The first thing you need to know about the one who is writing this review is that few authors hold my interest with the same magnetic pull of Juliet Marillier. If I was ever to consider “must-read authors” as an immutable concept, Marillier would be one of those most highly regarded on such a list.

As such, it’s safe to say that any time I decide to venture into one of her stories, my longing for her richly built historical fantasies irrevocably amounts to certain high expectations. Such things are perhaps unfair (in their extent) to the author, but I am proud to announce that, every single time, Marillier conquers the delivery of remarkable tales of courage brought alive by magic. A Dance with Fate was an incredible addition to those tales.

Whereas the first book in the author’s latest Warrior Bards series represented a lesson in communal resilience brought about by unity and trust among a coordinated group, its sequel, though no less daring, explores all the ways a person can find strength in another and themselves when they believe all hope has been stolen. 

At the beginning of our story, Dau suffers a grave injury that alters the course of what he and Liobhan believe to be an unobstructed path towards their desired place in the Swan Island community. 

They will soon find that such paths are hardly ever straightforward, as Dau’s injury ushers in his past, and with it, his lingering demons. Dau and Liobhan must unite stronger than ever and assure neither of them falls prey to unspeakable darkness. 

Brocc is not forgotten in this story, as he also battles uncertainties and fears of his own; for his newfound family, for his people. His is a tale tightly interwoven with the magical folklore that sets Marillier’s work apart from any other in its genres. 

All of our characters find themselves forced to discover the joys, freedom, and afflictions of opening oneself up to comfort.

From the first page, it’s plain to see that while The Harp of Kings brokered its fair amount of challenges, the sequel presents more intimate quests centring on the theme of family, as well as a timely discussion on the dangers of frighteningly manipulative men of influence.

Marillier plays grief like the strings of a harp; tightly-coiled, posed to break your heart with the echoes of a sorrowful song. Her storytelling skills infuse every scene with such raw emotion that, slowly and steadily, every scene tethers itself around your heart, linking you to this story and its characters. 

Marillier may be a grand folklorist, capable of enthralling even the most skeptic of readers with her fascinating lore, but her mastery has always lied in the craft of her extraordinary characters. They have always been the driving engine behind the elegant fables and myths that so enchant readers of the author’s expert storytelling. 

In this particular story, men cry openly and freely, which doesn’t account to shatter some illusory concept of strength, but rather testifies to the solidity of their character. Women are caretakers, powerful warriors, mothers. All carry the flawed, incomplete, compelling attributes of more than characters made of ink, rather, they become people born of realistic imagination. 

The author knows exactly where to end and begin each POV as to make the reader quickly fly through the story in an edge-of-your-set excitement to unravel what comes next. Despite this being quite a long book, I devoured it expeditiously.

I only wish Dau’s predicament had come to a more satisfying and dignified resolution, as I found the conclusion added to disparaging narratives concerning people and their disabilities. 

A Dance with Fate earns its title well by the way it fills you with uncertainty over its conclusions, even as it lifts your spirits. It’ll call to any reader who prizes a heartfelt story of folklore and emotional character development.

Return to the world of Juliet Marillier’s Warrior Bards, where the uncanny can be found by those who know where to look and where the bonds of love and friendship are the greatest weapon against the darkest of hearts. A Dance with Fate is full of struggle and sorrow, but balanced with hope and triumph. It’s a bridge book and has the ups and downs of being the middle story, but it’s balanced by Ms. Marillier’s addictive prose. I made the mistake of starting this book late in the day and I was up reading until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, then immediately went back to finish the next morning.

Three seasons have passed since the events of The Harp of Kings and Liobhan and Dau are in their final display bout on Swan Island when things go horribly wrong. An accident leaves Dau blinded and forced to a return to Oakhill, a place of nightmares where he was tortured by his evil brothers for most of his childhood. As recompense for her part in the accident, Liobhan goes as well to serve a bonded servant for one year. It’s immediately clear that all is not right at Oakhill. Dau’s eldest brother is truly evil and there are mysteries Liobhan and Dau must uncover as they fight to stay alive. The fight is harder for Dau, a warrior struggling to cope with his new life without sight. Dau broke my heart in this book. The memories at Oakhill have vicious teeth and he bleeds from old wounds and new. I wanted to see Dau come back to himself, but it’s difficult. Liobhan doesn’t give up on him, though. While there are those who would seek to hurt her, Liobhan is good at making friends and allies wherever she goes. She’s quick, smart, skilled, and fierce, which I just love about her. She has a generous heart to match her mind and spirit and it was easy to get lost in her story. She and Dau go through a lot (to be more detailed would spoil the story) but I was rooting for them every step of the way. It would be remiss of me to not mention that the connection between Liobhan and Dau that was apparent in the previous book grows over the course of this story. The love story that is developing between them is understated but still intriguing.

