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The Songkeeper Chronicles #2
Songkeeper
War ravages Leira and the Song has fallen silent.
Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street-wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran's fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street-wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran's fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
337 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2016
14 people are currently reading
1513 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Bronte Adams
9 books685 followersGillian Bronte Adams is a horse-riding, wander-loving fantasy author, rarely found without a coffee in hand and rumored to pack books before clothes when she hits the road. Working in youth ministry left her with a passion for journeying alongside children and teens. (It also enhanced her love of coffee.) Now, she writes novels that follow outcast characters down broken roads, through epic battles, and onward to adventure. And at the end of a long day of typing, she can be found saddling her wild thing and riding off into the sunset, seeking adventures of her own (and more coffee).
She loves to connect with readers and fellow wanderers online through her website, Facebook page, and Instagram.
She loves to connect with readers and fellow wanderers online through her website, Facebook page, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 17, 2016
Another great book by Gillian Bronte Adams! After the cliff hanger ending of Orphan's Song, I was waiting not-so-patiently for this book!
This book branched off in directions I didn't expect. From the awesome, lion-riding desert people to the silver-tongued dwarves in the mountains, this book takes the reader on quite the adventure.
And the ending! I was prepared for it because I'd seen a spoiler, but it still hurt! AHHHH!!!!!
I had a little trouble getting into the book at first, but I think some of that was I didn't take the time to re-read Orphan's Song before starting Songkeeper. I would've had an easier time connecting with the characters if I'd just finished Orphan's Song and was reading these back to back instead of spending most of the beginning trying to remember who all the characters were and how they related to each other.
Still loved the book and can't wait for the next one!
This book branched off in directions I didn't expect. From the awesome, lion-riding desert people to the silver-tongued dwarves in the mountains, this book takes the reader on quite the adventure.
And the ending! I was prepared for it because I'd seen a spoiler, but it still hurt! AHHHH!!!!!
I had a little trouble getting into the book at first, but I think some of that was I didn't take the time to re-read Orphan's Song before starting Songkeeper. I would've had an easier time connecting with the characters if I'd just finished Orphan's Song and was reading these back to back instead of spending most of the beginning trying to remember who all the characters were and how they related to each other.
Still loved the book and can't wait for the next one!
June 18, 2018
Genre: Christian, Fantasy.
Age Range: 15+ for violence.
Favorite Quote: “I've freed you once tonight, and I would rather not do it again. I prefer to commit treason as few times as possible.”
Series: Book two in the Songkeeper Chronicles, needs to be read in order.
Stars: 5 out of 5 stars.
I love this book and the characters. I was sucked into the story and everyone's life. If you're a lover of action packed fantasies, pick this series up!
I find it unique that the series isn’t just focused on two teenagers, but we get an adult as a main character, too! And Amos is a great main character at that! I love his humor, his lilt and his relationship with Birdie. I’m glad we get to know a little more about him in this book.
We finally get to see more of Ky and the underground! The underground is an organization of teens and kids who live underground, obviously, and steal to feed themselves. It’s quite an interesting network! Gillian did an amazing job of developing the personalities of all the minor characters, which were quite a few! Throughout the book, I wanted to squeeze Ky and fend off anyone who dared hurt him. I feel so bad for him… and I can’t say why because of spoilers. Ky has matured greatly because of his experiences, he is, a lot stronger and a great leader, . He was so protective of Meli, a young girl from the underground. He’s going to make a great father one day!
Birdie is an interesting protagonist. She’s so confused about the song and her family, and no one can answer her questions. I really felt for her and her struggles, and at the end I cried for her and was ready to hurt everyone who even looked at her wrong. I like her a lot more in this book, and she’s currently competing with Ky for my favorite character. She’s stronger, bolder and just plain out awesome.
I thought it was different that there were lions in this book! Riding horses is outdated, apparently. It was really unique and I wish they were there throughout the whole book.
I have to talk about Gundhrold, the griffin. He was quite an interesting character! He wants to help Birdie, but more often than not he isn't around when she was in trouble. I love the conversations between Gundhrold and Amos! Amos wants “his girl” to stay safe and sound, and away from all the action. While Gundhrold thinks she is perfectly fine out there and no harm will come to her. So they clash often, which makes for some great conversations!
You Might Want to Know:
There is a scene at the end that is scary/creepy, so I would caution young readers.
Age Range: 15+ for violence.
Favorite Quote: “I've freed you once tonight, and I would rather not do it again. I prefer to commit treason as few times as possible.”
Series: Book two in the Songkeeper Chronicles, needs to be read in order.
Stars: 5 out of 5 stars.
I love this book and the characters. I was sucked into the story and everyone's life. If you're a lover of action packed fantasies, pick this series up!
I find it unique that the series isn’t just focused on two teenagers, but we get an adult as a main character, too! And Amos is a great main character at that! I love his humor, his lilt and his relationship with Birdie. I’m glad we get to know a little more about him in this book.
We finally get to see more of Ky and the underground! The underground is an organization of teens and kids who live underground, obviously, and steal to feed themselves. It’s quite an interesting network! Gillian did an amazing job of developing the personalities of all the minor characters, which were quite a few! Throughout the book, I wanted to squeeze Ky and fend off anyone who dared hurt him. I feel so bad for him… and I can’t say why because of spoilers. Ky has matured greatly because of his experiences, he is, a lot stronger and a great leader, . He was so protective of Meli, a young girl from the underground. He’s going to make a great father one day!
Birdie is an interesting protagonist. She’s so confused about the song and her family, and no one can answer her questions. I really felt for her and her struggles, and at the end I cried for her and was ready to hurt everyone who even looked at her wrong. I like her a lot more in this book, and she’s currently competing with Ky for my favorite character. She’s stronger, bolder and just plain out awesome.
I thought it was different that there were lions in this book! Riding horses is outdated, apparently. It was really unique and I wish they were there throughout the whole book.
I have to talk about Gundhrold, the griffin. He was quite an interesting character! He wants to help Birdie, but more often than not he isn't around when she was in trouble. I love the conversations between Gundhrold and Amos! Amos wants “his girl” to stay safe and sound, and away from all the action. While Gundhrold thinks she is perfectly fine out there and no harm will come to her. So they clash often, which makes for some great conversations!
You Might Want to Know:
There is a scene at the end that is scary/creepy, so I would caution young readers.
April 6, 2016
My goodness.
Review to come!
Review to come!
March 29, 2016
Someone once said that there can be no beauty without pain, or something to that effect. And, in the case of Songkeeper, it holds true. There is much beauty in this book, but there is much pain as well.
The Good:
-Amos continues to be pretty much my favorite character in the entire book. He's broken, imperfect, struggling- but still brave and determined and unwilling to give up hope. His unwavering protection (sometimes over-protection) of Birdie is sweet, and his interactions with others add a bit of humor to many a dark situation. And we learn more about his history in this book, which is both fascinating and a bit saddening.
-Grundhold would be another of my pretty-much-favorite-characters. I mean, he's a griffin, which means immediate awesomeness. And, like Amos, he's determined to protect Birdie- but he also wants to see her fulfill her destiny. (Surprise, surprise, he and Amos clash a fair bit. It's really fun to read.)
-Other characters continue to be great as well. Ky most definitely needs a hug or five. Poor boy. But his interactions with Migdon and the members of the Underground are great. Migdon, for his part, is hilarious and devious and just a lot of fun. Cade is still thinking with his emotions instead of his brain half the time, and it drives me a little crazy but mostly it just makes me sad because I like him and he keeps getting in trouble. Sym and Inali are pretty cool too, even if I'm still sorting out my exact feelings on one of them. And Birdie is still uncertain about her future about her future and struggling with how everyone seems to be pushing her one way or another and no one's really giving her answers- but even in the midst of disaster, she doesn't give in. She's strong without being your typical Strong Heroine.
-Riding lions. The desert culture in general is pretty cool- but the lions are the best part. (And it's mentioned that they're not entirely comfortable to ride, which makes sense and just increases the awesomeness of the people who are totally at ease around them.)
-It hits right in the feels. Right. in. the. feels.
The Bad:
-So, from the cover, I expected that the book would take place primarily in the desert with the Saari . . . but nope. Less than half the book and we head back up north. Granted, two of the Saari are joining us, but it's not the same. Maybe the next book will be better in that respect.
