In Saylok daughters became mothers and sons became warriors. This is not a world where a man or woman gets much choice in their happiness. They were born into war and each day was a battle. The people of Dolphys were warriors.
Bayr of Saylok was their salvation and gifted with inhuman strength, but he was haunted by the curse given to him by his mother. Bayr’s purpose was to protect Alba. They pinned their hopes on one small girl child and placed responsibility on an orphaned temple boy.

The people of Dolphys lived in the blessed land of Saylok with six different clans. The story follows the lives of Bayr and Alba, Dagmar and Ghost, and King Banruud and Queen Alannah.

Overall:
Based upon religious beliefs and mythology in a medieval time period Amy used her imagination to create a fantastical world of keepers and warriors.

The first female birth wasn’t quite what I expected after a twenty year dry spell. I was picturing something more sinister.

My interest was an uphill battle. It was a slow building story with unexpected plot twists, yet not enough excitement to provide the energy to climb that big hill. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to get myself invested in these characters. Too many times I found myself drifting away from the story unable to focus or concentrate.

I really wanted to like this more since it was written by the amazing and talented Amy Harmon, but my heart wasn’t invested in these characters. I tried so hard to understand the purpose of this curse placed upon them.

I would’ve liked a better backstory on Desdemona’s character and her relationship with Banruud. I had a difficult time understanding the love she had for him considering his behavior throughout the story. As a reader we were limited to one side of his behavior.

I liked how Amy incorporated women into the temple altering customs and traditions.

The attention to detail was splendid, yet exceedingly overdone.

First of all, the world building was amazing. Ms. Harmon took Norse mythology as her basis and tweaked it. Brilliant! Saylok, where the story was set, felt as if it could have easily been in a historical fiction novel with the different clans and so forth. The keepers seem to be like druids with their ability to use runes for different purposes and their interactions with royalty.

As can be expected when power is up for grabs, deceit and treachery are plentiful in this story. Many lies are told and murders are committed in the name of getting a foothold on the rung of the ladder that leads to the throne. No one is safe when it comes down to it.

Saylok was suffering under a curse. There had been no girls born in a number of years. The only one who knew about the curse's origination was Bayr's uncle since he watched his sister place it with her dying blood and words. It was a punishment to men for their mistreatment of women. She was bitter because Bayr's father denied her and her baby. She also cursed him to have no more living children other than her son.

The development of the characters is flawless. Bayr's uncle was a keeper but asked for special permission to be able to raise him at Temple Hill. Bayr grew strong, almost God-like but had an incredibly sensitive heart. When he is a young boy, he becomes enamoured with the infant princess of the new king. She is the first girl child to be born in years and Bayr realizes how special she is. The king takes an instant dislike to him. However, he is forced to declare Bayr her protector after he saves her from being abducted. Bayr and Princess Alba form a close bond and remain close as she grows.

The story obviously blends some romance into the plotline as well. For me that definitely strengthened the story as I was a fan of the fact that Bayr and Alba had bonded from the beginning. They were basically fated to be together. Their love for one another was undeniable and genuine. You have to wonder will their love be what Saylok needs to break the curse? What will it take? There's so much more to this story....if you're a fan of fantasy books at all, you must read it!

All I can say is I loved this fantabulously wonderful fantasy read! Thank you Ms. Harmon for creating another world for us to venture into with you!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never read any of Amy's books and I don't think I will.
The book was not badly written at all, I just could not get into it. Perhaps because fantasies are not my favorite genre.
But as I said, the book was well written and I am convinced that any fantasy fan will love this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

The First Girl Child definitely stood out in the flood of YA fantasy.
The premise is interesting and I liked the focus on women in the Nordic setting.
It's a quiet and gentle story. My favorite character was Dagmar and I wished we could've spend more time to get to know Desdemona before she died.

It could have been a bit faster paced, but that's just my personal reference. Sky in the Deep disappointed me, because I love a Viking setting.
This was way better.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

Five in the name Nordic kings, gods, mythological, full of runes, mystic, lyrical, powerful, ghost-ly stars!