Meanwhile, in the Otherworld we have Brocc, Liobhan’s half-fey adopted brother. Brocc is wrestling with missing his family while finding his place as husband to Eirne, the half-fey queen. Brocc is looking into the Crow Folk, the mysterious, violent creatures who have been attacking people both in the Otherworld and human realm. Brocc’s compassion and understanding are what I love best about him and it is those traits that clue him into the fact that there’s more to the Crow Folk than meet the eye. How this plays out, I cannot wait to see. But as much as I like Brocc, his chapters were the weakest for me in A Dance with Fate. When he’s away from Eirne, Brocc shines. But with her, he’s muted and sometimes forced to tamp down on the more human part of him. With events ending as they did, I desperately hope Ms. Marillier gives him a satisfying ending.

Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc face challenges unlike any before in A Dance with Fate, but they are growing confident in themselves and what they stand for. I cannot wait to see what they do in the next Warrior Bards book!

4.5 stars
I'm so glad I grabbed The Harp of Kings and read it before I started this book. I would have missed out on so much great backstory and perspective had I not. And coming in with my investment in the characters, I enjoyed this second installment of the Warrior Bards series even more than the first.

Like book one, the narrative is split three ways in the POVs of Brocc, Liobhan, and Dau. I kind of thought that with the way we left Brocc, he'd be out of the picture, but no. Instead, he's got his own story in Faerie running congruent with his sister and friend's happenings in the human world.

As the story begins, Dau is accidentally blinded in an exhibition fight with Liobhan. The Swan Island trainers, having no idea of his fraught relationship with his family, reach out to his father who demands he return home. On top of that, Liobhan is summoned to work as a servant for a year to pay penance for her part in what happened. Though she's innocent, she goes to protect her friend from the sadistic brother who tormented him in his youth.

Like in the last book, Liobhan stole the show as a main character. She is fierce and loyal and charming in her way. I adored her unwillingness to back down from any situation, no matter how hard it wears on her. Dau is also incredibly sympathetic as this strong man who is forced back into an untenable situation by circumstances. He questions whether he's even able to go on at times. And his dynamic and growing bond with Liobhan is great stuff.

Brocc... well, I'll admit I got a little annoyed every time we cut away to his story. It turned out to be relevant before the end of the book, but his storyline didn't wow me the way the other one did.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. And I'm excited to get one more installment in the trilogy. Hopefully, we'll get to spend a little time with Blackthorn and Grim before we're all done.

On Swan Island, Liobhan and Dau are about to become Swan Island warriors, but, in their last display bout, Dau is accidentally blinded. Unable to tell the extent of the damage, the leaders of Swan Island call for Dau's estranged family, unaware of the dark past of the family Dau fled. His family blames Liobhan for Dau's blindness and demands she spend a year with them as a bond servant. To protect her friend, she agrees, but both are unprepared for the dark secrets lurking around Oakhill and the danger they stumble into. Meanwhile, Brocc has settled into life with the Fair Folk, protecting them from the Crow Folk. But, when they discover the Crow Folk being cruelly tortured and murdered, Brocc suspects something greater, leading him into danger.

Don't worry; I read the first book first this time! The Harp of Kings was a surprise approval on Netgalley for me, and I thoroughly loved it. I had no doubt I would love the second book as well, so was excited to be approved for A Dance with Fate and couldn't wait to return to Swan Island and the lives of Liobhan, Brocc, and Dau, as well as the formerly acrimonious relationship between Liobhan and Dau that had begun to evolve.

The Plot: About a Family

This is really the story of a family being set right. After years of pain, horrors, lies, and secrets, the family is given a chance to heal, if only Liobhan and Dau can uncover what's been going on and seek the real truth.

It all started during a display bout right before they were to become full-fledged Swan Island warriors. It was an accident that Dau was blinded, but his family decided to lay the blame on Liobhan, forcing her to become a bond servant for a year. It was heartbreaking to see their dreams ripped away from them, to see the friends potentially heading in different directions once Liobhan's year at Oakhill was over.

