The Bird and the Sword

I never want to stop reading Amy Harmon's words. Ever. Ugh. I can't even write a coherent review for this book. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy but I was captivated by this from the very beginning. The world Amy Harmon builds is unique and filled with magic and intriguing characters. Lark and Tiras are connected in ways you can't even imagine and I was on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The writing and worldbuilding were good but I saw the plot twist a mile away and the romance just missed the mark for me. Lark could have been an awesome character taking back her agency but the whole ‘resist until she gives in because deep down she actually wants it' just squicks me out, especially when Tiras says it's her duty and desire basically doesn't matter. Ugh

“The world is alive with words”

I had good things about this book and I had liked one other book by this author before, so I decided to give it a try. Oh, wow, I didn't even realize what I was getting myself into, because this? This book is beautiful. I adored every moment and never wanted to put it down. 


I loved the character, loved the interesting magic system, and the romance was super sweet. This book captured my heart – the writing is just that good. I was hooked from the first chapter. If you're looking for a beautiful YA fantasy book that will make you feel all the emotions, I highly suggest this one. This is one I'm sure I'll be re-reading in the future.

The concept was more interesting than the romance, and unfortunately the former was greatly overshadowed by the latter. I listened on audiobook, so it may have just been the narrator's portrayal but I found the characters to be overdramatic in most instances and suddenly logical in others. It was just a little too much emotional whiplash for me.

Very solid beginning to this book, but my interest began waning later on. I wanted this book to really blow me away after the amazing intro, but since it didn't I was kind of left wanting more action, more something. The romance was good, there wasn't a love triangle thankfully, and I really liked the idea of the 4 different gifted.
SpoilerI was confused, why Lark needed to be able to spell words for her spells to work so well... did that seem weird? Was that explained and I somehow missed it? I wouldnt be surprised, I read this book when I was on a plane with screaming children behind me.

I would definitely suggest this book.