Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback

---

---

Review

 5 “I think I will keep you” stars!

Amy Harmon has once again proved what a wonderfully brilliant writer she is. She is an amazing story teller who grabs the reader’s interest immediately and never lets go. In some of her books she has supernatural elements, but The Bird and the Sword is full on fantasy and it is fantastic! It’s a perfect blend of fantasy and romance, and is a clever and unique tale. It is so descriptive that I can see the story play out in my head like a movie. Her writing is exquisite and she continues to amaze me with her stories.

Lark lives in a world with kings, noblemen, commoners, and magic. Some people are born Gifted and though they were once welcome, they are now feared and despised. Punished for using their gifts, the Gifted have been forced into hiding to avoid persecution.

We meet Lark as a little girl and we quickly learn that she is among the Gifted. After witnessing a bit of magic, the King is unforgiving and he murders her mother, but not before she is able to tell her daughter one last thing.

“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.”

Lark grows up a prisoner in her own home and without a voice. Her father has his reasons for denying Lark the knowledge of reading and writing, and she feels so alone, with only her servant, Boojahni, truly caring for her.

When lark is 20 years old she is taken by King Tiras, son of the king who killed her mother. She soon finds that this new king is not like his horrible father. He is different with Lark, and he is very gentle with her. He shows her kindness, gives her anything she wants, and offers to teach her, something that means everything to Lark. Slowly Lark begins seeing Tiras as a friend and savior.

Lark has constructed walls like ice around herself and does not let anyone in. But as Tiras and Lark grow closer we see their attraction and desire grow. Lark is feeling things she has never felt before and is trying to adjust to her new life.

Suddenly yearning had a flavor. It tasted like a king, a beautiful, frightening, infuriating man who flew into my life and began to free my words.

The romance in this book is beautifully written. I loved seeing Lark explore her feelings and accepting them fully even if she did not want Tiras to know how he affected her. I enjoyed watching the fascination Tiras has for Lark and how intrigued they were with each other. Lark falls for Tiras but can they truly be together with everything that is going on around them?

You chose me because I am of use. But I chose you because I wanted you. All I ever wanted was for you to love me in return.

Both Lark and Tiras were very unique characters. I loved Lark and think she was a wonderful heroine. She was innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty which I loved. She showed her strength as she endured so much from the time she was little. I loved watching her develop her gift and enjoyed seeing the experience through her eyes.

And Tiras… I absolutely loved Tiras. He was so sweet to Lark and acted completely different with her. I loved his protective nature and that he truly saw her. I was glad he was a better king from the beginning and nothing like his father. He really wanted to save his land and had his peoples best interest in mind. He was handsome and charming, but dangerous and mysterious. I loved him from the start and he made me fall right along with Lark!

“I have loved you every moment of every day, and I will love you until I cease to be…I love you, and I will always love you.”

*swoon*

Of course, this book is definitely not only about romance but adventure and magic. There is a war between beast and man and you don’t know who will come out on top or how it will all be resolved. I loved the fantasy elements in this book. The decriptions of the beasts were detailed and I loved hearing about the different types of magic that the Gifted had. I also loved the way everything came together at the end. I adored the Epilogue, and though it was short, it was perfect and left a huge smile on my face.

The Bird and the Sword is entertaining from the very first word to the very last. There are twists I did not see coming and the whole book was well thought out. When I finished, I found myself searching back to parts for hints of what would transpire and kicking myself that I didn’t see things sooner. I absolutely loved this book and can not wait to see what Amy has in store for us in the future. She definitely needs to continue writing fantasy because she nailed it with this book! It left me with a huge book hangover that days later I am still feeling!

 

---

The Bird and the Sword Chronicles