Title: The Lyre Thief
Author: Jennifer Fallon
Series: Hythrun Chronicles: War of the Gods #1
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Pub Date: 03-08-2016
Pages: 448
My Copy:Hardcover that I got From Tor Books For Review
Book Summary:
Ten years have passed since the events of the Demon Child books that left the god Xaphista dead, the nation Karien without a religion or king and the matriarchal country of Medalon ruled by men. But it is in the kingdoms of the south that things really heat up. When Princess Rakaia of Fardohnya discovers she is not of royal birth, she agrees to marry a much older Hythrun noble in a chance to escape her 'father's wrath. Rakaia takes nothing but her jewels and her base-born half-sister, Charisee, who has been her slave, handmaiden and best friend since she was six years old. And who can pass as Rakaia's double.
These two sisters embark on a Shakespearean tale of switched identities, complicated love triangles...and meddlesome gods. Rakaia is rescued on the road by none other than the Demon Child, R'shiel, still searching for a way to force Death to release her near immortal Brak. Charisee tries to act like the princess she was never meant to be and manages to draw the attention of the God of Liars who applauds her deception and only wants to help.
Then there is the little matter of the God of Music's magical totem that has been stolen...and how this theft may undo the universe.
Book Review:
An awesome start to what looks like a great fantasy series. I totally found myself absorbed in this book from start to finish. This book has some great characters and we find that no one is safe from plots and schemes.
The world was so greatly built. I thought that there are a lot of characters and locations in this world. Also the fact that many of the characters are struggling with their roles and how to make the world better. There are also secrets. These secrets have many consequences for other people and themselves. I like how there are gods, Kings, Queens, Nobles, high born, low born, preists, performers, assassins and many other characters. I like how different places in this world function differently. Plus people do things that they never imagined. This is a world with a lot of politics as well. Alliances can be made and easily broken in a way that’s unexpected.
Also the fact that Rakaia and her sister have their own issues and our two main characters. They have their reasons and both know that their father is a very dangerous man and might have them killed because of a secret that Rakaia’s mother has told her. She is not the daughter of the man her mother has been with for many years. Her mother tells her that she needs to go marry this older noble man, who she has never met and that she will travel to another sister that she has never met. Rakaia and her sister have switched identities before, so she agrees to take Cherise with her and switch places. Rakaia dreams of having adventures and being her own woman with none of the responsibilities of being a princess. They agree to do this and things get so much more complicated than either of them can imagine.
One of the things that I like is that both their lives are going to be forever changed by the switching. We learn that things are not as simple as either of them thought. The switch causes some other people to become involved in ways that no one can anticipate. Plus the Gods and other highborn individuals find themselves entwined in different politics and other things. We learn that some of the Gods have gone missing or are presumed dead. Plus there is a magical lyre that has gone missing from where it was originally placed. This item can cause a lot of bad things if in the wrong hands and someone definitely has it.
Then Rakaia meets someone on the road that is the demon child, and he definitely knows who she is. Cherise meets the God of Liars and he definitely is a character who intrigues you. Both of them meet characters who become essential and have their own agendas, yet their lives all criss cross in the most spectacular way. I also like that Rakaia meets a man named Mika and he is the one who stole the Magical Lyre and is part of a traveling performing troupe. We don’t know at first he is the one who stole it, but his story is fascinating and wonderfully addicting.
I like the twists and turns that this book took. The ending definitely surprised me. I totally love the way this world shape up and ended up being more wonderful and complex than I thought it would be. Not to mention some characters undertake extreme measures to get what they need and want to accomplish. This book was a wonderful fantasy and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
4.5 Hearts
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