But Liobhan is Liobhan. Headstrong and protective to a fault, she somehow manages to become a companion and nursemaid to Dau, whether he wants her around or not. It felt a little too easy and made the whole story somehow less difficult for the characters, but it was also heartwarming to see them get to know each other in a more intimate way.

Meanwhile Brocc is in the Otherworld with his bride Eirne. The Crow Folk are still a menace and seriously wound True, one of the Fair Folk, forcing the two to travel on a journey in search of a cure. Curiously, the Crow Folk are absent from Oakhill even though they've been found brutally mutilated and tortured near the border with the Otherworld. It doesn't take long for Liobhan to incite the ire and cruel nature of Dau's older brother Seanan, and to simultaneously discover the answers her brother has been asking while unlocking the secrets in Dau's family. But, of course, nothing is ever easy for Liobhan.

In comparison to the first book, A Dance with Fate seemed far more straightforward and not as full of danger and machinations. At it's heart, it was about finding redemption for a family while also moving the overarching story to the series along. It moved along at a decent pace, but I also felt it took a little too long sometimes and I couldn't help but feel a little impatient. I did like that the relationships deepened and changed, but the story felt a little lackluster.

The Characters: Exactly as I Left Them

I loved the characters in The Harp of Kings. Liobhan was so head strong, so stubborn, so fierce. I loved everything about her. Brocc, the harpist, was softer compared to his sister. Though a fierce warrior, he has some Otherworld blood in him, making him a masterful musician with a magical song. Dau was cocky and almost off-putting, but he evolved so much during the first book that I became sympathetic towards him as Liobhan and the reader come to understand him. He's talented and dutiful with a fierce loyalty to those he cares about. I couldn't wait to return to them all in A Dance with Fate.

The characters were all as I remembered them. They were wonderfully fun and fierce. Liobhan was fiery as usual, and too curious for her own good. But she really has a soft spot for those she cares about and I loved that she was willing to go the distance to do what was right. She has a strong backbone, but it often got her into trouble. There were times when I felt like cringing at her actions, but I still loved that she was unflinchingly herself. Dau was a little more complicated, though he still managed to show he was every inch a Swan Island warrior even while blind. It was heartbreaking to see him blinded and having to come to grips with his entire world and life changing. I wasn't a fan of how he wanted to give up so easily and his resolve to keep going because of a promise to Liobhan felt a little thin, but I also saw him be fiercely loyal to his friend and compatriot, and it definitely painted him in a much better light. I was a little sad to not see much of Brocc, and was quite curious to see how his story line would converge with Liobhan and Dau's. However, I felt a little torn to see Brocc pulled by two different loyalties, making me constantly wonder if he was making the right choices.

At the end of The Harp of Kings, Liobhan and Dau's relationship evolved for the better. I was delighted to see more forward progress in the book. It was definitely more of a slow burn, taking tiny steps forward. It felt beautiful and natural, though I did feel Dau's feelings came on a little too strong in an interesting contrast to the first book. For most of the book, I delighted in their relationship, but then it seemed to hit double fast forward by the end and it just lost me. Now, though, I'm wondering how they'll progress in the next book.

The Setting: Dau's Family Home

Since Dau is injured early on, most of the book takes place at Oakhill, Dau's family home. His father is a chieftain, so the grounds and the family home are large and expansive with a number of servants moving about. It did make me think of a medieval holding, with a number of different areas to it, like the gardens and stables.

Oakhill itself seemed like a perfectly normal, bustling estate, but there was also something sinister about it, not so much in how it looked, but in how the people behaved. It felt like whispers were everywhere, secrets hiding around every corner. It held a mysterious air that made it feel unwelcoming. I think the people definitely made the setting, though Oakhill itself felt clear in my mind.

