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The Bone Harp
Thrice-cursed bard and warrior-elf Tamsin wakes up in Elfland after what might or might not have been his death, healed and hale for the first time in millennia. Somewhat confused but not entirely unhappy with this turn of events, he sets off in the hopes of finding a way home ...
A standalone tale of friendship, family, and fair Elfland.
A standalone tale of friendship, family, and fair Elfland.
334 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2024
70 people are currently reading
1577 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Goddard
43 books776 followersI walked across England in 2013, fulfilling a long-held dream. I'm currently the sexton of an Anglican church in Nova Scotia, which means I am keeper of the keys and opener of doors (and shutter-off of alarms). I have a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Toronto, looking at poetry and philosophy in the works of Dante and Boethius -- both the poetry and the philosophy come into my stories a great deal (and occasionally the Dante and the Boethius).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
February 3, 2024
A charmingly and pleasantly old-fashioned standalone fantasy novel. I don't mean old-fashioned in a damning-with-faint-praise way, more that it feels Tolkienesque in a good way, rather than just a lazy or derivative one, with lovely prose and a properly mythical feel. Also a lot of elves. There's also something about it that's just plain comforting to read. The vibe here for me was that childhood feeling of curling up with a good book in a comfy spot and just getting properly lost for a few hours.
As for the plot, it seems that Goddard continues to be interested in what happens after the big battle against evil or the world being saved: in this case, we follow elf warrior-bard Tamsin, after he's defeated a great evil and spent hundreds of years on a cursed quest, when he's finally been healed and freed from his curse, and is returning home, uncertain of his welcome after so long in exile and so much time at war. It got off to a slow start for me, but I grew fond of Tamsin and his sweetness, and his journey of healing and recovery was lovely.
A soothing, kind read, and just overall very pleasant to sink into.
[2024 READING CHALLENGE: CUDDLERAY]
As for the plot, it seems that Goddard continues to be interested in what happens after the big battle against evil or the world being saved: in this case, we follow elf warrior-bard Tamsin, after he's defeated a great evil and spent hundreds of years on a cursed quest, when he's finally been healed and freed from his curse, and is returning home, uncertain of his welcome after so long in exile and so much time at war. It got off to a slow start for me, but I grew fond of Tamsin and his sweetness, and his journey of healing and recovery was lovely.
A soothing, kind read, and just overall very pleasant to sink into.
[2024 READING CHALLENGE: CUDDLERAY]
June 9, 2025
Well, if this wasn't everything I could ever want in a book! And so, so sweet 🥺😭 Full review to come, I need to gush AT LENGTH.
June 19, 2024
1.5/5 - One of my college professors said that any repeated bit in a story needs to have intention and serve a different purpose than the time before it. I wish this author had taken that advice. Clearly, there is a stream-of-consciousness happening in the narration, but it's so literal that we spent multiple paragraphs describing the length, style, and amount of tangles in the protagonist's hair. (Even so, I never knew what color it was until the last few chapters of the book. Yes, we do keep talking about his hair across the entire thing.) Agony. Then, there's the element of telling instead of showing. Nothing is left to the reader's perception; instead, every thought is spelled out on the page, sometimes in ways that even distract from the story. One example is when a character gets up to hug someone - it was not worth stealing focus from an emotional moment to share that they had a bowl in their lap and tried not to spill it. Toddlers are the only ones asking these questions. A real line from the book: "It felt as if it had been thousands of years since she had last felt such a thing. It had been thousands of years since she had last felt such a thing." (Chapter 17)
Similarly, the choice (if I can call it that) to switch POV characters added nothing to the story. A few pages are spent on the companion of our main character as well as on a few of his brothers - yet, all of these perspectives add up to the same content. Tamsin sad, journey hard. Worse still is the entire section dedicated to his lover, Klara, reminiscing about how they created the world together. The tone is narratively passive and feels more like a dreamy retelling than anything actionable. Tell me, how does it make sense to interrupt the hero's return for that? I must also mention the grating repetition in Klara's section. Filler sentences are constant, adding to the passive feeling, like there's not enough known information and we have to make up the missing pieces. In particular, if I had to read one more version of "people still sang now, but nobody Sang [magically]", I was about to lose my mind. It was included at least 25 times. This is terrible writing and completely lost any focus and plot it had managed to build.
