A review by ergative
The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
NB: spoilers follow.
There were parts about this that worked well. I liked how the tasks that these trained warriers needed to undertake didn't actually demand that they call on their training, but their other skills: Liobhan and Brocc's music and familiarity with the fae; Dau's ability with animals. The real challenges they have to face do not demand that they be strong and skilled at fighting---that's taken for granted, and testing it would be redundant---but that they not be strong when required. Liobhan has to keep her mouth shut and play a meek damsel who can't look after herself or speak her mind; Dau has to stand and take insults and beatings and isn't even allowed to speak at all, since his role is as a mute. Given his history of abuse and helplessness as a child, this is harder for him than Liobhan's tasks, since Liobhan's forced inaction is merely frustrating, whereas his is genuinely triggering of flashbacks from PTSD. I found this novel and refreshing. (Although, given that it seems that Swan Island warriers need to be spies often enough that their facial tattoos are no longer employed as a marker of membership, it's odd that their training seems to ignore spycraft entirely and focus solely on combat. But maybe the trainees just hadn't started that module yet.)
Despite these points, which worked well, I found the plot slow and frustrating. I'd figured out everything well before Dau sits down with Juniper and they exchange stories to make everything plain. I knew who Phelan was already: the scenes in the nemetons make it clear that people can be hidden from the outside world by joining a brotherhood; Aislin makes it clear that she had someone she loved who disappeared; the conversation in the conference chamber made it clear that there was a second son of the king who three years ago became unavailable for the kingship---everything was perfectly plain! The unhappy tale of Dau's poor puppy, too, was already known from his flashbacks. Putting it all out there in Juniper's cabin was redundant, and the fact that Liobhan hadn't put it all together yet just made her seem rather dense.
There was also some unthinking sexism that bugged me. Rodan is a bad king, and to make it clear he's a bad king we must have him be a rapist and an abuser. And to make that clear, we not only see the results of his behavor towards Moira, but we also have him try to rape Liobhan. Why, why, why must threats to women always take the form of sexual assault? Can't Liobhan, as a Swan Island warrior, face non-gendered violent threats? Ugh. Also, why must the only non-male on the mission be the person who gets child-nurturing duties? Even leaving aside the gendered nature of this plot point, the characters themselves would work better if it was Dau who befriend Aislin, given how much he needed kindness when he was a lonely child himself. Liobhan gives Aislin whistle-playing as an amusement, but couldn't Dau give her a puppy? Wouldn't that be a really nice exorcism of his own demons, since it would allow him to replay the key parts of his own childhood with a happier ending? Surely the tasks that Liobhan needed to complete could have been rethought in order to make that work---especially since they're all arbitrary and symbolic anyway. The court might not have been as happy at Aislin making friends with a male stablehand, but given that Liobhan spends much of the book in disgrace anyway for hurting the prince, that shouldn't prevent a secret friendship from developing.
Also, the bits from Brocc's viewpoint were so boring that I almost forgot to say how boring they were.
There were parts about this that worked well. I liked how the tasks that these trained warriers needed to undertake didn't actually demand that they call on their training, but their other skills: Liobhan and Brocc's music and familiarity with the fae; Dau's ability with animals. The real challenges they have to face do not demand that they be strong and skilled at fighting---that's taken for granted, and testing it would be redundant---but that they not be strong when required. Liobhan has to keep her mouth shut and play a meek damsel who can't look after herself or speak her mind; Dau has to stand and take insults and beatings and isn't even allowed to speak at all, since his role is as a mute. Given his history of abuse and helplessness as a child, this is harder for him than Liobhan's tasks, since Liobhan's forced inaction is merely frustrating, whereas his is genuinely triggering of flashbacks from PTSD. I found this novel and refreshing. (Although, given that it seems that Swan Island warriers need to be spies often enough that their facial tattoos are no longer employed as a marker of membership, it's odd that their training seems to ignore spycraft entirely and focus solely on combat. But maybe the trainees just hadn't started that module yet.)
Despite these points, which worked well, I found the plot slow and frustrating. I'd figured out everything well before Dau sits down with Juniper and they exchange stories to make everything plain. I knew who Phelan was already: the scenes in the nemetons make it clear that people can be hidden from the outside world by joining a brotherhood; Aislin makes it clear that she had someone she loved who disappeared; the conversation in the conference chamber made it clear that there was a second son of the king who three years ago became unavailable for the kingship---everything was perfectly plain! The unhappy tale of Dau's poor puppy, too, was already known from his flashbacks. Putting it all out there in Juniper's cabin was redundant, and the fact that Liobhan hadn't put it all together yet just made her seem rather dense.
There was also some unthinking sexism that bugged me. Rodan is a bad king, and to make it clear he's a bad king we must have him be a rapist and an abuser. And to make that clear, we not only see the results of his behavor towards Moira, but we also have him try to rape Liobhan. Why, why, why must threats to women always take the form of sexual assault? Can't Liobhan, as a Swan Island warrior, face non-gendered violent threats? Ugh. Also, why must the only non-male on the mission be the person who gets child-nurturing duties? Even leaving aside the gendered nature of this plot point, the characters themselves would work better if it was Dau who befriend Aislin, given how much he needed kindness when he was a lonely child himself. Liobhan gives Aislin whistle-playing as an amusement, but couldn't Dau give her a puppy? Wouldn't that be a really nice exorcism of his own demons, since it would allow him to replay the key parts of his own childhood with a happier ending? Surely the tasks that Liobhan needed to complete could have been rethought in order to make that work---especially since they're all arbitrary and symbolic anyway. The court might not have been as happy at Aislin making friends with a male stablehand, but given that Liobhan spends much of the book in disgrace anyway for hurting the prince, that shouldn't prevent a secret friendship from developing.
Also, the bits from Brocc's viewpoint were so boring that I almost forgot to say how boring they were.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Rape and Domestic abuse