-Certain scenes near the end are a bit dark. And grim. And verging-on-nightmarish if you think about them too much. There isn't a ton of description, so it's still ok, but it could be a touch disturbing for younger readers, in my personal opinion.
-
Overall, Songkeeper is an excellent sequel to Orphan's Song . If you're looking for a short, fun read that's still exciting and meaningful, definitely check out both this and the previous book in the series. As for me, I'll be eagerly awaiting Book 3.
The Good:
-Amos continues to be pretty much my favorite character in the entire book. He's broken, imperfect, struggling- but still brave and determined and unwilling to give up hope. His unwavering protection (sometimes over-protection) of Birdie is sweet, and his interactions with others add a bit of humor to many a dark situation. And we learn more about his history in this book, which is both fascinating and a bit saddening.
-Grundhold would be another of my pretty-much-favorite-characters. I mean, he's a griffin, which means immediate awesomeness. And, like Amos, he's determined to protect Birdie- but he also wants to see her fulfill her destiny. (Surprise, surprise, he and Amos clash a fair bit. It's really fun to read.)
-Other characters continue to be great as well. Ky most definitely needs a hug or five. Poor boy. But his interactions with Migdon and the members of the Underground are great. Migdon, for his part, is hilarious and devious and just a lot of fun. Cade is still thinking with his emotions instead of his brain half the time, and it drives me a little crazy but mostly it just makes me sad because I like him and he keeps getting in trouble. Sym and Inali are pretty cool too, even if I'm still sorting out my exact feelings on one of them. And Birdie is still uncertain about her future about her future and struggling with how everyone seems to be pushing her one way or another and no one's really giving her answers- but even in the midst of disaster, she doesn't give in. She's strong without being your typical Strong Heroine.
-Riding lions. The desert culture in general is pretty cool- but the lions are the best part. (And it's mentioned that they're not entirely comfortable to ride, which makes sense and just increases the awesomeness of the people who are totally at ease around them.)
-It hits right in the feels. Right. in. the. feels.
The Bad:
-So, from the cover, I expected that the book would take place primarily in the desert with the Saari . . . but nope. Less than half the book and we head back up north. Granted, two of the Saari are joining us, but it's not the same. Maybe the next book will be better in that respect.
-Certain scenes near the end are a bit dark. And grim. And verging-on-nightmarish if you think about them too much. There isn't a ton of description, so it's still ok, but it could be a touch disturbing for younger readers, in my personal opinion.
-
Overall, Songkeeper is an excellent sequel to Orphan's Song . If you're looking for a short, fun read that's still exciting and meaningful, definitely check out both this and the previous book in the series. As for me, I'll be eagerly awaiting Book 3.
March 11, 2017
Aghh this book is SO GOOD! I just can't even think straight anymore. I enjoyed Orphan's Song massively and expected great things from Songkeeper. And I am not disappointed at all.
The characters are all amazingly real, relatable, and just plain awesome. To start off the awesomeness we have the unique but pronounceable names, super great! Add that to complex personalities, struggles and pains. I was drawn ever deeper into the lives of all the characters.
This book had me literally jittering from epic-ness. The pace never slackens for a moment, and it's page turning the whole way. I can't put the amazingness into words! Everything about this book is impossibly and completely great and epic. Plus, there's now a map, triple the epic!
Songkeeper's tone is diferent than Orphan's Song. There is war all over Leira, and suffering at every turn. This book takes a darker turn, looking into the pain deeper, as the characters experience it in different ways. There is blood, there are wounds and deaths, but I was not bothered by it. The pain of the characters made them more real.
ARCs are officially awesome. I was barely able to put this book down as soon as I got it. When's the next book coming out?! Songkeeper has kept up the amazingness of Orphan's Song, adding to it, even. My recommendations for this books are flooding out over every single person ever.
Go read the book.
The characters are all amazingly real, relatable, and just plain awesome. To start off the awesomeness we have the unique but pronounceable names, super great! Add that to complex personalities, struggles and pains. I was drawn ever deeper into the lives of all the characters.
This book had me literally jittering from epic-ness. The pace never slackens for a moment, and it's page turning the whole way. I can't put the amazingness into words! Everything about this book is impossibly and completely great and epic. Plus, there's now a map, triple the epic!
Songkeeper's tone is diferent than Orphan's Song. There is war all over Leira, and suffering at every turn. This book takes a darker turn, looking into the pain deeper, as the characters experience it in different ways. There is blood, there are wounds and deaths, but I was not bothered by it. The pain of the characters made them more real.
ARCs are officially awesome. I was barely able to put this book down as soon as I got it. When's the next book coming out?! Songkeeper has kept up the amazingness of Orphan's Song, adding to it, even. My recommendations for this books are flooding out over every single person ever.
Go read the book.
March 31, 2019
Taking a decidedly darker turn than its prequel, Orphan’s Song, this book follows Birdie through her struggles to hold onto hope when the Song feels distant, and Ky’s misadventures as he tries to protect his Underground friends.
I blame myself for taking almost a month to read this. (Thanks, college assignments.) Perhaps I would’ve been more eager to pick up the book again if I’d read it faster. As it was, it felt harder than I would’ve liked to re-immerse myself in the story from one reading to the next. It lacked the pull to draw me into “just one more chapter.”
But hey, Gundhrold is still here (and griffins are awesome), Amos is still his belligerent self, we get to explore the further reaches of Leira, and the ending plunges into the heart of darkness in order to reveal some of the cogs that have been turning the series’ main conflict! So yay for that!
I’m interested to see how everything shapes up in the third and final book! This one definitely ended on a “darkest before the dawn” moment. I loved the final chapter, by the way, which referenced a particular Old Testament passage that fit perfectly with the story’s theme. <3
All in all, I would’ve liked stronger or more consistent inner tension from Birdie, and perhaps more of that mystical ingredient that makes certain novels addictive—but it was still a good story that deepened and built off of book 1.
I blame myself for taking almost a month to read this. (Thanks, college assignments.) Perhaps I would’ve been more eager to pick up the book again if I’d read it faster. As it was, it felt harder than I would’ve liked to re-immerse myself in the story from one reading to the next. It lacked the pull to draw me into “just one more chapter.”
But hey, Gundhrold is still here (and griffins are awesome), Amos is still his belligerent self, we get to explore the further reaches of Leira, and the ending plunges into the heart of darkness in order to reveal some of the cogs that have been turning the series’ main conflict! So yay for that!
I’m interested to see how everything shapes up in the third and final book! This one definitely ended on a “darkest before the dawn” moment. I loved the final chapter, by the way, which referenced a particular Old Testament passage that fit perfectly with the story’s theme. <3
All in all, I would’ve liked stronger or more consistent inner tension from Birdie, and perhaps more of that mystical ingredient that makes certain novels addictive—but it was still a good story that deepened and built off of book 1.
August 17, 2018
I didn't like this one as much as book 1, but it was still completely gripping and wonderful!
The characters all grow so much in this one, and there's plenty of fast paced plot and twists to go around. I just wanted more lion riders to be honest. ;) Also more griffin! And I've come to appreciate Amos more. Also Ky is a small floof of emotions and someone just needs to hug him and tell him its going to be alright. And Birdie could use one while we're handing out hugs.
The ending was not ok, and I'm so glad I had book 3 ready to go, because I would have been extremely unhappy if I had to wait longer than the walk back to my bookshelf. lol!
Lots of tension and character development and it was wonderful! Also I love the simplicity of the faith element. It's just of there and not overbearing and it's also wonderful and I really appreciate how well and deeply its woven in.
Just wishing I hadn't taken so long to get into this series, because its one of those that I know I'll keep discovering things in the more I re-read.
The characters all grow so much in this one, and there's plenty of fast paced plot and twists to go around. I just wanted more lion riders to be honest. ;) Also more griffin! And I've come to appreciate Amos more. Also Ky is a small floof of emotions and someone just needs to hug him and tell him its going to be alright. And Birdie could use one while we're handing out hugs.
The ending was not ok, and I'm so glad I had book 3 ready to go, because I would have been extremely unhappy if I had to wait longer than the walk back to my bookshelf. lol!
Lots of tension and character development and it was wonderful! Also I love the simplicity of the faith element. It's just of there and not overbearing and it's also wonderful and I really appreciate how well and deeply its woven in.
Just wishing I hadn't taken so long to get into this series, because its one of those that I know I'll keep discovering things in the more I re-read.