The only things giving this book 1.5 stars are the concept - I do like the general idea of a bloodied warrior having to learn to be soft, and this did lead to some charming, tender moments - and some of the prose. When isolated, it was pretty. I did also enjoy the mentions of gender fluidity, as two characters were so close that they often imitated each other with no concern.
All in all, it's not the worst book I've ever read, but it is near the bottom. Genre preferences aside, I cannot recommend this in good faith.
Content warnings for death, war, injury, and grief.
Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (bards, hard mode); also fits multi-POV (hard mode), published in 2024, self-published, and character with a disability (arguably).
Similarly, the choice (if I can call it that) to switch POV characters added nothing to the story. A few pages are spent on the companion of our main character as well as on a few of his brothers - yet, all of these perspectives add up to the same content. Tamsin sad, journey hard. Worse still is the entire section dedicated to his lover, Klara, reminiscing about how they created the world together. The tone is narratively passive and feels more like a dreamy retelling than anything actionable. Tell me, how does it make sense to interrupt the hero's return for that? I must also mention the grating repetition in Klara's section. Filler sentences are constant, adding to the passive feeling, like there's not enough known information and we have to make up the missing pieces. In particular, if I had to read one more version of "people still sang now, but nobody Sang [magically]", I was about to lose my mind. It was included at least 25 times. This is terrible writing and completely lost any focus and plot it had managed to build.
The only things giving this book 1.5 stars are the concept - I do like the general idea of a bloodied warrior having to learn to be soft, and this did lead to some charming, tender moments - and some of the prose. When isolated, it was pretty. I did also enjoy the mentions of gender fluidity, as two characters were so close that they often imitated each other with no concern.
All in all, it's not the worst book I've ever read, but it is near the bottom. Genre preferences aside, I cannot recommend this in good faith.
Content warnings for death, war, injury, and grief.
Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (bards, hard mode); also fits multi-POV (hard mode), published in 2024, self-published, and character with a disability (arguably).
January 14, 2025
Starting off 2025 with extreme elfiness…a positive portent for things to come, hopefully. This story is heartfelt in the extreme, but don’t go in expecting action of any kind and be ready to tolerate a lot of repetition in the writing.
The writing is the main thing I’m going to harp on here (oh my god I didn’t even conceive of that as a pun until I’d actually typed it oh my god). I think Goddard was trying something somewhat experimental, which I applaud, but it ultimately didn’t end up feeling effective to me. Particularly in the middle section, in which we learn what happened to Tamsin’s rival Klara while he was gone, the writing is extremely repetitive both in terms of what is happening and how it is described with the same limited phrases and imagery. I think this is meant to be evocative of the massive amounts of time passing and the repetitive grief that the characters are caught in, but the end result didn’t feel skillful enough to pull this off in my opinion, making it more aggravating than elegiac. In a 280 page book this was something I could deal with just fine, but if the writing style is similar in Goddard’s longer words like The Hands of the Emperor, I think I would really struggle. There are certainly some nice descriptions and turns of phrase, but I am inevitably going to compare Tolkien-inspired works like this to Tolkien and other authors who are similarly known for stunningly evocative writing.
Fortunately, everything else about this was a huge pleasure! I really like how the lore of Tamsin’s life is pieced together bit by bit until we have a clear idea of his full story by the end. All of the emotional beats towards the conclusion absolutely landed with plenty of impact, especially Tamsin’s beautiful reunion with his family and the revelation that his brothers were with him, trying to support him, as he wandered for ages. Despite the fact that he and Klara are only together on page very briefly, I also cared about their relationship. The descriptions of magic, music, history, and elven craft all contribute to the sense of a rich world that we’re just barely scratching the surface of, and which it will be a delight for Tamsin to explore anew.
