I had to DNF this one at about 50%. This book should probably be cut by 200 pages or so. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Too much time has been spent with them as children and I’ve just been kinda bored.

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon is a book about vengeance, patience, and what you will sacrifice for those you love. The story takes place in during the Viking Era. The story brings up christianity as something they have been shown but no specific dates are mentioned. The story is about a woman who curses the land as she dies giving birth to her son. She had been spurned by the chieftain of one of the clans and she swore that her revenge would be that no more daughters would be born for men to torment, beat and use from that day on. She said her son would be the one to save Saylock (the country) from this curse. Her brother, a keeper of the temple nearby discovers her and she begs him to take her son and raise him as his own. Not knowing what the Head Keeper would say he agrees. From then on, as she proclaimed, no more daughters were born to the clan. Bayr, her son, is brought up in the temple growing stronger and faster than normal boys. His uncle tells him nothing of his birth but fate has other things in mind. As political intrigue and Bayr's love for the small princess he has been entrusted to protect grows he soon discovers much about his past and what path he must choose to ensure his future as well as those he loves.
I really enjoyed this story. I'm sure it's a stand alone book but I'm ok with that. If you enjoy stories about vikings or norse mythology you would probably enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing story.

Harmon always weaves the most intense, interesting stories. Her books leave me thinking and grateful and feeling like I went on a journey. This one was a little different the her others. Most of her books are about two people falling in love with the world heaving around them. This is about a world and the different people in it who love and loose and fight. Her Characters always pull me with them through there thoughts, feelings and actions. She is a brilliant story teller and the world she has built is intense and it's people are real and flawed.
This is an adult novel. There is the violence you would expect from the vikings but it's not blood and gore in your face, it all has a purpose and is not over done. There is sensuality but no sex scene but talk of the act and talk of nudity and some crude talk about sex. This is a novel teaching the value of the human life and what would happen if the population of woman declined rapidly. There is talk of rape, and slaves and kidnapping. If it were a movie it would border the R-pg13 rating.

Amy Harmon will take your breath away with this book. Seriously!
I usually don't read fantasy books, but I decided to give it a try because I'm a truly believer that Amy can make me love anything she writes... Even her grocery list. *Amy, if that's an option, give me a call! LOL*
I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed the experience. The book is incredible, the characters are amazing, and the story will make you flip the pages like crazy. As soon as you finish the book, you'll start planning a re-read.

A tale of love and sacrifice.
Of being more than what others see.
A story that holds your heart and makes you feel.

Did I cry when I was approved for an ARC of this book? Yes, yes I did. Floods.

In a fantasy world where an island stands in the middle of the sea and clans rule with a king on top. Where monks have the power to choose kings and runes hold magic in them, the story begins with the birth of a boy. Bayr is a bastard whose mother was cheated in love, whose father is power hungry and whose uncle Dagmar is one of those monks. Bayr's mother, curses the people of their land to not give birth to girls and slowly as the decades' span, the curse will wipe out their people.

Bayr grows to be an extraordinary young man with the power of ten men and the heart of a sweet, beautiful soul. And as plots and lies thicken, suddenly the first girl child is born; out of the blue Alba appears and the mysterious Ghost, a young woman, start to live in the monastery too.

The worldbuilding in this book is astounding and truly fascinating. I was hooked from the moment I started reading this book and it was incredibly difficult to actually put it down.

Okay but seriously. I can't sit here and break it down, one by one, because each character had such strong characteristics that I loved for all sorts of different reasons. But I will say that in true Amy Harmon fashion, she has created a set of characters that you will remember years later. When you hear someone say the title "The Last Girl Child" you will instantly replay the great cast of characters inside of your head and smile.

The story is told in third POV and spans almost two decades of secrets, plots, power-hungry men who never gave worth to their women before and now they find themselves, almost dying without them. The beauty of this world is the perfect balance between the Norse mythology, Viking lore, magic and a touch mention to Christianity. But the focus is not as much to the religion, while it plays a role, but to the relationships between the characters, the secret love blooming over the years and the fear that it will never be reciprocated.

For someone who absolutely adores everything that has Viking or Norse mythology written all over it, this certainly was the book that "tickled the right spot" so to say. It's incredibly immersive.

When I think of Amy Harmon, I always think about how dynamic she is as a writer. Want a romance? Amy Harmon. Want a fantasy? Amy Harmon. Want a historical book? Amy Harmon. Do you just want to sit down and read a damn good book and forget the world for a little while? AMY HARMON.

All kidding aside, this book was magical. Just... magical. Possibly some of Amy's best work to date. I hope that if you are looking for a book that gets you lost for a little while, you pick this one up. If not, you are missing out.

The moment I read the blurb I knew I NEED this book in my life. A bit mysterious, a bit romantic, and very historical. And I was right, I needed it like oxygen.

