Another great Harmon read. I can not wait for her next one. Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc even though I am a bit late with my timing. Amy is a master in her craft.

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book. I can’t even put my finger on why…it flows like may of her other stories so I’m not sure why it wasn’t a favorite of mine.

I have at this point figured that Amy Harmons books aren’t my cup of tea, because this one was another disappointing read for me.

Amy Harmon has written multiple books that I've rated 5 Stars. She is an author that I almost always want to read. Her characters are always deep and full of life. And her stories are beautiful, each in their own way. One thing I've noticed about her books is that the pacing isn't always the best for me. Her stories always seem to get me invested, but they aren't always quick to do so. And that doesn't make her pacing bad. Because most of the time, I end up thinking they're nearly perfectly done. The problem lies with me. I've struggled to find the amount of time to read that I would like to have. And so I often gravitate toward books that will hook me early and not let me go. The Second Blind Son did have a slow start for me. And I actually put it down more than once in favor of reading something else. I believe after 30% or so I felt invested enough not to want to put it down in favor of anything else.

The Second Blind Son overlaps in time with The First Girl Child for most of the book. Some events even get repeated, simply from a different perspective.

Hod is the older half brother of Bayr from The First Girl Child. Hod's mother is sick and dying and comes to the Keeper's Temple to receive a blessing for her son. Master Ivo does bless him and sends him to the Cave Keeper, Arwin, to learn and to wait. Hod has rune blood, and Arwin trains him to use his other senses to be able to defend himself and more. Arwin and thus Hod believe his path is to one day also become a keeper. But that changes for Hod when Ghisla washes up on his shore.

Ghisla is a Songr. Her home was plagued and she was essentially the only one to survive. She got on a boat, but was swept overboard during a storm. Ghisla also has rune blood and her songs bring sight to Hod. Not sight like his eyes suddenly work, but when she sings he can see what she's describing, sometimes her memories, sometimes just whatever she sees. The two form a pretty quick connection to one another. Each is the other's only friend.

Like Bayr and Alba from book 1, Ghisla and Hod spend most of the book separated. There are years that go by without them even seeing each other. This makes the story feel like it's dragging a little, yet it also makes the events feel more real, more desperate. The distance between the characters brings life to the pages.

Favorite quotes:
-The moment an exception was made, the rule ceased to exist.

-"Arwin says the pain will become strength if we embrace it," he said.

-"There is no liar as skilled as pain. Pain will say anything to save itself."

-She did not want to do great things. She wanted a place to lay her head and a family to love her. She wanted a friend and a fire and a song that would make the ache go away.

-It looked like fear and fondness, an odd combination. Mayhaps it was fear of fondness....

-And yet she kept on singing, and he kept on listening, doing his best to shoulder her sorrow and speak relief to her soul.

The Second Blind Son gets 4 Stars from me. It had a slower start than I prefer, but that was necessary to establish the characters and their backgrounds enough to allow the story to flow as it should. Once I got to about 30%, I was hooked. And Amy Harmon always finds a way to make her stories beautiful. I look forward to more. I hope it will be Elayne and Aidyn. Have you read The Second Blind Son? What did you think? Let me know!

I unfortunately read this book before realizing it was the second in a series. It was a good read, with a well written story with some interwoven Norse mythology and well fleshed out characters. The romance wasn't exactly my cup of tea but I did enjoy the book.

Definitely read part one first!

In the same vein as the first book. Amy Harmon writes great characters but I always expect more than she delivers.

Amy Harmon is an exceptional story teller, her books are beautifully written and her story's are unique. The Second blind Son is truly a phenomenal story and I wait in eager anticipation for the next in the series.

I have been sitting on how to approach writing this review for a while. Mostly due to the fact that I am not sure how I feel about it. The story was well written and I loved the aspect of Norse mythology in it. However, I wasn't a fan of the long-distance romance between Liis and Hod. I really did have a hard time getting used to it.

The second blind son is a standalone book from The Chronicles of Saylok series. The story in this one was wonderful, but I did have a hard time getting into it.

LOVED this! I love Amy Harmon!!

Description
A lost girl and a blind boy discover their greatest strength is their bond with each other in a beguiling fantasy by the New York Times bestselling author of The First Girl Child.