November 21, 2016
I’m sad that I ended up giving this three stars, and it doesn’t make it any better that this is the second book in just as many months that I’ve given a rating that was lower than I had hoped. For me, three stars usually means “Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.” For this book, I’m modifying that slightly to, “I adored the majority of it, but the ending got so creepy and gruesomely violent I had to skip to the last chapter because that kind of thing really bothers me.” That’s the short version.
The longer version is: I love the characters in this trilogy, I love the overall story, and I think Gillian Bronte Adams is a very talented storyteller and her writing style is great. I really enjoyed everything for about 4/5ths of the way through the book. But around the time were going to enter the Takhran’s evil mountain, I thought, “Wait…If they go inside the evil mountain where there are supposed to be all of these ‘horrors’ that, according to everyone’s favorite peddler, Amos, you can’t unsee, and the reader is going to see the inside of the mountain from these characters’ perspectives, just how creepy are the next few chapters about to get?”
I need to make it clear now that I have a vivid imagination. If the author describes something I can picture it very clearly, and graphic/bloody depictions of violence and creepiness can really disturb me because of this. Up to this point in the book, there had been some slightly intense violence, but it hadn’t been particularly graphic. However, as the intensity of the story itself grew, I noticed more descriptions of blood slowly creeping into the narrative and I took it as a red flag warning of what was to come. My suspicions were correct. Around the time I started getting worried about just how creepy the evil mountain was going to be, I flipped forward in the book and started skimming to see if things were going to get more graphic and whether or not I really wanted to read about the Takhran’s evil fortress in depth. What I discovered is that the descriptions of violence did indeed get more graphic. The inside of the Takhran’s fortress, as some other reviewers have stated, is downright nightmarish. I won’t get into detail because I was trying really hard not to read the details, but let’s say that what I *did* read, I found disturbing. Did I mention I was reading this at night, right before bed? Yeah. Make that deeply disturbing. (It literally took an hour and a half of staring at the ceiling before I was able to get to sleep after that.)
I was and still am somewhat saddened and disappointed by this. Like I said, the violence earlier in the book was a little intense, but not graphic. And I actually appreciated how the author acknowledged and seemed to grapple with the fact that those individuals being killed were human beings who once lived lives not unlike those of the protagonists, and this sort of death was not something to be taken lightly or glorified. But once they were under the Takhran’s mountain? Things got more intense, and creepy, and much, much more bloody. I can handle brief descriptions of blood, but around the time human beings are not only being killed in intense and disturbing manners, but blood is coming out of various human orifices, blood is dripping from corpses into “The Pit” (this last bit was actually foreshadowed in the previous book, but that didn’t make it any less disturbing when it was actually depicted), etc, etc…I’m done. I’m just done. That disturbs me and I’m not going to keep reading it, no matter how much I liked the story, characters, or writing up to that point.
What I ended up doing was skipping all the disturbing parts and going right to the final chapter after the mountain had been departed. I will say that I at least liked the very end of the story. It ended with a very beautiful and hopeful line that leaves me hoping that maybe, just maybe I won’t have to give up on this series entirely. (Though I will note that it was very much a cliffhanger and we really got no answers to the questions that have been raised up to this point.) However, because of the gruesome violence at the end of “The Songkeeper” I will hesitate before picking up the third book. Whenever that third book comes out, I’ll wait for those of my fellow Goodreads friends who like this series to read it and post their reviews and if, only if, it looks like things don’t get all nightmarish and gruesome again, I may read it myself. We’ll see. I truly hope the disturbing section of this book was just the darkness before the dawn, because I would be so sad to have to give up on yet another YA series because of disturbing elements.
The longer version is: I love the characters in this trilogy, I love the overall story, and I think Gillian Bronte Adams is a very talented storyteller and her writing style is great. I really enjoyed everything for about 4/5ths of the way through the book. But around the time were going to enter the Takhran’s evil mountain, I thought, “Wait…If they go inside the evil mountain where there are supposed to be all of these ‘horrors’ that, according to everyone’s favorite peddler, Amos, you can’t unsee, and the reader is going to see the inside of the mountain from these characters’ perspectives, just how creepy are the next few chapters about to get?”
I need to make it clear now that I have a vivid imagination. If the author describes something I can picture it very clearly, and graphic/bloody depictions of violence and creepiness can really disturb me because of this. Up to this point in the book, there had been some slightly intense violence, but it hadn’t been particularly graphic. However, as the intensity of the story itself grew, I noticed more descriptions of blood slowly creeping into the narrative and I took it as a red flag warning of what was to come. My suspicions were correct. Around the time I started getting worried about just how creepy the evil mountain was going to be, I flipped forward in the book and started skimming to see if things were going to get more graphic and whether or not I really wanted to read about the Takhran’s evil fortress in depth. What I discovered is that the descriptions of violence did indeed get more graphic. The inside of the Takhran’s fortress, as some other reviewers have stated, is downright nightmarish. I won’t get into detail because I was trying really hard not to read the details, but let’s say that what I *did* read, I found disturbing. Did I mention I was reading this at night, right before bed? Yeah. Make that deeply disturbing. (It literally took an hour and a half of staring at the ceiling before I was able to get to sleep after that.)
I was and still am somewhat saddened and disappointed by this. Like I said, the violence earlier in the book was a little intense, but not graphic. And I actually appreciated how the author acknowledged and seemed to grapple with the fact that those individuals being killed were human beings who once lived lives not unlike those of the protagonists, and this sort of death was not something to be taken lightly or glorified. But once they were under the Takhran’s mountain? Things got more intense, and creepy, and much, much more bloody. I can handle brief descriptions of blood, but around the time human beings are not only being killed in intense and disturbing manners, but blood is coming out of various human orifices, blood is dripping from corpses into “The Pit” (this last bit was actually foreshadowed in the previous book, but that didn’t make it any less disturbing when it was actually depicted), etc, etc…I’m done. I’m just done. That disturbs me and I’m not going to keep reading it, no matter how much I liked the story, characters, or writing up to that point.
What I ended up doing was skipping all the disturbing parts and going right to the final chapter after the mountain had been departed. I will say that I at least liked the very end of the story. It ended with a very beautiful and hopeful line that leaves me hoping that maybe, just maybe I won’t have to give up on this series entirely. (Though I will note that it was very much a cliffhanger and we really got no answers to the questions that have been raised up to this point.) However, because of the gruesome violence at the end of “The Songkeeper” I will hesitate before picking up the third book. Whenever that third book comes out, I’ll wait for those of my fellow Goodreads friends who like this series to read it and post their reviews and if, only if, it looks like things don’t get all nightmarish and gruesome again, I may read it myself. We’ll see. I truly hope the disturbing section of this book was just the darkness before the dawn, because I would be so sad to have to give up on yet another YA series because of disturbing elements.
September 20, 2021
This is truly a sad, dark middle book which I love even as I felt the despair and heartbreak of it all. 😭 I wish I had the third book to find out how all this ends, but I don’t as of now so I guess I’ll just have to wait awhile until I do. 😜
The characters go through SO MUCH it’s heartbreaking and nothing is easy or clear for any of them. Birdie, Ky, Amos, and a host of other characters walk down some pretty dark paths I have no doubt they will come out on the other side stronger then ever before even though at this point they’re broken or lost in more ways then one. I also don’t believe a certain character is gone—no body, no proof. 😉 I will stand by that until proven otherwise.
The author’s writing reminds me a lot of The Lord of the Rings, and Leira has a similar feel of Middle Earth while both writing style and world feel completely each author’s own thing. And Birdie’s climax is downright CREEPY— I’m not sure how anyone could get away with portraying the Pit in a movie without it being rated R. And the end was hopeful and perfect if not heartbreaking too. 😭🥰
I really, really liked this book despite its heavy, dark tone and look forward to whenever I can get my hands on Book 3.
Content: violence and blood (nothing over PG-13); characters get sick; characters die from sickness plus in battle; hanging dead bodies and other horrors are in the Pit; a monster attacks characters
The characters go through SO MUCH it’s heartbreaking and nothing is easy or clear for any of them. Birdie, Ky, Amos, and a host of other characters walk down some pretty dark paths I have no doubt they will come out on the other side stronger then ever before even though at this point they’re broken or lost in more ways then one. I also don’t believe a certain character is gone—no body, no proof. 😉 I will stand by that until proven otherwise.