The writing is the main thing I’m going to harp on here (oh my god I didn’t even conceive of that as a pun until I’d actually typed it oh my god). I think Goddard was trying something somewhat experimental, which I applaud, but it ultimately didn’t end up feeling effective to me. Particularly in the middle section, in which we learn what happened to Tamsin’s rival Klara while he was gone, the writing is extremely repetitive both in terms of what is happening and how it is described with the same limited phrases and imagery. I think this is meant to be evocative of the massive amounts of time passing and the repetitive grief that the characters are caught in, but the end result didn’t feel skillful enough to pull this off in my opinion, making it more aggravating than elegiac. In a 280 page book this was something I could deal with just fine, but if the writing style is similar in Goddard’s longer words like The Hands of the Emperor, I think I would really struggle. There are certainly some nice descriptions and turns of phrase, but I am inevitably going to compare Tolkien-inspired works like this to Tolkien and other authors who are similarly known for stunningly evocative writing.
Fortunately, everything else about this was a huge pleasure! I really like how the lore of Tamsin’s life is pieced together bit by bit until we have a clear idea of his full story by the end. All of the emotional beats towards the conclusion absolutely landed with plenty of impact, especially Tamsin’s beautiful reunion with his family and the revelation that his brothers were with him, trying to support him, as he wandered for ages. Despite the fact that he and Klara are only together on page very briefly, I also cared about their relationship. The descriptions of magic, music, history, and elven craft all contribute to the sense of a rich world that we’re just barely scratching the surface of, and which it will be a delight for Tamsin to explore anew.
March 19, 2024
Gorgeous, moving, redemptive and poetic. I adored Hands of the Emperor and At the Feet of the Sun and was thrilled to see a new book by Victoria Goddard.
This beautiful story of Elfland continues Goddard’s distinctive style and resistance to traditional narrative that I enjoyed in the aforementioned books. There IS a story, but conflict is not at the heart of it. Relationships and self-knowledge are. That might seem uninteresting to some, but I would heartily disagree. There is much of this story that is strongly reminiscent of the Silmarillion, but more accessible, more rooted in the personal rather than the epic. The cost of battle, of confronting evil and in doing so, losing oneself, the trauma of war and loss are all present in the healing journey of gifted bard Tamsin, youngest of the seven sons of Dar, who led them all Over the Waves to war and where they all—all but the last—eventually fell. What happens next is a story about finding one’s way home.
I fell in love with Tamsin, and Klara, and Elfland. This book is a benediction.
This beautiful story of Elfland continues Goddard’s distinctive style and resistance to traditional narrative that I enjoyed in the aforementioned books. There IS a story, but conflict is not at the heart of it. Relationships and self-knowledge are. That might seem uninteresting to some, but I would heartily disagree. There is much of this story that is strongly reminiscent of the Silmarillion, but more accessible, more rooted in the personal rather than the epic. The cost of battle, of confronting evil and in doing so, losing oneself, the trauma of war and loss are all present in the healing journey of gifted bard Tamsin, youngest of the seven sons of Dar, who led them all Over the Waves to war and where they all—all but the last—eventually fell. What happens next is a story about finding one’s way home.
I fell in love with Tamsin, and Klara, and Elfland. This book is a benediction.
October 1, 2024
This is a stand-alone fantasy novella about an infamous elf bard/warrior who wakes up after a long time has passed and he travels home. This story is more about the healing of a damaged warrior and his homecoming. This is one of those very rare books for me where I'm immediately going to read it a second time. The last time I remember that happening is the very first time that I read novella 4 in the Murderbot series.
July 4, 2024
The Bone Harp did take me a while to finish but goodness has Goddard done it again! How does she make me feel so much with so little plot!!
But again this is a title about grief, loss and healing in a beautiful box of lush world building and character growth.
I adore Tamsin for all he goes through he comes back to the ones who loved him changed and beautiful.
Just such a gorgeous novel and am so glad I gave it a read
But again this is a title about grief, loss and healing in a beautiful box of lush world building and character growth.
I adore Tamsin for all he goes through he comes back to the ones who loved him changed and beautiful.
Just such a gorgeous novel and am so glad I gave it a read
December 7, 2024
I realize that authors pour their souls into their work, and for that reason I feel a bit guilty in doling out such harsh criticism. However, in this case, I must push back against the many positive reviews. The writing is absolutely godawful. There is no way that an editor was involved, as at least a third of the book is repetition, not just in relating the story (which is repeated multiple times), but actual turns of phrase repeated three, five, or more times. Sentences are often run-on lists of clauses, sometimes going on for half a page, without a verb in sight. No one could pass a freshman level creative writing class with any given five page excerpt from this book. Beneath it all is a very sweet homecoming tale which could have easily been told in fifty pages. Instead, the book clocks in at over 300 pages. Giving this two stars only because the book wasn’t downright offensive - but I do wonder how on earth this book got published.