Overall: Great for Relationship Progression

I loved that the characters were the same. They were exactly as I liked them and exactly as they had been left off after the first book. It was fun to see their relationships grow and evolve, but it also felt like that was the entire point of the book. Since it takes place at Dau's family home and is about repairing his family, it felt like something of an aside to the greater story, not that I know what that is, but it was quite different from the first book where the story revolved around a Swan Island mission. Still, this was a fun book, if only for the character development and the progression of their relationships. I adored Liobhan and Dau together, but was sorely missing Brocc.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ace-Berkley Publishing Group for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-a-dance-with-fate-by-juliette-marillier/

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2020/09/01/a-dance-with-fate-by-juliet-marillier/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

Juliet Marillier is  an author I always enjoy.  <strong>A Dance with Fate</strong> continues with the primary perspectives being Dau, Liobahn and Brocc.  As with the first book, I struggled a bit to get going. It felt like the first 20% of the book took me 3 days to read and then I finished the rest in a day or so.  It might have helped me to reread <strong>The Harp of Kings</strong>, since it was a year ago I started this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/215913-warrior-bards" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Warrier Bards</strong></em></a> trilogy. I would not read these alone or out of order.

All three of our main characters faced rather dire circumstances in this tale.  They were strong and compassionate and worked hard themselves but some others were not helpful or kind. The fae are always difficult.  In <strong>The Harp of Kings</strong>, Brocc learned more of his heritage and found love and a new life.  Now he has to adjust to that marriage and life. It's not just his wife and community, but the outside threats to learn.

Dau undergoes a trauma and ends up having to go back to his family and the past horrors there. Liobahn will not let him face it alone, but it is a grave challenge.  It was not a good place for Dau when he was young and it has not really improved.  Dau manages to grow a lot personally, learning much more compassion and a different kind of control.  Liobahn also adapts to working hard and being unobtrusive.

Music did not play as large a role. There were more politics, and class distinctions.   By the end, everyone is headed home. The strange Crow creatures are still an issue in both worlds  and that seems to be the next mystery.  I hope for a better start to the final book with the world and characters well in mind.  I'm intrigued to know more about the Crow folk and the relationships of our three.  I still hope we may get a scene with Grim & Blackthorn.  I'm so glad to be back in this world.

Master storyteller Juliet Marillier has once again succeeded in getting into my heart with the continuing story of Liobhan, Dau and Broc. These characters became family for the brief time I was reading their story. When they hurt, I hurt. When they laughed, I smiled. When they loved, I smiled even more!

Chapters alternate viewpoints between Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc. Brocc has married the queen of the Otherworld and uses his warrior training and singing voice to protect the peaceful creatures from the crow people. When he discovers a disturbing death of one of the crow people, things start to change between Brocc and his wife, Eirne. At one point, Brocc suffers a personal loss that will surely have long lasting effects. Not all these effects are witnessed in this book, so I am certain there will be more to come in the next book.

In the meantime, Dau and Liobhan are struggling with their new roles as invalid chieftain son and bond servant in a place where both suffer at the hands of Dau’s older brother. There is more going on here than is obvious. Dau and Liobhan will be in the center of the mess to come. There will be much to learn and much to make better. And there will be a redemption.

In The Harp of Kings, the beginnings of a romance between Liobhan and Dau hinted at more to come. In A Dance With Fate, that ‘more to come’ means that the two come to care for each other, while realizing that the warrior’s life means they cannot be together.

A Dance With Fate is often heartbreaking. At times I wondered if even wanted to continue because I knew it was going to get worse before it got better. But as an experienced Juliet Marillier reader, I knew that eventually, the heartbreak would be eased and be replaced with beauty and magic, hope and happiness.

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

You can never go wrong with a Marillier title. I will say I didn't like this series quite as much as Sevenwaters or The Caller it was still beautifully written and a nice escape.

4.5 stars (release date 9-1-2020)

You can read all of my reviews at NerdGirlLovesBooks.

This is the second book in the exciting "Warrior Bards" book series. There is plenty of action, intrigue and suspense in this riveting book. I couldn't put it down, and even though it's 512 pages, I read it in 3 days. I cannot WAIT to see what happens next!

The story begins as Liobhan and Dau are about to finish their Swan Island training. Part of the celebration includes exhibition fights between the trainees. Liobhan and Dau's bout is hand-to-hand combat, best 2 out of 3 wins. Each wins a bout, and during the third fight Dau stumbles backward and strikes his head hard on the ground. He's immediately knocked out and seriously injured. When he finally awakes, he is blind and suffers from severe headaches.

Dau's family is notified of his injury while he's still incapacitated. Liobhan knows that Dau would not want his estranged family notified and would never want to return to the dysfunctional and dangerous home. The leaders of Swan Island do not listen to Liobhan and his family travels to Dau. A member of the contingent is Dau's older brother, and chief tormentor, Seanan. An informal trial is held and although all of the witness insist that Dau's injury was an accident, his family demands compensation. Swan Island pays a large sum to Dau's family for his injury, and Liobhan agrees to serve one year in Dau's household as a bond servant. Dau is distraught and it takes all of Liobhan's training to talk him off the ledge.

