Amy Harmon’s newest Fantasy novel is coming August 20th.
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.
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.
*ARC generously provided by the Author*
Véleményem a könyvről
Amy Harmon azon kevés szerzők közé tartozik, akinek a történeteit lehetetlen csak úgy gyorsan elolvasni és aztán túllépni rajtuk. Az ő könyveinél mindig úgy érzem, hogy minden egyes szót meg kell ízlelnem, és hagynom, hogy a szavak bekússzanak a bőröm alá, hogy a történet szépen lassan átjárja minden porcikámat és minden gondolatomat.
The First Girl Child egy különleges történet egy régmúlt világról, istenekről, rúnákról, háborúzó klánokról, átkokról és titkokról, egy fiúról és egy lányról, akik hét év különbséggel érkeztek a világra, hogy végül Saylok megmentőivé váljanak.
Imádtam a világot, amit Amy Harmon aprólékosan megformált. Számos elemet merített az északi mitológiából, ami különleges hangulatot kölcsönzött a könyvnek. A karakterformálás ez alkalommal is kiemelkedő volt, különösen Bayr, aki az egyik eddigi kedvenc főhősömmé vált. Nagyon sokrétű és komplex karakter volt, és kivételesen jónak találtam azt a kontrasztot, amit közötte és a király között festett meg az írónő. Nagyon tetszett, hogy annak ellenére, hogy ember feletti erővel lett megáldva, a dadogása mindig gondoskodott róla, hogy szerény és visszahúzódó maradjon. Tökéletlenül volt tökéletes.
Arról már sokszor áradoztam, hogy Amy Harmon mennyire kiemelkedő erős női karakterek megformálásban, azonban ez az első története, amely teljes mértékben a női erő köré formálódott. Saylok szigetét egy megsebzett szívű nő átkozza el, hogy soha ne születhessen leány gyermek. Az első évek öröme és büszkesége után lassan mindenki rádöbben, hogy lány gyermekek nélkül Saylok-ra csak pusztulás és háború vár. Nagyon elgondolkodtató volt és tetszett. A történet lassan épült és évtizedeket ívelt át, de mégis lebilincselő és gyönyörűen megírt volt.
Amy Harmon az egyik legtehetségesebb történetmesélő. Meséit lassan és tökéletes precizitással szövögeti, hogy végeredményül egy feledhetetlen, összetett, izgalmakkal és főként lélekkel teljes történetet kapjunk. Őszintén ajánlom!
My Review in English
Amy Harmon is one of the few authors whose stories are impossible to quickly read and then move forward. When I pick up one of her books I always feel like I need to savor every word and let the story slip under my skin and slowly permeate all my soul and all my thoughts.
The First Girl Child is a unique story about a world from another time when there were gods, runes, curses, secrets and warring clans. Where a boy and a girl both came to the world in the midst of secrets seven years apart to eventually become the salvation of the land of Saylok.
I loved the world that Amy Harmon created. She used many elements from the Norse mythology, which gave the book a really special atmosphere. The characters were outstanding as always, especially Bayr, who is one of my favorite heroes of all time. He was so layered and complex and I really liked the contrast the author painted between him and the king. I loved how although he was blessed with unimaginable strength, his stuttering always ensured that he remained meek. He was perfect in an imperfect way.
I already wrote several times about how Amy Harmon creates the most exceptional and strong female characters, but this was the first time when the whole story centered around the power of women. A woman with a wounded heart curses the Island of Saylok to never have daughters anymore. After the joy and pride of the first few years, everyone is slowly realizing that without girl children only decay and war is waiting for Saylok. The story was slow-building and spanned over decades, yet it was captivating and beautifully written.
Amy Harmon is one of the most talented storytellers. She weaves her tales slowly, with perfect precision creating unforgettable, complex stories full of excitement and most importantly: soul.
My Favorite Quotes From the Book
„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.”
“Every time the clouds wrapped themselves around those cliffs, I would throw myself from them.”
“Why?”he pressed.
“Because the beauty of the fall was worth the pain of landing.”
“Women don’t make great warriors,” Ivo spat.
Dagmar didn’t respond. He didn’t agree. A mother was the fiercest warrior of all.”
“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.”
You are not just strong of body. You are strong of heart. You always have been. You have never wavered, never feared or faltered in the face of any obstacle.
“We do not live to endure. We endure so someday we can . . . live. I have endured a great deal, but there have only been a few moments when I have truly lived.”
Pre-order
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About the Author
Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in eighteen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.
Amy Harmon has written thirteen novels – the USA Today Bestsellers The Smallest Part, The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as the #1 Amazon bestselling historical From Sand and Ash, The Queen and The Cure, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her novels The Bird and the Sword and From Sand and Ash were Goodreads Best Books of 2016 and 2017 finalists.
Find Amy Online
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