March 1, 2024
Although this book had its flaws, (too much repetition and a middle section weighed down with excessive summary) its strengths were so marvelous, that I'm giving it five stars anyway. I found The Bone Harp to be a heartfelt, enchanting, and powerfully moving novel, with a vivid rendering of both the epic level of the story and the beautiful smaller moments. It's one I will definitely reread in the future.
September 21, 2025
I'm going to write this one in English for my foreign friends and strangers who might happen upon it. For those who don't know, on the pyramid of my literary loves, obsessions, fannish interests etc, the bottom tier belongs to Tolkien since I was about 10. The first Lord of the Rings movie came out at 2001, I immediately swallowed the Fellowship of the Ring and the rest of the trilogy and Silmarillion to boot. I remember retelling the entirety of it to my younger step brother, drawing a ton of elves, underlining all relevant points in the Hobbit and so on. And at least from my teenage years the love of Tolkien's high elves concentrated into one particular elf above others.
This book is a sort of love letter to that same elf. I have lived and breathed and daydreamed and read all the fanfic there was at idk 2008-2012 and I am absolutely certain this is lovingly based on Tolkien's mythology in general and some specific characters in particular. In Silm fanfic parlance this is a Fourth Age Valinor fic and it's a homecoming story which I'm a sucker for. When I heard about it (on Silm tumblr as one does) I was immediately intrigued and then I started it and was hooked because my tastes have over these 20 years or so refined into a very particular palette and this book manages to hit a lot of the right notes. Not all of them (it's not exactly what I'd write if I sat down to write on the same subject right now :D) but a lot of them, a lot more than a lot of the stories playing with the same motives I've read over the years.
So you see I'm at a conundrum. I can't read it as someone who sees it entirely separately from all the background I bring to it. I can only read it as a sort of love letter and play on the themes of my favourite character in my favourite world. That Victoria Goddard does excuisitely. I love how she makes Tamsin youthfully foolish and proud then terrifying, hopeful and hopelessly enduring all at once. I love how she makes music powerful (I dislike if in a world created by music and song bards are written as frivolous and weak which happens surprisingly often, people like to write a sort of guitar bro aspect into it which I as the daughter of a guitar man cannot stand). I love the parallel of Tamsin and Klara which I was initially sceptical of. Somehow she manages to make one of the most tragic characters in the Silmarillion endure even more tragedies and I am here for it. Oh dear.
I wasn't annoyed by the repetitions as I saw some people be in their reviews, I think it's an attempt at a fairytale-esque way of telling the story - fairytales thrive on repetition. It's not really trying to write a Tolkien stilistically which I think is a positive. Really the only thing that annoyed me were the names, somehow Tamsin is a wholly elf-like name for me but Alina and Frollo are not, for example. Might be a personal thing. This version of Fairyland does feel more English than Valinor and that's fine, adds a sort of extra layer to the Tolkien flavoured cupcake, a sort of hobbiton air perhaps but with the trickery and magic of the sort of fay stories where they go on wild hunts and kidnap some human for 100 years.
I do wish it had a few more scenes at the end. River and Ash would have deserved a closing scene and I was imagining what for me would have been a perfect ending thematically and that wasn't quite there. Then again, the author hints at a possible sequel on her homepage so maybe there's that to look forward to. It doesn't need a sequel but there is a little room for one.
This book is a sort of love letter to that same elf. I have lived and breathed and daydreamed and read all the fanfic there was at idk 2008-2012 and I am absolutely certain this is lovingly based on Tolkien's mythology in general and some specific characters in particular. In Silm fanfic parlance this is a Fourth Age Valinor fic and it's a homecoming story which I'm a sucker for. When I heard about it (on Silm tumblr as one does) I was immediately intrigued and then I started it and was hooked because my tastes have over these 20 years or so refined into a very particular palette and this book manages to hit a lot of the right notes. Not all of them (it's not exactly what I'd write if I sat down to write on the same subject right now :D) but a lot of them, a lot more than a lot of the stories playing with the same motives I've read over the years.