Amy Harmon is one of the talented writers always knows how to take you journeys at different time zones from Irish Revolution to the middle of World War second and some unknown mystical kingdom doors. She plays the words like instruments and creates amazing, soul-brushing, heart-healing compositions, that you wanna read over and over again to feel joyful and delighted ! That’s how I felt as soon as I finish this wonderful, compelling, heroic , encouraging, Nordic fairy tale.

Characterization:

THERE IS NO ALBA WITHOUT BAYR.

Bayr, a giant, strong, tough, carries an enormous, beautiful heart that only belongs to Alba.

And sweet, brave, loyal, lovely Alba who also carries a genuine, kind, poignant heart, only but forever belongs to Bayr.
Bayr was her keeper, her guardian, her best friend, confidant, first and last love. It was amazing to read their growing up, devotion, unconditional connection.

I also enjoy Dagmar and Ghost’s stories. It is not fair to think them as supporting characters. Their forbidden love story, their affection and loyalty to Bayr and Alba were marvelous. My heart broke for them. Especially the parts that Ghost stands up for all the five girls who turned into gifted warriors and the way she puts her life at risk for her daughter was so worth to read! I like to clap and shout as “Go Ghost Go!”. And Dagmar, humble, born and raised warrior who changed his way to be keeper did whatever it took to save Bayr from the danger of the enemies!

PACE:
At first I thought it was slow but after few pages I realized it was not. Not too slow or fast. Understanding the whole journey, we have to start from beginning. So there are not a word is needed to be edit from this book. Each one has its own magic and power!

STORY DEVELOPMENT:
Fasten your seat belts to take a memorable, mythological journey including Norse magic and powerful blood runes. This book is full of surprises make you smile, curse, cry like a baby! You need to open your feelings to absorb each beautiful chapters like your life depends on them.

PLEASE DO NOT READ BOOKS WITH YOUR EYES! READ IT WITH YOUR HEART!
ENDING:

My hands hurt but I applauded a lot! This is an epic final! I think you may consider this as one of the greatest book about power of women and their abilities, strength and determination to do what it takes!

SUMMARY:
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

I’m one of the luckiest to grab my ARC COPY so special thanks to 47North and NetGalley for providing this amazing book to me as an exchange of my honest review. I truly, honestly enjoyed it!

I fell in love with Amy's writing many years ago. Her books become movies in your mind as you read her magical words. Amy opened my eyes to the fantasy world with her The Bird and The Sword Chronicles, which I HIGHLY recommend. I was hoping she would write more fantasy, so when I saw this book was coming, I was beyond excited!

This book was unlike anything I have ever read. These characters had me on the edge on my seat and holding my breath while getting sucked deeper and deeper into the story. There will be characters you will fall in love with immediately and there will be characters you will absolutely despised and wish a slow painful death upon.

I love Bayr and Alba. I wanted nothing more for them to come together as one and defeat the evil. Your heart will break for all the characters and what they go through. But they are strong and will let nothing stop them from doing what is best for their people. I was holding my breath waiting for all the secrets to spill. There are many that will change the lives of so many characters. My heart was broken for some and bursting for others!

In order to sum up this book and give a more detailed review, I would end up spoiling so much about this incredible book. There is so much to talk about but I recommend going in blind. Don't read any spoilers or reviews giving away too much info! The blurb is spot on for a quick summary about the book but the journey you will go through is amazing!

The First Girl Child is a standalone. However, I am truly hoping we get more from this world and these characters. I loved everything about it!!

I’m not the biggest fantasy/sci-fi fan, but I am a huge Amy Harmon fan, so I picked this one up right away. I’m so glad I did. The flow was great, and though it had a slower start for me, once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. I was captivated by this world and these characters.

