The Bird and the Sword

By: Amy Harmon

Narrated by: Trina Nishimura

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 heaven or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn't speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would sell his soul and lose his son to the sky. My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother's words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free. But freedom will require escape, and I'm a prisoner of my mother's curse and my father's greed. I can't speak or make a sound, and I can't wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love...a bird?

©2016 Amy Harmon (P)2016 Audiobooks.com Publishing

What an Audio Book Should Be

I am an unabashed Amy Harmon fan. She cannot write a bad story. So, when I learned of her foray into fantasy, I was a bit taken aback. But, hey! It's Amy so it's going to be good. So, I READ the book first and loved it. HOWSOMEVER, this production of The Bird and the Sword is nothing short of breath-taking. Trina Nishimura makes this book so real, so powerful and so moving, I had to find a quiet and peaceful place to listen to be able to absorb, feel and react. The combination of Ms. Harmon's exquisite writer's voice, the creativity behind developing a WHOLE universe, and her incredible 'gift' of story-telling is frankly phenomenal. Of course, this whole story is a lesson we are so in need of now...of recognizing people for who they are and what they bring to our lives. When you layer on the crystalline and finely tuned voice of Ms. Nishimura with her compelling 'gift' of making EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER come to life and you have a book that is listen-worthy to the max. Do NOT miss listening to this wonderful book and if truth be told, it's best listened to AFTER you've read it. The depth that comes to life is truly magical.

The Perfect Fantasy Novel

5 ★ Audiobook⎮From start to finish, The Bird and the Sword was the perfect Fantasy novel. With poetic writing and strong character development, Harmon left me in awe. This novel had a strong sense of direction throughout. Instead of employing cheap tropes and other overused literary tactics to falsely enamor the reader, Harmon let her uniquely lyrical writing style carry the story.

To say that this audiobook was a joy to hear what would be a severe understatement. The Fantasy genre has a tendency to become unnecessarily complex. Authors frequently feel that they have to conduct purposeful world building, which can feel forced. Harmon’s world developed through her characters, not around them. They weren’t just in the world, but also of it. The Bird and the Sword was beautiful in its simplicity.

Lark, the protagonist, proved that heroines can be heroes and heroes can be weak. A story’s hero isn’t always the loudest voice in the room, the physically strongest, or “the chosen one”. Sometimes the hero of a story is someone who said the wrong thing at the wrong time and set the wheels of fate in motion.

Forgive me for waxing poetic, but The Bird and the Sword is quite possibly the most beautiful story I’ve heard all year. Lark will forever be one of my most beloved characters. This was one of the few times I can definitively say that I am 100% satisfied as a reader. Harmon tied everything up so neatly, eloquently connecting all loose strands, and the ending left me speechless.

There is no question in my mind as to how or why The Bird and the Sword is so highly rated on Goodreads. Even from the very beginning, I knew I was listening to something magnificent. Unbelievably, that magnificence never wavered. If you’re in search of a breathtaking Fantasy, look no further than The Bird and the Sword.

Narration review: The Bird and the Sword partially owes Trina Nishimura for its powerful impact. Nishimura delivered a performance perfectly-suited for Amy Harmon’s work. Her narration elegantly complemented the musicality of Harmon’s writing. Furthermore, her voice had a hushed reverence throughout the entire audiobook which held my attention like a sacred prayer. Nishimura deserves much commendation for this performance. ♣︎

Amazing! Simply beautiful!

Beat audible book I've listen to yet! The story was refreshing and so wonderful written.

UGH I LOVE THIS AUDIOBOOK SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Would you listen to The Bird and the Sword again? Why?

Yes. I've already listened to it twice! When the second in the series comes out, I'll probably re-listen to this one again.

What did you like best about this story?

I can't decide whether I liked the characters, the magic system, or the great narration more!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Literally All. Of. It. Amy Harmon is amazing! This was my first book of hers and now I'm listening and reading to more and more of them.

So dern Good!!

Amy Harmon is a wordsmith!! She constructs world's I would wish to visit, with a few words!! “I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”