A Dance with Fate

July 6, 2020
The lovely second mythic fantasy in Marillier’s Irish folklore–inspired Warrior Bards series (after The Harp of Kings) chronicles the youthful romance of Swan Island warriors Liobhan, a talented singer, and Dau, the embittered son of a chieftain. Evenly matched in combat skills, Liobhan and Dau celebrate the completion of their strenuous training as spies with a three-round display bout that goes horribly wrong when Dau slips and is blinded. Under interclan law, the injured Dau must return to his father’s home, Oakhill, where his older brothers once cruelly tormented him. The only comfort keeping Dau from a fatal depression is Liobhan, who volunteers to spend a year at Oakhill to care for him. Despite expectations set by the first book in the series, very little music or warrior training leavens their unhappy lives at Oakhill, until fate intervenes in the person of Liobhan’s bardic brother Brocc, who returns from the Otherworld to save them from their misery. Marillier’s strength lies in her ability to convincingly convey the genuine trust and compassion between her characters as they come of age in a magical land. Series readers will eagerly await more. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary.

August 7, 2020

When young warrior Dau is blinded by his comrade Liobhan in an exhibition bout, the pair are forced to leave their training retreat at Swan Island to return Dau to the care of his family. Dau must confront his abusive brothers and withdrawn father, and face demons from his past as he copes with his new disability. Meanwhile, as penance for causing Dau's injury, Liobhan must endure a sentence as an indentured servant in the dysfunctional and dangerous household. As the pair uncover evidence of a conspiracy, they're forced to search for allies they can trust. VERDICT Marillier's ("Blackthorn and Grim" series) latest novel in the "Warrior Bards" series (after The Harp of Kings), set in a fantasy world inspired by mythic Ireland, is a brisk and engaging read with vivid characters and a satisfying conclusion that makes this work as a standalone. Recommended for fans of Katharine Kerr's "Deverry" books or Patrick Rothfuss's "Kingkiller Chronicles" series.--Jason Puckett, Georgia State Univ. Lib, Atlanta

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