From the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.
Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
… no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.
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OMG I love this book. This woman had me just absorbed in this. I hate and love her for how good this was.
I loved this book! It’s beautifully written, and I kept finding ways I could continue listening to the audiobook. I didn’t want it to end.
I highly recommend this book. What a great story. The world and character-building was astounding. My first read of Amy Harmon’s won’t be my last (I’m already on my 3rd book by her). Loved this book. I fell in love with the author’s vivid, emotional, literary writing style. She writes across genres, and the stories all have romantic elements, but I would not necessarily say they are all straight out love stories. I loved all the fantasy elements in this book. My favorite character had to be Dagmar. I’m not usually a big fan of multiple POVs but this one was so well done. Highly recommend!
I enjoyed this story. I did listen to it through Audible, and the reader was really good. It was a fun imaginative story that kept me listening. I liked how it ended and I thought all of the characters were very well developed. I really enjoyed the main characters and the way they were developed.
another 3.5- again this was a different take on some possiboly Norwegian/ old god legends, and it seemed very real. It was a , fast read and complicated plot for what might have been a simplistic book and story.
Well-written, unique story and wonderful characters! I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Norse fantasy or just fantasy in general. I loved it!
Truly enjoyed this book. The characters were such that I wish there was a sequel. Well written.
I loved this book from the beginning all the way to the end!
Good writing. Does not write down to us.
This book kept my attention. I hated to put it down to go to bed when I only had a few chapters left. I should just have read it – I couldn’t sleep thinking about it.
In typical Amy Harmon fashion this book had lore, adventure, love, and plot twists. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
Thought-provoking and poignant. Hope prevails amidst tragic circumstances. This is guaranteed to be one of my top favorites of 2020.
Love Amy Harmon’s ability to create worlds that engulf the reader. The First Girl Child is an original story full of character’s you come to love and loathe. Definitely recommend!
WOW, this book was everything! I could not put it done and did not want to leave this world that Amy created. This will easily be a top read of 2020 if not number one. I know Vikings was a big trend for a while and to be honest, I have yet to like anything Viking related until I read The First Girl Child! I become obsessed after reading this book and desperately hope we get more books about Saylok and these characters.
The author created and wonderfully vibrate and brutal world, full of deeply complex and flawed characters. As a reader, you are taken on an emotional journey as these characters have to overcome generations of betrayal, bitterness, and lies that are slowly destroying their world.
Bayr and Alba were two children who had the weight of their crumbling world onto their shoulders. While they are each blessed with special gifts, they are only to play a part in breaking the cruse that envelopes their world. The author really does turn the “chosen one” trope on its head and really gets us to think that it should never be about one person but a community coming together and each doing their part to bring about healing and change.
This is the first book in a very long time that consumed me and left me with the best book hangover. I can’t recommend this story enough and don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the world and characters this author created.
******Received an ARC from Netgalley****
I absolutely loved this fantasy romance. There is not a ton of heat but the intensity of the emotional connections far outweigh any type of physical intimacy. It brought me to tears a few times as in a fantasy story with Kings and Keepers and Clans and duty choices are made out of necessity and not desire. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes Norse mythology or fantasy. This was my first Amy Harmon read and I am such a fan!
Bonus: I was able to read & listen for free with Kindle Unlimited.
I finished listening to the book. Amy Harmon is a wonderful story teller! She creates worlds and characters that are appealing and mesmerizing. This audiobook drew me in, and didn’t want to let me go! The ties to Norse mythology give the story an understandable context. She created a complex world, with a complex society based on clans with a central king and temple. The characters were strong and realistic, whether for good or evil. The story of Bayr and Alma’s relationship, how it grew and changed over the years was fascinating. I can’t say enough good things about this story. I can only look forward to more books by this author, and make a strong recommendation to any fan of fantasy stories.
THE FIRST GIRL CHILD found me at just the right time. I was looking for books about Norse mythology, and this epic story blew me away. It was my first Amy Harmon book, and I’m so glad I took a chance on it.
THE FIRST GIRL CHILD is a love story, though not in the traditional sense. Yeah, there’s some romance, but it’s more about the love of family than anything. And family doesn’t always mean blood. You can find family pretty much anywhere.
