OH EM GEE. Amy Harmon has SLAYED once again. This book was everything I expected and hoped it would be. Pick it up. Love it. Live it. Read it again and again.

This book is full of everything! I absolutely loved it from beginning to end. I've been a huge Amy Harmon fan for many years, and this change of story style, doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a story about strong females, with a viking feel. So, so good!

** I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.**
This is the first fantasy novel that I have read from this author. I have read her other books and loved them so I was excited to try out this new book from her.
Her lyrical writing style is just so beautiful. I am always taken in by her turn of phrase. With all of the mythological elements, the book has an interesting base. It is a good story but it does drag. There are places when I felt like I was in the fire swamp, slugging through the quicksand just to get two lines of meaningful story.
It took me awhile to read this book, which is very unusual for me. It is a good story, just weighed down with a lot of extraneous information

I‘m going to be completely honest here... I don’t know wether I loved this book or disliked it. It was not what I expected at all, and even weeks after finishing it I’m confused about it. I’ll definitely write a more cohesive review at some point, but right now I can’t gather my thoughts...
But I think about ”The First Girl Child“ a lot, and definitely recommend reading it.

Once again Amy Harmon delivers a masterpiece. Her words are poetry, her stories, fantasy. The First Girl Child is a story about power, about love, about the power of love. The characters are multidimensional and you feel like they are real. From the first page, you need to now what will happens next. You need to see the good in the world win. Read it, it'll stay with you forever.

I look forward to every new release from Amy Harmon, but this book just wasn't for me unfortunately. One of the things I enjoy about Amy Harmon is the way she can write so well in different genres, but this fantasy felt flat to me. I didn't care about the characters, and everything felt very slow until the very end. The ending did work well for me, and those last few chapters were my favorite of the entire book. Part of my disappointment was just my own expectations, and I think this could be a great choice for people who like their historical fantasies heavily grounded in history and light on the fantasy.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book in exchange for a review!

It was a very good book! It had Nordic kings and gods, it was full of the magic of the mythology, it was powerful and poetic and beautiful!
I absolutely loved it!

Amy Harmon weaves magic with words, she has a way to enthral you with the story and characters, and for me she has outdone herself with this title. The pace of the plot, the plot itself, the characters, the relationships between them, the worldbuilding... All of it made The First Girl Child a page turning novel.

Amy Harmon is one of those authors that I have heard only good things about. Due to the gigantic TBR list and the lack of organization, I haven’t read any of her books yet. So when I noticed The First Girl Child on NetGalley labeled as ‘Read Now’, I took it as a sign.

What Did I Like?

✔ The fast pace of the plot. With 13 novels under her belt, Amy Harmon is a veteran of literally battles. Her experience is evident in practiced, even pacing and good tempo of the plot. The First Girl Child covers about 20 years of events in 400 tightly-packed pages.

✔ Vikings are one of the ethnic groups that hold a certain appeal to me. Yes, I know that most of the people see them as big brutes. But I always regard Vikings as great, inspirational warriors.

“This is not a world where a man or a woman gets much choice into their happiness. We are born into war and each day is a battle.”

✔ Norse mythology is a given if the novel is about Vikings. But Amy Harmon gave it her unique twist. She invented Saylok, the son of Odin, and created fictional Viking tribes who worshiped him. And additionally, there is a hint of Christianity mixed in.

✔ A rich culture that is full of unique rituals and superstitions. Since my knowledge about Vikings is not substantial, I could not tell which of the customs are invented and which ones are authentic. But Amy Harmon wove a bunch of small details to paint a full picture of people of Saylok. For example: how the length of warriors braids corresponds to the longevity of the king’s reign.
Blood magic featuring utilization of runes. It fits the Vikings’ culture perfectly.

“Blood was the only thing earth answered to. Blood represented sacrifice, and the earth would not trade her secrets for anything less.”

✔ Multiple POVs offered different aspects of the same events and made me feel close not only to one but to a bunch of main characters. Nothing helps you feel close to someone, like hearing their thoughts, dreams, and fears.

