isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
2.0
Rating: 2 stars
My library lied to me. I was scrolling through the recently added audiobooks to their collection when I stumbled upon this one. I looked into it because my library hardly ever gets fantasy books (not even Lord of the Rings, and I live in New Zealand for goodness sake) and if they do, it's *the* popular YA of the week. So I see The Harp of Kings listed under adult fantasy, and so I issue it out. I look it up on Goodreads and it's under YA, not adult (library, how could you deceive me so?). Now, I have nothing against YA, in fact I am excited at how many people are reading because of the age range, but my history with it has been far from good. I feel bad reading a YA book because I know that I probably won't enjoy it and end up giving it a low rating which hurts the author and I don't want to be that person.
So I discover The Harp of Kings is YA just before I press play, but I also discover that it's written by a New Zealand author and I am always down for supporting local authors (which basically just means anyone from the entire country because we are unbelievably small down here). I decide to give it a chance, knowing fully well I might DNF it. I did see it through to the end, but it just kept getting worse.
Our MC is bland. She has two character traits: she thinks she is a badass (emphasis on "thinks") and she can play a few instruments. You can guess which one is talked about more often (spoiler: it's her supposed badassery). She can't beat this particular guy up for this reason, but have no doubt that she absolutely 100% can. Just not right now. There were also two dude MCs (not a love triangle, the author has some dignity) and I frankly could not explain their plot lines because their blandness just merged together to become this grey blob of "male POV" in my head as I was reading. Oh, there were also some fae or druids or something in there too, but I don't know what they even did.
Then the ending happened and I just couldn't wait for the book to be over. As much as I want to promote New Zealand authors, I can't recommend this one honestly, but I will hopefully find another someday. The Harp of Kings was not my thing, but if you don't care about originality then maybe you'd like it better.
My library lied to me. I was scrolling through the recently added audiobooks to their collection when I stumbled upon this one. I looked into it because my library hardly ever gets fantasy books (not even Lord of the Rings, and I live in New Zealand for goodness sake) and if they do, it's *the* popular YA of the week. So I see The Harp of Kings listed under adult fantasy, and so I issue it out. I look it up on Goodreads and it's under YA, not adult (library, how could you deceive me so?). Now, I have nothing against YA, in fact I am excited at how many people are reading because of the age range, but my history with it has been far from good. I feel bad reading a YA book because I know that I probably won't enjoy it and end up giving it a low rating which hurts the author and I don't want to be that person.
So I discover The Harp of Kings is YA just before I press play, but I also discover that it's written by a New Zealand author and I am always down for supporting local authors (which basically just means anyone from the entire country because we are unbelievably small down here). I decide to give it a chance, knowing fully well I might DNF it. I did see it through to the end, but it just kept getting worse.
Our MC is bland. She has two character traits: she thinks she is a badass (emphasis on "thinks") and she can play a few instruments. You can guess which one is talked about more often (spoiler: it's her supposed badassery). She can't beat this particular guy up for this reason, but have no doubt that she absolutely 100% can. Just not right now. There were also two dude MCs (not a love triangle, the author has some dignity) and I frankly could not explain their plot lines because their blandness just merged together to become this grey blob of "male POV" in my head as I was reading. Oh, there were also some fae or druids or something in there too, but I don't know what they even did.
Then the ending happened and I just couldn't wait for the book to be over. As much as I want to promote New Zealand authors, I can't recommend this one honestly, but I will hopefully find another someday. The Harp of Kings was not my thing, but if you don't care about originality then maybe you'd like it better.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Harp of Kings is the first book in a new series by Juliet Marillier. Released 3rd Sept 2019 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley Ace imprint, it's 464 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a high fantasy epic quest spy-fi told in alternating 1st person PoV from the 3 main characters' viewpoints. The chapters are labeled with the characters' names to keep the narrative straight. I didn't find them altogether distinct from one another and confess that I had to look back at the beginning of the chapter to check, (but only occasionally).
This is a fairly long book (doorstop fantasy) and as such the plot arc developed very slowly. I enjoyed the author's voice, and she is undoubtedly a lyrical, technically adept writer. I liked the strong female lead character and how all three MCs have their own strengths and weaknesses. I was previously unfamiliar with her earlier books, but will go and search them out after this.
This would definitely appeal to fans of the genre. It is admittedly slow to develop (if I'm 100% honest, it was a bit of a slog for me a few places, and I'm not really sure why). The book includes a handy interactive table of contents. I've grown very fond of e-books with interactive content lately.
Four stars, probably higher for fans of her earlier series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Harp of Kings is the first book in a new series by Juliet Marillier. Released 3rd Sept 2019 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley Ace imprint, it's 464 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a high fantasy epic quest spy-fi told in alternating 1st person PoV from the 3 main characters' viewpoints. The chapters are labeled with the characters' names to keep the narrative straight. I didn't find them altogether distinct from one another and confess that I had to look back at the beginning of the chapter to check, (but only occasionally).
This is a fairly long book (doorstop fantasy) and as such the plot arc developed very slowly. I enjoyed the author's voice, and she is undoubtedly a lyrical, technically adept writer. I liked the strong female lead character and how all three MCs have their own strengths and weaknesses. I was previously unfamiliar with her earlier books, but will go and search them out after this.
This would definitely appeal to fans of the genre. It is admittedly slow to develop (if I'm 100% honest, it was a bit of a slog for me a few places, and I'm not really sure why). The book includes a handy interactive table of contents. I've grown very fond of e-books with interactive content lately.
Four stars, probably higher for fans of her earlier series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
wynwicket's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
kelsilitts's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
I have absolutely loved every book I’ve read by Juliet Marillier. I did not dislike this one but I did find it fell a bit flat for me and felt a bit boring. Still had charming scenes and good character development nonetheless.
kassi_kennedy's review against another edition
5.0
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book prior to the publishing date. I usually read Marillier's books within a day, but I had to hold onto this one and savour it, so I took my time reading it.
Marillier is a truly gifted storyteller. There is something about her writing that seems to transcend time and space and speak to me the way an ancient myth might. What I mean is that her stories are accessible regardless of age or culture, like it is woven from the collective unconscious. I have never recommended her work to anyone who didn't enjoy it.
This book does not disappoint. The characters were all strong and well developed. The story itself unwound with subtle magic and there were many lessons in it. I love that Marillier makes me think and the way she stirs the heart. This book should not disappoint fans.
To speak a bit on the plot, it is about a band of warriors who are set on a mission. Intrigue, magic, the uncanny, and a mystery bring together a series of unlikely events that all weave together to form an intriguing tale which is satisfying as well as thought provoking. I greatly look forward to re-reading this when it is officially published.
Marillier is a truly gifted storyteller. There is something about her writing that seems to transcend time and space and speak to me the way an ancient myth might. What I mean is that her stories are accessible regardless of age or culture, like it is woven from the collective unconscious. I have never recommended her work to anyone who didn't enjoy it.
This book does not disappoint. The characters were all strong and well developed. The story itself unwound with subtle magic and there were many lessons in it. I love that Marillier makes me think and the way she stirs the heart. This book should not disappoint fans.
To speak a bit on the plot, it is about a band of warriors who are set on a mission. Intrigue, magic, the uncanny, and a mystery bring together a series of unlikely events that all weave together to form an intriguing tale which is satisfying as well as thought provoking. I greatly look forward to re-reading this when it is officially published.
tatisable's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
libby_sarah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
As always, everything this author writes is pure gold.
I just love how she writes about ancient magic, nature and the fair folk. Loved it.
I just love how she writes about ancient magic, nature and the fair folk. Loved it.