The author’s writing reminds me a lot of The Lord of the Rings, and Leira has a similar feel of Middle Earth while both writing style and world feel completely each author’s own thing. And Birdie’s climax is downright CREEPY— I’m not sure how anyone could get away with portraying the Pit in a movie without it being rated R. And the end was hopeful and perfect if not heartbreaking too. 😭🥰
I really, really liked this book despite its heavy, dark tone and look forward to whenever I can get my hands on Book 3.
Content: violence and blood (nothing over PG-13); characters get sick; characters die from sickness plus in battle; hanging dead bodies and other horrors are in the Pit; a monster attacks characters
December 18, 2023
A well written story full of realistic characters and fantastical creatures. There is an undertone of faith and the Creator (Songmaster), but it does not have an overt Christian message. I do love how Birdie is simply a vessel to the Songmaster and cannot control the song of her own accord, only submit and yield to it.
The series is clean in language (though one character gets creative and humorous in alternative expressions :-) and contains no romance of any kind. There is violence to some extent (plenty of battle scenes) but an overall message emphasizing the value of life.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the series and highly recommend it to those who enjoy clean fantasy. I look forward to reading more of Gillian’s books.
The series is clean in language (though one character gets creative and humorous in alternative expressions :-) and contains no romance of any kind. There is violence to some extent (plenty of battle scenes) but an overall message emphasizing the value of life.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the series and highly recommend it to those who enjoy clean fantasy. I look forward to reading more of Gillian’s books.
May 3, 2016
Review originally posted on The Road of a Writer: https://deborahocarroll.wordpress.com...
Well, THAT was a sandstorm whirlwind of a read! I'll admit I had doubts in the middle of the book, when it felt pretty hopeless... But with the thrilling epicness overall, I ended up loving it, despite a quibble or two -- which mostly boils down to the fact that I NEED BOOK THREE YESTERDAY!!! Ahem.
I've been breathlessly awaiting this book ever since the last cliff-hanger page of ORPHAN'S SONG, so I'm ecstatic to have finally read SONGKEEPER! It was different than I expected, but by no means disappointing!
I loved returning to this incredibly rich fantasy world... though it was less bright and green, since after all this is war-torn Leira. It's a bit grimmer, but still gloriously original. I loved the new places and people encountered in this one, all fresh, new, and with a distinct flavor all their own (and another fantasy creature or two!). Intriguing desert dwellers -- LOVED the lion-riding and the lioness looking after the little boys! -- and more of a taste of the dwarves! SO excited about that, and looking forward to seeing more of them.
The writing was positively BRILLIANT. I absolutely loved the turns of phrase, the dialog, the masterfully woven narrative... It was all utterly brilliant. (Especially Amos's point-of-view sections!) I'd read an entire book about nothing but eating porridge and counting bricks on a wall if it had this sort of gorgeous, genius writing. Naturally, SONGKEEPER was a far cry from that, and in fact a thrilling, breathtaking book!
It wasn't like constant action? There were dashes of humorous, lighthearted moments mixed in at the most unexpected times, but the breathing spaces continually cut off suddenly and swept me back into the edge-of-your-seat danger and excitement again. VERY INTENSE. It sure kept me on my toes!
BUT BUT WE LEARN THINGS! So many hinted-at plot things start coming to light, and SO many more questions raised. Super exciting! I can't wait to find out where it's all going. (I also really, really want a prequel about the backstory of legendary characters we get hints about; a book about Artair, Hawkness, etc. would be AMAZING.) Also, the SONG! Ever-more intriguing and fascinating. I'm delighted with the Song parts of the story, and can't wait to find out more!
But one of the best things? The CHARACTERS! Aaahh, this cast! They're so real and I love them all. The interaction and banter and humor and struggles of these people who I love! Rundown of a few of them, since I simply MUST talk about them!
+ Amos, ah, that testy, loyal, brave, dirk-wielding peddler with his accent and creative insults! Between the sand, lions, griffin, dangers and everything else, he's absolutely DONE with all of it, which makes him even more humorous than ever. ;) The way he cares for Birdie is just... alskdjflskdjl. *incoherent happy noises*
+ Birdie continues to be a marvelous heroine, relateable and awesome. Love her parts of the story so much and can't wait to follow her to the end.
+ Ky is a precious little chocolate cupcake. I LOVE THIS BOY. This heroic, self-sacrificial little spitfire is doggedly determined to protect the Underground members at any cost, he won't back down for any of the obstacles in his path. He's just so awesome!
+ Cade, still enigmatic leader of the Underground (with a definite Peter-Pan-meets-Florian-from-Lloyd-Alexander's-Westmark-trilogy thing going, at least for me). I will stand by myself in the Cade-is-still-my-favorite corner and stubbornly insist I still like him. He wasn't around as much, and I was a bit sad he seemed mostly relegated to a Ky's-rival/almost-villain role, but I maintain he's misunderstood and broken AND I STILL LOVE CADE AND NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. <3
+ Gundhrold the griffin is... well, a griffin, so = AWESOME. He and Amos together are perfection. XD I don't remember if he was wise/sniffy in the first book? But it's great to see more of him.
+ Sym is quite the punchy (stabby? Because spears...?) and epic lion-riding desert warrior-woman. She's awesome and I really loved her addition to the group. She and Amos make a surprisingly effective fighting pair! Loved their bits.
+ Migdon, oh, Migdon! Dangerous, epic, dramatic, and nicknamed Silvertongue for his persuasiveness, this dwarf is awesome, and his bickering relationship with Ky is so much fun. Love him, and the two of them together!
+ AND I have to mention Balaam. I will say no more here, besides: AWESOME and hilarious! XD
SONGKEEPER has a darker, grimmer, grittier tone than the first book. War, violence, death (lots of death... which I wasn't happy about) and things looking more hopeless for Birdie, Ky, Amos, and all of Leira. Not for the faint at heart, one could say. It's the time of the story when Sam's words from The Two Towers movie come to mind: "And sometimes you didn't want to know the end; because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?" So here's me hoping that book 3 will get to the "even darkness must pass" and "when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer" part. ;)
As the middle book of a trilogy, SONGKEEPER follows on from book 1 fantastically, though it ends on another cliff-hanger-type note (which has me desperate for the next book to find out what happens!) and didn't have a lot of closure. But I will say that it feels like one completed segment of a story, and leaves the main characters at a couple of important turning-points, setting up for the next chapter of the adventure, so I'm excited about that.
I will say that I accidentally saw several spoilers online, so I knew some of the twists and deaths before they happened, which was a mixed blessing because it was sad that I already knew about them but at the same time it lessened the punch of the reveals (which is both good and bad) and I'm likely less of an emotional wreck than I would have been. ;)
I also wish I'd reread ORPHAN'S SONG before tackling this one, but SONGKEEPER had enough reminders, so it was fine, but think I'd have picked up on more of the awesomeness if the first one was fresh in my mind. I'll just have to have an epic reread of both when book 3 releases -- which will be a glorious day indeed!
So yes, very much looking forward the next book! On that note, I will be very put out if a certain character or two end up dead... AHEM. We shall see! And storywise, well, they're all so incredibly doomed right now, I don't know HOW they're going to get out of this mess. I'm on the edge of my seat here and I NEED BOOK THREE! Can't. Wait. :)
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author (many thanks!) in return for my honest review, and these opinions are entirely my own.
Well, THAT was a sandstorm whirlwind of a read! I'll admit I had doubts in the middle of the book, when it felt pretty hopeless... But with the thrilling epicness overall, I ended up loving it, despite a quibble or two -- which mostly boils down to the fact that I NEED BOOK THREE YESTERDAY!!! Ahem.
I've been breathlessly awaiting this book ever since the last cliff-hanger page of ORPHAN'S SONG, so I'm ecstatic to have finally read SONGKEEPER! It was different than I expected, but by no means disappointing!
I loved returning to this incredibly rich fantasy world... though it was less bright and green, since after all this is war-torn Leira. It's a bit grimmer, but still gloriously original. I loved the new places and people encountered in this one, all fresh, new, and with a distinct flavor all their own (and another fantasy creature or two!). Intriguing desert dwellers -- LOVED the lion-riding and the lioness looking after the little boys! -- and more of a taste of the dwarves! SO excited about that, and looking forward to seeing more of them.
The writing was positively BRILLIANT. I absolutely loved the turns of phrase, the dialog, the masterfully woven narrative... It was all utterly brilliant. (Especially Amos's point-of-view sections!) I'd read an entire book about nothing but eating porridge and counting bricks on a wall if it had this sort of gorgeous, genius writing. Naturally, SONGKEEPER was a far cry from that, and in fact a thrilling, breathtaking book!
