A big thank you to Netgalley, Amy Harmon, and the publishing team for giving me a copy of this novel to review. I really loved this one and already have my fingers crossed that it gets turned into a movie or TV show. The Norse mythology vibes would be so amazing on screen! Absolutely obsessed with Bayr and Dagmar and the friends-to-lovers arc between Bayr and Alba was *chefs kiss*

FINAL WORD: Two thumbs up! I felt it all during this sweeping epic with Viking flare and definitely recommend.

Wonderfully written story that I did not want to end! Amazing world building, an absolute favorite. Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story begins with two brothers waiting for their father to return. Desdemona and Dagmar are very close but terribly different: he will become Guardian on the Temple Hill while she will be a strong and courageous fighting woman. Two characters who lead them to a discovery under the hill that will keep them together until - after their paths have been divided over their dreams - he finds himself. Dying Desdemona leaves her son Bayr in the care of Dagmar and casts a curse on the whole country: no more daughters will be born and so it happens. In the course of her growth everyone realizes the extraordinary strength capabilities that little Bayr, the Boy of the temple, has, but at the same time there is concern that no girl will be born. After so many years, the future king gives birth to a girl, Alba, of whom Bayr will undergo immediate protection. What they don't know is that they are bound and the King is trying to destroy the same lands as him.
What will happen to the two little boys? How will they be able to stick together to safeguard their kingdom? Was the curse cast by Desdemona on her deathbed really broken? Will the two be able to really change things? What will happen to all of Saylok?

The plot is engaging and well laid out, I'm really excited about how this volume turned out. Maybe on some points I would have kept more vague and left more suspense but if not in the last lines which tell us a little more about the continuation of the story, there are no spoilers or obvious things that already leave us with everything that happens all 'inside the volume itself, in short. I find it to be a beautiful plot, especially engaging.
The cover, compared to the original version, is the only thing that, objectively, you can't look at much. I feel like I'm reading a book about knights of the zodiac or similar and not a historical fantasy like this presents itself. The cover used for the Italian version explains the function of the deities of the volume while the original one ends up involving visually making even more the type of story we are going to read, so I find that it is something that works better visually both of what the story deals with, as I told you just now. The title has been kept as the original thus not undergoing changes. I find that otherwise the Italian version would have created an illegible or phonetically ugly title. So I find that the choice to keep the original version has been wise and well maintained. Also because it is precisely on this First Daughter that the entire volume is kept and that changes the fate of all those around them.

The setting is obviously Fantasy: we are in Saylok, a kingdom where we are based on divinities. There is the god and father Saylok, son of Odin and father of their land who stood in the center of a six-pointed star and his animal children equidistant each behind the ends which is the one upon which all the philosophy of history is based and they are the fathers of everything and then there are the references to the various other gods which are the ones on which the Kingdoms and Kings are also founded, who alternate from clan to clan following a precise trail. The gods are Adyar the eagle, Berne the bear, Dolphys the wolf, Ebba the boar, Joran the horse, and Leok the lion. In fact, the cover refers to this even if I prefer the original version anyway. The era is not properly specified although there are references to Norse and medieval culture.

The characters in this story are many but well balanced. In the foreground, we will get to know Bayr and Dagmar even if we will also meet the mother of the boy from the Temple, Desdemona. We will meet Alba later, the first girl who will be born after years of absence of female births and who will bring hope to the kingdom, Banruud the King of the Berne clan who is the father of the girl and of Bayr himself, we will meet the Phantom, the diaphanous woman that seems to scare the kingdom, Ivo del Tempio and all the secondary characters that will surround the protagonists of this story.

However, the main protagonist will be Bayr, the boy from the Temple, strong and determined even though he doesn't talk much given his stuttering. So strong in physical structure since he was a child which leads him to face bears and dangerous animals much bigger than him, as well as to lift immense weights without too much effort but less strong in language which makes him much more common than it seems. Next to him to guide him will be his Uncle Dagmar, a man of the temple, who immolates himself for his sister and helps him grow so much that the little one considers him his father in all respects. From the exact moment he sees Alba, Bayr knows that he will have to protect her and takes on her burden, thus becoming her close protector.
Alba for her part is a sweet and delicate little girl. She doesn't have any particular talent but she feels particularly close to Bayr given both her protection and the fact that they spend a few years and have grown together little by little. She's a good character who will be made strong by life and the things she sees happen within her own rooms, especially as her father, a greedy and cruel man.