✔ The Chosen One cliche is one of the most used ones in speculative fiction. So, Amy Harmon decided to make the hero a little bit less perfect by giving him a stutter (among other flaws).

✔ Large and small scale drama. Most of the fantasy books deal with some crisis that threatens a country, and The First Girl Child is not an exception. But through the narration of multiple characters, I could also see how these problems affect their lives. Although these personal tragedies seem smaller, they affected me more deeply. For example love of a mother for her child (Ghost) or allegiance of a brother to his sister (Dagmar)…

“Be careful what you fear,” Ivo replied, grave. “We draw the attention of the fates when our fear grows too loud. The fates are cruel, and they will reward you with what you fear most.”

✔ Not too dark. I have read a lot of modern fantasy novels lately and there seems to be a competition how bloody they can get. This is especially true if warriors like Vikings are the subject. So, while the events described in The First Girl Child are unquestionably brutal, I didn’t find it too grim.

What I Didn’t Like?

While I can’t point at anything that I did not like in The First Girl Child, I am still giving this novel 4 stars. For me, 5 stars are reserved only for the absolute favorites that I could read over and over again.

My Rating: ★★★★☆

The First Girl Child was a pleasant journey to the time of Vikings where the magic was bloody and the warriors were fierce. I warmly recommend it if you like a historical fantasy set in this time period.

Amy Harmon definitely piqued my interest with The First Girl Child. In Afterword, she wrote that she hopes there will be more stories set in Saylok. I hope so too. But until then, I am already contemplating which book from her wide opus should I read next. So far, I am leaning toward The Bird and the Sword Chronicles.

I rarely read fantasy but when I saw that The First Girl Child was from Amy Harmon, I didn't think twice about picking it up because I love her writing. She did not disappoint, creating a wonderful plot inspired by Norse mythology full of intrigue, curses, betrayals, struggles, adventures, wisdom and action. Not to mention two exciting backdrop romances.

It was wonderful to follow the journey of Dagmar, Ghost, Alba and Bayr. Early on we learned of Bayr's mother Desdemona's relationship with her brother Dagmar, showing her impetuousness and his strength in defying his father who wanted him to be a clan warrior rather than a temple guardian, a keeper.

Then we follow Bayr's life, all his shyness, obedience, sweetness, and strength, remembering Samson and Moses, biblical characters.

Finally, we saw the struggle of a people against a tyrant and traitor capable of everything for power just like medieval movies.


Fantastic and engaging from start to finish.

Every book I pick up by this author I find I can't put down and The first Girl Child is no exception. Bayr and Alba's story set amongst the myths and legends of Saylok is intriguing and as always beautifully written by this exceptionally talented Author. You want to know what is going to happen as their lives become more and more entangled and the actions of others from long ago begin to be revealed with dire consequences. If you're a fan of Norse Mythology you will love The First Girl Child even if you're not stick with it it's so worth the read.

It’s not too too often you’ll come across a book where you’re almost completely left speechless or unsure of even how to go about leaving a review without spoilers.

All you need to know is that any review I can come up with will not do it justice. It’s just one of those books you’ll never forget. It was just that good. I don’t think 5 stars is fair, I’d really like to give it 6 stars. It was absolutely spell binding, just epic!

WOW

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and Amy Harmon, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own and are completely unbiased.

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon inspired this post. It’s a heavily researched new novel that is perfection for anyone who loves this type of book. It tells the story of a cursed village and it’s clan. The characters jump right off the pages and the intricate plot makes it unputdownable. And no worries, it has a slow build of a romance that pulls at your heartstrings. I want to hug all of my favorite characters every time something happens to them that i was not ready for. It is a journey and one that is unforgettable.

I have a book hangover from reading this. I can't get the world or the characters out of my head. She made everything come to life for me. This is my first Amy Harmon book, but it won't be my last.

In this story, Amy Harmon has created a magical world that will leave you wanting more. Bayr is born in a land cursed by his mother, but he is destined for great things. Alba is the first girl that is born in years, but her birth is shroud in deception. The tale is captivating and unpredictable. The female role in this story is powerful and love triumphs. This is not my usual genre but you can’t go wrong with this author. Amy’s words flow beautifully and capture every character’s emotion perfectly. Take your time reading and get lost in a whole new world.

