The Harp of Kings

The Harp of Kings
Warrior Bards Book One
Written by Juliet Marillier
Fantasy, Folklore, Celtic
400 Pages
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
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.
On Swan Island, apprentices are disciplined in warfare and espionage in preparation to become elite soldiers, a distinguished position garnering the admiration of the communities of Erin. Siblings Liobhan and Brocc are revered for their proficiency, accomplished apprentices on the threshold of their inaugural assignment on the mainland. Accompanied by adversary Dau and the chieftains of Swan Island, their assignment is to retrieve the Harp of Kings, a traditional stringed instrument of considerable importance. The harp will be played at Breifne's coronation ceremony for the incoming kingship and without the traditional ceremony, the new king shall not be accepted by society.

Each apprentice has been provided with a new identity and persona for their assignment. Dau will be employed as a lowly stable hand and labourer, a young man with mutism. Liobhan and Brocc will be employed by the empire as travelling minstrels, selected for their musical capabilities much to the annoyance of Liobhan. The journey to the Kingdom of Breifne is fraught with danger. Legends speak of an otherworldly realm in which the fair folk reside, an elderly storyteller guarding a gateway to another world which is being decimated. Of a tempered, volatile King and the uncanny, what resides in the beyond.

Liobhan is an ambitious and intelligent young woman who challenges authority and an extraordinary musician. Entering the academy at Swan Island is among her greatest accomplishments, vying for a place as a permanent resident among the chosen warriors and accompanied by brother Brocc. Brocc is an accomplished young man and esteemed amongst the Swan Island community. Unlike Liobhan, Brocc prefers to create music, mesmerising crowds with his angelic melodies and although he's a capable combatant, he faces an internal conflict of identity. Dau is a stoic young man and Liobhan's main adversary. He segregates himself rather than establish friendships with his comrades. Beneath the surface lies a young man traumatised by his youth, tormented by older siblings and tortured by traumatic stress disorder.

In The Kingdom of Breifne, Druids live with a segregated community, men of spirituality who upon entering the brotherhood are deprived of their former identity. Their families forbidden to speak of their loved one. The Druids are the protectors of the Harp of Kings, essential for the incoming King's crowning ceremony. Brocc must garner the confidence of the Druids to investigate the disappearance of the harp and along with chieftain Archu, play nightly for the Breifne court under the guise of travelling minstrels.

Liobhan and Dau begin a tentative friendship, from adversaries to a gentle companionship while Brocc finds himself attracted to a mysterious women in which he finds a sense of solace. The romance is subtle and delicate, which will no doubt be explored in the next installment. Within the court, Liobhan befriends a neglected and frightened young girl, we see a tender side of the feminist warrior and I really enjoyed their interactions. Throughout the narrative, we see how difficult it is for women within the Kingdom. Women work within traditional roles, caring for children, sewing, cooking, washing and seen as inferior to men by often remarking, you're quite intelligent, for a woman. Given her place within the court as a mere minstrel, Liobhan is unable to challenge these sexist ideals publicly but secretly seethes with frustration. 

The Harp of Kings is extraordinarily exquisite, an enchanting fusion of fantasy and fictional Celtic folklore, a journey of resistance, resilience and realisation. Atmospheric and vividly imagined, Juliet Marillier is exceptional.

14 comments

  1. Things that are guaranteed to endear when I'm reading: babies, puppies, small kids. And I'm even more protective if any of them went through trauma of sorts. I still haven't read a book by Ms. Marillier. She's got quite a library, I know and she writes the most kickass of heroines.

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    1. This is the perfect book to start with Joy, you don't need to have read any of her former releases and I believe these are new characters as well. Now that I've read and absolutely loved The Harp of Kings, I'm looking forward to buying a few of her older titles. Such a wonderful storyteller!

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  2. Um okay so this new identity and persona totally caught my attention! I hadn't heard of this before but I'm def checking it out. Lovely review!
    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. Such a brilliant read and a wonderful introduction to Juliet Marillier's books!

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  3. The inclusion of Celtic folklore intrigues me -- I am always eager to read stories that include a new folklore (to me).

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    1. It has an incredibly adult fairytale quality as well, so superbly written. I think you would really enjoy this Verushka, such an engaging and enchanting read.

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  4. I didn't even know Juliet Marillier had a new book out and this looks very good. This is definitely going on my TBR as she never disappoints.

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    1. It's a brilliant read, her writing is otherworldly isn't it.

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  5. I haven't tried one of Juliet Marillier's books yet but I always hear such wonderful things about them. This one sounds like such a great fantasy read. I'm especially interested in the Celtic folklore.

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    1. It's the perfect book to begin with, the beginning of a new series and you don't need to have read her previous books. I'd love to see what you think of it!

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  6. I had never heard of this. It sounds wonderful!

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  7. This sounds like such an excellent Celtic title! It sounds like the world is really indepth as well. Lovely review Kelly.

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    1. It was wonderful Jeann and had such a lyrical and gentle fairytale quality. I think you'll really enjoy this one.

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