So you see I'm at a conundrum. I can't read it as someone who sees it entirely separately from all the background I bring to it. I can only read it as a sort of love letter and play on the themes of my favourite character in my favourite world. That Victoria Goddard does excuisitely. I love how she makes Tamsin youthfully foolish and proud then terrifying, hopeful and hopelessly enduring all at once. I love how she makes music powerful (I dislike if in a world created by music and song bards are written as frivolous and weak which happens surprisingly often, people like to write a sort of guitar bro aspect into it which I as the daughter of a guitar man cannot stand). I love the parallel of Tamsin and Klara which I was initially sceptical of. Somehow she manages to make one of the most tragic characters in the Silmarillion endure even more tragedies and I am here for it. Oh dear.
I wasn't annoyed by the repetitions as I saw some people be in their reviews, I think it's an attempt at a fairytale-esque way of telling the story - fairytales thrive on repetition. It's not really trying to write a Tolkien stilistically which I think is a positive. Really the only thing that annoyed me were the names, somehow Tamsin is a wholly elf-like name for me but Alina and Frollo are not, for example. Might be a personal thing. This version of Fairyland does feel more English than Valinor and that's fine, adds a sort of extra layer to the Tolkien flavoured cupcake, a sort of hobbiton air perhaps but with the trickery and magic of the sort of fay stories where they go on wild hunts and kidnap some human for 100 years.
I do wish it had a few more scenes at the end. River and Ash would have deserved a closing scene and I was imagining what for me would have been a perfect ending thematically and that wasn't quite there. Then again, the author hints at a possible sequel on her homepage so maybe there's that to look forward to. It doesn't need a sequel but there is a little room for one.
June 7, 2024
To quote the author: "The Bone Harp stands by itself amongst my works: the Fairyland one might reach from the Nine Worlds is not, exactly, this Elfland...."
This is a feel good story about a long overdue homecoming. The returnee struggles with things he was long without. With good reason. The Elf, the returnee, had been dead for a very long time. Along the way 'Elf' meets others of his kind to find out that he is legend. Hide the truth, reveal the truth, accept the truth are the struggles we all have had to cope with at some point.
Goddard suggests that there may be a sequel, but I'm sure it would be a long time coming. A sequel really isn't necessary, but would be fun. Goddard is always fun. She is an exceptional story teller.
This is a feel good story about a long overdue homecoming. The returnee struggles with things he was long without. With good reason. The Elf, the returnee, had been dead for a very long time. Along the way 'Elf' meets others of his kind to find out that he is legend. Hide the truth, reveal the truth, accept the truth are the struggles we all have had to cope with at some point.
Goddard suggests that there may be a sequel, but I'm sure it would be a long time coming. A sequel really isn't necessary, but would be fun. Goddard is always fun. She is an exceptional story teller.
February 27, 2024
4.5*
A very soothing, calming read.
Half the * substracted for the names of T's mum and rival - has the author lost a bet and someone else chose the names?
A very soothing, calming read.
Half the * substracted for the names of T's mum and rival - has the author lost a bet and someone else chose the names?
September 23, 2025
Oh my, some books come at the perfect time, with the right tone, atmosphere, and themes for me. This is one of them.
Lyrical, meandering, and thoughtful, it looks upon grief while asking the question: can one ever truly move past their own war crimes (an oversimplification, of course)?
There isn’t a plot, per se, but the ways Tamsin tries to come back to himself and to others was a beauty to behold (even if I think they are all war criminals). The elves are very elven, and I adored reading about how grief turned the whole city into ice. Oh, and the music! How I love thee.
Lyrical, meandering, and thoughtful, it looks upon grief while asking the question: can one ever truly move past their own war crimes (an oversimplification, of course)?
There isn’t a plot, per se, but the ways Tamsin tries to come back to himself and to others was a beauty to behold (even if I think they are all war criminals). The elves are very elven, and I adored reading about how grief turned the whole city into ice. Oh, and the music! How I love thee.