This book was soo good! I loved the characters, the world and the magic. I'll have to write a longer review later, because this book has left me too emotional!
**
I really loved how this book felt like a good example of viking 'home' culture - not out raiding. I'm no expert, but there were several fact that I remember learning at school that were referred to, which made me like the book even more. There was also a lot of cool magic, rune magic, which I would love to learn more of, maybe I have to become a keeper!
I loved Dagmar, and Bayr, Alba, and Ghost.
This book deserves so much more hype. If you like vikings, and magic and don't mind it being a bit bloody at times, read it!

Sometimes a book will cross your path that leaves you wondering how to write a review without spilling the secrets hidden between the covers. Anytime I pick up an Amy Harmon book, I get that feeling that I might gush so much I will ruin the nuance for other readers. No matter the genre, Harmon expresses her writing style with such finesse and creativity. There really isn’t a genre that Harmon tackles that doesn’t lead me into a world of beauty, connectivity, and the treat of such amazing characters.

The First Girl Child leads readers into a world that has been cleverly crafted around Norse mythology. The time frame spreads out for more than 20 years. Saylok wasn’t just a Kingdom on paper. Harmon wrote this story in a way that made the fantasy as believable as any reader could imagine. The secondary characters felt just as important as the main characters in the novel, a feat that isn’t easy to create. This tale set in a time of kingdoms, curses, and magical powers will lead you to uncover just how important loyalty and devotion is to your life.

I want to applaud Harmon for crafting a world that a reader wants to stay in for almost thirty years and follow these characters around. I thoroughly enjoyed TFGC and could NOT put it down. Definitely a must read.

This is one of the hardest reviews I have written this year.

Amy Harmon has been a HUGE influence on my reading over the last 5 years. I've read all of her books, and especially her YA novels mean the world to me. I really enjoyed her other fantasy series as well, but unfortunately The First Girl Child didn't work for me. I actually waited to see if the audiobook would make a difference, but not even that changed the fact that I didn't care about this story.

Seeing all the 5 star reviews, it's clear to me that this is definitely a ME and not the book kind of situation. I'm incredibly sad, and bummed out that this book didn't work for me. But I'm also happy that it's such a success story!!!

DNF

I struggle to write a review for this because I can’t do the book justice. The story Harmon wove and the characters she brought to life sunk deep into my soul. It was a slow-burn invasion, but consuming nonetheless.

The First Girl Child is a tale loosely based on Norse mythology that takes several main characters on a 20 year long journey through birth, death, love, heartache, joy, and self-discovery.

There are four main characters: Bayr, a boy we watch become a man throughout the book. His heartbroken and love scorned mother cursed the land with her dying breath, promising that her son would be Saylok’s salvation.
—I’d just like to note that Bayr is so perfectly written. I haven’t fallen in love with a character so completely since Archer Hale (Archer’s Voice).

Alba, a girl presented as the first born daughter since the curse began, and whom Bayr has sworn to protect.

Dagmar, officially, a keeper of Saylok, who is entrusted to help keep the balance of the kingdom. Unofficially, a keeper of secrets that could crumble the kingdom.

Ghost, a woman of many faces; a slave, a mother, a shepherd, a teacher, a protector.

Sometimes having a multiple POV cast can lessen the emotional attachment the reader has to the characters, but I can assure you that is certainly not the case here. I felt every blow alongside the warriors, the mental weight the Keepers carried, the heartache of the daughter of Saylok, and the anguish of a parent unable to protect their child.

Every character, main and supporting, was so well developed I felt a connection with them all. It was clear that Harmon thought out every single supporting character introduced and gave them their own layered backstory, even if we only saw snippets of it.

As I mentioned above, this is a slow-burn book. There are stretches of character development without any action, but the characters are so engrossing it works for the story. I strongly recommend this book for any lover of fantasy, mythology, and epic love tales.

A note about the romance: while the underlying theme is love, it is not just romantic, and none of it is explicit.