By: Amy Harmon
Published: August 20, 2019 by 47North
391 pages
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Science Fiction
Source: Netgalley ARC
(Goodreads / Amazon)
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.MY REVIEW:
Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled 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 fueled 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.
A world based loosely on Norse mythology as mentioned in the author's note at the end of the book, this story follows characters set in the land known as Saylok and the people are god worshipers. There are 7 clans for the land surrounding Saylok. The center of Saylok is Temple Hill, where the King lives, as well as the Keepers. The Keepers maintain order and a spiritual balance so that no one person or clan has all power. They protect the runes, which fallen into the wrong hands, could be wielded for evil. Temple Hill is where most of the story takes place.
The first 70% of the story follows the children known as Bayr and Alba from their birth and the circumstances surrounding them. I usually prefer books where the love story is the major focal point. I was warned this story did not focus primarily on romance. However, I found myself to still be engaged and wanting to know more each time I set it down. The last 30% of the book Bayr and Alba are young adults and are fighting against years of lies and deceit from the people who are closest to them.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. There's action, there's intrigue, there's love, there's sadness, there's sacrifice. It had all the makings of a great story that I've come to expect from Amy Harmon. It wasn't my favorite among the books of hers that I've read, but it was a solid story with a solid plot.
Top Favorite Quotes:
"And strength without wisdom is dangerous."
"Because the beauty of the fall was worth the pain of landing."
"It is your weakness. But weakness can make a man wise. You will listen more. You will think before you speak. You will never believe yourself all-powerful and all-knowing. You will never say what you do not mean."
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.
"There is no love without fear. They walk hand in hand," she said with a small smile. "That is why it hurts so much."
"And in the end, we can only sacrifice ourselves. To sacrifice others is no sacrifice at all."
Language Rating: 1
Mature Content Rating: 1.5
Final Rating: 4 stars
Pretty much exactly what I thought too. Glad to see you finished it!
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