This was my first experience with this author’s works, and I have to say that this one just wasn’t for me. I struggled to get invested from the beginning and was unable to finish before the book’s release date. I truly think it’s more a matter of taste than anything else though, and would encourage anyone interested to give it a try. I will say that it’s well-written, and I’m sure it’ll be well-loved by the right audience. Thank-you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this one early.

this is actually my first book by this author if you can believe it! so perhaps my expectations weren't as high as some hard core fans. i found it a bit slow at first but eventually got into it and i did really enjoy it. might pick up her other books now!

I absolutely loved The Harp of Kings. If you have read any of Juliet Marillier’s books, you know that she is natural storyteller.

Tears are shed and heartstrings are pulled as you read the story told from the alternating veiwpoints of of Liobhan, Brocc and Dau while they take on their first and hopefully not last mission for Swan Island. In each character’s narration, they reveal the hopes and fears that magically transfer from the character to the reader. All three are young, but family and experience have given them wisdom beyond their years.

Although the story takes place in a different part of Erin than Marillier’s Blackthorn and Grim series, the atmosphere is the same. References to people and places of that series will delight fans. A wisewoman, a ruler that needs help, a bit of mysticism and people becoming friends are also familiar themes.

As the book blurb describes, the Crown Prince is a boor. Nobody believes he will make a good ruler, but there is no alternative. And our three heroes are tasked with finding the harp so the coronation can occur. Up until the very end, I was not sure how that part of the story would play out, but I was happy with the rightful ending.

Details of various character’s lives, especially Dau, Brocc and the child Aislinn are revealed throughout the book. Surprisingly, Liobhan’s background is the sparsest, even though she is the strongest character. The lovely cover by Mélanie Delon does a nice job of depicting Liobhan. This lack of detail may be deliberate, but in the meantime, I was drawn to Dau, who’s tragic background had me cheering from him all the way! As an animal lover, he gets extra points too!

After finishing the story, I did a little research and read that the harp is significant in Irish history and mythology. So it is no wonder that it now inspires such a magical story. While the instrument itself may be just a plain harp, the effects of the music that springs are mystical. Take that as you like, but when Brocc plays his plain bard’s harp, listeners can’t help but dance or laugh or weep. Does the Harp of Kings have such magic? The myth surrounding it would have you believe so. Reading the book proves that magic does exist!

I am so in love with this story that I needed more than 5 stars to rate it. Full of dreams, youth, wisdom, and music, The Harp of Kings is heartbreaking, beautiful, hopeful and magical.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A missing harp that must be played at the coronation. Druids, the keepers of the harp, are mum. 3 warriors in training pose as minstrels and stablehands to infiltrate and find the harp before it's too late. I found this slow, and character development sparse. I started skimming immediately. Did not hold my interest. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

A Marillier almost put me into a book slump. A Marillier. What even is life.

This was one of my top top anticipated reads of the year and yet.. I don't know what happened? Maybe this was a me thing, I don't know, but this just wasn't working me until the last 20%. I fully finished this with tears on my face so, like, what even?

There are plenty of lovely easter eggs for fans of the author's Blackthorn and Grim series and that was a delight. But the story itself, the plot, I just didn't find interesting at all. I even struggled with the characters. The one thing the author never fails to succeed at though is the chemistry, and connection, the relationships. Not necessarily romantic (and in this case, not remotely), but still. The emotion woven through is excellent.

This just wasn't a story that worked for me. Or at least.. didn't work right now. I am still looking forward to more from this new series. And I may just have to console myself with a Sevenwaters reread in the meantime. Because I'm sad about this one.

This might look like a shiny three star rating but I'm definitely rounding up.


** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

I love Juliet Marillier so much! I was so stoked when I saw she had another book coming out and in the same world as some of her other books. You don't have to have read them first though.

This book is told through three POV's. Liobhan, Brocc and Dau. Liobhan and Brocc are brother and sister and they are fighters and singers. Dau just wants to be the best warrior. But, Liobhan is the best warrior! Girl power!

Well, some things happen and the group has to go out and try to find the Harp of Kings which is used for the new king. The new king isn't a nice guy anyway so I think it serves him right.

There are different creatures in the book and it's just awesome in my opinion! I truly look forward to these new books from Juliet! She's the best!