This is one of those books that’s hard to review and explain, but I feel will be unforgettable for me. It touched me and I really did enjoy it. I’m glad I took a chance on this book. No one can tell a story like Amy Harmon and this is a beautiful one of sacrifice and love.

First Girl Child by Amy Harmon

This is a thought-provoking story with threads of fantasy, faith and the true meaning of family woven throughout. The tale is imaginative with the author’s use of Norse mythology to create the land of Saylok. With every Amy Harmon book, I can’t help but fall in love with the characters. The plot is well developed and moves romantically and lyrically to its conclusion.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“It is your weakness. But weakness can make a man wise. You will listen more. You will think before you speak. You will never believe yourself all-powerful and all-knowing. You will never say what you do not mean.”

“But what we want is not always what is best for us.”

“And in the end, we can only sacrifice ourselves. To sacrifice others is no sacrifice at all.”

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

First of all, I want to say that I love that Amy Harmon decided to write a Fantasy novel. She is one of the most well-rounded authors and can write, in my opinion, in any genre she wants. I don't read a lot of Fantasy novels because I find the story-building sometimes a bit complicated. You get a lot of information in a small time of frame, and it is difficult to absorb all of it. However, I never got that feeling from The First Girl Child. Amy's writing is always very easy to read, and has a great flow. I was teleported to Saylok and I felt like I was really living in that Kingdom. I loved all the characters, and there was such great character development.

The romance aspect is a bit in the background, which I surprisingly didn't mind too much. However, I would've wanted this to be part of a series instead of a stand-alone. I think there is still so much to explore in this world, and I am very intrigued by it. The last quarter just flew by and the book was finished before I knew it. So that felt a bit rushed because a lot of things happened towards the end, and I think the author could've taken more time to spread it out a bit more. It even made me wonder if there would be a cliffhanger at the end, which I wouldn't have minded. But unfortunately no, it has an ending. I am happy that Amy included an epilogue, but I wish it was longer. I really liked this book and I hope that Amy will decide to revisit this world/genre in the near future.

It was abundantly clear from the very first page that Amy Harmon is a great writer. Her use of language painted a graphic picture of the stark landscape that was the backdrop of "The First Girl Child."
Her characters were strong and three dimensional. Each voice rang true across the pages.

My only problem with this book was the sudden influx of too many foreign names and places. The sudden inrush of information made it difficult to keep track of the story. While most fantasy novels unfold the world building over time, this novel dropped it on us in a go. Since I got tangled up in the names and places, I was unable to complete the book in time, like I had hoped.

While I look forward to reading other books by Harmon, this particular one just wasn't for me. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for other books that she may publish.

Have you ever read a book that you love and can't stop thinking about it? Well this was me when I finished The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon. For 2 days I was so engrossed in the story or Bayr of Saylok a baby born to a wronged woman, who's last dying breath was used to curse the men and the very lands she once defended and loved. Her curse reached all in the land and endangered her people to extinction, as she swore no girl child would be born among them. This curse come to fruition, and for nearly 20 years not a single girl is born. Until Alba. Being a precious treasure to her people, Bayr who was born with superior strength is given the task of protecting Alba from any and all who seek to harm her. He did this and for years watched her becoming the resilient Princess that she was expected to be. As the years passed, and the villages continued to only birth sons, the King decided that all the girls who were not yet married would come to live in the temple to be kept safe as they were seen as priceless commodities. It is in the years that followed, that Bayr who assisted in caring for the princess and the new girls was claimed by his clan. It was in this new land that Bayr became the man and warrior that would help protect all who threatened Saylok and everything that they held sacred. But will Bayr be able to defeat evil, when it is the one who was appointed to lead all the clans? Or will Bayr fail in protecting not just his people, but Alba, who while away has becoming everything that Bayr doesn't think he deserves.

The way Amy Harmon writes is just beyond anything you can imagine. Weaving in tales of other worlds along with the traditional tropes of love, betrayal, truth and everything in between is just so magical and a world i gladly get lost in. The story of Bayr and his origins, alongside Dagmar & Desdemona's beginnings, then in turn Ghost's, sends you on an emotional journey, one with which you don't want to part.

