What a powerful story! Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors and I am always intrigued when she writes in a genre that is new to me.

I am blown away by the symbolism and hidden messages she weaves so intricately into this story. I understand Amy Harmon watches and observes our world and wisely uses her art to insert her own commentary. She has something to say and I highly encourage you to give this story a chance and listen.

Amy Harmon writing a fantasy novel? Sign me up! The First Girl Child spans a story over a 20 year period, so the build up is quite extensive. I won't go into detail about the plot, 'cause there is just so much happening.

The relationships between all the different characters, especially Bayr and Dagmar, is what truly made this story for me.

The world Amy created here was quite fascinating, and well thought out. Intrigue, betrayal, and heart, everything needed for a fascinating fantasy tale. Though romance takes a back seat here, I didn't mind because there was so much more going on that demanded your attention.

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon is a full length, standalone novel. Set in historical norse gods mythology.
Dagmar and Desdemona are siblings and destined for great things. While Desdemona became a warrior, Dagmar joined the lokal temple and became a Keeper, part of a group of a spiritual leaders.
He's able to make contact with his gods and karma has big plans with him. Plans in form of a newborn child.
The First Girl Child is a gripping story, a nailbiting, unputdownable read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat from start til the end. I can't express how much I loved the story, and the writing is more than excellent. And don't get me started with the characters. I couldn't get enough reading about them. I loved Alba and Bayr's story and wish to read more about this time period.
I highly recommend The First Girl Child and give 5++ stars.

The First Girl Child is a fantasy book with some romance. The book is divided into three parts.

I often struggle with fantasy. But I adore Amy Harmon, so I knew that I wanted to read this book.

For the most part I really enjoyed it. I was hooked by the prologue. And I found the world fairly easy to follow. But things happened pretty slowly. It wasn't until the last chapters that the story became action-packed.

There were a lot of 3rd person POVs in this book. Two of the main ones were Bayr (pronounced Bear) and Dagmar. I really appreciated that the author included a pronunciation guide. But there were 20+ names on it. I wish that there had not been that many names that were so difficult to pronounce.

The premise of this story was that a curse was made promising that there would be no more daughters born in Saylok. I thought that this was an interesting set-up for the story. And I enjoyed where the author took the story.

I was very fascinated by the Keepers of Saylok. They were charged with the protection of the forbidden runes and the succession of kings. I adored both Ivo and Dagmar (two keepers).

There was some romance in this book. But it really didn't happen until the last 1/4 of the book. But when it did happen it was great.

My favorite characters were Alba, Ghost and Bayr. Alba was just such a sweet little girl. Ghost was such a unique and fascinating woman. And Bayr was the real hero of this book.

Time went forward too quickly IMO in some chapters. It was sort of crazy how years would pass in just one paragraph. I get that some of the characters needed to age. But I think that I would have preferred to simply have the different parts of the book take place at different times.

My favorite part of this book was the last chapters. These chapters were so action-packed. And they were extremely enjoyable.

This was a story about forbidden loves. It was about family and friendship. And about breaking a curse. I adore this author. This was an interesting and different fantasy with a fascinating premise.

This is a very interesting book. I really enjoyed the mythology side of the book. I would have liked more focus on the female lead, but that is just personal preference. The characters were relatable even if they were a little one dimensional. A very enjoyable and quick book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it.

I was surprised to discover that this was fantasy, whereas I thought it was a fantasy romance based on the synopsis. There are two romances. Although they are both important to the story, they aren’t the main plot. The true focus is the family drama with Bayr and the lack of female children being born in Saylock.

I loved the new take on Norse mythology. The rune magic was fascinating although it wasn’t explored to the extent I would have liked. However, I did appreciate that there weren’t info dumps about how the magic worked.

The pacing of the story was off. It was painfully slow for most of the book. It covered the span of roughly 20 years, so there were several time jumps. Many of the huge issues could have been avoided if Dagmar had confided in others exactly what his sister did with her curse, which was incredibly frustrating. By the time those secrets were revealed to others, the pace moved too quickly.

The romances were okay. They were more about love than passion or lust. Dagmar and Ghost were well suited, and yet I didn’t really care if things worked out for them or not. The relationship with Alba and Bayr was awkward. It was in its way love at first sight, which was weird considering Alba was a baby and Bayr was 6 or so. I’m not a fan of love developing between children. Their love was purely innocent when they were young, but it was clear they had a deeper than usual connection for their age. I did want them to end up together but wish there had been more time for their relationship to develop as adults.

I read all of this author’s books for her brilliant storytelling regardless of the genres. She can write ANYTHING and I would read it. Fantasy is typically not my favorite but it is impossible not to get swept up in the author’s spells. You can get an idea of what this book entails in the backstory. I feel that it’s impossible to summarize the story because of its complexity and the depth of each characters. The story is so mysterious, magical, vivid, thought-provoking, and completely unique – something you cannot skim through. I had to pay close attention and sometimes re-read certain parts as it spans over a couple decades and I can get easily get lost in the lies, betrayal, twists, and surprises. In the background is a beautiful forbidden love story between the first girl child and the man who protects her but there is so much more…This is a poignant story about fate, sacrifice, survival, and redemption. Truly fascination and magnificent read!