The central pivot of this story is to restore peace to Saylok since King Banruud is creating a real trail of evil and pain around him starting from Alba which is not exactly what he proclaims to all the people who they surround it. A story that speaks of a kingdom to be saved and of two boys, first children, united by growth and by the same fate that hopefully will lead them to salvation also for the people around them.

The style used is truly engaging. The author explains the story in the third person while maintaining the central focus on Bayr, the Boy of the Temple, and the young and small Princess Alba, first daughter after years of female birth failures. The style distinguishes the author like few others and I have to read her books much more than her given the fascinating way of seducing the reader by dragging him into her world and events in a completely engaging way. In fact, this book reminded me of her previous one I read, You have changed my life, and after this I promised myself to read her other volumes translated into Italy, awaiting the arrival of the second volume of this series.

World-building is one of the things that most captured me about the volume's narrative structure. The author has built a world based on Norse mythology, in fact she mentions Thor, Odin and so on, creating a Rune and King selection mechanism that is truly unique in her genre. In fact, I was struck by how everything turned and worked in a simple and effective way without any repercussions between one kingdom and the other. It is a well-defined structure even within the world itself that creates a summit of the Guardians of the Temple and the Kings of various kingdoms who must still go through the blessing and the like from the Temple. A classic system in some respects and innovative in others.

If you are looking for a romance volume this is certainly not the one for you. It's a volume that focuses a lot on the setting of the story so it takes hold after half of the volume and you can really understand where it's going. Despite this, I find that the involvement and structure of the story volume is really crucial for fully understanding everything that animates the story, everything that binds the characters and what is behind each one. I find this to be a really good volume because there isn't the only action that we will see at the beginning and then at the end and that for some it could be uninvolving and flat... In this case, I find it one of those volumes that he manages to enjoy the action and everything that happens by reading the details of what moves the whole system politically. And it is not a simple thing to move all these situations by tying them to perfection. I must say that the author has been able to move very well in this setting and that the story manages to involve the reader even though it is not particularly eventful. So if you expect this, know right now that it's not like that, quite the contrary. But you won't be bored if you take the book with the right spirit that distinguishes it.

The book is a historical fantasy that involves and transports us along the wake of the Bayr years without even realizing it, drawing us into a story of politics, strength and hope for a change in the Kingdom of Saylok in which the protagonists are living. I look forward to the arrival of the second volume and I absolutely recommend reading the volume if you love historical fantasy, if you love Norse mythology and if you want to read a different volume than usual.
Amy Harmon manages to drag us into a mixture of feelings, power and divinity in which the birth of a female after years could change the fate of everything together with the boy, the only heir of a lineage ruined by greed and power. The author gives us an engaging first volume full of emotions from which you will find it difficult to take your eyes off.

I'm sorry - why did it take me so long to read this book? I requested this book so long ago on Netgalley and I kept seeing it there in my TBR because I needed to read it but I kept pushing it aside. I honestly went in not even remembering what this book was supposed to be about. And I'm happy to report I am so pleased I finally picked this up! I really wasn't sure where this story was going to go but as I went on, it was pretty easy to tell. But I loved the build up and the story progression. I wish the magic aspect of this book was a little more explored but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the novel at all. The inspiration of Norse mythology was definitely present, even though I wouldn't call this historical fantasy. Honestly, the only "historical" thing about this book was the fact that Norse mythology inspired this story. But the island and everything else was made up so if you like historical fantasy books, this one might not be for you. I would definitely classify it more fantasy.

I loved these characters so much. I felt like each one made such an impact on the story and done in a great way. Ghost was the most intriguing character of them all but everyone had their own spotlight. Bayr was such a well developed character. The beginning definitely foreshadowed a lot but it wasn't a secret. Alba was mostly present as a child and I wish there was more of her as an adult. The little parts that were given from her, I felt like I would have loved to see more of the woman she grew into. And then Dagmar. His presence on each page held such power that it was impossible not to like his character. Each character played into this story perfectly.

