poetic, and a joy to read. I enjoyed this immensely. It kept me engaged from start to finish. The story was so rich and full of wonderful characters that the world fully came to life in my mind.
VERDICT: This is a beautifully crafted gem of a story, the world building is superb, the characters are well rounded and believable and the plot was so richly done that I was never bored. Though Bayr and Alba's story was beautifully concluded I would love to visit this world again and perhaps follow some of the other characters. Highly recommend to all!
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Favourite Quotes:
"I've come to believe that home is not a place. Home is inside of us. Home is the people we love. Home is what we strive for. "
"I am everyone you have wronged. And I am Ghost"
"You must promise me that when the time comes, when you are grown, even when you do not want to be king, even if you are afraid, you will do what must be done"
"We are abused. We are used. We are bartered and abandoned. But rarely are we loved. So be it. From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok for any of you to love."
"We draw the attention of the fates when our fear grows too loud. The fates are cruel, and they will reward you with what you fear most"
Nel xx