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

**Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a digital copy of this book!**

Well, it's happened again, Juliet Marillier has once again stolen my heart with a story. I was excited about this book from the first time I heard it announced, having loved the Blackthorn and Grimm trilogy and seeing that this was about the Swan Island warriors who made a brief appearance there, I was fully on board and hyped from the get go. Having high expectations can sometimes come back to bite me, but I was not at all disappointed and I think this even exceeded my expectations.

One of the things I loved about Blackthorn and Grimm is the 'let's solve a magical mystery' aspect of each book in the series. The Harp of Kings continues that tradition, but not only that, it's an essential part of who these characters are from the get-go. Training to become Swan Island warriors, our protagonists are not only expected to be fighters, but have other aspects which will help them complete assigned missions, some of which may include solving mysteries. In this story our trainees are tasked with finding a missing harp that is essential for a coronation ceremony and they're success could mean whether they're in or out to become members of the Swan Island group. I love mysteries, so it's nice to have them incorporated into these kind of historical fantasy tales. I also love that they're not easily solved, especially as there always seems to be some sort of magical aspect which requires belief, or at the very least an open mind about the uncanny. I enjoyed the plot and thought it moved along nicely. Sometimes it felt like it was stalling, but those slower moments where it seemed like nothing was happening, well, everything became relevant in the end. I loved the way things came together, how little bits of the puzzle were revealed over time and how sometimes you didn't realize that were even part of the puzzle until later.

Aside from the plot, my favorite thing was, of course, the characters. There are three main protagonists in this book, and chapters vary from one or the other's point of view throughout. Sometimes this style of storytelling annoys me--I hate switching POV when something interesting happens from one characters perspective. But all three of our main characters were interesting in their own ways, so I didn't mind it here. I enjoyed spending time with each of them, but my favorite two POV's were Liobhan and Dau. Liobhan is a woman with something to prove--that she's strong, a good fighter as the men, and every bit as clever (if not, more so). And she's justified in having to prove herself. On multiple occasions various characters remark on how she's good at something (seemingly surprised) 'for a woman'. I felt Liobhan's frustration in these moments, and her determination. I understand, to an extent, why she's so stubborn. Dau was also an intriguing character, and probably my favorite. On the surface he seems like he's not that nice. He's Liobhan's rival for one of the top spots among the trainees, and he is focused on beating her, to become number one. At first it seems something personal against Liobhan, that he has it out for her. And maybe he does resent her some at first. But later, as you learn his history, you see why he's so determined to make the cut. He's a character with hidden depths, and his story arc was my favorite. I was eagerly anticipating getting back to his chapters every time we were away from him. I think his story was also the most touching for me, which resulted in me crying at my desk at work while sneaking in some reading time. Whoops! Our third POV character, Liobhan's brother, Brocc, was also interesting and had a great story arc. He was also a character with a bit of a hidden past that he had to come to terms with during the course of the novel. That being said, even though Brocc was an essential part of the story, I just wasn't as invested in his part of the story quite as much as the other two POV characters. That probably just comes down to personal taste.

Marillier is a master of characters, and especially of writing characters who have suffered trauma and who learn to work through their pasts to have better futures. In this story we learn the stories of several characters who have been hurt, or are being hurt, and they all have pretty fantastic story arcs, even the side characters. If you ever want to experience the sweet pang of watching some characters who have gone through very bad situations begin to heal and learn to trust other people again, Marillier is the writer for you. She writes characters who you just want to reach into the story and give a hug to, even if you're not generally the hugging type.

Not sure what else to say. The prose was great and I love the mix of historical and fantastical aspects--but these are all things I've come to expect from Marillier. I loved this book, reading it was a great experience, and I very much hope we'll get to see more of stories about these characters in the future. 5/5 stars.

Please note, attached link to the review on my blog will not be live until 8/29/2019. Thanks!

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this book! I really enjoy Juliet Marillier's writing, and the fact that this series is a spin off of her Blackthorn and Grim series...yeah, that's so great! That Liobhan and Brocc are their kids, and that Liobhan has the red hair like Grim imagined, yeah, that's just a sweet moment!

So the mystery into the missing harp, that was pretty intriguing. It did become a bit of a waiting game, that they had to accomplish strange tasks that didn't always make sense in the moment, but when it all came together, did. That was pretty fantastic.