Overall, The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon was a huge success for me. I loved the story and the Norse mythology sprinkled throughout this book. The plot and the pacing were so well executed that even though much action never happened - I always always intrigued on what was going to occur next. Each character fed into this story perfectly. I loved the cast and thought the development was amazingly done. There could not have been better characters to tell this story of Saylok. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy, especially with a little bit of Norse mythology sprinkled in there.

A curse from a dying mother? A woman enraged at men? A temple full of magic and chaos? Sign me up! Honestly nothing could have prevented me from reading The First Girl Child except my own inability to focus. From the get-go I was gripped by the cover and I wasn't let down. Thanks to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the long delay.

As some of you may know, I am a Medievalist, and specifically one who specialises in Old Norse/medieval Scandinavian literature. I'm all about the Norse gods and the mythology and yes, this doesmake watching the Marvel movies a little painful at times (especially Ragnarok, a fun film but one that has nowhere near the drama or impact of the real Ragnarok). From the first page it became clear that Amy Harmon was also taking her inspiration from Old Norse mythology. The references to the Norse gods are frequent across the pages, as are the presence of runes, raids, and other elements that "feel" Norse. The origin story of Saylok, the country suffering under the curse of Bayr's mother, is also inspired by Old Norse mythology and initially I had some questions over it. But then I started to really appreciate the freedom Amy Harmon was taking with this material. She doesn't diverge in a way that feels disrespectful, in any way, but she does diverge in a way that allows her book to come to live independently of the other material. Bayr, for example, feels like a perfect mix between a medieval hero and a modern one. He is both blessed and doomed from birth, capable of intense strength, and unafraid in the face of danger. But he is also deeply insightful, emotionally expressive, and, above all, kind to the core despite his capability of violence. Seeing my beloved mythology come to new light in such capable hands as Harmon's is delightful, even if the academic in me could find things to quibble about.

Desdemona's last words are a curse on Saylok. No longer will men be able to mistreat, discard, or hurt women, because there no longer will be any new women. Witnessed by her newly born son Bayr and her heart-broken brother Dagmar, her curse takes effect and a dark time for Saylok threatens. Despite the birth of Alba, the first girl child in years, the situation only gets worse. While Bayr grows up, displaying miraculous feats of strength and even more stunning displays of gentleness and understanding, the situation around him worsens. From power-hungry royals to violent attacks and conflicting loyalties, the tension ramps up ever higher until either the curse or Saylok will break. The First Girl Child is a great mix between plot-driven and character-driven. On the one hand the novel pursues consequences of Desdemona's curse, but on the other hand its main focus is the growth and development of Bayr and Alba as two children with the weight of the world upon their shoulders.

I really enjoyed Amy Harmon's writing and I was quickly gripped by the story she was crafting. It was especially her eye for detail, the way she described both the landscape of Saylok and its culture and traditions. She does this world-building without majorly overloading the reader. She is not info-dumping it, she is passing it out as and when it becomes relevant and that means you have a gentle but supported entry in the world of Saylok. But it was really the beginning that drew me in, from a prologue set in the childhood of Desdemona and Dagmar full of foreboding, to the first chapter depicting Desdemona's curse. It was a great double-whammy that sucked me in immediately, that made the threat of danger feel immediate, and that made me want to keep reading. I did wonder how Harmon would deal with the essence of the curse, namely that Saylok would be allowed no more women to abuse. Would Saylok become a magical feminist realm by the end? Would the people figure out pretty quickly that being nice to women is a good thing, actually? Or would everything just get worse and end in death and doom? I'm not here to spoil things but I will say that I really enjoyed the way Harmon went about this. I do also have to admit that the last 15% or so of the novel went rather rapidly for me, to the point that I wondered how everything would be tied up with so little book left. Everything does come together in the end but, at times, almost too neatly considering how nuanced some of the previous plotting had been. Overall, however, I really enjoyed The First Girl Child and was thrilled to see a second novel set in this world has been published, The Second Blind Son. I look forward to spending more time in Saylok!

The First Girl Child is a brilliant fantasy novel with a rich mythological background and a strong message about kindness. I will definitely be reading more of Amy Harmon's writing and I would recommend this book to anyone with a love for strong characterisation and detailed world-building.

Magical and haunting all at once, The First Girl Child tells the interwoven stories of Alba and Bayr, two children of prophecy who may one day save the land of Saylok from the bloody curse that binds it.