Once at Dau's home, they discover that Seanan has not changed and continues to torment both Dau and Liobhan. As the duo get familiar with the household, and the people in it, they discover there are some strange, and possibly deadly, things going on. As the days pass by, Dau and Liobhan have no choice but to find out what is going on at the homestead. This, of course, puts both their lives in danger.

Meanwhile, Brocc is not adjusting to life in the Otherworld as well as he thought he would. His wife, and queen, is acting cold and distant, and her clan are still plagued with attacks by the Crow Folk. There are definitely some mysterious activities going on in the Otherworld. The author gives us just enough background information that it seems she is setting us up for a larger storyline in perhaps the next book.

I loved this book. The story is gripping and will certainly have you reading well past your bedtime. The author's writing style is so good that reading her books is effortless. You feel like your listening to a master storyteller weaving an epic tale. Even though there was plenty of worldbuilding in the first book, the author expertly sneaks in additional worldbuilding throughout this book that adds even more depth to the story.

I was able to really feel Dau's frustration and despair as he contemplates a life without sight. I fretted along with Liobhan as she watches her strong, determined friend tortured by his injuries and limitations. Dau's menacing brother Seanan appears only sporadically in the book, which only serves to increase tension. He was a fun villain to hate.

If you haven't read any of Marillier's books, what's wrong with you?! You need to start right away! This is a great series to start with that doesn't require you to have read any of her previous series to understand everything that is going on. And while you're waiting for book 3, you can go back and read all of the authors other books. :-)

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

This second installment in the series did not disappoint. I felt like we got a lot of character and relationship development in this one, while also learning more about the overall plot with the crow folk and Swan Island. I really struggled the most with Brocc's wife in this story, but otherwise, I really enjoyed what was happening. It was a nice steady pace. I wasn't bored reading it, and I didn't feel like it suffered from Second Book Syndrome either.
If you enjoyed the first book, then this second book will still be enjoyable for you!

I lost interest in this title before I reached the 20% mark. It became significantly political and repetitive. I'm sorry that I could not enjoy it further, as I dearly love many of this author's other works.

I liked this more than The Harp of Kings.

Training to be a warrior on Swan Island, Dau is hurt during a bout with Liobhan that leaves him blind. Devastated, Liobhan goes with Dau to his home where he had been terrorized by his family since a young age. There Liobhan sees how the family dynamic is and how horrible Dau's brother can be.

This was great book. Liobhan has learned how to hold her temper and watch. A skill she had to use in this story many times. Dau heals from the pain his family caused him and there was so many pain he struggles to overcome. Liobhan and Dau get together in the end and it felt like the most natural thing. There wasn't much Brocc which I was thankful for. I was always disappointed when it was his chapter.

This review is based on an advanced copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Juliet Marillier really knows how to write a book. And that's pretty much it.

This is book two in the Warrior Bards series. We get to see the continuation of Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc. Liobhan and Dau have gone back to Swan Island to continue their training. During one of their fighting bouts, Dau slips and hits his head and is severely injured. Because of this Dau's family is notified and since Liobhan is blamed for the accident, she becomes a bond servant to his family for a year. While there Liobhan starts to understand Dau's family dynamic and things get really messy. Brocc is still in the fae realm. He's still on a mission to figure out what is driving these crow folk to attack. He begins to find some of these creatures injured and severely maimed. Doubt starts to creep in on whether or not these creatures need to be annihilated or if there's something more to them.

Throughout this whole book, you get to see all three characters slowly growing up and slowly finding more out about themselves. At the same time, they are diving into these greater mysteries that surround either Oakhill or the crow folk. Juliet Marillier has this excellent way of writing stories about caretakers and people learning to deal with issues that come at them very hard and very fast. She writes the trope of the caregiver in a way that I really like because even though one side of the equation is injured and trying to find themselves again, they're still very strong in that search for themselves. You almost have these issues multi-layered within this story. There are several characters who are going through different losses. Then Juliet Marillier has this excellent way of weaving magic into all of that. Just when you think there's only one dimension, this other side story creeps in and fills everything out.