OMG, seriously?!? This book was absolutely sensational!! Ms. Harmon has got some mad writing chops, for truth!

Why have I let this book sit in my TBR for so long, is the real question? I know I like to let my ARCs get close to release date...but dang...this book was a truly a gift, and it seems like it should have, I don't know--waved to me, or something--from the main Kindle screen everytime I looked for a book, LOL!

<I>The First Girl Child</I> is a standalone YA fantasy story that will keep you actively engaged from beginning until the end. The writing is superb. The characters...inspired, be they main or accessory. The plot, while one that has been done, this was an interesting twist. Seriously...it was just a great book. I didn't want to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley who provided an ecopy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars

This is another amazing book. I loved the concept and characters. I thought it was a bit long winded in the build up though.

I loved this Norse-inspired stand-alone fantasy from one of my favorite authors, Amy Harmon. Regardless of the genre she writes, her books are sure to captivate me and play on my heartstrings, and The First Girl Child was no exception. It's not my favorite book from Amy, but it's still an excellent read. I recommend it!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

A curse with far reaching consequences is crafted within the opening chapters of this novel and it is this event steeped in emotion and tragedy that shapes the narrative of the story, and thereafter a stunning tale is weaved depicting power, jealousy, betrayal, hope, sacrifice and above all else, love. Amy Harmon is a writing genius when it comes to creating unique layered worlds, whether they be in the genre of romance, history or fantasy and this story encompasses all three elements with absolute excellence. It was a joy to feel immersed in the land of warring clans and characters who were brave, who cared deeply, were principled, and had faith. Characters who developed perfectly through the timeline of the story and effortlessly pulled me into the heart of their cursed kingdom making me feel and hope and love along with them.

Bayr of Saylok and Alba are the main protagonists in a sea of compelling characters who make up the tapestry of this story, many having an equal and vital role in the rich prose of the story arc. I was utterly enamoured with the plotline and the vividly depicted world beautifully showcased by Harmon who, I feel, can turn her hand to any trope and capture my undivided attention with her penmanship. I very much hope I have the opportunity to visit the fantasy world of Saylok again and highly recommend this novel to my fellow reading addicts.

This took a little longer than I expected. I really enjoyed this historical fiction fantasy novel, which also had touches to romance. It felt really natural to read and I found myself lost in such a wonderful world. Originally, the aspect that brought me into this novel was the setting, a Norse mythology inspired fictional island separated into clans, which are all headed by a king and a group of “seekers”(basically priests but with magic powers). I got a little nervous once I saw some of Amy Harmon’s other books, which are a little more contemporary than I usually like, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The plot revolves around this island where a woman curses the men, as she is dying after childbirth, so that they will no longer have any female children. After a decade, one clan’s chieftain claims he has birthed a girl and he is made king. As his treachery and lies are the bedrock of his throne, the entire kingdom is on the brink of crashing down.

My favourite part of the novel was the magnificent character work. Every character was so interesting to read about and each had their own personality. The members of each clan take the same initial letter of their parent of the same gender’s name, for example Dred’s son is Dagmar. Initally I thought that would make all the characters sound the same and make them indistinguishable, but due to Harmon’s impecable characters I had no trouble.

The writing style was pretty good throughout and there were some funny moments mixed into it that really jazzed up the writing. There were a few examples of purposely changed words into their archaic versions, mayhaps instead of perhaps, which was confusing at the beginning but normalized by the end.

The romance was a little predictable, and this book definitely falls into the the-plot-revolves-around-a-miscommunication trope, so if you’re not a fan of that trope than this book is not for you. I didn’t really mind it but it does affect the story considerably.

There were so many strong female characters and I really enjoyed the emphasis on the importance of women. Throughout the novel women are seen as independent and effectively make themselves equal to men by the end of the novel. That does not mean that there are not times where women are treated as defenseless, but most of the times where women were introduced they were positively portrayed.

The magic system, which is based on blood and runes, is quite interesting, but by the middle of the book is just treated like an everyday occurrence. I was quite funny when Dagmar drew a rune to keep women out of his room though.

Overall this book was solid all the way through and it made me want to rethink some of her other novels. Do you think I should give them a chance? Leave a comment down below and Happy Reading!

4.5 stars

I normally have a hard time getting into fantasy books because of the world building. I find it makes for a slow read. The world building in this book is spread throughout and makes for a well-paced story. This was beautifully written and the story pulled me in. I loved all the characters and everything they brought to the story. The story flowed well and the pace picked up towards the end. Amy brought everything together and gave the story the perfect ending.

I always enjoy going into the worlds Amy Harmon creates, its no secret I have loved all her fantasy books ( The Bird and the Sword is pure perfection and I do not use that word lightly!) The story revolves around the curse placed by Bayr's mother; Desdemona.