Amy Harmon mixed the Norse mythology with Christianity and created this amazing world, Saylok. I love the legend of Saylok.

A tale of love and sacrifice.
A cursed kingdom, forbidden loves and a cruel king.
The First Girl Child tells the tale of a kingdom, Saylok, cursed by a dying woman. Mystery and magic, a beautifully written tale you’ll never want it to end. I loved the characters, the story. I loved Dagmar’s wisdom, Bayr’s passion, everything that Ghost did. I’d like to live with the Keepers, draw runes with blood, stay in Saylok forever.
The whole book is so brilliant, you feel like you live inside this story.

I'd like to thank to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Amy Harmon is a beautiful story teller. The way she weaves tales is enchanting. I absolutely adored this book. It will take you on an adventure!

I was totally engrossed in the first part of this book! There were clans who defended the land of Saylok, a palace for the reigning king, and a temple for the keepers of the runes and secrets of the land. There were villains and unlikely heroes. But I have to mention how much I liked Dagmar and Ghost. These characters....they were so imperfect and flawed...and beautiful!! The world building was fantastic! So, why did I not give this book five stars? Maybe I have unreasonable standards because of my love for some of the author’s previous books. Or, maybe it was just missing that little spark, that magic that demands your full attention until the very last page. While it was sometimes slow and tedious in the middle, the end was complete and satisfying! Overall, it was a solid fantasy.
****
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.

This book was amazing!

Beginning with the story of Desdemona and Dagmar, The First Girl Child weaves a story of love and honor, interwoven with betrayal and anger.

While the description centers on Bayr's protection of Alba, there are so many unexpectedly rich characters and layers to this story. I found myself falling in love with characters such as Ghost and Ivo, devouring page after page to see what happened next, whom I would meet...or lose. The mythology, world, and characters were all written with such beauty and brutality that I feel many would also fall in love with them.

Although this story doesn't have the nonstop excitement and insanity of a genre such as YA high fantasy, it still sang a song that I will not soon forget. I would definitely read this again!

Amy Harmon has an amazing way with words, that I severely lack. She builds the most incredible, immersive worlds and I just flip pages until there are no more pages. And most of the time I start over again. He writing is incomparable

I enjoyed this book. It had a slow start but picked up quickly and I was absolutely enthralled with world and the characters throughout the book. It was well-written and engaging, although like most fantasy sometimes it was difficult to keep track of all the names! I will say the ending seemed a little rushed, but I appreciated that it was a stand alone novel. I’m excited to order this for my library when it’s published

Did not finish. Gave the book 75 pages but it couldn't keep my interest. The premise seems interesting, but the writing quality wasn't great and the pacing was very odd, to the point that I wondered if the book started in the wrong place.

Since the very first time I read a book by Amy Harmon she has become an author I’ll read regardless of what it is about. That faith has yet to be misplaced. The First Girl Child was gorgeous. I loosely look at three things when I read story:
1. Prose: As always, the writing itself is beautiful. The author has a magical and lyrical way of writing, one that I find incredibly easy to get lost in.
2. Plot: I found the plot a bit slow to pick up in the beginning, but I think it was because I was just so impatient to get to all action. But even when I found it slow, the world building was incredible. Everything I know about the Norse gods is from a combination of Thor & Viking. So really I know nothing at all. I appreciated how the author was able to tie everything together so seamlessly.
3. Characters: I loved the entire cast! Each character had depth and personality, and were rendered so that it was never that difficult to keep track of all of the players. Being in the genre, and the story that they were in, none of them fell victims to becoming generic caricatures. That said, there were a few characters that I would have loved more pages with to get better insight into them. But I can always hope for more stories set in this universe!

Like every other book by this author, this is truly worth the read!


( review also posted on goodreads)

This is one of the best and most original fantasy novels I've read in years. The world building is amazing - it appears to be a gentle brew of Viking culture, with Tibetan-like temples, monks, magic, blood runes, a curse on all of the tribes, and a large cast of memorable characters - both villains and heroes.

The title refers to the curse placed by a woman abandoned by her lover, that no girl children will be born in any of the tribes. Years went by with only boys born, so the tribes began raiding to capture women, but those women also bore only boys.

There are two love stories that develop over the course of the book, which covers over 20 years. This is not a fast or easy read, but is best read slowly and savored. When I first started reading it, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get into it, but I was shortly hooked. I highly recommend it, and plan to re-read it one day as I know I missed a lot. I am hoping for other books set in this world.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A new epic fantasy novel by Amy Harmon that bewitched me with its myths and lore, it's character depth and development and it's masterful eye to details that enraptured me with every page and year that went by. I loved all these flamed and wonderful characters that bleed pain and suffering, heartbreak and longing, childish love that transcends and the love a parent feels whether born of the person or chosen by fate. It was incredibly sad, yet beautiful at the same time. I cried and cried. The author created a world that I am loathe to let go of and I would be remiss to say that I would treasure the chance to greet this world again in the future. Definitely one of my top 10 reads of this year so far and I don't see that changing. Hats off to the author, I may not have read her before, but I will definitely be checking out everything I can get my hands on!