Amy Harmon’s style reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman’s. She writes beautifully without fluff or gobs of description. Her words are simple, but she weaves them in such a way as to create stunning yet understated imagery that evokes powerful emotions. Even though the plot was predictable, I still couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I knew WHAT would happen, but I didn’t know HOW it would happen. That’s the mark of an excellent story teller.
I enjoyed the narrator, though I had to speed him up. He spoke verrrrrry slowwwwwly. Aside from speed and the way he pronounced Loki (like Low-KI), I have no complaints.
An excellent, well-crafted story with roots in Norse mythology. I highly recommend it. One of my favorite reads of 2019.
The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon is an epic and mesmerizing tale about love and loss, destiny and duty, sacrifice and redemption. It left me completely spellbound and in pure awe of this author’s incredible and out of this world talent. This historical fantasy novel is a mythical and mystical masterpiece of contemporary literature and belongs on every reader’s bookshelf. It is without a doubt my most favorite book of 2019! Amy Harmon always manages to paint vivid and vibrant pictures inside of my head with her lyric, poignant and captivating writing. I don’t marely read her stories. No, I experience them with every single fiber of my being. I was captivated by this story from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I’ve reached the end with tears in my eyes.
The First Girl Child is a masterfully crafted novel with excellent world building, an engaging plot, great dialogue and intriguing and well-developed characters. I love that Amy has mixed her wast knowledge about Norse mythology with her own ideas that arised from her creative imagination. I found the magical power and significance behind the runes very fascinating and how they could be used for good and evil equally and were therefore kept a secret. The fictional land of Saylok was devided among six different clans who answered to one king. I appreciated that the author took her time to explain to us readers how they were formed and what set them apart from each other.
Desdemona, scorned and abandoned by the man she once loved, cursed the land with her dying breath while delivering her son Bayr: from this day on, there will be no more daughters in Saylok. Bayr, who is raised by his uncle Dagmar among the keepers of the Temple Hill, is gifted with unparalleled strength but also a gentle heart and protective nature. His one purpose in life is to guard Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the long awaited salvation. But with time their bond and feelings will start to grow making his task more difficult and challenging. In order to defend their land and finally break the curse they will have to go against the corrupt king who built his throne on murder and lies…
Bayr of Saylok was such an amazing hero. He was honorable, loyal, kind, honest and caring. A fierce young man who protected the people he loved. Although blessed with great strength Bayr never showed any superiority or arrogance. He was admired and feared but many people didn’t let him forget that he is a bastard son unclaimed by a clan. I adored the way he took care of Alba. She was so very precious and important to him and he loved her with all of his innocent heart.
Alba was a wonderful heroine. She was smart, outspoken and strong-willed with a gentle nature. Alba was curious with a thirst for knowledge and she had a good hand for animals like her mother. She felt safe in Bayr’s presence from the moment she was placed in his strong arms as a little baby. He was her friend, her protector and in the end also her lover. Her heart has only ever loved Bayr. I was rooting hard for these two knowing that the king would never allow a union between them.
There were several secondary characters who have completely captured my heart, especially Bayr’s uncle. Dagmar is the most kind, selfless and compassionate person you can imagine. He is a wise and responsible keeper. His love for his nephew was deep and sincere. He was his pride and joy and Dagmar raised him to become the man he was always meant to be – Saylok’s savior. I admired Ghost so much for the huge sacrifice she made and for her courage and persistence. Some people might have been frightened by her unusual appearance but those with a pure heart and soul like Dagmar, Bayr and Alba only saw exceptional beauty when they looked at her.
There are not enough words of praise to do this outstanding book the justice it deserves. I can only strongly encourage you to read it. There is so much wisdom and knowledge in this author’s words, so much power and beauty. I can only applaud Amy Harmon on such an achievement. I sincerely hope that there are going to be more stories set in Saylok in the future! *6 stars!!!*
How to put perfection into words? It’s seems like an impossible task. But I will try my absolute best to do justice to the epic masterpiece The First Girl Child was. From the moment I saw the beautiful cover and read the intriguing blurb I was spell-bound. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book and read it. After all, Amy Harmon is one of my most favorite authors ever. Her talent is out of this world! Whatever she writes turns into pure gold. Her ability to create unique worlds and characters is unmatched. I love all of her books, but especially her fantasy ones, because every time I read them I lose myself in her stories. She pays a lot of attention to detail, which makes it easy to see all these places and people clear in my head like they are real. This is how I felt while reading The First Girl Child. From the first until the last page this book was pure magic. I simply couldn’t put it down. It was mind blowing, heartbreaking and absolutely beautiful. A story to remember for years, maybe even a lifetime.