February 24, 2025
I have never read a more moving and beautiful book. I would give it 10 stars if I could.
Maybe 1 (small) star less for too much repetition. This is a usual issue I have with this author, it doesn't detract from the story, but sometimes I find myself thinking, no, not that reflection/situation/emotion again.
But apart from that, it is a poetically written story about homecoming, healing, love, friendship, loneliness and wrong choices. And accepting them.
The MMC is on the one hand the world's mightiest warrior and bard, and on the other hand new to life and cautious and humble about everything around him. This duality is so incredibly well written.
He reminded me a little of Ursula LeGuin's Ged, and the poetic writing reminded me a little of Patricia McKillip.
No chapters of explanation, the extent of what happened becomes increasingly clear and painful and intense as the story progresses.
Now I have the problem what I will read next. I don't want anything else.
Almost a year later, and I'm reading the Bone Harp again and it is as beautiful and moving as the first time. Still 10 stars.
The problem with the repetition of intense emotions, as in several of her books, is that it may be tedious, but it is also realistic. In my experience, painful events or emotions are not processed all at once when you realise where they came from and what they mean. You realise it several (sometimes many) times, and often the next time is just as revelatory as the first, but from a slightly different angle.
So the repetition that Victoria Goddard uses in her stories is perhaps sometimes a little annoying, but also so true to life and very relatable.
Maybe 1 (small) star less for too much repetition. This is a usual issue I have with this author, it doesn't detract from the story, but sometimes I find myself thinking, no, not that reflection/situation/emotion again.
But apart from that, it is a poetically written story about homecoming, healing, love, friendship, loneliness and wrong choices. And accepting them.
The MMC is on the one hand the world's mightiest warrior and bard, and on the other hand new to life and cautious and humble about everything around him. This duality is so incredibly well written.
He reminded me a little of Ursula LeGuin's Ged, and the poetic writing reminded me a little of Patricia McKillip.
No chapters of explanation, the extent of what happened becomes increasingly clear and painful and intense as the story progresses.
Now I have the problem what I will read next. I don't want anything else.
Almost a year later, and I'm reading the Bone Harp again and it is as beautiful and moving as the first time. Still 10 stars.
The problem with the repetition of intense emotions, as in several of her books, is that it may be tedious, but it is also realistic. In my experience, painful events or emotions are not processed all at once when you realise where they came from and what they mean. You realise it several (sometimes many) times, and often the next time is just as revelatory as the first, but from a slightly different angle.
So the repetition that Victoria Goddard uses in her stories is perhaps sometimes a little annoying, but also so true to life and very relatable.
July 6, 2024
4,5 ⭐
The homecoming of all homecomings.
Not a 5 ⭐ read due to the endless repetition of certain words and/or the state of things. While it had its use in many scenes, making a huge impact or conveying something without it being vocalized, in others it became almost (I say with my heart breaking) irritating.
The homecoming of all homecomings.
Not a 5 ⭐ read due to the endless repetition of certain words and/or the state of things. While it had its use in many scenes, making a huge impact or conveying something without it being vocalized, in others it became almost (I say with my heart breaking) irritating.
September 24, 2024
A beautiful and comforting stand-alone fantasy novel that took me through a whirlwind of emotions from the beauty of Elfland to the tragedy of Tasmin’s tale and by the end I was a mess of tears. The story follows the warrior bard Tasmin, as he begins his journey of healing his deep wounds and trauma caused by the war that took oh so much from him, that left him a husk of his former self and we get to see him relearn to live again, to experience the mundane joys of life he forgot and to once again love what he thought lost.
March 5, 2025
A lovely book - I was surprised by this one
February 21, 2024
The first chapters of this book had me a bit worried about its world building being derivative of Tolkien’s Silmarillion. In the end, though enough of it was different that I enjoyed it— the sense of the set up being derivative gets less and less as the story goes on, until it has turned into its own thing, with the Tolkien references a tribute, and perhaps even a deliberate pastiche, rather than a flaw.
First, the similarities:
1) A symbolically-significant number of brothers swear an impossible oath to recover an object important to their father from an old enemy of the elves (sons of Feanor; Silmarils; Morgoth — all pretty obvious parallels.)