It was also good to see a lot of the relationships between characters develop even more within this book. Some for the better and some for the worse. There are definitely characters that I am starting to very much dislike. I also love how Juliet Marillier always manages to beautifully weave dogs into her story. A lot of times it's to bring out the betterment of a character or just as some kind of companionship. It yanks on my heart every single time.

This whole book was riddled with anxiety and I just couldn't stop reading. A lot of this book was in a very dark place. Dau was trying to deal with the disability he never thought he was going to have and he's having to deal with coming back to a place that he never wanted to come back to. Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts.

I will admit that a lot of this book, because of how it had to deal with a lot of internal issues that were going on, it did feel a little bit repetitive. Especially at the beginning but as it started to play on and as characters were starting to find themselves again, it started to pick back up. And then it left off in a place where I wanted things to go one direction but the characters haven't quite made the decisions I've wanted them to make. so I need the next book. we have a lot still left to learn about the crow folks and I feel like that whole storyline is really going to build up into something.

So if you enjoyed the first book you will probably enjoy this second book. It was very much in the veins of 'Daughter of the Forest'. Though I don't know if anything can ever hold a torch to that book. There are definitely odes to that in this story and I loved it for that.

This is the second book in the Warrior Bard book and we are still following Liobhan, Dau and Brocc, who are all warriors trained on the mysterious Swann Island. After being severely injured in a practice bout, Dau is forced to return to his childhood home that still causes him nightmares. Liobhan wanting to make sure that nothing befalls Dau travels back home with him, hoping she can protect him. At the same time we are following Brocc who has married one of the Fey folk and we follow his struggle to help those he can in both worlds. The bonds between these three warriors is great to see continuing to grow after the first book. Even though they are separated, Liobhan and Broccs familial bond is always there. Juliet Marillier has such a magical way of writing that she takes instantly takes you in and immerses you into her magical worlds. I have loved every book I have read from her and this one is no exception. I can't wait to see what comes next for the warriors of Swann Island. If you haven't read any of her books, I highly recommend this series but be sure to start with book 1. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for my advanced copy!

A wondrous tale, A Dance with Fate, pulled at my heart-strings while sending me on a journey that I never wanted to end.

What I Love

I love the characters. They are intricately layered and divinely developed. Though the only one who shows any significant growth in this story is Dau, the other two main characters Liobhan and Brocc, have a great deal of potential and are endearing in their own right. Liobhan, unusually tall and strong for a woman, is the perfect blend of fierceness and femininity. I love a strong woman protagonist, and she is that and so much more. Brocc, Liobhan's brother, is half-Fay and half-human. He was raised in the human world, now has a life and a wife in the fay world, but struggles with giving up one for the other. His growth, which will hopefully come in the future, will be to find a way to make his two worlds come together, as he finds acceptance for the two aspects of his being.

I love the world-building, which quickly envelopes you like a thick forest of trees. This world is familiar with touches of fantastic elements that keep me mesmerized, and I want more of its beauty and challenges. I love a fantasy world that can make you feel like you know the setting, as well as you, understand your back yard. It takes an exceptional level of skill, and I am in awe.

The story, mostly told by the three main protagonists in alternating chapters – each in the first person – is strongly character-driven and took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that I won't soon forget - just like the first book in the series, The Harp of Kings. Though I wasn't moved to tears with A Dance with Fate like I was with The Harp of Kings, the story is emotionally impactful in its unique way.

I found it very interesting that we get two chapters in Eirne's point of view. It took me by surprise and added insight into her character that gave the story even more depth. I can't say that I like Eirne any more so because of it, but it made it much easier for me to understand my reaction to the Queen of the Fay and her choices.

To Read or Not to Read

I highly recommend this mesmerizing tale of the warrior bards to all high fantasy lovers and anyone who wants to get lost in a world full of magic and music.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I lived the character development in this book. Having read the first in this series I appreciated the deepening story.

NOTE: this review will post to my blog (www.waytoofantasy.com) on 8/27/20)

Once again Juliet Marillier has taken me on an emotional journey with her masterful storytelling. I'm always happy to have my heart torn to shreds by Marillier, because I know that she'll put it back together at the end of things. Even so, I wasn't prepared for the immense heartache this story caused--I cried and I laughed and then I cried some more, and then I cried again even louder until those cries turned into full on sobbing. But it was all worth it! There was a gentle and kind healing on the other side of this torment. I cherished every minute spent reading this book, even when it was tearing out my heart--I think that's just the magic of Marillier's writing.

