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hellobookbird's review against another edition
5.0
Swallow Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.
Once upon a time, the God gave his children powerful Gifts: Spin, to spin all manner of things into gold; Change, to transform into the beasts of the forest or the creatures of the air; Heal, to cure illness and injury; Tell, predictions of what was to come and sometimes even shape the future with the power of words. As years became decades, and decades became years, and years became centuries new gifts emerged, some were lost, and some used their gifts to harm.
But the voices of fear and discontent are always loudest, and one by one, the Tellers, the Healers, the Changers, and the Spinners were destroyed.
The day her mother died was the last day Lark spoke.
I don't have the proper words to describe how much I really enjoyed this book. So I shall steal Katerina's instead:
The world-building is not particularly complex, because the story focuses on Lark's journey to find her voice, her magic and her place in the world. From the girl that was always ignored, she becomes a powerful, strong woman willing to fight for what she wants, to break the chains that hold her down and fly. To a better future. To a brighter future. To her future. And her companion is none other than the captivating, infuriating and stubborn king, with his secrets and his struggles, a king who wants to tame the Beast and let the Man prevail.
And at its core...acceptance. So I leave you with this:
"What makes a man a beast?"
"His choices."
"Not his gift?"
"Not his gift. What a man does with his gift is the true measure."
Recommended for anyone that yearns for deeper meanings well blended with a romantic story.
ashsabz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Main character was hopelessly in love with the male lead when I felt like he only was using her for a large part of the book. Male leads character was very unremarkable. The book was very well written and immersive and I enjoyed the story, but never felt deep connection to the characters (besides maybe boohjohni). The ending of the book was especially interesting and my favorite part. Very conflicting feelings on the book, definitely wouldn't describe it as an epic romance though.
ashley_marie's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love Amy Harmon. She is an extremely talented author. I love her prose and her characters. And how she always manages to deliver an emotional punch. I love her stories and this time is no exception.
Bird and the Sword is a book about a girl, Lark, whose mother was killed but the king because her words had magical abilities. Lark has similar abilities. Before her mother died, she took away Lark's voice and placed a curse that meant that if Lark were to die, her father would too. Her purpose was to make sure he protected Lark. Only, Lark grew up as a prisoner of her own father.
And I'm not sure what else I'm allowed to say here. The synopsis I read before reading the book was very simple and didn't give much of anything away. I kind of want to do the same. But since you already know it's a romance, I'll mention the male protagonist.
His name is Tiras and he's the king. He's also the son of the man who killed Lark's mother. But he's not like his father. He's not prince charming by any means, but he wants to change the kingdom for the better. To bring safety and justice, to maybe eliminate the prejudice against the gifted that prevails for so many generations. He's a good king and he cares much for his kingdom, willing to go to any length for it.
As a love interest though, I had some difficulty with him. His intentions with Lark were to use her for the kingdom. And he never lied about that. He also gave Lark freedom and knowledge. But there was possessiveness there and he could be a bit of a dick. I didn't hate him like some readers did, but it took a while before he grew on me. Mainly because of his practicality.
As for Lark, she was great. She was a little thing who had so much fire in her. She didn't let her father and the imprisonment break her spirit. She took any opportunity she could get to learn and to live the life that had been taken from her. She could be unreasonable at times but she also accepted things for what they were. She was strong and she knew to choose her battles. Her and Tiras made a good pair. He would always try to be bossy and she's refuse to listen. He's be sweet and she would reciprocate. I didn't love the romance but it was good.
I did love the prose. Seriously, Amy Harmon writes so beautifully. Her prose is utterly captivating and you can't help but get swept up in the magic. And that's the main reason I'm recommending this book. Though there's also the really interesting world and story with a half-bird species attacking the kingdom. Really great book and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Bird and the Sword is a book about a girl, Lark, whose mother was killed but the king because her words had magical abilities. Lark has similar abilities. Before her mother died, she took away Lark's voice and placed a curse that meant that if Lark were to die, her father would too. Her purpose was to make sure he protected Lark. Only, Lark grew up as a prisoner of her own father.
And I'm not sure what else I'm allowed to say here. The synopsis I read before reading the book was very simple and didn't give much of anything away. I kind of want to do the same. But since you already know it's a romance, I'll mention the male protagonist.
His name is Tiras and he's the king. He's also the son of the man who killed Lark's mother. But he's not like his father. He's not prince charming by any means, but he wants to change the kingdom for the better. To bring safety and justice, to maybe eliminate the prejudice against the gifted that prevails for so many generations. He's a good king and he cares much for his kingdom, willing to go to any length for it.
As a love interest though, I had some difficulty with him. His intentions with Lark were to use her for the kingdom. And he never lied about that. He also gave Lark freedom and knowledge. But there was possessiveness there and he could be a bit of a dick. I didn't hate him like some readers did, but it took a while before he grew on me. Mainly because of his practicality.
As for Lark, she was great. She was a little thing who had so much fire in her. She didn't let her father and the imprisonment break her spirit. She took any opportunity she could get to learn and to live the life that had been taken from her. She could be unreasonable at times but she also accepted things for what they were. She was strong and she knew to choose her battles. Her and Tiras made a good pair. He would always try to be bossy and she's refuse to listen. He's be sweet and she would reciprocate. I didn't love the romance but it was good.
I did love the prose. Seriously, Amy Harmon writes so beautifully. Her prose is utterly captivating and you can't help but get swept up in the magic. And that's the main reason I'm recommending this book. Though there's also the really interesting world and story with a half-bird species attacking the kingdom. Really great book and I can't wait to read the sequel.
christie_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-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? No
2.75
illusie's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful story in a magical world. It felt like a fairy tale. I love the writing and I was sucked right into the story. The character building is well done. I'm looking forward to read the next book!
moodreadermelissa's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
dreamingdre's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This book is about a young girl cursed by her mother’s words to be silent. On the day that her mother died she gave prophecies about the king, his son, her, and her father changing their lives forever and having them intertwined. It was a vivid world with interesting concepts but, I never felt connected to the characters and the stakes always seemed to fall flat. This was loved the ideas but not the execution type of book