2) There is an elvenhome (see: Valinor) and a land across the waves to which the “old enemy” is pursued (see: Middle Earth); Elves return to life after spending time in the Halls (see: Mandos).
3) Lots of little things (eg. language shifts and linguistic enthusiasm; songs = elf magic; Elvenhome is the country of the gods.)
However, there were also plenty of new things.
- lots more women, including a very lovely love story and several pov female characters.
- a whole past section of the plot devoted to “what’s going on at home” with the female half of the love story
- a love story (not saying Tolkien didn’t do these well (Beren and Luthien!); just saying that he was the kind of author who thought that leaving most of Aragorn and Arwen’s romance to the appendix was a normal thing to do.
- more of an English folklore “Faerie” feel to the Elvenhome setting than one finds in Tolkien
- an interest, typical of Goddard, in the aftermath of what would be the main event in anyone else’s story (lovely).
- a happy ending! (Not a speciality of Tolkien’s Silmarillion.)
I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Goddard’s other books. And I am definitely going to read Book 2, should it appear!
First, the similarities:
1) A symbolically-significant number of brothers swear an impossible oath to recover an object important to their father from an old enemy of the elves (sons of Feanor; Silmarils; Morgoth — all pretty obvious parallels.)
2) There is an elvenhome (see: Valinor) and a land across the waves to which the “old enemy” is pursued (see: Middle Earth); Elves return to life after spending time in the Halls (see: Mandos).
3) Lots of little things (eg. language shifts and linguistic enthusiasm; songs = elf magic; Elvenhome is the country of the gods.)
However, there were also plenty of new things.
- lots more women, including a very lovely love story and several pov female characters.
- a whole past section of the plot devoted to “what’s going on at home” with the female half of the love story
- a love story (not saying Tolkien didn’t do these well (Beren and Luthien!); just saying that he was the kind of author who thought that leaving most of Aragorn and Arwen’s romance to the appendix was a normal thing to do.
- more of an English folklore “Faerie” feel to the Elvenhome setting than one finds in Tolkien
- an interest, typical of Goddard, in the aftermath of what would be the main event in anyone else’s story (lovely).
- a happy ending! (Not a speciality of Tolkien’s Silmarillion.)
I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Goddard’s other books. And I am definitely going to read Book 2, should it appear!
October 5, 2024
sabe quando o herói derrota a personificação de todo o mal do mundo e a história acaba antes de ele voltar para casa? então, esse livro é o herói voltando para casa e a exploração de toda a tristeza e felicidade das boas vindas quando você já não é a mesma pessoa de quando foi embora pela primeira vez
"But he had promised himself, had he not? He had walked across the bridge of the dead: and he had walked the road to the city of the living."
"But he had promised himself, had he not? He had walked across the bridge of the dead: and he had walked the road to the city of the living."
February 21, 2024
Magical story
This reads like a fairy tale, epic and sweeping in scope, but also sweet and full of the power of family. I hope we will get to visit this world again soon.
This reads like a fairy tale, epic and sweeping in scope, but also sweet and full of the power of family. I hope we will get to visit this world again soon.
May 9, 2024
Wonderful tolkien-esque story, only more up close and personal. Elven warrior-bard wakes up back in his homeland after ages of fighting. He rediscovers 'normal' life and playing music, singing (he lost his voice) etc. it's beautifully written, albeit slightly repetitive.
It feels like if Frodo woke up from a coma a long walk from the shire (but in safe territory) after destroying the ring. He makes 2 friends along the way, it's a cool little story and I'd like to see a lot more of this world. I kept it vague because it's a short and slow book (also I'm tired as usual).
Tldr; It's a cool book about a thrice-cursed ancient elven bard finding his way back home after ages of war. Rediscover song and life's joys with him.
It feels like if Frodo woke up from a coma a long walk from the shire (but in safe territory) after destroying the ring. He makes 2 friends along the way, it's a cool little story and I'd like to see a lot more of this world. I kept it vague because it's a short and slow book (also I'm tired as usual).
Tldr; It's a cool book about a thrice-cursed ancient elven bard finding his way back home after ages of war. Rediscover song and life's joys with him.
June 4, 2024
It’s fantasy in all its traditional glory!
