The Harp of Kings (Warrior Bards, #1)

by Juliet Marillier

[Kelly]

On Swan Island, apprentices are disciplined in warfare and espionage in preparation to become elite soldiers, a distinguished position garnering the admiration of the communities of Erin. Siblings Liobhan and Brocc are revered for their proficiency, accomplished apprentices on the threshold of their inaugural assignment on the mainland. Accompanied by adversary Dau and the chieftains of Swan Island, their assignment is to retrieve the Harp of Kings, a traditional stringed instrument of considerable importance. The harp will be played at Breifne's coronation ceremony for the incoming kingship and without the traditional ceremony, the new king shall not be accepted by society.

Each apprentice has been provided with a new identity and persona for their assignment. Dau will be employed as a lowly stable hand and labourer, a young man with mutism. Liobhan and Brocc will be employed by the empire as travelling minstrels, selected for their musical capabilities much to the annoyance of Liobhan. The journey to the Kingdom of Breifne is fraught with danger. Legends speak of an otherworldly realm in which the fair folk reside, an elderly storyteller guarding a gateway to another world which is being decimated. Of a tempered, volatile King and the uncanny, what resides in the beyond.

Liobhan is an ambitious and intelligent young woman who challenges authority and an extraordinary musician. Entering the academy at Swan Island is among her greatest accomplishments, vying for a place as a permanent resident among the chosen warriors and accompanied by brother Brocc. Brocc is an accomplished young man and esteemed amongst the Swan Island community. Unlike Liobhan, Brocc prefers to create music, mesmerising crowds with his angelic melodies and although he's a capable combatant, he faces an internal conflict of identity. Dau is a stoic young man and Liobhan's main adversary. He segregates himself rather than establish friendships with his comrades. Beneath the surface lies a young man traumatised by his youth, tormented by older siblings and tortured by traumatic stress disorder.

In The Kingdom of Breifne, Druids live with a segregated community, men of spirituality who upon entering the brotherhood are deprived of their former identity. Their families forbidden to speak of their loved one. The Druids are the protectors of the Harp of Kings, essential for the incoming King's crowning ceremony. Brocc must garner the confidence of the Druids to investigate the disappearance of the harp and along with chieftain Archu, play nightly for the Breifne court under the guise of travelling minstrels.

Liobhan and Dau begin a tentative friendship, from adversaries to a gentle companionship while Brocc finds himself attracted to a mysterious women in which he finds a sense of solace. The romance is subtle and delicate, which will no doubt be explored in the next installment. Within the court, Liobhan befriends a neglected and frightened young girl, we see a tender side of the feminist warrior and I really enjoyed their interactions. Throughout the narrative, we see how difficult it is for women within the Kingdom. Women work within traditional roles, caring for children, sewing, cooking, washing and seen as inferior to men by often remarking, you're quite intelligent, for a woman. Given her place within the court as a mere minstrel, Liobhan is unable to challenge these sexist ideals publicly but secretly seethes with frustration.

The Harp of Kings is extraordinarily exquisite, an enchanting fusion of fantasy and fictional Celtic folklore, a journey of resistance, resilience and realisation. Atmospheric and vividly imagined, Juliet Marillier is exceptional.