Review: The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

Recommended Read!

“THE BIRD AND THE SWORD is beautifully refreshing”
~ Under the Covers

I have heard so many great things about this book and I really didn’t know what to expect going in.  I guess I was prepared for a fantasy romance story, maybe a bit on the adult side.  THE BIRD AND THE SWORD is definitely more a young adult fantasy.  The most beautiful part of it is one that took me a bit to catch on to.  This world that Amy Harmon has created and the fantasy elements to this story are full of symbolism that is perfectly crafted and woven in the story.  I ate that stuff up.

In this world set in Medieval times there are a few people that have gifts.  Tellers, changers, healers and spinners.  These gifted people were prosecuted under the previous King and executed as a thread tot he Throne.  One of them was our heroine’s mother, who died protecting her daughter’s gift.  Lark is a teller, she has the gift of words, but since her mother’s death she hasn’t been able to speak.  As their world is under attack, Tiras, the young new King, takes her away from her father’s house and to his home as pawn to use in his plans.  But he soon discovers there’s much they have in common and their connection quickly grows into more than he was planning for.

I don’t want to give much away about the plot of the book because it was so much fun to discover the intrigue as you go along.  Suffice it to say that I loved having his narrated by Lark.  She can quiet easily be a favorite in the recent young adult heroines I’ve read.  There are things she’s afraid of that can make her vulnerable, things she still has to learn and grow into her power.  But through all that she shows a lot of strength, step by step becoming this force that holds so much power while not uttering a word.  Such a great job how the author did that.  Her connections to other characters are endearing as well, especially to her troll companion.

This also centers around a romance and I thought this point could’ve been done a little better.  At times it felt like insta-love even though the characters do spend time developing their relationship.  It just jumped from one step to the next quite quickly for me, but I still found them adorable together.

I wish the ending would’ve been a little better.  I really enjoyed the bad guy twist in the end but I was expecting a complicated resolution to a problem that plagued one of the characters for a long time and in the end I was a bit disappointed with how that turned out.  A bit of a rushed, easy fix.  But that still didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

THE BIRD AND THE SWORD is beautifully refreshing in a genre that can often get stagnant with repetitive storylines.  It definitely brought something new and original to the table while at the same time giving each part of the story and each character a lot of meaning.  If there is one thing that I like about reading an Amy Harmon book is that it’s bound to make you think beyond what you are reading on the page.  And I loved the places this story took us to.  I know there’s a second book coming out and I can’t wait for it!

Favorite quote:

“The world is alive with words. The animals, the trees, the grass, and the birds hum with their own words. “Life,” they say. “Air,” they breathe. “Heat,” they hum. The birds call “Fly, fly!” and the leaves wave them onward, uncurling as they whisper “grow, grow.”

“When I touch you, I cease to be.”

[about-author author=”Amy Harmon”]

What did you think of our review?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

 ♡ Don’t want to miss any of our posts? ♡ 
Follow Under the Covers: Facebook | Twitter | Tsu | GoodReads | Email