Alright, so now that I'm done confessing to you all the embarrassing details of the time I spent in tears while reading this one, let's get to the good stuff. ;)   We still get POV chapters from the three main characters we met back in the first book--Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc. I'll be honest, once again Brocc's chapters didn't interest me quite as much as Liobhan's and Dau's but I did form much more of a connection with him in this book than the previous volume. I felt like I got to know him and what's important to him. Despite being a warrior, Brocc has a gentle and caring soul. He's sometimes unsure about certain things but he always, always tries to do the right thing. I honestly felt for him in this book, because of the strained relationship between himself and his wife left him doubting his future at times. I felt like he was put in a tough position over and over and it made me a little mad on his behalf. Brocc was pretty awesome in this one and I'm now a fan.

Of course, my favorite characters of all are Liobhan and Dau. We already found out about some of Dau's past and here we find out more as Dau is forced to face it when he's given little choice but to return to his childhood home and remain under the 'care' of his abuser. Not only is Dau dealing with the loss of his sight but now he's confronted with something he thought he'd put behind him. I felt so bad for Dau! But thank goodness for Liobhan. Knowing Dau's past and being his friend she was not about to let him face things alone, especially when he was already at such a low point. Liobhan! I love her so much. She has a temper and isn't conventional but she takes that fierceness and channels it into a plan to survive and help her friend survive as well. She doesn't spend much time feeling sorry for herself or letting Dau feel sorry for himself--they have other things to worry about after all. But that doesn't mean that she's not empathetic either--she seems to know just what he can handle, when to push him and when to let him rest. With Dau, she's always seeing the potential of the man he can be and encouraging that growth, like he's a plant she's carefully nurturing. She has many skills and she uses them all here--her knowledge of healing and herbs she learned from her mother, building and construction things she learned from her father, the training she learned from her time on Swan Island, etc. I loved seeing her put all these skills to work for her and Dau during this difficult situation. Of course the other thing Liobhan has is the ability to be genuine and get others to like her which also plays a big part in getting them through this ordeal. Dau goes through such a great story arc here. It was hard to watch him struggle (so many tears) but it was also rewarding to see him come out the other side of things with more confidence.

There were some other side characters which were great, some of which we've met before and many new ones. The main villain in this is a bit evil for the sake of being evil but if there's anything my time spent binge watching true crime shows has taught me it's that some people just are evil.

If I do have one quibble with this book it's that it is somewhat ableist in some ways.

Dau loses his sight and I don't think it's wrong to depict his journey through that, including feeling that loss and what it means to him as a warrior and what he feels he won't be able to do going forward. His thoughts of suicide seemed extreme from a modern perspective, and even throughout history there must have been blind people--maybe more dependent than the blind are today, but that did seem a bit extreme. But again, that was Dau's feelings and that's not really my main issue. My issue is the magical healing he receives at the end. Whhhhyyyy is there always some sort of magical healing? Dau was actually learning, somewhat, to cope with his blindness by the end. Even others remarked on how capable he was when fighting. I wish that instead of giving him back his site magically (and that was a bit of a deus-ex-machina as well, let's be honest) that he had just accepted that he was capable, even as a blind person. I think that would have made the story that much more powerful. But, instead, we get magical healing and honestly it felt like a bit of a cop out. (Wow, maybe this bothered me more than I thought it did...) Anyway. End rant.

Overall, even with that one thing that annoyed me, I really loved this book. There are very few authors that can make me empathize so much with their characters that I end up crying over their pain and having my heart warmed through their accomplishments. I will always and forever be a huge fan of Marillier and I recommend this series if you haven't started it and definitely recommend continuing on with this volume if you have. 4.5/5 stars.

Liobhan, Brocc, and Dau are back. Well… I mean Brocc is in the Otherworld, because of things that happened in the last book, which I won’t spoil. Things happened… in and around and slightly adjacent to the Otherworld.

Liobhan and Dau are still on Swan Island training as warriors. One day, in a display fight against Liobhan, Dau is injured accidentally, costing him his vision. His family blames Liobhan for the injury, and so she agrees to go back to his family home with him as a bond servant for a year. Luckily, Liobhan has some experience with nursing, since her mother is a healer/wisewoman.

Meanwhile Brocc is living his best life in the Otherworld, where the Crow Folk have been attacking his people. He’s found a few mutilated remains of Crow Folk in the forest surrounding his home, and is very curious what is attacking the folk that his people are so frightened of.