I really enjoyed the interactions that Liobhan and Dau had. He didn't think that she belonged there, or at least, that she should give the focus to music that she did. And she didn't like him back. Given that we were in all 3 of their heads, we got to see all of them go on this journey!

I wasn't expecting ending! We knew a few of the facts, and Liobhan had figured out what happened. But that ending, wow, that just blew me away! It was so great, and yeah, I can't wait to see where things are going to go from here, and what the mystery/investigation of the next book will be!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to see where this series is going to go from here!

4.5 Sing me a song my bard stars

Juliet Marillier builds fantastic fairytales with subtle magic, complicated characters and wondrous worlds. Harp of Kings is no exception to that. Set years after the Blackthorn and Grim stories, this tale follows some of the next generation including Liobhan and Brocc, two of the three children Blackthorn and Grimm raised.

Harp of Kings is the first book of a new series. It is set in the same world as the Blackthorn and Grimm series, but you don’t need to have read those to enjoy this book.

Liobhan, Brocc and Dau are trainees for Swan Island, an elite school for warriors. There is a fierce competition between Dau and Liobhan as each wants the top spot in the class. Brocc loves his sister dearly and is there for training but also to make sure she is safe. When a secret mission comes up Brocc and Liobhan are chosen due to their skill in instrumentation and singing. Dau is also chosen to be on the secondary team, partially as a test and partially because he has some skill with horses. Each person in the group will have to live as a different person for the extent of this mission and it will test them.

“Maybe,” my brother says, “what they told us was only half the truth. Maybe this is not so much a mission as a test.”
“Of what?”
“Whatever each of us most needs to learn.”

The Harp of Kings has gone missing, it has been used for the coronation of a new king for thousands of years and is steeped in lore. A new king is to be coronated in a month and the team is supposed to find the Harp and restore it to the druids before anyone realizes that it is missing. The only problem with that is that there do not seem to be any clues to where it has gone and the man who would be king is not suited for the position at all. The only thing making this even more complicated for the team is that the Fae seem to be involved and Liobhan and Brocc are given some very hard tasks to complete if they want to get the Harp in time.

Juliet Marillier has a timeless quality to her stories and I think she is for the patient reader that likes hints of magic and very character driven stories. She writes people well and I felt the change in both Liobhan and Dau’s attitude toward each other over time developed in a natural and understandable way. Dau didn’t know what to make of the dichotomy that is Liohban

“I do wonder why a woman would spend her days learning more effective ways to kill,” Dau says, “and her evenings singing love songs. Wouldn’t that mean she could not put her whole heart into either activity?”

I really like an adversary to friend to possibly lovers trope and I’m really hoping this is the direction the overall series will take.

There are fae folk, crow people, druids and hearth witches in this tale and I have a feeling we are only at the tip of the iceberg for the stories to come in this series. Another wonderful dream of a tale, told in a beautiful fashion but a fantastic storyteller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for the ARC for review

I love Juliette Marillier so much!! Her writing is gorgeous, her characters complex. I'm only eating it down a little because I personally prefer fantasy that feels slightly more like recent past, and that doesn't focus so much on martial aspects, but that's just me.

I have been a long-time fan of Juliet Marillier's writing and the worlds she has created, but this effort felt a little flat to me. There was still action and adventure and spying, in the human world and among the fae, but we didn't spend enough time with the three main characters or their backstories to really care about them deeply. Instead, this felt like a sketch for what should have been a longer book. I was happy to revisit some of the places and people from previous Marillier books (and their descendants), but I found myself longing for the slower and more dreamy pacing of her earlier works.

This is the story of Liobhan, Brocc, and Dau who are all eighteen year old apprentice warriors from a band of warrior/mercenaries. They are given a mission to go undercover to the kingdom of Breifne where it is nearly time to crown the new king. Unfortunately, the coronation ceremony requires that a very special harp be played, and that harp has gone missing. It is the job of Liobhan, Brocc, and Dau to find out where it has gone and get it back. But there may be more than meets the eye going on in Breifne.

