The Harp of Kings

 Book Title: The Harp of Kings

Author: Juliet Marillier

Series: Warrior Bards #1

Date Started: June 22nd 2021

Date Completed: July 6th 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Mystery

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Three Star

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

The Harp of Kings is another mystery in a strange court with uncanny hands in the plot from Juliet Marillier, the iconic writer of fairy tale fantasy adventure stories with strong female characters and addictive action. I didn't actually realise it was a further telling of another of her series, Blackthorn and Grim, until I started reading - not that you need to know that at all, but it's a nice little nod in the text.

Ultimately, this novel wasn't my favourite of Marillier's, mainly because I just didn't get into it in the same way I've fallen into some of her other work. I didn't connect to the characters as well as I usually do, and much of the joy of Marillier's writing is her characters. The cast is all fine in theory; the brave but stubborn female warrior perhaps too devoted to her brother, the wise but hesitant bard brother who's probably a bit too devoted to his sister, and the grudging rival along for the ride (and inevitably the male love interest for the series). But they don't come to life off the page for me, and so it was hard to feel any stakes or much drama.

Something that is maybe a bad habit, but one that I often overlook because I'm just having so much fun, is the tendency of these books to knock you over the head with the explanations resolving the mystery at the end. It really is explicit in how the clues and conundrums connect in the end, which is;t always the most satisfying. In The Harp of Kings, especially, there's a lot more weight in the emotional changes than in events themselves, so when you get to the end it's almost a surprise when you're reminded how their actions have actually solved the major mystery from the start of the book and here's why.

Honestly, it was a bit lacklustre for me overall. If this was the first Marillier book I'd read, I don't know if I would keep coming back to them like I currently do. Marillier's work is one of my favourite collections to default to if I'm not sure what to read next, because they're always a fun ride - this was one still a ride, but not quite as fun as I'd like readers to know her writing as.