'There is no Alba without Bayr'

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book, while slow paced, is one of my favorite books I have read this year. I love the fact that there was a curse for there to be no more girls born since men only abuse and use them for their own desires then toss them to the side. Only one person is known to be able to break the curse, but how? The curse breaker is someone unassuming and the secret must be hidden. I loved this book and a much better, more thorough review will be posted on my blog by 7-8-19.

CelticsLibrary.com

I'm torn with how to rate this book. Although I am a huge fan of Amy Harmon I had a very difficult time getting into this story. Her writing is beautiful as usual but there was an overabundance of back story that made the beginning drag and prevented me from connecting with the characters until almost midway through. While I did enjoy the storyline and the unique premise, it was not quite the captivating page-turner I've come to expect from Harmon.

I loved everything in this book, from the plot to the well written characters, from the humour to the world building.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The First Girl Child is simply stunning! Amy Harmon's fantasy writing is up there with the best. Her worldbuilding skills are superb and her prose is captivating. Overall, I couldn't ask for a better romantic fantasy novel!

“I’ve come to believe that home is not a place. Home is inside of us. Home is the people we love. Home is what we strive for. “

In a Norse based fantasy, the power of runes drawn with blood can give powers.

“Blood was the only thing the earth answered to. Blood represented sacrifice, and the earth would not trade her secrets for anything less.”

A woman has been used and left by a cruel chieftain, and after she births his child, she curses the chieftain and the land with her dying breath.

“We are abused. We are used. We are bartered and abandoned. But rarely are we loved. So be it. From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok for any of you to love.”

Her brother Dagmar takes the baby Bayr and raises it in the temple.

The story is how the land copes with having no daughters born, raiding women from other lands, and how the curse is broken.

This story isn’t told in a rush. It goes over a span of twenty years, telling the tale of Bayr and Alba. But there is a lot of detail with secondary characters. If you’re in the mood for a quick read, this might not be the right book.

There’s many different types of love shown in this book. The love between family, whether it’s family by blood or family found. The love of country and its people. Forbidden love. The love in sacrifice. It’s a wonderfully detailed world the author has weaved. It’s one of my favorite books this year.

I recommend this one to fans of Uprooted or Spinning Silver. If you have read Amy Harmon’s other books, you won’t want to miss this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The release date is August 20, 2019.

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon is a book for fantasy lovers! It's a tale full of myths and it will take you to colorful places where magic and realism unite. I would not call this book a romance story but it's a novel about love.
Bayr is the son of an angry dead mother who has cursed the land. There are no female girls born for years until Alba is born and Bayr becomes her protector. These two are soulmates from the start but the greed and corruption of a King can be their downfall.
This story is told by multiple point of views. Bayr and Alba might be the salvation of their cursed world but they are not the main focus of the book. The author wrote a book about the history of this land with each character playing a main part. Each person moves methodically like a pawn in a chess creating a game filled with tension, adventure, politics and love.
The writing is flawless and vivid. It is like Game of Thrones and Vikings had a child, meaning you could definitely imagine it on the big screen. The world building is amazing and the characters artfully written.
I would have loved to see the romance side of the story unfolding more. The main couple grows up towards the end so it's more about family and fate. Also, I have to admit that the secondary characters stole the show for me because throughout most of the book we saw Bayr and Alba as kids, so my romantic heart was rooting more for Bay's uncle and his loved one.
The First Girl Child is a fantasy story with bits of romance that will definitely leave you spellbound!

I just couldn't get behind the world building with this book, and I found myself really confused as to what was going on. I enjoy Amy Harmon's writing, but this plotline just wasn't for me.

The only thing I can say about this book without giving anything away is that it is hands down some of Amy Harmon best work yet! I for one didn't think that was possible but dang! SHE CAN WRITE!!! This story is an absolute masterpiece! Do yourself and just read it, trust me.