Audiobook Review: The Second Blind Son (The Chronicles of Saylok #2) by Amy Harmon

Title: The Second Blind Son (The Chronicles of Saylok #2)
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Adult Fantasy / Romance / Mythology
Publication Date: July 20th, 2021
Publisher: 47North
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“An insidious curse is weakening the Norse kingdom of Saylok, where no daughters have been born in years. Washing up on these plagued shores is Ghisla, an orphaned stowaway nursed back to health by a blind cave dweller. Named for a mysterious god, the boy, Hod, is surrounded by prophecy. To Ghisla, he’s a cherished new friend. To Hod, the girl is even more so. For when Ghisla sings, Hod can see.|Unable to offer safe shelter, Hod urges Ghisla onward to become a daughter of the temple, where all the kingdom’s girl children have been gathered. But because of a magical rune, the two cannot be separated, no matter the time or the distance.
Now, subject to a ruthless king, Ghisla enters a desperate world of warring clan chieftains and catastrophic power struggles. Who among them can be trusted is unknowable. So are the sacrifices Ghisla and Hod must make to defeat the cursed forces that could destroy a kingdom and the fated bond between two souls.” (Goodreads)

This wasn’t as good as the first, but it was still a great read and I feel like I need more books like this in my life!

This book is told from multiple point-of-views, mostly coming from Ghisla and Hod. The timeline aligns with the first exactly but is told from two different pairs of eyes. I thought that this was well done and liked seeing the events unfold. I will say that it was a bit slow for the first 40% but the last 60% made up for it!

Just like in the first book, Ghisla and Hod begin a friendship from a young age. She was the only one who truly tried to understand him and his blindness. They saw him as a bad omen and it was hard for him to fit in anywhere. I liked their friendship and the romance that ensued. They are perfect.

I feel like through this book I understand the other characters better. Ghost is still an all time favorite and what she says at the end to the king is just *chef’s kiss*.

The epilogue at the end was the perfect way to end the duology. It wasn’t too long but gave me a glimpse at their future. I do wish I got more from this world though, I just love it!

Overall, this was another great read. I will definitely be checking this author out again and seeing what other books she has written.

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Audiobook Review: The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylock #1) by Amy Harmon

Title: The First Girl Child (The Chronicles of Saylock #1)
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Adult Historical Fiction / Romance / Mythology
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Publisher: 47North
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

“Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.” (Goodreads)

I feel like this is just what I needed to break up my average rated reads. It reminded me a bit of Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young, which I enjoyed. So, I am very pleased with this book!

The book is told through third-person narration from multiple point-of-views which I really liked. There are many plot lines at play that all come together and it was cool to see how each character intertwined with another. Bayr and Alba were a favorite pair of mine for obvious reasons. They each wanted what was best for one another and would do anything to remain together. Their dedication was something that I very much admired. Bayr also has a stutter and keeps it throughout the book. The audiobook does a great job with it!

There is romance and it stretched throughout by building a friendship between the two first. The reader gets to see Bayr and Alba from babies all the way up until they are older and ready to take on the challenges they face. It really helped me to connect to them on a deeper level.

One character that was wildly insane was the king. Just wow! Every time he did something I was like, “Oh, it couldn’t get worse…” and he always proved me wrong haha. Even though I very much disliked him, he made the story even better and for that I guess I liked him in a way.

The plot is filled with mythology. runes, an evil king, war, and many other things. I didn’t feel like there was ever a dull moment and I would listen to more than half of the audiobook in one day because of that. Which obviously isn’t a bad thing. It very much kept me engaged.

Overall, this was a great read and I can’t wait to get to the next book!

WWW Wednesday | 8-10-22

Hello, My Lovely Bookworms!

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and is now hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

It consists of answering these three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My audiobook is The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon. This is a standalone sequel that goes with The First Girl Child. It’s interesting to see the events from book one from different eyes.

The arc I am reading Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah. It’s fine so far but it does feel similar to other books and it is very repetitive with certain things so I just don’t know, lol.

Nothing Since Weekly Update

My next audiobook will most likely be I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.

I still have 10 arcs to get through for September so I will be getting through those. It will either be Defend the Dawn (Defy the Night #2) by Brigid Kemmerer or The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT READ? ARE YOU LOVING IT? HAVE YOU READ OR WANT TO READ ANY THAT I HAVE LISTED? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

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