The impact of which has far reaching consequences; some so tragic that I don't think even poor Desdemona would have truly wished it with her dying breath. She is only in the story for a short while (and the reason why I gave a 4.5 for plot, I wanted to know so much more of this fierce Shield Maiden who had such a thirst for life we saw it shining out of her even as a child, but I understood the need for it so I did not mark it down too much, to be honest I feel mean by even lowering it by 0.5!)

The curse affects the whole of Saylok, and as the story progresses we are introduced to more characters, this I thought was done especially well, I was not lost or confused, rather each character kept enriching the story.

We are introduced to Dagmar with his warriors body and the gentle soul of a keeper (A monk-like role). Ghost, a seemingly helpless captive, stolen from her native country by the marauding Saylok Clans. Bayr the orphan who grows up in the temple, and of course Alba, the girl who even as she is held up to be the salvation of the clans but still is no less a captive than Ghost. With seamless interweaving of their point of views, the world of Saylok is brought to life in all its vivid harshness.

The Norse mythology was engrossing, and the marauding aspects of viking life was informative. Blood and rune magic has always been fascinating to me it was not at all surprising that a brutal way of life would produce such a violent form of magic and it was interesting to see how it was used manipulated and used by the characters.

The writing is simply poetic, and a joy to read. I enjoyed this immensely. It kept me engaged from start to finish. The story was so rich and full of wonderful characters that the world fully came to life in my mind.

VERDICT: This is a beautifully crafted gem of a story, the world building is superb, the characters are well rounded and believable and the plot was so richly done that I was never bored. Though Bayr and Alba's story was beautifully concluded I would love to visit this world again and perhaps follow some of the other characters. Highly recommend to all!

"Within the walls and behind the Temple doors lives an unexpected salvation—a girl."

Amy Harmon is one of those author's that writes pure poetry and this is no exception. The First Girl Child is an immersive and vivid fantasy book that I could not put down. There is so much to absorb from the book, so many themes and such an amazing story, I don't even know what to say about the book except read it. If you love fantasy novels, read it because it is a book that is indescribable and I know this review doesn't do the book justice but it's hard to put something so good in to words. From Norse mythology to memorable characters (Ghost, OMG), set the time to read this and don't plan on doing anything else.

Amy is one of the most talented writers I know. She never disappoints. It doesn't matter what genre she is diving into her books are well thought out, researched and touch your soul.

I was immediately immersed in this story. It's more of a "tale" really and I loved it. It was well paced, action packed and will devastate you before it turns around and heals you.

4.5 Stars!!!

This fantasy takes place in the land of Saylok, Created by Odin for his son Saylok who loved nature and animals..

"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."

This is the situation of women of Saylok at that time... The story starts when Desdemona, a woman warrior is abandoned by her lover!! Desdemona curses the land of Saylok when she dies leaving her son Bayr to be raised by her brother Dagmar, Keeper of Saylok..

The First Girl Child is the story of betrayal and Revenge of a wronged woman; the story of a mother's sacrifice to protect her child. Its a story of Betrayal, Revenge, Sacrifice, Power and Love..

I loved the fantasy world created by the author with kings, Gods, Keepers, Magic and Runes.
Every character had a purpose and depth to them - From Dagmar n Bayr to Alba, Ghost and Ivo...
The story pace was neither fast nor slow.. The end was full of action, emotional and thrilling...

Amy Harmon is an author who can write any genre with so much conviction.. This book is no exception and her writing was absolutely beautiful!!

I want to thank 47North and NetGalley for sending me an arc for an honest review!

Captivating, intriguing and totally worth reading! The fantasy and world building was incredible. This story was so unique and fascinating. I loved the Nordic kings, gods and mythological aspects of this book. I really recommend this book!

There were so many things that felt different for me reading this book in such a good way. Especially with the setting, vikings, clans, warriors, Norse Mythology that its an untouched subject I don't think I have come across before or maybe its just been a few years. Towards the end though everything felt rushed. I highly applaud Amy for embarking on a Fantasy journey. I STILL enjoyed it. I also thought Rob did a good job narrating.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

***Thank you to 47North for the ARC****

This will be available in August, though copies were still available on Netgalley last I checked.

This was a solid three stars for me. It was an enjoyable read for me - with an engaging story and well developed world. That being said, I kept wanting... I guess... more depth for the characters.

Things I liked: The keepers and the world building. I loved the clans and descriptions of nature. I really loved the runes and the concept of rune-blood.

Things I didn't like so much: Bayr and Alba edged a bit too close to Mary Sue and Gary Stu-ism for comfort for me. Additionally, the main antagonist felt rather one dimensional; no one is just 100% evil - at a minimum, they think what they are doing is right. Unfortunately, I found myself thinking many of the characters just felt rather empty. Finally, I just felt like the whole: curse in the name of suffering women, but then the curse causes mainly women to suffer idea fell a bit flat. It just seemed to miss somewhat, in whatever point it was trying to make, I guess?

All together, I enjoyed this, but far less than some other of Amy Harmon's books and series.