Firstly, going into this, I had no idea that Liobhan and Brocc were Blackthorn and Grim’s kids, so that was an awesome revelation. And yes, really I should have assumed that, considering that the Sevenwaters series follows the adventures of four or five generations of one family. I should also note that it is not at all necessary to have read the Blackthorn and Grim books to find enjoyment here. Their names are mentioned in passing, and nothing they achieved on their own adventures really influences the goings on here.

We see this story from the POV of all three main characters, in the first person. The POV switches from chapter to chapter, and I found this a good way to get the story from three different angles. Our three warriors start out in the same place, but end up either in an entirely different place, or in entirely unique roles compared to the others. Dau, for example, is undercover as a mute farrier’s apprentice, while Liobhan and Brocc are undercover as traveling musicians.

The prose was lovely, and the story moved along at a good pace. It’s not action-packed, but I wasn’t expecting it to be. This is a more character-driven story. We get each character’s backstory slowly, bits at a time, and I absolutely loved that about it. It kept me reading well into the wee hours of the morning, wanting to find out what happened next. I didn’t start out loving all three characters, especially Dau, who is not super lovable from the get-go. But before long he became my favorite character. My heart was jostled a few times for Dau, and I found myself cheering hard for him by the end. I also really enjoyed Brocc’s adventures, and wished for the best things for him, and for Liobhan. The blurb gives the impression that Liobhan is the main character here, but really all three POV characters are equally represented.

So, all told, I really enjoyed this one. Moreso, I think, than I enjoyed the Blackthorn and Grim series, which I binged over a week despite being on vacation, lol. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

So thank you to the author, as well as Ace via NetGalley for the review copy.

I've always thought that Juliet Marillier had a beautiful way of bringing to life Celtic lore (specifically Irish mythology). I love historical fantasy, and this book, like all her books, does well at reimagining real life historical themes alongside the mythology. I have started to enjoy multiple p.o.v books a lot more than single p.o.v books nowadays, so that aspect was also a nice treat. I enjoyed all the main protaganists, especially Liobhan. I thought she was a well written character. I thought Dau was probably the most intriguing out of the three, as I didn't know what his deal was. It made him mysterious. I felt like Brocc's point of view was the weakest in terms of how engaging it was but I still appreciated his insight.

After reading the Blackthorn and Grim series by Marillier, I just knew I had to read more of her work. While I’ve not yet made time for backlist books, this start to a new series was irresistible. It also had a double whammy for expectations. First, I loved her other books so much, that my standards for Marillier are pretty high. Second, I found the premise of this series a must read no matter who the author was.

The protagonist is a women who is both a warrior and a bard, a real a bad-ass female lead. Seriously? Can you fit all those things I love into one character? Yep. Marillier nailed it.

Liobhan and her brother are training and going through trials to become members of an elite warrior team, trained on Swan Island. From a physical standpoint, she is fierce. She will use any advantage she can when facing an opponent, which is probably a necessity when she’s fighting men who are much larger than she is. But she is also more than just a physical fighter

When her and her brother are chosen for a real mission before they have even completed their training, they find out it is not just their fighting ability, but also their musical ability that landed them the spots on the team. I love how their talent as musicians allows them to serve as spies. We get to see and learn more about them as people and their personalities during the mission.

The book really shows the characters grow and learn in the area of trust as well as realizing that they can’t take everything at face value. They learn to work with a team that includes at least one member that was not kind or likeable during their training. I enjoyed seeing the characters relationships grow as they were around each other more and learn to appreciate qualities in each other that they initially did not see.

In the way of romance, there’s not much. Yet. There does seem to be a very slow burn romance being set up for the series, but it is slow enough that there is nothing to speak of for the main characters from book one other than speculation and hints. I always find romances like this much more satisfying in the series as a whole, so I am really looking forward to finding out what happens for sure. There is another romance feature that comes on somewhat quickly, but it worked well and did not detract from the overall story. Honestly, that romance made sense to me.

So overall, this was another amazing book from Marillier. I really can’t recommend her books enough (and I can’t wait for the next installment in this series).

Juliet Marillier never disappoints. Her writing is lush and lyrical, the story full of history and myth. Liobhan and Brocc are complex characters and I'm excited to read what comes next for them.