An insidious curse is weakening the Norse kingdom of Saylok, where no daughters have been born in years. Washing up on these plagued shores is Ghisla, an orphaned stowaway nursed back to health by Hod, a blind cave dweller. Named for a mysterious god, Hod is surrounded by prophecy. To Ghisla, he’s a cherished new friend, but to Hod, the girl is much more. For when Ghisla sings, Hod can see.

Unable to offer safe shelter, Hod urges Ghisla onward to become a daughter of the temple, where all the kingdom’s girl children have been gathered. But because of a magical rune, the two cannot be separated, no matter the time or the distance.

Now, subject to a ruthless king, Ghisla enters a desperate world of warring clan chieftains and catastrophic power struggles. Uncertain whom to trust, their bond strained by dangerous secrets and feuding loyalties, Ghisla and Hod must confront the prophecies that threaten Saylok while finding a way to save each other.

A Note From the Publisher

Not as good as the The First Girl Child but still good. Good world building and secendary characters.

3.5 stars

Everything Amy does is absolutely perfect! She is absolutely one of my favorite writers of all time.

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book and it was magical. Amy is on of my favorite authors and her books no matter the genre. You can tell she is an expert on human nature as her characters personalities manifest in ways that are reflective of the human experience.

I couldn't finish this book because the copy was too hard to read. I am giving a 5 start review but I DNF

I adore a trip through fantasy and Amy creates these worlds masterfully.
This story sucks you into a time long ago. With twists and turns, magic and so much more.
It's a spectacular reading experience.

You know how oftentimes when a book or movie that you love comes out with a sequel, you feel almost apprehensive about even picking it up? There's that nagging worry that it'll ruin the first book/movie that you love so much? I mean, I think we all can agree that in some cases, that follow up story just DOES NOT do the original story justice and it falls flat in comparison. Makes you feel bummed that you even made time for it at all because it wrecked the beauty and purity of the original... and if you could go back and NOT watch it/read it, you would? You know?

The point is, this is NOT that sequel. Rest assured, my friends. Amy Harmon manages to weave a seamless and effortless companion for "The First Girl Child" that was just as beautiful, exciting, poetic, inspiring and heartwarming. At no point did I feel as though there was too much repetition of the first book's content, despite these novels taking place on a parallel timeline. And I also think that The Second Blind Son could absolutely stand on it's own without knowing the backstory of TFGC. But together, they create an epic story of family, blood, power, love, envy, war and hope. I enjoyed every word if this story. Five stars.

I much prefer Harmon's fantasy books - in my opinion, this is where she shines. True to form. The Second Blind Son has incredible world building, amazing characters to follow, a perfectly-paced plot, and beautiful writing.

Karol A rated a book really liked it
7 months ago
The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon
The Second Blind Son
by Amy Harmon (Goodreads Author)
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I received this ARC for an honest opinion

This was a fun ride! The setting is interesting, the pacing is good. However, the standout is the love story! This friends-to-lovers was intense, very slow burn, believable, very touching! I loved every minute of their relationship and it really carried the book. The last third actually, was a little more political intrigue and the resolution was a bit rushed. But overall, just to follow in their journey was fantastic. Would definitely recommend

If you haven’t read The First Girl Child, I highly recommend you stop right now and go do that first. While this takes place during the same timeline as TFGC, and it’s it’s own story, you won’t fully appreciate the characters if you haven’t read it first. This is this as an interconnected standalone.

I have been in a book fog all day. I enjoyed this book so very much. I found myself way more emotional as I was reading this than I did read TFGC. I have two reasons for this, I think. One, the music. There’s something about the music component in books that tug at my soul. I absorb them and they touch something deep down and I can’t help but to shed tears as my release. And two, since The Second Blind Son happened simultaneously to The First Girl Child, I knew what was coming. My heart was beating like mad because of it.

Amy Harmon has weaved this magical world so beautifully, I could see and feel everything. I felt like I was a part of the story. Hod and Ghisla have a special place in my heart. They went from young teens to young adults and watching them navigate this world was nothing short of amazing. Their slow burn romance was in background and watching it blossom made my heart weep and rejoice at the same time. By the end of the epilogue I had happy tears in my eyes.

I really hope we get more from this world. There’s so many more characters I’d like to read about!

This was another beautiful book written by a true storyteller. I loved this book and this series. I can't recommend her work enough. I truly enjoyed the happily ever after for these characters.

Everything by Amy Harmon is wonderful, so it was no surprise that this book was, too. Very imaginative and entertaining.