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The Bird and the Sword (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles Book 1) Kindle Edition
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMay 10, 2016
- File size2067 KB
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All 2$8.94
This option includes 2 books.
- I was only limited by my ignorance, by my fear, and by my own sense of right and wrong.Highlighted by 797 Kindle readers
- “Kjell is right. You are a dangerous little bird. But I think I will keep you.”Highlighted by 572 Kindle readers
- I had that effect on people. Silence was a close cousin to invisibility.Highlighted by 521 Kindle readers
Editorial Reviews
Review
-- Totally Booked Blog"Amy Harmon's books may have a reputation for being tame compared to what else is out there in the romance genre, but don't let anyone convince you that this isn't a sexy read. It's subtly sexy. Sneakily sexy." -- Slow Reader's Blog"A must-read, beautifully written, poignant page turner. The words will sweep you away, the romance will captivate you, and you'll find yourself utterly entranced by Amy Harmon's beautiful story."
-- Vilma Gonzalez, USA Today HEA columnist"Visually stunning and meticulously crafted, The Bird and the Sword is a fantastical romantic adventure unexpectedly peppered with moments of sensuality and humor."
-- Angie and Jessica's Dreamy Reads"Given that I am a true Romance reader at heart and often have a hard time stepping too far outside of my preferred genre, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was a Fantasy novel that completely stayed true to the rules of Romance."
-- Aestas Book Blog"A mesmerizing tale set in a fantastical world that captivates us instantly and then gently fills our hearts with the kind of joy and wonder that can only be found in an Amy Harmon book."
-- Natasha Is A Book Junkie"This is not just a fantasy read. Interwoven between battles for supremacy, greed, and power is a beautiful love story that will have your heart beating a mile a minute."
-- The Romance Cover
Product details
- ASIN : B01FIT5ITU
- Publisher : Amazon Digital Services LLC (May 10, 2016)
- Publication date : May 10, 2016
- Language : English
- File size : 2067 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 293 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #13,779 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #149 in Fairy Tale Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #202 in Folklore (Books)
- #808 in Fantasy Romance eBooks
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author. Her books have been translated into thirty languages around the world. Amy has written nineteen novels in multiple genres, including the bestsellers, WHAT THE WIND KNOWS and WHERE THE LOST WANDER. Her fantasy novel, THE BIRD AND THE SWORD was a Goodreads Best Book finalist. FROM SAND AND ASH was named the 2016 Whitney Award winner for Book of the Year. For more, follow Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story captivating and relatable. They praise the author's magical writing style and poetic words. The characters are well-developed and believable. The pacing is fast but not tripping up on itself, keeping readers hooked from beginning to end. Readers appreciate the strong characterization and world-building. Overall, they describe the book as refreshingly unique and original.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the story's storytelling and characterization. They find it relatable and believable, with memorable scenes. The book is described as an enchanting fantasy novel with plot twists and surprises that add depth to the story. Readers appreciate the emotional and introspective aspects of the story, while maintaining a straightforward plot.
"...I also loved the way everything came together at the end. I adored the Epilogue, and though it was short, it was perfect and left a huge smile on my..." Read more
"...I was overall quite satisfied with the story and will definitely be picking up another Amy Harmon book in the future!..." Read more
"...This book is full of so much wonder. The world that Amy creates is amazing. I felt so much while reading this book...." Read more
"...of fantasy and magic are there, the way they are woven into the story felt different and fresh. The writing was beautiful...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's writing style. They praise the author's poetic words, beautiful setting, and unique characters. The story is all about words, and the dialogue is sharp, witty, and clear.
"...Her writing is exquisite and she continues to amaze me with her stories. Lark lives in a world with kings, noblemen, commoners, and magic...." Read more
"...In this particular story they have a magical quality, but we also see how Lark learns the value of words by learning to read and write...." Read more
"...For the word is quick and powerful Sharper than any two edged sword…” Amy created a Fantasy world, full of magic...." Read more
"...The writing was beautiful. The supporting characters were decent and helped enhance the story but Lark and Tiras were the best...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's characters. They find the characters believable, intelligent, and artfully drawn. The protagonist is described as a brave and noble young man who wants to protect the people. The narration is also appreciated by readers.
"...I loved Lark and think she was a wonderful heroine. She was innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty which I loved...." Read more
"...She is a wonderful narrator and we get plenty of insight through her internal dialogue...." Read more
"...that what I enjoyed the most is the fact that Lark was such a strong willed character. She never gave up, even when times got hard and tough for her...." Read more
"...The writing was beautiful. The supporting characters were decent and helped enhance the story but Lark and Tiras were the best...." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing engaging and gripping from start to finish. They praise the smooth writing style and whimsical, charming narrative. The story is described as the perfect combination of genres for readers.