Tamsin was first a bard, and then a warrior-bard. There was a war that Tamsin was oath-bound to fight until he got back the fire that was stolen. After thousands of years of survival and enchanted sleep( or death?) Tamsin awakes. This book is not about the war, although we get glimpses of what happened. This book is about Tamsin’s journey to healing and redemption. It’s about his journey to finding himself, his home, and his loved ones.
Such a beautiful and emotional tale!
Tamsin was first a bard, and then a warrior-bard. There was a war that Tamsin was oath-bound to fight until he got back the fire that was stolen. After thousands of years of survival and enchanted sleep( or death?) Tamsin awakes. This book is not about the war, although we get glimpses of what happened. This book is about Tamsin’s journey to healing and redemption. It’s about his journey to finding himself, his home, and his loved ones.
Such a beautiful and emotional tale!
September 22, 2025
Breathtaking.
This is one of the most eloquently written pieces I've read and will stay in my heart for a long time I'd reckon. Tamsin's story was well written from start to finish and I found myself engrossed in every scene (even when it got repetitive). The imagery was lovely, the build-up quite well done as you slowly unveil who he was/is and his journey from war, fear and devastation to his gradual healing, forgiveness and acceptance was depicted beautifully.
A side note, GRIS' soundtracks were an excellent match to this novel.
This is one of the most eloquently written pieces I've read and will stay in my heart for a long time I'd reckon. Tamsin's story was well written from start to finish and I found myself engrossed in every scene (even when it got repetitive). The imagery was lovely, the build-up quite well done as you slowly unveil who he was/is and his journey from war, fear and devastation to his gradual healing, forgiveness and acceptance was depicted beautifully.
A side note, GRIS' soundtracks were an excellent match to this novel.
December 26, 2024
Yeah this'll be one I come back to and read over and over
December 26, 2024
tamsin the [insert gender] that you are. (klara i will never read your fucking pov again.)
August 6, 2025
Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars-the pacing was slow and the prose was repetitive at times (but beautiful). That being said, this book feels like a warm hug after a rough day. The overall story and character work is so stunning that i can overlook petty grievances 🥹
August 24, 2025
It is not often that a book makes me tear up, but this one did. It was just such a nice, warm novel in many ways, one that ultimately deals with forgiveness (of oneself and others) and second chances. With a sympathetic, yet emotionally wounded MC, and a loving, kind supporting cast, this does fit the label of 'cozy fantasy' to me. Yes, as per usual Goddard indulges a little too much in overtly long descriptions for my tastes, but I will admit it did fit this particular novel very well.
Can only recommend, but you should be okay with a slow plot, introspection & flashbacks, and long, poetic descriptions.
Can only recommend, but you should be okay with a slow plot, introspection & flashbacks, and long, poetic descriptions.
November 20, 2025
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. Though I didn't care about Klara's parts at all but I understand why her POV was in the book.
March 31, 2025
4.75 rounded up. Review to follow
February 19, 2024
Loved this tale, independent of her Nine Worlds fantasyverse. It's beautifully told, with a slightly different vibe from her other works. Lyrical and haunting, or maybe haunted.
It's the tale of an Elf, a bard-turned-warrior, as he attempts to reconstruct his memories, as he constructs the titualar instrument.
It has a very traditional "Elven" feel, in the best way; these are passionate, musical, nature-lovers by default, who are not normally violent.
The MC was dragged into a way by their ancient enemy, in which he loses friends, family, and himself. The story is him rediscovering these while travelling with two strangers.
I didn't know how the story would unfold, and some parts left me guessing until the end. I did skip through some of the slower bits (because impatient), but I'll be able to appreciate it more.
It's the tale of an Elf, a bard-turned-warrior, as he attempts to reconstruct his memories, as he constructs the titualar instrument.
It has a very traditional "Elven" feel, in the best way; these are passionate, musical, nature-lovers by default, who are not normally violent.
The MC was dragged into a way by their ancient enemy, in which he loses friends, family, and himself. The story is him rediscovering these while travelling with two strangers.
I didn't know how the story would unfold, and some parts left me guessing until the end. I did skip through some of the slower bits (because impatient), but I'll be able to appreciate it more.
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