Thanks to NetGalley for this precious ARC! Amy, you gut me every single time and no matter what I keep coming for more. This book was precious, beautiful, poignant, terrifying, and sometimes sad! Thank you for the wonderful ending; now that made me cry, a beautiful yet sad cry! You never disappoint AND always deliver a true story that gets me entangled in a new and glorious world. Please! Don't stop writing and I promise to keep on reading all your beautiful words.

4 stars

This is a Norse inspired story. I find that Amy Harmon is the Queen of character/world building. The slow burn and slow building of a story are what make her a great writer. But, this story was just a little bit too slow for my taste. I felt there were a lot of characters to focus on and I couldn't focus on what was going to be important. The time jumps made me a little antsy and I missed the connection of the characters. *Spoiler-ish *My heart hurt for Dagmar and Ghost. I felt like we didn't get enough interactions between Bayr and Alba as adults that we needed to really feel the connection. We were just told it was there and briefly jump over a good portion of their alone time together. In the end, everything was rounded out perfectly but I felt it was rushed. I'm hoping we get to see these characters againin other books but it was all kind of left open. In the end, I always ask myself if I would read this book again, that's basically the difference between a 4 or 5 star book in my own standard and I don't think I will. It was good, entertaining and well written but it just wasn't for me.

What can I say about Amy Harmon - she will always be a blind purchase for me. I never have to know what her books are about - I automatically buy. Why? Because she is the only author beside Colleen Hoover, who makes me feel! She is the only author that does fantasy the way she does. She can speak and write about alternative places, and I feel like they are places I know. I will not give to much away with this book as I want everyone to go in blindly. You will not know where the time went, and once the book is over, you will want more. The reason why I took so long to write this review is that I wanted to savor Amy's writing. She expresses love in its many facets and makes people make heartbreaking sacrifices that test them in many ways. I love the connections between her (main and even minor) characters and how each relies on each other in some way for strength and or purpose to persevere. I always feel spiritually empowered after reading her books - I walk away knowing that life will test you, but you are the sum of your choices (not all, people are allowed to make mistakes and change) are what defines you.

As always Kudos to Amy and I can not wait to see what you have in store for us next.

This is a first book by this author for me and fantasy is not something that I would generally pick up to read, but I am happy that I took the plunge as I have gained a new brilliant author to follow and enjoy, and a new genre to experience more of. I will not speak of the innards of the book as the synopsis is clear to what the story is about. What I will say is that the characters and storyline will consume you and entertain your senses. It’s a artistic tale entwined with fantasy, mythological folklore and topped with a sprinkle of theology.

₮ⱧɆ ₣łⱤ₴₮ ₲łⱤⱠ ₵ⱧłⱠĐ is a tale that takes its time in developing its characters and setting, and in developing the story. You will want to take your time with this read and savor every word. You can’t help but to be drawn into its magic and charisma as it weaves its way into your mind.

The simplicity of it enchanting, and yet the complexity of it otherworldly. Amy Harmon’s prose is so descriptive and picturesque that I lived in the land of Saylok while reading this mystical piece of fiction and find myself visiting the story and the characters long after I have finished.

~ι ωαѕ ιηνιтє∂ ιηтσ тнє ραgєѕ αη∂ ¢συℓ∂ ησт σηℓу ιмαgιηє тнє αтмσѕρнєяє, вυт αℓℓ σƒ му ѕєηѕєѕ ωєяє ¢σℓℓє¢тινєℓу єηтι¢є∂ ƒяσм тнє νєяу ƒιяѕт ραgє тσ тнє ℓαѕт.~

3.5

This story started out with a great story plot but kind of ended in a rush. Since this is an ARC copy, I am hoping they still might make some changes.

Bayr was born from a scorned mother. Her baby's daddy didn't want anything to do with her after he found out she was pregnant. What is a girl to do? Curse him to never have a living heir again, and the whole city to never have new girls to breed with of course! Yeah, she was a bit pissed. So, Bayr's uncle, who is a keeper (the equivalent of a monk), took him to the temple to raise him. When he was 7 or 8 a slave girl from another city did in fact deliver a girl and he was tasked as her protector.

While I liked the storyline and the slow burn for the first 90% or so. I liked the main characters and the intelligence they possessed. Here is where the but comes in; BUT they put a good amount of importance on the 5 girls of the temple but never concluded that plot line. Everything was such a slow progression taking you through months and years only to end in days and hours. It just seemed rushed. There is this build up only to be resolved as an after fact in the epilogue. It just seemed a little disjointed in the writing. Overall, it was still entertaining enough for me to round up.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!