It wasn't like constant action? There were dashes of humorous, lighthearted moments mixed in at the most unexpected times, but the breathing spaces continually cut off suddenly and swept me back into the edge-of-your-seat danger and excitement again. VERY INTENSE. It sure kept me on my toes!
BUT BUT WE LEARN THINGS! So many hinted-at plot things start coming to light, and SO many more questions raised. Super exciting! I can't wait to find out where it's all going. (I also really, really want a prequel about the backstory of legendary characters we get hints about; a book about Artair, Hawkness, etc. would be AMAZING.) Also, the SONG! Ever-more intriguing and fascinating. I'm delighted with the Song parts of the story, and can't wait to find out more!
But one of the best things? The CHARACTERS! Aaahh, this cast! They're so real and I love them all. The interaction and banter and humor and struggles of these people who I love! Rundown of a few of them, since I simply MUST talk about them!
+ Amos, ah, that testy, loyal, brave, dirk-wielding peddler with his accent and creative insults! Between the sand, lions, griffin, dangers and everything else, he's absolutely DONE with all of it, which makes him even more humorous than ever. ;) The way he cares for Birdie is just... alskdjflskdjl. *incoherent happy noises*
+ Birdie continues to be a marvelous heroine, relateable and awesome. Love her parts of the story so much and can't wait to follow her to the end.
+ Ky is a precious little chocolate cupcake. I LOVE THIS BOY. This heroic, self-sacrificial little spitfire is doggedly determined to protect the Underground members at any cost, he won't back down for any of the obstacles in his path. He's just so awesome!
+ Cade, still enigmatic leader of the Underground (with a definite Peter-Pan-meets-Florian-from-Lloyd-Alexander's-Westmark-trilogy thing going, at least for me). I will stand by myself in the Cade-is-still-my-favorite corner and stubbornly insist I still like him. He wasn't around as much, and I was a bit sad he seemed mostly relegated to a Ky's-rival/almost-villain role, but I maintain he's misunderstood and broken AND I STILL LOVE CADE AND NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. <3
+ Gundhrold the griffin is... well, a griffin, so = AWESOME. He and Amos together are perfection. XD I don't remember if he was wise/sniffy in the first book? But it's great to see more of him.
+ Sym is quite the punchy (stabby? Because spears...?) and epic lion-riding desert warrior-woman. She's awesome and I really loved her addition to the group. She and Amos make a surprisingly effective fighting pair! Loved their bits.
+ Migdon, oh, Migdon! Dangerous, epic, dramatic, and nicknamed Silvertongue for his persuasiveness, this dwarf is awesome, and his bickering relationship with Ky is so much fun. Love him, and the two of them together!
+ AND I have to mention Balaam. I will say no more here, besides: AWESOME and hilarious! XD
SONGKEEPER has a darker, grimmer, grittier tone than the first book. War, violence, death (lots of death... which I wasn't happy about) and things looking more hopeless for Birdie, Ky, Amos, and all of Leira. Not for the faint at heart, one could say. It's the time of the story when Sam's words from The Two Towers movie come to mind: "And sometimes you didn't want to know the end; because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?" So here's me hoping that book 3 will get to the "even darkness must pass" and "when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer" part. ;)
As the middle book of a trilogy, SONGKEEPER follows on from book 1 fantastically, though it ends on another cliff-hanger-type note (which has me desperate for the next book to find out what happens!) and didn't have a lot of closure. But I will say that it feels like one completed segment of a story, and leaves the main characters at a couple of important turning-points, setting up for the next chapter of the adventure, so I'm excited about that.
I will say that I accidentally saw several spoilers online, so I knew some of the twists and deaths before they happened, which was a mixed blessing because it was sad that I already knew about them but at the same time it lessened the punch of the reveals (which is both good and bad) and I'm likely less of an emotional wreck than I would have been. ;)
I also wish I'd reread ORPHAN'S SONG before tackling this one, but SONGKEEPER had enough reminders, so it was fine, but think I'd have picked up on more of the awesomeness if the first one was fresh in my mind. I'll just have to have an epic reread of both when book 3 releases -- which will be a glorious day indeed!
So yes, very much looking forward the next book! On that note, I will be very put out if a certain character or two end up dead... AHEM. We shall see! And storywise, well, they're all so incredibly doomed right now, I don't know HOW they're going to get out of this mess. I'm on the edge of my seat here and I NEED BOOK THREE! Can't. Wait. :)
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author (many thanks!) in return for my honest review, and these opinions are entirely my own.
April 20, 2021
I loved this second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles. It was a fantastic sequel to the first book Orphan’s Song.
Since this is the second book in the series I can’t tell you much about the plot except to describe the image on the front cover. It shows three figures in the desert riding on lions.
This book continued to expand my view of the fantasy world and gave me more understanding of the Song that underpins it.
This is a story full of action, sword fighting and friendship. The plot built to a tense climax. Most of the book was fun and action packed but it also went to some darker places than I expected. The main character is a young teenager but I would not recommend it for children due to the level of violence.
The supernatural elements reminded me of the Force in Star Wars, though there are definitely no space ships!
I definitely want to read the last book in the series soon but I need to catch my breath first!
Since this is the second book in the series I can’t tell you much about the plot except to describe the image on the front cover. It shows three figures in the desert riding on lions.
This book continued to expand my view of the fantasy world and gave me more understanding of the Song that underpins it.
This is a story full of action, sword fighting and friendship. The plot built to a tense climax. Most of the book was fun and action packed but it also went to some darker places than I expected. The main character is a young teenager but I would not recommend it for children due to the level of violence.
The supernatural elements reminded me of the Force in Star Wars, though there are definitely no space ships!
I definitely want to read the last book in the series soon but I need to catch my breath first!
March 15, 2017
Songkeeper, book two in THE SONGKEEPER CHRONICLES by Gillian Bronte Adams, had some epic scenes to match it's absolutely epic cover. But, overall, I didn't really get into it. I'm giving it a three-star rating because of the amazing parts, and because I loved the first book in the series (Orphan's Song).
Birdie and Ky wake up aboard a pirate's ship - captives. Amos and the griffon desperately search for their kidnapped young friends. And darkness is ever on the move. At loss of how to get the Song back, Birdie struggles with her calling as the Songkeeper. Struggles to have faith. Struggles to be strong. Amidst battles and desert adventures, Birdie searches for answers ... and for the elusive Song.
In short, I was disappointed in this book. And I hate saying that ... especially when I loved Orphan's Song. But that's how it was for me. I never fully got into the story; didn't really connect with the characters; and felt the story was building up and building up, only to have no questions answered - no satisfying or conclusive enough ending. HOWEVER, this is simply my opinion and my taste. If you aren't like me, you may love Songkeeper; in fact, I can picture my younger sister loving everything I didn't like about it. XD
I did have a wonderful time laughing at Amos and the superb griffon (always forget his name ... it's kind of long and fantasy-ish). They are forever grumbling at each other, haha! It was also cool journeying and meeting the desert folk and their lions! I mean, how cool is that, to ride lions?? Utterly epic. And Birdie talking with animals is the best. ^_^ Love when that happens in fantasy books! So yes, Songkeeper definitely had it's great parts.
Despite the ending not being satisfying to me, I did love the very last line, and how that whole scene felt. Very poignant. Powerful. Yet gentle. Humbling. Awesome. I have a feeling Birdie is about to learn a soul-altering lesson and find out what real faith is. Find out who really created the Song. I look forward to reading the third book and exploring more of this Christian allegory.
A caution. Though Orphan's Song (book one) got pretty violent toward the end, it does not compare to the intensity of Songkeeper. This book is dark. There's a lot of violence, and especially gruesomeness, toward the end. So I would be very careful about letting a younger audience read it. Speaking to my fairly sensitive family, I would probably say wait until your late teens to read Songkeeper.
So yes. Griffons and history about songkeepers. Dark villains. Epic rescues and crazy battles. Treacherous journeys. Struggling with faith. Though Songkeeper wasn't a favorite for me, I still recommend this series to fantasy lovers, and am excited to read Book Three! *smiles*
I received a copy of Songkeeper from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Birdie and Ky wake up aboard a pirate's ship - captives. Amos and the griffon desperately search for their kidnapped young friends. And darkness is ever on the move. At loss of how to get the Song back, Birdie struggles with her calling as the Songkeeper. Struggles to have faith. Struggles to be strong. Amidst battles and desert adventures, Birdie searches for answers ... and for the elusive Song.
