The Harp of Kings: A Warrior Bards Novel 1
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
FINALIST FOR THE AUREALIS AWARDS SARA DOUGLASS BOOK SERIES AWARD 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUREALIS AWARDS FOR BEST YOUNG ADULT AND BEST FANTASY NOVEL 2019
'Completely transported me to the wonder and enchantment of ancient Ireland.' Callie Bates, author of The Waking Land
Bard. Warrior. Rebel.
Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. While she and her brother are competing for places in this band, they are asked to go undercover as travelling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.
Their mission is to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship. If the harp is not played at the upcoming coronation, the heir will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into turmoil. Faced with plotting courtiers, secretive druids, an insightful storyteller and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realises an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the realm. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision - and the consequences may break her heart.
'This breathtaking, often heartbreaking Celtic-flavoured fantasy novel from Marillier (the Blackthorn & Grim series) couches a challenging quest in storytelling both earthy and unearthly ... Most satisfying is [Marillier's] ability to weave multiple strands of narrative into a brilliant tapestry. This lush fantasy is sure to win Marillier many new fans.' Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This breathtaking, often heartbreaking Celtic-flavored fantasy novel from Marillier (the Blackthorn & Grim series) couches a challenging quest in storytelling both earthy and unearthly. Young siblings Liobhan, a singer and whistle player, and Brocc, a singer and harper, both in the final stage of their taxing warrior training, are assigned to find the missing ancient Harp of Kings before Midsummer Day. The harp is needed to confirm the coronation of Breifne's new king. Disguised as itinerant musicians and supported by Dau, a troubled fellow trainee undercover as a mute stable boy, brash Liobhan and sensitive Brocc undertake a spy mission that tests and matures them. Liobhan, the martial artist heroine, discovers her softer nature; Brocc realizes his bardic calling; and proud Dau learns humbly how to love. Fantasy fans will savor Marillier's unerring knack for characterization; even the animals, such as dogs Storm and Bryn and fairy creature Moth-Weed, feel real. Most satisfying is her ability to weave multiple strands of narrative into a brilliant tapestry. This lush fantasy is sure to win Marillier many new fans.
