The Harp of Kings

A Warrior Bards Novel Warrior Bards #1

trade paperback, 448 pages

English language

Published Sept. 2, 2019 by Ace.

ISBN:
9780451492784

View on OpenLibrary

2 stars (1 review)

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places on the force, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the heir will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into disarray. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, …

2 editions

Review of 'The Harp of Kings' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I've never read this author before, and I was looking for something within the realm of fantasy as my next read. When I learned of the premise of an epic quest in a medieval world involving magical instruments, warriors, bards, fey, and druids I was intrigued and excited, especially considering how well this book was received generally upon its release in 2019. The author also has glowing reviews for multiple of her earlier fantasy series, making me feel as though I was on pretty solid ground when choosing this. A "safe" pick almost guaranteed to assure satisfaction, as it were. So, why only 2 stars?

First of all, I very much enjoyed the setting of this book and the Celtic lore references within. The author did a fine job of transporting me to this medieval world; it was well written, descriptive and whimsical. I also enjoyed the references to hearth …

Subjects

  • Fantasy
  • Young Adult
  • Historical Fiction
  • Magic
  • Fae
  • Historical Fantasy
  • Young Adult Fantasy
  • Celtic
  • Gaelic