Amy Harmon is a fantastic writer who has such a way with words. She weaves so many characters' lives together in a web of love and hate, and I had a hard time putting this down even as the night grew late. While I wasn't completely sold on the love story between Alba and Bayr (and found it strange that they kept fixating on one particular ick point until it was resolved), I found the push and pull between Dagmar and Ghost deeply compelling. Beyond that, however, is the way the ghosts of the past continue to haunt our main cast of characters while the societal upheaval of the curse calls into question the roles of gender in society.

Really enjoyed this one, and I'm definitely intrigued to check out the companion novel.

This book surprised me a lot.

The description gave me a vision of another YA, but with an interesting beginning.

Meanwhile.

Things I didn't expect:

1. A very well written Viking vibe that is intertwined with early Christianity (which is not described here as an imposed religion oppressing people and uprooting culture - how refreshing).
2. Expands the situation. Overall, it is a world where women are rather less appreciated than men. And then - a curse. If there are no women in the clan, that's a problem. You have to get them from somewhere in order for the clan to survive. And this does not mean that everyone will suddenly appreciate them, it could be quite the opposite - they will be even more objectified. This is shown in this book.
3. This is not a book where action follows action. I mean the action is there, but the narrative and atmosphere is much closer to "The Witch of Funtinel" or the Arden books. Harmon has a great sense of pace in this book (I haven't read her other books) and is not afraid of long, unhurried passages to give the reader time to digest certain things. In a world of action-packed books be like Villeneuve, I appreciate it. Gosh, how I miss such books in fantasy.
4. Dagmar. There are very few such characters. He is perfect.
5. The main characters in this book are not the teenagers in the description. Seriously. I am very happy that there is a fantasy book that deals with topics that relate to 30-year-olds: raising the next generation, responsibility, bearing the consequences of your mistakes.

I love this story.

I didn't even read the synopsis of this book before requesting a copy from NetGalley. Amy Harmon is one of those authors that you know you'll travel into a different world when you pick up one of her books and this story wasn't any different. I was so drawn into it, the world Amy's words created, that I had such a hard time putting it down and coming back to reality. I fell in love with the characters, intrigued by their world and the magic of it all! I recommend this book as I do almost everything I've ever read of Amy Harmon's and I can't wait to get the official copy when it's released!

I received this book from NetGalley for review.

I had high expectations for this book. Being as I am of Norse heritage it always fascinates me to read others mythology and words around it. I was disappointed sadly. It was a slow read. It could have used more world building, or research for a fantasy read on Norse mythology/history. I enjoy Amy Harmon’s books, but this one was not for me.

I’m not big into fantasy and had a little trouble getting into this because of that. But true to Amy Harmons other books, once I got into the book I DEVOURED it. I had no idea what was going to happen and was absolutely not expecting that ending!!

As far as sci-fi goes this ticks off all of the checkmarks. It was fun to read, exciting to follow the characters and the setting and overall storyline were just what I was hoping for in this novel.

Synopsis:
Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.

Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.

Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.

What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.

DNF. I didn't connect with the characters, it just took too long to get started for me. This is most likely a "It's not you, it's me" thing... it had everything to love, but I just didn't get into it.

This was refreshingly different from most of AH's books, but underneath it still had the emotional turmoils, sprinkled with hope, that she is so well known for. People seem to label this a "fantasy", but it had more of historical mythology vibe for me. It was definitely a family based saga, filled with compelling characters and stories. I am thrilled there will be more from this world

Amy Harmon is EVERYTHING. Always my greatest pleasure and honor to read anything she shared with the world.

So, I've been sitting on this review for a week now. I've read nothing after it, and thought of nothing BUT it since finishing it. I want to read the book all over again! I want to immerse myself in these pages, live in the mythical world of Saylok, and read about Ghost and Dagmar and Bayr and Alba all over again. I knew going in that I would love the first girl child. Anything Amy Harmon puts out, becomes my next favourite book. But did I expect to LOVE it this much? To be affected THIS MUCH? To put it at the top of my "BEST FANTASY BOOK OF ALL TIME" list? To be honest, I wasn't sure. But by the end I was thinking to myself, why would I have EVER doubted Amy Harmons talent? After reading the Bird and The Sword, I should have known!! Her writing is some of the best out there! Her ability to tell a story that is so full of imagery, her worlds and characters so well developed that you feel like these places EXIST is like nothing else, and she is quickly becoming (in my opinion) one of the masters in the fantasy genre!

