The Second Blind Son- Book Review

The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon

The Chronicles of Saylok- Book#2 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 20th July 2021
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Romance, Norse Mythology 

5 Stars 

Set in a Norse kingdom, Saylok, the book takes us through the lives of a blind boy, Hod, named after the mysterious blind God, and Ghisla, a young Songr girl. Hod takes care of her after she washes ashore near the caves he’s living in. 

They form an unlikely bond that deepens over the years. Ghisla’s songs can make Hod see even if it means his other senses weaken. 

Burdened by a curse, the kingdom of Saylok is trying to gather and save girls for the next generation. How long can a kingdom exist if there’s no girl child? 

Ghisla is sent to the temple for protection along with four other girls from different regions of Saylok. The relationship between the king and the chieftains is strained, and the power struggle leads to turmoil in several lives. Ghisla and Hod are apart, trying to hold onto each other only by hope. 

Can the two find peace among betrayals and power games? How can they save the kingdom from being destroyed forever? 

The Second Blind Son is the second book of the series, The Chronicles of Saylok. I wasn’t aware of the first book until I got this one. However, it did not affect my reading experience. Maybe I would have understood a couple of characters better if I read it first, but there’s enough character development in the second book to work as a standalone. 

This book also happens to be my first by the author, and I’ve already added most of her other works to my TBR. 

The beginning is slow, but that’s expected with a fantasy. The world-building is essential, and the author took care to provide the right amount of information without dumping everything at once on the readers. 

The story picks up the pace to match the plotline. It progresses over a decade. The first half of the book is YA, while the second half is more in the adult category. The romance is quite a slow burn, with the couple being apart more than they can be together. 

As with every other historical, the story has betrayals, treachery, lies, power politics, greed, lust, and more. The elements of fantasy are just right, enough to give the story that extra kick without making it too absurd or weird. I love the magic of the runes, irrespective of the uncertainty they bring. 

What made the book stand out was the author's writing. Her imagery is strong and vivid. She has control over the setting, the atmosphere, and her characters. The characters are flawed yet real in a strange way. Imagine understanding characters from a historical fantasy when some of the contemporary ones don’t even make sense. 

A friend, who recommended the book, mentioned that I would enjoy the author’s writing style, and I sure did. In fact, I didn’t even notice if there were too many adverbs (and that’s proof enough). I’ll, of course, be going back to read book one and am already looking forward to the next in the series. 

To sum up, The Second Blind Son is a beautiful book with all elements in the right proportion. Take your time to read it, and you’ll enjoy it more (or so I feel). A breather makes this book even better. 

It’s been a long time since a book inspired me to write a poem. That alone makes me rate it full five stars. 

On the palm of our hands

Among the lines of fate

Deciding our destiny

Daring us to find a new path

Bound by the threads unseen

We stumble this way and that

Wondering what would happen

If the lines could be altered; erased

A question, a speculation

With no answer in sight

Or so it seems until one day

Comes the one challenging us to act
 

Take the knife out, break the skin

Let scarlet drops fall to the earth

The wound will sting, mixed with sweat and spit;

Let it burn as desire flares in your soul

 Find your mate, and draw the rune

Let the words of the ancient times

Bind you, test you, bless you

Forced by the fresh lines, you draw

The lines of a new fate

You carve on the palms… for love.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and 47North. 

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