Review: The Harp of Kings

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a little slower than I'd have liked but I did eventually get through it. It's a pretty light on fantasy about music, nature and Fair Folk with a mild dose of court behaviour. Slightly too bland for my tastes, if I'm honest.

The plot: On Swan Island, brother Brocc and sister Liobhan are training to become warriors. They also play music. They're given a mission - along with a fellow trainee, Dau, and two trainers - to journey to a kingdom nearby that's lost a super special harp that's of vital importance to the upcoming coronation. It's kind of a secret mission so they're all under cover but the cover is them being musicians so PHEW. Also fiery Liobhan has to control her temper to match her more submissive character. Sad face.

Honestly, the whole premise was a bit weak for me, and as much as I love music, its importance in this story wore a little thin. I think maybe the world building just wasn't there and I never really got a decent feel for the kingdom or its inhabitants. It was a bit scarce on details so I had a hard time losing myself in the story.

Added to that, the characters were subdued and didn't really do anything particularly exciting. I did like the 'Otherworld' stuff when it finally came up but even that was more 'cutesy to look at' rather than any kind of connection. Liobhan was a fiery, spirited sort but because her fake character wasn't she was a bit dull. Brocc was a bit off with the fairies (LOL) and then Dau became an entirely different person with little explanation, so even though I liked him I kinda resented that.

The court stuff was all pretty shallow, and it just felt like there was no depth to story, world or characters. It was an okay read, but I never felt sucked in or even invested in what might happen. Things travelled along fairly slowly, and there was never any ominous sort of threat or villain to increase the pressure. I mean, the crow things were pretty underwhelming.

I liked the idea of this story but the delivery was too slow and shallow for me. I need more action, whereas this is definitely a slow burn fantasy and likely setting up for a more extravagant series. I'm told this is fairly typical of this author, though, so if you've enjoyed her previous work this one is likely to still be a hit.

With thanks to Macmillan for a complimentary copy to read and review.

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