Synopsis
“A bard never reveals her secrets, only everyone else’s.”
There is no place for elves in this world, but Sylvaine knows she’s destined for greatness—a world-famous bard entertaining the finest nobility as far as Lindale. Unfortunately, performing in her local tavern off the beaten path lends scant opportunity to distinguish herself.
Until a group of adventurers arrive, promising fame, wealth, and glory when they slay the last dragon of their age and find the lost hoard. Syl convinces them they’ll need a bard to spread word of their heroics, and if she can claim some honor for herself along the way, well no one could fault her for recognizing a mutually beneficial arrangement. Even if it means ignoring the glaring disapproval of the hulking warrior assigned to protect her.
Jaromir is rude and ill-tempered. He makes no effort to hide his distaste when she joins their group. But as they grow closer, and are unable to deny the heat of their attraction, she discovers there’s more to him than his poor manners. He brings her passion, peace, and safety in a world in which she’s never felt welcome.
When the group suffers a great loss, they must use the power of a convincing story to keep their quest alive. A future that once seemed impossible, is suddenly within reach with Jaromir by her side. But even the ballads of love are rife with sorrow. Syl must slay her own dragons before she has a chance at surviving this journey and writing the ending she yearns for. Every bard knows the victorious ending comes at a price. Syl will see this tale through, no matter what it costs her…
Review
This book was an instant buy for me based on the cover. It’s stunning. I mean, just look at this work of art. The artwork is so memorable and does a good job of hinting at what’s in the story while giving it a medieval fantasy look.
The story inside was a fun adventure with romance woven through it. The book reminded me a bit of the Dungeons and Dragons movie, because of the bard main character. Bards to me are very underutilized in stories, which is a shame. Syl certainly ranks among my top bard characters like Jaskier and Kvothe. You first meet Syl struggling to make ends meet until a group of adventurers comes through the tavern she’s performing at. Her luck turns when she decides to join them with the promise of retelling their heroic deeds through songs. The quest: to slay a dragon, one of the most time-honored of fantasy quests. She eventually warms up to the others in her party through various personal moments and dangerous situations–except for Jaromir, who takes some time to become friendly with. And upon meeting him, you know there are sparks, and the close proximity is going to generate some heat.
This book took some unexpected turns and had some twists I didn’t see coming–one of which hurt me like an arrow to the chest. This is definitely a romantasy, which is a genre I usually don’t read too much of, but I knew that going into it. So, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the main couple, and it refreshed some of my favorite tropes without annoying me with the ones I dislike. It also balanced out the main plot of the book without watering it down too much with the romance. Even though it got a little too spicy for me at times, I liked Syl and Jaromir’s grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Their relationship progression felt natural and not too forced to me.
What really stood out for me in this book was Syl’s voice throughout the story and how her character was so distinct and sarcastic. I love snarky characters. I could hear her voice coming off the page and laughed at some of the things she thought and said. Farran did a wonderful job with this character and the other minor ones in this book. I hope the author writes more in this world, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
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