"...Harmon has excellent pacing and I enjoyed the story so much more due to the beautiful, lyrical writing...." Read more
"...I loved everything about it. It was sweet and gentle and kind. Not overbearing or overwhelming...." Read more
"For the most part, I was really pleased with this novel. Harmon's pacing is terrific, no complaints there...." Read more
"...So powerful, so masculine, so confident, so fair and just...and so full of his own secrets. Some I guessed, some I did not...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging with its strong characterization, world-building, and well-developed characters. They appreciate the heroine's bravery, resourcefulness, and headstrong character traits. While vulnerable, the heroine is also strong-willed.
"...She was innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty which I loved. She showed her strength as she endured so much from the time she was little...." Read more
"...She always stood proud and strong and kept to what she believed. All in all, I absolutely loved this book...." Read more
"...It is THAT unique and well developed and thought out. Like so many people that read this book (I'm assuming), I'm not a big fantasy reader...." Read more
"...The world building was fantastic! I was all in with the gifts thing, and particularly with how Lark’s gift manifested itself...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's creativity. They find it refreshingly unique, original, and innovative. The book is described as well-written and a standalone novel, though some readers would not complain if it became a series.
"...The story, while fantasy and oh so unique, is one where the world has been created so precisely and so lyrically, that I can envision it and see it...." Read more
"...The world was interesting and fun. The magic was different and creative. I loved Lark...." Read more
"...THIS is that book, the one that is so uniquely special it blows all other books out of the water...." Read more
"...Everything about this was original, poignant, and brilliant. And while there is very little sex, this story was oozing with sensuality and romance...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's fairytale-style weaving of human truths. They find it a morality tale about strong will, conviction, faith, and values like love, kinship, decency, and integrity. The story is described as innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty. While some aspects of the story are violent, the overall message is uplifting.
"...I loved Lark and think she was a wonderful heroine. She was innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty which I loved...." Read more
"...this is a huge BUT, this is not just a fantasy read, interwoven between battles for supremacy, greed and power is a beautiful love story that will..." Read more
"...It has wars fought, regional disquiet, an evil force, and the battle of good over evil. Total classic...." Read more
"...Amy Harmon delivers a beautiful story of love, kinship, decency, and strong values that we all want in our lives...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's complexity. They find the world-building believable and unique, with a nice general concept. The characters and details are captivating, and readers find the writing style clean, simple, and uncomplicated.
"...The plot itself was multi-layered and complex. On the surface, Lark and Tiras face a very physical threat to the kingdom...." Read more
"...It was sweet and gentle and kind. Not overbearing or overwhelming...." Read more
"...story, while fantasy and oh so unique, is one where the world has been created so precisely and so lyrically, that I can envision it and see it...." Read more
"...message serves a strong warning to readers, but is also accompanied by an easy solution: acceptance...." Read more
Reviews with images
An unforgettable experience
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 20165 “I think I will keep you” stars!
Amy Harmon has once again proved what a wonderfully brilliant writer she is. She is an amazing story teller who grabs the reader's interest immediately and never lets go. In some of her books she has supernatural elements, but The Bird and the Sword is full on fantasy and it is fantastic! It’s a perfect blend of fantasy and romance, and is a clever and unique tale. It is so descriptive that I can see the story play out in my head like a movie. Her writing is exquisite and she continues to amaze me with her stories.
Lark lives in a world with kings, noblemen, commoners, and magic. Some people are born Gifted and though they were once welcome, they are now feared and despised. Punished for using their gifts, the Gifted have been forced into hiding to avoid persecution.
We meet Lark as a little girl and we quickly learn that she is among the Gifted. After witnessing a bit of magic, the King is unforgiving and he murders her mother, but not before she is able to tell her daughter one last thing.
“Swallow Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.”
Lark grows up a prisoner in her own home and without a voice. Her father has his reasons for denying Lark the knowledge of reading and writing, and she feels so alone, with only her servant, Boojahni, truly caring for her.
When lark is 20 years old she is taken by King Tiras, son of the king who killed her mother. She soon finds that this new king is not like his horrible father. He is different with Lark, and he is very gentle with her. He shows her kindness, gives her anything she wants, and offers to teach her, something that means everything to Lark. Slowly Lark begins seeing Tiras as a friend and savior.
Lark has constructed walls like ice around herself and does not let anyone in. But as Tiras and Lark grow closer we see their attraction and desire grow. Lark is feeling things she has never felt before and is trying to adjust to her new life.
"Suddenly yearning had a flavor. It tasted like a king, a beautiful, frightening, infuriating man who flew into my life and began to free my words."
The romance in this book is beautifully written. I loved seeing Lark explore her feelings and accepting them fully even if she did not want Tiras to know how he affected her. I enjoyed watching the fascination Tiras has for Lark and how intrigued they were with each other. Lark falls for Tiras but can they truly be together with everything that is going on around them?
"You chose me because I am of use. But I chose you because I wanted you. All I ever wanted was for you to love me in return."
Both Lark and Tiras were very unique characters. I loved Lark and think she was a wonderful heroine. She was innocent, pure, and good, but also fiesty which I loved. She showed her strength as she endured so much from the time she was little. I loved watching her develop her gift and enjoyed seeing the experience through her eyes.
