Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Epic
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
Source: ARC
The Bard's Blade is the start of the new Sorcerer's Song fantasy adventure series from Brian D. Anderson, bestselling author of The Godling Chronicles and Dragonvein.
Mariyah enjoys a simple life in Vylari, a land magically sealed off from the outside world, where fear and hatred are all but unknown. There she's a renowned wine maker and her betrothed, Lem, is a musician of rare talent. Their destiny has never been in question. Whatever life brings, they will face it together.
Then a stranger crosses the wards into Vylari for the first time in centuries, bringing a dark prophecy that forces Lem and Mariyah down separate paths. How far will they have to go to stop a rising darkness and save their home? And how much of themselves will they have to give up along the way?
I don’t read a lot of high fantasy these days but Brian D. Anderson’s newest book sounded interesting to both myself and Mr. B! I mean Mariyah’s family does own a vineyard after all. The Bard’s Blade reads a lot like a young adult rather than adult fiction. Anderson’s writing toes the line with beautiful writing being almost too descriptive but he some how managed to pull me in with the lovely, peaceful descriptions of Vylari and the brutality of the outside world.
Given that this is the start of a new series, there is a lot of information to learn about the world and yet we only learn at the same rate as Lem and Mariyah which made the pacing maddeningly slow at times. After about 60%, the pacing picked up as the story arcs grew more compelling but the first 50% was a bit grueling to get through.
I preferred Mariyah’s POV over Lem’s. While she didn’t experience the same amount of character growth, I was far more interested in her story arc than Lem. I just didn’t care for him.
Ultimately, I wasn’t quite blown away but I was engaged enough with Anderson’s writing to continue reading the entire book. If you had asked me at 50% if I would read the next book, I probably would have said no but the ending has this reader curious enough to continue reading despite my distaste for religious zealots. Or are they? Better read on townsfolk and let me know what you think!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts an opinions are my own. Thank you to the team at Tor for sending a copy my way!
About Brian D Anderson
Brian D. Anderson is the indie-bestselling fantasy author of The Godling Chronicles, Dragonvein, and Akiri (with co-author Steven Savile) series. His books have sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide and his audiobooks are perennially popular. After a fifteen year long career in music, he rediscovered his boyhood love of writing. It was soon apparent that this was what he should have been pursuing all along. Currently, he lives in the sleepy southern town of Fairhope, Alabama with his wife and son, who inspire him daily.