I loved this book, definitely more than the first, but good god it jostled my feels. I’ve come to really care for these characters, most specifically Liobhan and Dau, and they do not really have a good time at Dau’s ancestral home. Dau’s brother Seanan spent most of their childhood being beyond awful, and as comes with zero surprise at all, he’s still awful as an adult. He makes Dau and Liobhan’s lives as difficult as he can. Seanan is one of those antagonists that you just… hate. There are just no redeeming qualities. You spend the entire book hoping that he will get his comeuppance in as many ways as possible.

Even with the emotional rollercoaster this book put me on, I absolutely could not put it down. I had to know what happened next. I read this book until 4am one night, because I needed to know what happened. We see this story mainly from three POVs (with one or two exceptions) – that of Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc. They’re told in first person, and so we get to see this action with their eyes, and that served to make my attachment to these characters even stronger. I remember not liking Dau at all in book one. Welp, that’s changed.

There is a bit of romance in this one, and it is simmery slow, and quite sweet. The thing I loved most about it is that they both sort of just… fall in love. There’s no real confession of love or anything. They both realize they’re in love with each other and that it’s a thing that they need to probably talk about at some point, but with so much going on… well, things just move forward as usual until there comes a time when they can have that talk. Liobhan is very much like her mother in that respect. Blackthorn and Grim only took like… two and a half books to have that talk, and that was one of the things that kept me reading that series until the wee hours. 😀

So, all told, if you liked the first book in the series, you are almost certain to like this one as well, as it is largely more of the same. If you liked Blackthorn and Grim, you’d probably like this. If you liked Sevenwaters, you’d probably like this. Another win from Juliet Marillier!

A Dance with Fate is the second book of the Warrior Bards series. This is a spin off from the Blackthorn and Grim (B&G) series and includes two of their children Liobhan and Brock along with the Swan Island warriors introduced in the B&G series.

Our tale picks up about a year after the events of The Harp of Kings. Liobhan has already gone back to tell her family of Brocks decision to go live in Faery and she and Dau are the top students in the class, always pushing each other. When an accident in the training yard leaves Dau blinded, both of their lives take a turn for the unexpected and they end up with Dau’s family. Dau as an invalid and Liobhan as a bond servant for a year to pay for her part in his injury.

”How do you do it? Where do you find that relentless hope?”
“I can’t tell you that. Just that it’s always seemed like the right way. The only way. Part of trying to be brave, I suppose.”

Together they try to work out the mysteries of Dau’s family and wait for the inevitable attack from Dau’s cruel brother Seanan, who tormented him all through childhood and is the reason Dau ran away and later joined the warriors at Swan island.

Some of this book was hard as Dau’s struggle with his blindness left him depressed and angry. I do like that Liobhan never let him push her away like he wanted to even though she carried some guilt over her part in the accident. They are truly loyal to each other and the blossoming of the feelings between them is subtle and feels natural. It will be interesting to see the life they chose to have and what kind of relationship it will allow them to have.

Brock living in a Fae realm is interesting. The bargains the Fae make are cruel and everything has a price of some kind. Brock’s journey and eventual bargain was very interesting. I’m hoping that he is correct and the Crow people can be treated with instead of just fought and destroyed. I’ve very curious to see how the tales plays out.

The story is slowly paced and there is a good build to the end when it feels like everything happens in a matter of fifty or so pages. There were some deaths that made me incredibly sad and I’m glad that Dau got to face the demons of his past literally.

Interesting modern day faery story.

Juliet Marillier consistently creates such evocative sagas that always make me yearn for the next book. Her writing is lush and immersive and while the story moves slowly, it just means you get to really soak up all the details in each and every scene. This story is a wonderful follow up to the first. Highly recommend.

Reading Juliet Marillier books is like coming home; A Dance With Fate is no different. While I haven't yet finished Blackthorn and Grim's adventures, Liobhan's journeys are standalone. After getting to know her fellow warrior Dau and the deep scars he acquired as a young boy Liobhan is horrified when Dau suffers a tragic injury - so much that she volunteers to return with Dau back to the family that traumatized, abused, and mistreated him, and work as a bond servant. Her fierceness, Dau's growth make for a lovely and engaging tale that makes me appreciate that Ms. Marrilier is consistent in her beautiful storytelling. #ADancewithFate #NetGalley