In short, I was disappointed in this book. And I hate saying that ... especially when I loved Orphan's Song. But that's how it was for me. I never fully got into the story; didn't really connect with the characters; and felt the story was building up and building up, only to have no questions answered - no satisfying or conclusive enough ending. HOWEVER, this is simply my opinion and my taste. If you aren't like me, you may love Songkeeper; in fact, I can picture my younger sister loving everything I didn't like about it. XD
I did have a wonderful time laughing at Amos and the superb griffon (always forget his name ... it's kind of long and fantasy-ish). They are forever grumbling at each other, haha! It was also cool journeying and meeting the desert folk and their lions! I mean, how cool is that, to ride lions?? Utterly epic. And Birdie talking with animals is the best. ^_^ Love when that happens in fantasy books! So yes, Songkeeper definitely had it's great parts.
Despite the ending not being satisfying to me, I did love the very last line, and how that whole scene felt. Very poignant. Powerful. Yet gentle. Humbling. Awesome. I have a feeling Birdie is about to learn a soul-altering lesson and find out what real faith is. Find out who really created the Song. I look forward to reading the third book and exploring more of this Christian allegory.
A caution. Though Orphan's Song (book one) got pretty violent toward the end, it does not compare to the intensity of Songkeeper. This book is dark. There's a lot of violence, and especially gruesomeness, toward the end. So I would be very careful about letting a younger audience read it. Speaking to my fairly sensitive family, I would probably say wait until your late teens to read Songkeeper.
So yes. Griffons and history about songkeepers. Dark villains. Epic rescues and crazy battles. Treacherous journeys. Struggling with faith. Though Songkeeper wasn't a favorite for me, I still recommend this series to fantasy lovers, and am excited to read Book Three! *smiles*
I received a copy of Songkeeper from the author in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2016
It was a good book. Even better than the first. ^ ^ Full review here: http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/20...
August 27, 2017
Though this is the second book in the series, this is the first book of Gillian's that I have read. I found the story world very well developed and was able to pick up what had been happening without much issue. Though I didn't care much for the odd way Amos spoke, I was drawn in by the well developed characters, particularly Ky who was by far my favorite. So much so, that I could have read a book just about him.
One aspect I wish could have been drawn out a little longer was the time spent with the Saari. The lion riders had a culture I would have loved to have seen explored more in depth, particularly the relationship between Dah Inali and his sister.
What held me back from fully adoring this book is as other reviewers have mentioned: the ending. The gruesome violence is something that most readers have noted (it does get pretty disturbing), though my reason is a little bit different. Though Birdie comes out at the end with a personal victory which proves her strength of will, I'm not a fan of this way of ending novel. Particularly not after having gone through so much with the characters.
Because I never read the first in the series, I have no idea how that ended or how to predict the next novel. Since I believe that the next book is the last one, I really don't think it will end as disappointingly as this, though it may be just as gruesome. Still, I think the book over all deserves a high rating. Most of the book was really good and, so long as you begin the story with some foreknowledge, you can be prepared for the way it unfolds.
I have provided an honest review of this novel after having received a copy for review.
One aspect I wish could have been drawn out a little longer was the time spent with the Saari. The lion riders had a culture I would have loved to have seen explored more in depth, particularly the relationship between Dah Inali and his sister.
What held me back from fully adoring this book is as other reviewers have mentioned: the ending. The gruesome violence is something that most readers have noted (it does get pretty disturbing), though my reason is a little bit different. Though Birdie comes out at the end with a personal victory which proves her strength of will, I'm not a fan of this way of ending novel. Particularly not after having gone through so much with the characters.
Because I never read the first in the series, I have no idea how that ended or how to predict the next novel. Since I believe that the next book is the last one, I really don't think it will end as disappointingly as this, though it may be just as gruesome. Still, I think the book over all deserves a high rating. Most of the book was really good and, so long as you begin the story with some foreknowledge, you can be prepared for the way it unfolds.
I have provided an honest review of this novel after having received a copy for review.
April 5, 2017
Songkeeper is book 2 in the Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams. This volume picks up immediately after events from the first volume, right in the middle of the action. I haven't read the first in the series and while it was obvious I had missed a lot, I never felt lost or confused - events were explained well and woven into the action without any info-dumps. The blurb summarizes what happens pretty well - Birdie heads into the heart of danger with a group of colorful, endearing companions hoping to find the mythical spring and thereby stop the big baddie. Ky returns home and clashes with authority figures in a power struggle over how best to save his fellow runners (a gang of orphan thieves living under the radar and literally under the city).
The book was gripping and I couldn't put it down. But it was also very grim and especially dark toward the end. Almost gruesome but without details that would make it too much. So grim in fact, that I'm not interested in reading the skipped first volume and I'm unclear if I will read the last volume when it comes out. I'm a reader who needs plenty of light in-between the doses of dark and Songkeeper was very heavy. Not to mention it ends with such a major set-back that I question what progress was made at all.
I do have to say, though that the book was extremely well written - one of the best I've read in a long time. I was impressed at the quality. The only complaint I had was my ebook had no spaces or separators between scenes which was extremely confusing until I got the hang of being hyper-vigilant keeping an eye out for scene shifts.
The book was gripping and I couldn't put it down. But it was also very grim and especially dark toward the end. Almost gruesome but without details that would make it too much. So grim in fact, that I'm not interested in reading the skipped first volume and I'm unclear if I will read the last volume when it comes out. I'm a reader who needs plenty of light in-between the doses of dark and Songkeeper was very heavy. Not to mention it ends with such a major set-back that I question what progress was made at all.
I do have to say, though that the book was extremely well written - one of the best I've read in a long time. I was impressed at the quality. The only complaint I had was my ebook had no spaces or separators between scenes which was extremely confusing until I got the hang of being hyper-vigilant keeping an eye out for scene shifts.
November 25, 2017
O.O I'm blown away. This...THIS NOVEL IS AMAZING. Full review to come when I recover.
August 29, 2019
Ahhh!! I couldn’t put it down. It was definitely much darker that book one but there was so much character growth and the climax was heart wrenching! Great fantasy read.
June 24, 2021
This is a really exciting and great book.
September 18, 2024
Another great read! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The evil is clear and graphically portrayed so content warning. But also, such is life. And the good continues to fight and hold onto hope.
But I think this series may need to be for a slightly older age group. The characters are middle grade age, but that may be to young of an audience...
The evil is clear and graphically portrayed so content warning. But also, such is life. And the good continues to fight and hold onto hope.
But I think this series may need to be for a slightly older age group. The characters are middle grade age, but that may be to young of an audience...
February 9, 2024
This one was a bit slower than the first book, focusing more on inner turmoil than the state of the world (though that definitely plays a large role in the story). The intensity is ratcheted up from the beginning, culminating in a somewhat disturbing climax that left me reeling.
The ending, though… It gave me chills. It still does, actually.
The characters go through great growth in this book, making serious mistakes but learning from them.
I recommend this book to fantasy fans aged 13+.
The ending, though… It gave me chills. It still does, actually.
The characters go through great growth in this book, making serious mistakes but learning from them.
I recommend this book to fantasy fans aged 13+.
April 5, 2016
The book lived up to the cover, although the characters did not spend as much time in the desert as I had thought they would. The story was fast paced and connected with my emotions and allover I would rate it as even better than the first book. It is darker though, but in that darkness there is a faint hope. It is a Christian fantasy but none of the characters are actually 'Christian' instead there is Emhran, who is like God, and even that is all very subtle and in the background. Which is just how I like fantasy books, any book. It is telling the story and not being preachy about something other than the story.
Songkeeper was a lot more violent and at times gruesome too, but not really any more than was necessary. They did go into the most evil place in the land though and that was quite horrible and at the beginning one character was tortured a little to try bend another character to the bad guys will.
The characters are the best bit though, especially Amos, Gundhrold and Migdon, Ky oh and Birdie too. I really liked how the 'voice' of the writing changed to be like the way Amos talks whenever we followed him, although it was still in third person. That also left no doubt when switching which character we were now following. The characters have a perfect amount of complexity relative to how much we see them in the story.
There were funny moments, quite a few actually and usually involving my three favourite characters Amos, Gundhrold and Migdon. A few quotes for example:
“Hurry, aye, but hurry where?" Amos halted midstride and spread his arms wide to encapsulate the view. The Vituain desert surrounded them, vast in its nothingness.”