This book is filled with so much mystery and myth, romance and drama, evil and good, pain and love that you leave wanting MORE. More of Saylok, more of Bayr and Alba, and Ghost and Dagmar!! I was left sobbing!! The conclusion had my heart feeling both joy and sadness, and I think I read the epilogue like 3 times! I'm telling you now, this book releases in 3 days, and you will want to RUN, not walk, to get this in your hands! You will be turning pages so quickly to reveal the story within! I can't even give this book a rating because 5 stars isn't even enough to explain the kind of masterpiece it is!! I will end this review saying that if you're a fan of Vikings, Game of Thrones, mythology, worlds so exquisitely plotted they feel real, and the most wonderful romance, then please, READ THIS BOOK!!!

If you like mythology mixed with fantasy, you should read this. It is a difficult book to write a review for as it needs to be experienced. It slowly tells the story of two children raised under a curse and how that affects them. I found myself surprised by how the events played out. I could have used more romance but I loved what there was. I needed tissues at one point. This was a beautiful story and I am curious to see what the next book in that world will bring.

When I first heard that Amy Harmon (one of my favorite indie romance authors) was going to dive more into a fantasy, I was ecstatic! I loved her other book The Bird and the Sword and thought she did a fantastic job.

There are a few things that I know for sure going into an Amy Harmon book. The writing will be captivating and the story will transport me to another place and time. No matter the genre she always manages to do this! And I’ve enjoyed her take on fantasy romance so I was beyond excited when I started this book. But I will say one thing. I was expecting a story that felt full of political intrigue in this fantasy setting and that it focused on this romantic relationship between Bayr and Alba. I quickly realized that the way we were going to see this story unfold was different than that expectation and although it wasn’t what I had originally thought, it was so beautiful and exactly the way it had to be done.

In THE FIRST GIRL CHILD we are following a group of characters through a span of 20+ years (more than that actually). First of all with Dagmar. The son of a warrior that had the soul of a keeper. He knew his path was not one with a sword in hand but one where his life would be of sacrifice and spirituality. He felt a connection to the Gods, he had a gift and he felt compelled to dedicate his life to that, much to his fathers’ disappointment. Years later his path and priorities again reshaped. There was something subdued and yet powerful about his presence throughout this story and I slowly fell in love with his character.

Then there’s Bayr of course. Dagmars’ nephew and a boy he raised as his own. He’s incredibly strong but as much physical strength as he has, his weakness is that he stutters. This is coming from a curse when he was born. The same curse that said he would be the salvation of the land and that from the day of his birth there would be no more girls born of the kingdom of Saylok. There are so many qualities about Bayr to admire. The strength of his love, his determination, the way he didn’t let others’ opinions of him affect him, his loyalty. He’s a fierce warrior without needing to be intimidating. I think his character was another one of the highlights of this story for me.

And of course we have the females. Alba, the first girl child born in Saylok after the curse that nobody knew about. Raised as a princess with her fierce protector from birth by her side, Bayr. The relationship between Bayr and Saylok was just beautiful and innocent. I loved every second of how their slow burn and understated romance developed. There’s also Ghost, that I don’t want to say much about because it would be spoilery. But another fierce female that you can’t help but admire in her sacrifice and devotion.

The world building and the Norse mythology that makes up this world made it so interesting. This is not a book with a flash story or attention grabbing characters. There’s an inner strength to all of them and they weave themselves slowly into your heart as they are letting you into their world. Amy Harmon once again shows masterful storytelling. I couldn’t look away, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters, or wondering what would happen to them next. THE FIRST GIRL CHILD paints a vivid picture that played out in front of me like a movie. I am seriously hoping that we get more stories set in this world.

Fantastic read! i really enjoyed this. the highlight for me is the relationship between bayr and dagmar. i love how they saw themselves as father and son, even though it wasnt the case.

I put my review on GoodReads and Amazon and forgot to put it here.

Top 10 for 2019.

Beautifully written. This book follows the lives of Alba and Bayr from birth into adulthood in a tale of love, lies and hope. Wish there was more.