The Harp of Kings

I have long been a fan of Juliet Marillier's work. I was very excited to have the opportunity to read Harp of Kings. Liobhan and Brocc are brother and sister. They are in training, hoping to join the elite warriors of Swan Island. Both have musical talent, but Brocc is the more compelling musician. Liobhan is a warrior through and through. Dau is also competing for a spot on Swan Island. When the story opens, he is at odds with Brocc and Liobhan. He thinks Liobhan doesn't deserve a place there, because she has the audacity to be female, and so that must mean her attentions will be divided somehow. And Brocc doesn't deserve a spot because of that musical talent he's got.

The three trainees are sent on a mission to the kingdom of Breifne. On Midsummer Day, a new king will be crowned, and the legendary Harp of Kings must be part of the ritual. Problem is, the Harp of Kings is missing. Those in power are trying to keep this hush-hush, and the Swan Island team is going in undercover, their mission to retrieve the harp before the coronation.

The story is compelling, yet not necessarily fast-paced. The world Marillier creates is a Celtic world, with druids and fae and uncanny creatures, and it has a bit of a dreamlike quality, even when the events in the story are action-packed.

We see our three main characters face challenges through the course of the story, and we learn more of their backstory. Liobhan in particular wrestles with the fitness of Rodan, the crown prince, to become king. She sees in him a disaster for the future of Breifne, and in her mind, fulfilling the mission, returning the Harp of Kings to allow him to be crowned, seems an awful lot like failure. Brocc - let's just say there's more to him than meets the eye. He must decide what direction his future will take. Will he return to Swan Island and pursue the path of the warrior, or is he better suited for another role? And Dau's backstory is just heartbreaking. It was good to see hints of the man he can yet become.

At the end of the book, I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends. I look forward to reading more in the series.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.

Once again Juliet Marillier is to be congratulated.
An excellent book with a good script, well-structured characters and an impressive pace / action.
A book whose reading I highly recommend.

CW: flashback to violent death of a beloved pet dogVery promising start to a new series by the wondrous Juliet Marillier. Siblings Liobhan and Broc are vying for a coveted spot as warriors on Swan Island along with chieftain's son Dau, when all three young adults are sent on a mission to recover a legendary harp that must be played at the upcoming coronation of the new king of Breifne. Liobhan and Broc, both skilled musicians, are to pretend to be members of a traveling entertainment troupe, and Dau is to be a mute stable boy. While the three are struggling to adapt to their roles (especially Liobhan, who has to refrain from punching men who annoy or harass her), they discover that something is not quite right with Breifne and its would-be king. And they start to wonder if fulfilling their mission and doing what's right are two very different goals.As usual, Marillier sets her story in medieval Ireland, with worlds of magic and other creatures not far from the surface. Swan Island will be familiar to readers of her spectacular Sevenwaters series ([b:Daughter of the Forest 13928 Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, #1) Juliet Marillier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343589988l/13928.SY75.jpg 1897725] et al) and Liobhan and Broc are the next generation of the [b:Blackthorn & Grim 43348091 Blackthorn & Grim (3 Book Series) Juliet Marillier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545731006l/43348091.SX50.jpg 67315535] series, but this book can easily stand alone. The chapter narration rotates among the three main characters, and I have to admit my least favorite were the ones from Liobhan's POV. I know, Girl Power and all that, but she annoyed me with her insistence that she knew what was best and her refusal to follow the orders given to her by the Swan Island warriors who were leading the mission. Her best scenes were those in which she is given a chance to develop a relationship with one of Breifne's more vulnerable residents; it gives her the opportunity to be both fiercely protective and surprisingly gentle. Broc is one of those characters who just breaks your heart. He's not a bad fighter, but his true love is music, and he has an unusual background that leaves him torn between two worlds. Dau, too, tugged at my heartstrings for different reasons. He starts the book seemingly tough and invulnerable (Liobhan calls him a supercilious bastard), but as the story progresses we learn about the traumas he experienced growing up that scarred him emotionally and realize that his pride is covering up a lot of loneliness. The book ends with the mission's conclusion, but there are lots of loose ends left hanging, including several unresolved romance plots. I am more enthusiastic about this book than I was about the first Blackthorn and Grim novel, [b:Dreamer's Pool 17305016 Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim, #1) Juliet Marillier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396748896l/17305016.SY75.jpg 23963283], and I ended up a big fan of that series, so I am optimistic that this series will be even more rewarding.P.S. Is it just my imagination or does the important secondary character with poor impulse control, aggressive sexual tendencies, grandiose but fallacious statements and no sense of personal responsibility resemble a certain American politician? ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for honest review.