Ky glared at the dwarf. He lunged for the bank, landing with the upper half of his body flat on at least partially dry ground. The edge sank beneath his weight and cold water crept up his shirt. By the time it reached his ribs, he was shivering. But he hung on, and between digging his elbows in and kicking his heals like a frog in a wallow, he managed to crawl clear of the muck and roll over on his back.
Migdon stooped over him, jaw jutting in a frown. "You could've just asked for help."
Ky spat out a mouthful of mud and stayed where he was, gazing up at the ice blue sky of mid-morning.”
Why did the sand-blasted catbird have to be so seaswoggling logical? It was downright infuriating.” ~Amos
I could go on with them, and on about the characters, but instead you should buy the book and go read it because it is one worth reading. (And buying so the author can write more.) I highly recommend it. The plot is not vastly complex but there is a lot to find out and you care about the characters. You really do, they are so alive ..... ah the irony of that statement. But as I said there is hope in the story and that makes it beautiful.
Oh and I should say that I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and this is that. Five full stars!
Songkeeper was a lot more violent and at times gruesome too, but not really any more than was necessary. They did go into the most evil place in the land though and that was quite horrible and at the beginning one character was tortured a little to try bend another character to the bad guys will.
The characters are the best bit though, especially Amos, Gundhrold and Migdon, Ky oh and Birdie too. I really liked how the 'voice' of the writing changed to be like the way Amos talks whenever we followed him, although it was still in third person. That also left no doubt when switching which character we were now following. The characters have a perfect amount of complexity relative to how much we see them in the story.
There were funny moments, quite a few actually and usually involving my three favourite characters Amos, Gundhrold and Migdon. A few quotes for example:
“Hurry, aye, but hurry where?" Amos halted midstride and spread his arms wide to encapsulate the view. The Vituain desert surrounded them, vast in its nothingness.”
Ky glared at the dwarf. He lunged for the bank, landing with the upper half of his body flat on at least partially dry ground. The edge sank beneath his weight and cold water crept up his shirt. By the time it reached his ribs, he was shivering. But he hung on, and between digging his elbows in and kicking his heals like a frog in a wallow, he managed to crawl clear of the muck and roll over on his back.
Migdon stooped over him, jaw jutting in a frown. "You could've just asked for help."
Ky spat out a mouthful of mud and stayed where he was, gazing up at the ice blue sky of mid-morning.”
Why did the sand-blasted catbird have to be so seaswoggling logical? It was downright infuriating.” ~Amos
I could go on with them, and on about the characters, but instead you should buy the book and go read it because it is one worth reading. (And buying so the author can write more.) I highly recommend it. The plot is not vastly complex but there is a lot to find out and you care about the characters. You really do, they are so alive ..... ah the irony of that statement. But as I said there is hope in the story and that makes it beautiful.
Oh and I should say that I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and this is that. Five full stars!
April 4, 2016
Absolutely wonderful; better even than the first book if at all possible and much more heartrending. This was not simply a 'middle book' in which the story is only preparing for the climax of the third book. It does build up, of course, but it is also a gripping and exciting story in it's own right.
Things I loved:
Characters - 5/5: They are so fresh and original. Amos, Ky, Birdie, Gundhrold, Sym, Inali, Migdon...there's nothing 2D about them. And the way Gillian has made her characters so human, where they aren't bad, but aren't really good, but are much more than than a stereotypical jerk or annoying character, is amazing.
Setting - 5/5: The settings are so vivid and so...different. I absolutely love them!
Plot - 5/5: Exciting, gripping; even when it switched between characters I hardly cared because both story lines were so interesting. Very well paced.
Theme - 5/5: Very well done. Though powerful, it is also subtle. And, though this is a Christian fantasy, I think this is a book that every fantasy lover, no matter what their beliefs, would enjoy.
Things I don't like:
The fact I'll likely have to wait a year for the next book. I want find out what happens to my favorite characters (which happens to be all of them, but there is one in particular that needs immediate attention...)!
Things I loved:
Characters - 5/5: They are so fresh and original. Amos, Ky, Birdie, Gundhrold, Sym, Inali, Migdon...there's nothing 2D about them. And the way Gillian has made her characters so human, where they aren't bad, but aren't really good, but are much more than than a stereotypical jerk or annoying character, is amazing.
Setting - 5/5: The settings are so vivid and so...different. I absolutely love them!
Plot - 5/5: Exciting, gripping; even when it switched between characters I hardly cared because both story lines were so interesting. Very well paced.
Theme - 5/5: Very well done. Though powerful, it is also subtle. And, though this is a Christian fantasy, I think this is a book that every fantasy lover, no matter what their beliefs, would enjoy.
Things I don't like:
The fact I'll likely have to wait a year for the next book. I want find out what happens to my favorite characters (which happens to be all of them, but there is one in particular that needs immediate attention...)!
November 6, 2019
This book was really good. A perfect follow up of the first book. Would def recommend this series(;
August 28, 2018
The stakes continue to rise as the story around Birdie, Ky, and Amos continues to expand. This second book in The Songkeeper Chronicles gripped me from the first page to the last. The action drives nonstop from chapter to chapter, grounded by deep emotions and twisting with the occasional surprise. (No spoilers, but yes, I was completely shocked by That Part.) I laughed out loud and I cried real tears, elevating Songkeeper to the small (but somehow growing) trophy case of books that have affected my emotions so profoundly.
Here are some of the elements I particularly liked:
-the lions. After a dragon, I really want to ride a lion.
-the desert. I appreciated the variety provided by the desert landscape as well as the people who inhabit it. Adams did a masterful job crafting a culture in and from the barren harshness of the desert. Of all the desert peoples portrayed in fiction, I think the Saari are the most fitting.
-the map. I found it helpful to be able to see where the story takes place and where it takes each character. Leira seemed small when I first saw it, but its diverse geography, as well as the time required to travel across (or around) it, confirm it as a well-rounded country. Oddly enough, I like that it’s a big enough country to require weeks or even months of travel. Reminds me of the sagas of Lord of the Rings and promises a long story full of adventures.
-the characters. First, I loved spending more time with beloved characters from Orphan’s Song while getting to know new characters at the same time. Adams keeps her cast diverse and well-rounded. Second, each character has his or her own story that in some way does connect to the overall story, even if it’s not obvious at first. I enjoyed learning about each character as an individual and, eventually, discovering his or her role in the overall story.
-the details. From the biological warfare of the Khelari to the herbal remedies of the dwarves, I found myself intrigued by the realistic details of Adams’s fantasy world. I’m picky with my fantasy; I like even the made-up parts to be at least a little relatable to us normal humans. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Adams’s books so far. She has put enough reality (and I suspect some historical fact) into her fantasy to keep it grounded in the realm we readers can (mostly) understand.
-the ending. The ending made me cry. MADE ME CRY. Some might find it disappointing, incomplete, or confusing, but to me it was so full of hope and peace and promise that it moved me to tears. I cried for the despair, and I cried for the hurt, and I cried for the evil in Birdie’s world and ours, and then I cried for the overwhelmingly beautiful reminders of the Nature of the Song and what it means both for Birdie and for us. Kudos to the author for writing not just a powerful ending but also a powerful ending that made me cry.
As a note, this book is a little gritter than the first, with a few details and sections that I would rate PG-13 for violence and gore. The Pit was a very hard part for me to read. Once or twice I didn’t want to keep reading, but I’m glad I did. The horror of that part, though unimaginably horrible, does serve a purpose, both in the representation of our reality and in the story of Birdie and the others. The experience is well redeemed by the last page.
As a whole, this book merits celebration as another well-crafted saga that I suggest is even richer than the first. Packed with action, emotion, and Truth that reaches beyond the page, Songkeeper will not disappoint readers eager to follow the next step of Birdie’s journey.
Here are some of the elements I particularly liked:
-the lions. After a dragon, I really want to ride a lion.
-the desert. I appreciated the variety provided by the desert landscape as well as the people who inhabit it. Adams did a masterful job crafting a culture in and from the barren harshness of the desert. Of all the desert peoples portrayed in fiction, I think the Saari are the most fitting.
-the map. I found it helpful to be able to see where the story takes place and where it takes each character. Leira seemed small when I first saw it, but its diverse geography, as well as the time required to travel across (or around) it, confirm it as a well-rounded country. Oddly enough, I like that it’s a big enough country to require weeks or even months of travel. Reminds me of the sagas of Lord of the Rings and promises a long story full of adventures.