I love Juliet Marillier and this book did not disappoint! Liobhan and Brocc are complex and likeable characters that pull you through the narrative. Marillier's writing is rich and lyrical. I can't wait to recommend this to customers.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother can play the harp and make it talk to the listeners. They both can sing beautifully. They could be bards but they want to be warriors and are training for that. Then they are chosen for a spy mission before they finish their training. Maybe this is a test...

Ace and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 3rd.

The ancient harp that must be played at the coronation of the new King has been stolen. Their assignment is to find it.

This is a magical fantasy read that flows well and makes you feel like you are part of the story.

Brocc is her brother but he's part fae. After staying with the druids for a while, he sneaks off to visit the witch lady in the woods. He thinks she might know where the harp is. She doesn't but she sets him off on another trail into the woods. He finds a wall there with no door but he hears someone singing on the other side. He begins finishing stanzas and soon he sees a crack in the wall he can get access through. When he enters he finds himself in fairy land.

This story is complex. There are unusual creatures, a dog that listens to the woman and does what she says, an enemy of Liobhan's becomes her friend, her brother finds love, and the chosen King is someone most people have forgotten about.

I enjoyed this read a lot more than I thought I would. If you like fantasy and magic, you'll like this book.

n the second half of 2014, I read Juliet Marillier for the first time. The book was Dreamer’s Pool and as soon as I closed the cover on the last page, I asked myself the question most readers ask themselves right after they finish an amazing read: Why have I waited so long to read this author? And inevitably, the next thought is: I must read more!

I know I say that a lot and I don’t always follow through, at least not right away. But something about Marillier’s writing struck me in a way that I knew I didn’t want to wait. So I decided to jump into her Sevenwaters trilogy, which again, became an instant favorite.

So here we are with The Harp of Kings and to assume I loved this as well, you'd be right. That said, This is one of those freakishly unputdownable books, you know, when you can only make yourself stop reading when you desperately need food, a bathroom break, or when, sadly, it's so late that your eyes just give out. The thing is, there's always something happening in the story, something that makes you want to keep reading because you have to know what's going to happen next, and, in my case: I just couldn't abandon the characters, because that's what it felt like every time I had to stop reading, "Oh great, now Liobhan and Brocc is all alone in the dark, I'm the worst!!"

I’m not even going to say much about the plot--this way I won’t spoil it--just that it’s a mystery involving a missing Harp. A remarkable story, with extraordinary, unforgettable characters.

This is the first book by Marillier I have read since the first two Sevenwaters titles, so can only compare to the two of them. This was outstanding against any historical fantasy, fast moving, never dragged, emotionally captivating, original - yet with those necessary elements common to folklore, with well-rounded character who most definitely grow and develop in the story, as would characters their age.
The story follows the adventures of three characters, students vying to become part of the elite warrior group of Swan Island, and told through the eyes of each of the characters chapter by chapter. Liobhan is sister to Brocc, ambitious and born to be a warrior, yet with the musical skills of her family. Brocc's background is murkier, he is a brilliant musician and composer, with warrior skills enough to take him to Swan Island. Dau comes from a chieftain's family and appears to be proud and entitled, but appearances can be deceptive. The three are sent with two experienced spies on an emergency undercover mission to find an ancient harp that must be played for the new king to be crowned. This will not be an easy or straightforward task.
This was completely enjoyable from start to finish. It is listed as "Warrior Bards #1," but is quite complete in itself. If there is crossover with the other series, it is unnecessary to the story here. I enjoyed it more than the early Sevenwaters books (which I did like quite a bit) and I highly recommend this one.
My copy is an advance readers copy from NetGalley.

Young warriors, still in their training receive an assignment far beyond their positions. THE HARP OF KINGS is missing and the new king cannot be crowned without it. Siblings, Liobhan and Brocc, both musicians, must travel undercover with fellow student, Dau, on a journey of discovery and magic. And. They. Cannot. Fail.

Juliet Marillier tells her tale with intermingled points of view, bouncing back and forth between the three main characters. Although each strand fits wonderfully within the fabric of this tale, I felt I was being told everything. High on feelings, low on action, this is definitely not a fantasy of physical adventure as much as a fantasy of personal growth.

All told, I found my interest waning when I felt things should be moving along just a little quicker or perhaps have a deeper plot, although the writing is beautiful, just not what I was hoping for after reading the blurb.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from ACE! This is my honest and voluntary review.