And Tiras… I absolutely loved Tiras. He was so sweet to Lark and acted completely different with her. I loved his protective nature and that he truly saw her. I was glad he was a better king from the beginning and nothing like his father. He really wanted to save his land and had his peoples best interest in mind. He was handsome and charming, but dangerous and mysterious. I loved him from the start and he made me fall right along with Lark!
“I have loved you every moment of every day, and I will love you until I cease to be…I love you, and I will always love you.”
*swoon*
Of course, this book is definitely not only about romance but adventure and magic. There is a war between beast and man and you don’t know who will come out on top or how it will all be resolved. I loved the fantasy elements in this book. The decriptions of the beasts were detailed and I loved hearing about the different types of magic that the Gifted had. I also loved the way everything came together at the end. I adored the Epilogue, and though it was short, it was perfect and left a huge smile on my face.
The Bird and the Sword is entertaining from the very first word to the very last. There are twists I did not see coming and the whole book was well thought out. When I finished, I found myself searching back to parts for hints of what would transpire and kicking myself that I didn't see things sooner. I absolutely loved this book and can not wait to see what Amy has in store for us in the future. She definitely needs to continue writing fantasy because she nailed it with this book! It left me with a huge book hangover that days later I am still feeling!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2016This book got great reviews and I was excited to start reading it. Also, the cover is beautiful! I was not really sure what to expect other than it being a fantasy, as the synopsis does not give away much information. One of the first things I noticed about the book is that the writing is wonderful. Harmon has excellent pacing and I enjoyed the story so much more due to the beautiful, lyrical writing. I love how the story is framed with the idea of the power of words. In this particular story they have a magical quality, but we also see how Lark learns the value of words by learning to read and write. She sees power in words and that is an important theme throughout the story.
Our main character is Lark, a mute narrator. Though she is quiet, she has no trouble communicating with those around her. She is a wonderful narrator and we get plenty of insight through her internal dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lark’s character development throughout the story. She changes from someone who has been silent and caged for most of her life to someone who learns about herself and her gifts. She learns to use her words in a very powerful way.
Another major character is the king, Tiras. He is a complicated character as well. He has an unwavering loyalty to his kingdom but is also dealing with an internal struggle that prevents him from protecting the people of Jeru. While I did enjoy Tiras and Lark’s interactions, I found their romance to be lacking. They definitely had their cute moments, but overall I felt as if the relationship was more strategic than anything else.
Other than Tiras and Lark, there were not any other well-developed characters. While I enjoyed learning about other characters such as Kjell, Lark’s father and Boojohni, they were not developed enough and they came across as very two-dimensional.
The plot itself was multi-layered and complex. On the surface, Lark and Tiras face a very physical threat to the kingdom. The story is also very much a coming of age/self-discovery story for both Lark and Tiras. I loved the symbolism of the title with the story, it has so many meanings! Both Lark and Tiras are caged (in a way) and are searching for a way to be free. Tiras wants to protect his kingdom, Lark’s father wants to be king and protects Lark’s life but also holds her back. I believe Harmon intended for there to be multiple meanings for the bird and the sword in the title. I also enjoyed the twists at the end as well as Lark’s revelations about herself and the power of her words.
Finally, I really enjoyed some aspects of the world-building although I wish this too was developed more. Towards the beginning of the book we learn about the history of the changers, tellers, spinners and healers but that was all we learned about them. Why were the abilities so varied in different people? Why did some people seem to have multiple abilities? Why were some people stronger than others? Some of these questions were not fully explained, just accepted as fact in the story. There was a lot of beautiful dialogue about these gifts but nobody explained it further.
I was overall quite satisfied with the story and will definitely be picking up another Amy Harmon book in the future! I do wish there was more development from the supporting characters and the world-building, but that is mostly because I was so interested in Lark’s world and I wanted to learn more. It is a lovely book and I would definitely recommend.
Top reviews from other countries
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Lucero C.Reviewed in Mexico on November 16, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Hermoso
Llegó en perfecto estado. No necesitas un alto nivel de inglés para leerlo.
La historia es hermosa y amas a los protagonistas.
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DyanesmReviewed in Brazil on November 30, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilhoso
É incrível como Amy Harmon consegue passear entre gêneros e escrever todos com uma destreza e uma riqueza incomparável. Amy já se tornou uma autora preferida desde "What the wiind knows" e não tem decepcionado.
The bird and the sword é uma fantasia maravilhosa. Leitura viciante, você não vai querer largar o livro. Recomendo muito.
- ema2012Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful tale
What a delightful novel, so well written. Characters are complex and magical, the world around them harsh yet poetic too. The reading flows as do the understated pure romance.
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AmyReviewed in Germany on January 26, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderschön zu lesen
Der Schreibstil ist einzigartig!
- Cliente AmazonReviewed in Italy on September 2, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Well written, fast paced, the story has a beautiful structure and an alluring setting. I devoured it! If you start reading you never want to stop