-the characters. First, I loved spending more time with beloved characters from Orphan’s Song while getting to know new characters at the same time. Adams keeps her cast diverse and well-rounded. Second, each character has his or her own story that in some way does connect to the overall story, even if it’s not obvious at first. I enjoyed learning about each character as an individual and, eventually, discovering his or her role in the overall story.
-the details. From the biological warfare of the Khelari to the herbal remedies of the dwarves, I found myself intrigued by the realistic details of Adams’s fantasy world. I’m picky with my fantasy; I like even the made-up parts to be at least a little relatable to us normal humans. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Adams’s books so far. She has put enough reality (and I suspect some historical fact) into her fantasy to keep it grounded in the realm we readers can (mostly) understand.
-the ending. The ending made me cry. MADE ME CRY. Some might find it disappointing, incomplete, or confusing, but to me it was so full of hope and peace and promise that it moved me to tears. I cried for the despair, and I cried for the hurt, and I cried for the evil in Birdie’s world and ours, and then I cried for the overwhelmingly beautiful reminders of the Nature of the Song and what it means both for Birdie and for us. Kudos to the author for writing not just a powerful ending but also a powerful ending that made me cry.
As a note, this book is a little gritter than the first, with a few details and sections that I would rate PG-13 for violence and gore. The Pit was a very hard part for me to read. Once or twice I didn’t want to keep reading, but I’m glad I did. The horror of that part, though unimaginably horrible, does serve a purpose, both in the representation of our reality and in the story of Birdie and the others. The experience is well redeemed by the last page.
As a whole, this book merits celebration as another well-crafted saga that I suggest is even richer than the first. Packed with action, emotion, and Truth that reaches beyond the page, Songkeeper will not disappoint readers eager to follow the next step of Birdie’s journey.
August 22, 2024
Birdie thought that being rescued from the slave ship would mean the end of her crazy experiences, but while their time with the desert people starts off quietly, the war quickly shows up at their borders and she must escape to fulfill a quest for the Songkeeper in the very worst place in Leira, but it may end the war so she has to try...right?
Meanwhile, Ky promised the Underground he would be back, and when he hears that his former home city has been sacked, he feels a greater sense of urgency to fulfill that promise. Birdie has Amos and the griffin now, so he feels like he can leave her and return to Meli and the others. But can he even get there through all the devastation the Takhran's soldiers have brought, and will they even welcome him back if he can get there?
This book starts off grim, gets hopeful, and then everything starts to go horribly wrong...with the only hope being in book 3 for things to start to get better. All the doom and gloom and things going horribly wrong don't make for a super fun read, but it is intricately layered, epic in scope, and anything that can make you feel strong emotions is obviously well-written. You've just got to hope that the author has a brilliant plan for why all these things are going horribly wrong.
Notes on content:
Language: Amos has some creative swears but nothing likely to get anyone in trouble.
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are many, many battles that include fatalities and on page wounds (including at least one beheading). There's also a trip into a torture chamber where people are kept only just alive but have obviously fatal wounds (including slit throats and dripping blood); it's disturbing (but it is meant to be...it's the bad guy's lair).
Ethnic diversity: Birdie, Amos, and Ky seem to be from lands inspired by European countries. The desert people they meet are Black and inspired by African cultures.
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: There's some serious betrayal of trust involved in the story.
Meanwhile, Ky promised the Underground he would be back, and when he hears that his former home city has been sacked, he feels a greater sense of urgency to fulfill that promise. Birdie has Amos and the griffin now, so he feels like he can leave her and return to Meli and the others. But can he even get there through all the devastation the Takhran's soldiers have brought, and will they even welcome him back if he can get there?
This book starts off grim, gets hopeful, and then everything starts to go horribly wrong...with the only hope being in book 3 for things to start to get better. All the doom and gloom and things going horribly wrong don't make for a super fun read, but it is intricately layered, epic in scope, and anything that can make you feel strong emotions is obviously well-written. You've just got to hope that the author has a brilliant plan for why all these things are going horribly wrong.
Notes on content:
Language: Amos has some creative swears but nothing likely to get anyone in trouble.
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are many, many battles that include fatalities and on page wounds (including at least one beheading). There's also a trip into a torture chamber where people are kept only just alive but have obviously fatal wounds (including slit throats and dripping blood); it's disturbing (but it is meant to be...it's the bad guy's lair).
Ethnic diversity: Birdie, Amos, and Ky seem to be from lands inspired by European countries. The desert people they meet are Black and inspired by African cultures.
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: There's some serious betrayal of trust involved in the story.
November 26, 2017
Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street-wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran's fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran's fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
June 6, 2018
Orphan's Song ended on a cliffhanger for the Ky and Birdie. Songkeeper is the continuation and second of a three book trilogy.
I feel like the characters developed a lot in this middle book in the trilogy as Ky and Birdie went their separate ways and had to develop into the leaders the people around them needed them to be.
Ky with the Underground as he is always butting heads with Cade and how Ky has to do what he thinks is right even when everyone else thinks he is wrong.
Birdie as she struggles with who she is and tries to understand what being the Songkeeper is all about. Book two slowly introduces us to what the Songkeeper is and really picks up in the last 75 pages or so dealing with the a deep dive into the meat of the story.
Some unexpected turns throughout and an improvement from Orphan's Song which was great start to a great series.
I feel like the characters developed a lot in this middle book in the trilogy as Ky and Birdie went their separate ways and had to develop into the leaders the people around them needed them to be.
Ky with the Underground as he is always butting heads with Cade and how Ky has to do what he thinks is right even when everyone else thinks he is wrong.
Birdie as she struggles with who she is and tries to understand what being the Songkeeper is all about. Book two slowly introduces us to what the Songkeeper is and really picks up in the last 75 pages or so dealing with the a deep dive into the meat of the story.
Some unexpected turns throughout and an improvement from Orphan's Song which was great start to a great series.
July 23, 2018
I don't know. Just ... it didn't click with me like the other one did - and I'm sitting here only able to remember about a third of the book 'cause I just glazed over a lot of the text. The new culture WAS fascinating, and there were plot developments that I'm quite intrigued by.
But across the board, I just didn't connect, and I think a lot of it was that I never understood why Birdie was suddenly unable to hear the song. It felt like a plot device that happened because the author didn't want the character to be Too Powerful. I also felt that the cliffhanger from the previous chapter was resolved too quickly.
But that's just my opinion. A lot of people like this book, and it wasn't *bad.* Just underwhelming to me.
And I do plan to read the third book. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO BIRDIE.
But across the board, I just didn't connect, and I think a lot of it was that I never understood why Birdie was suddenly unable to hear the song. It felt like a plot device that happened because the author didn't want the character to be Too Powerful. I also felt that the cliffhanger from the previous chapter was resolved too quickly.
But that's just my opinion. A lot of people like this book, and it wasn't *bad.* Just underwhelming to me.
And I do plan to read the third book. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO BIRDIE.
December 1, 2021
My rating: 4 out 5 stars
Wow! This was an intense read. I had a feeling that since "Songkeeper," is the middle book in "The Songkeeper Chronicles," series that it would have plenty of action and twists, but I wasn't prepared for how much would happen.
This book was sometimes a challenge to read. There were so many sad and dark moments. I ached for the main and the difficult situations they are in.
Through the harder parts of this book there is an undercurrent of hope, though/ Through Birdie, Amos, and Ky's challenges we readers see why we can't give up, even when hope is gone.
I will say, I did miss the lighter moments that were more present in the first book, though. I hope that the next book will have some more joyful scenes and that we will get a bittersweet, if not happy, ending to The Songkeeper Chronicles.
Wow! This was an intense read. I had a feeling that since "Songkeeper," is the middle book in "The Songkeeper Chronicles," series that it would have plenty of action and twists, but I wasn't prepared for how much would happen.
This book was sometimes a challenge to read. There were so many sad and dark moments. I ached for the main and the difficult situations they are in.
Through the harder parts of this book there is an undercurrent of hope, though/ Through Birdie, Amos, and Ky's challenges we readers see why we can't give up, even when hope is gone.
I will say, I did miss the lighter moments that were more present in the first book, though. I hope that the next book will have some more joyful scenes and that we will get a bittersweet, if not happy, ending to The Songkeeper Chronicles.
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