It all started with a curse from the beautiful, betrayed and rarely loved Desdemona who died after giving birth to her son Bayr: “From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.”
As bastard of the power hungry chieftain Banruud of Berne, Bayr is raised by his uncle Dagmar, among the Keepers at Temple Hill. Soon he’s known as the Temple Boy who’s gifted with inhuman strength that seems unmatched. But he’s also blessed with a huge heart that beats with one purpose only: to protect precious Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for their country.
Now the fate of whole Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, her protector, whose bond grows deeper with every day, much to the King’s displeasure.
There is only one way to save their land from the Northmen, as well as the evil King who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. They need to break the curse, no matter the cost.
I can’t and won’t give away more from the plot, because you need to experience this story on your own. There’s a lot of going on. Your head will spin and your heart will race. But most of all, you will feel! It’s impossible to read this book without crying. Sometimes you will cry when things get sad and other times you will cry moved by the sheer beauty of this story!
Bayr, Alba, Dagmar and Ghost will steal your heart. I can’t emphasize enough how Amy Harmon doesn’t only create the perfect main protagonists, she also writes the best second characters! How could you not fall in love with courageous, good-natured hero Bayr or the compassionate and sweet heroine Alba? They were such loveable, unique characters who shared a special bond that was undeniable! I loved watching their friendship bloom into love.
Don’t let me started with Dagmar and Ghost. I loved them both with every piece of my heart and soul! Especially kind-hearted Dagmar who loved his nephew beyond words and treated him like his own son. Gah, I could go on and on swooning about this book and characters for days.
Now I’m suffering the worst kind of book hangover ever! I feel like no matter which book I pick up next could never compare to the brilliance of this one. But this is how I always feel after an Amy Harmon book. Letting her stories and characters go is impossible. Because they always leave a uneraseable mark on my soul.
I’m giving this epic masterpiece 6 well deserved stars and proclaim it as my top favorite read of 2019.
Wow! I don’t normally read this genre but I had to get it because, I mean it’s Amy Harmon. I love her work. She is definitely a go-to author for me and she did not disappoint in The First Girl Child. I went in blind not knowing what the story was about and let me tell you it was an exhilarating ride. This magical world of runes and clans that Amy created just grabbed me from the very beginning and held on to me until the very incredible end. Amy’s writing is so vivid it’s like I was transported to Saylok.
“From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok”. With these words, Desdemona curses Saylok as she gives birth to Bayr, son of an ambitious and cruel chieftan named Banruud. Dagmar, Desdemona’s brother and Keeper of Saylok, is left to raise Bayr, who grows up to be a giant of a man with super human strength and the gentlest of souls. My heart just couldn’t help but to fall in love with Bayr, the same heart that broke throughout the story at the things he endured.
Alba is the first girl child born in Saylok after two decades of Dedemona’s curse and believed to be the salvation of Saylok. Since her birth, Bayr protects her. As the years pass, that protection evolves into a deep love for one another but there are dangerous secrets that have the potential to destroy not only their love but Saylok as well.
This story was such a thrill to read. I was engrossed from the beginning. There is plenty to keep you entertained: suspense, love, murder, adventure, betrayal, loss, heartbreak and much more. It is so beautifully written as you would expect from this author. Her writing is just magical. All of the characters, good and bad, were amazing from Alba, Bayr, Dagmar, Desdemona, to Ghost, Ivo and even Banruud. I wish I could read it all over again and experience it anew. That ending with Bayr and the wolf just had me bawling. I’m just in awe of Amy’s talent. Amazing story, which, by the way should definitely be made into a movie, in my opinion. That would be a spectacular flick.