I amused myself by selecting a book with the word ‘first’ in the title to read as my first review of the year, and I didn’t even need to go out and buy anything as I already had The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon in my to be read pile. I was drawn to it because the cover called to me, it alluded to an ominous story within. So I was a bit taken aback when instead of horror I got a Nordic inspired tale of curses, clans, and destiny.
The very little I do know about Nordic lore comes from watching the Thor movies of the Marvel Universe and seeing a little bit of the show Vikings. I don’t know how prominent runes are in the Nordic culture, or if they are just one of the fictional elements of the book, but this story has them as a central societal pillar. The fictional island nation of Saylok consists of six clans that surround a central kingdom and their temple. Keepers, men of Saylok that have felt a calling to the temple, live their learning about the power of the runes and keeping that power safe. The Keepers understand the importance of not letting the runes be used or understood by just anyone, as putting power in the hands of the wrong person can yield terrible consequences. And this is exactly what happens when Desdemona, sister of Keeper Dagmar, is wronged and wants vengeance. She curses the entire island in her anger, thus beginning a drought of sorts on the people of Saylok.
This is actually a really great tale. It is not overly complicated, it is classic. It has a villain, a hero, a love story, or two, conflict, and resolution. It is also a standalone, as far as I know. But if you read it, and like it, the author of this book has written many others that you can check out. When I find a new author, and I like what I have read, I am always curious to see what else they have written to see if it is just as good. And I plan on reading more books by this author in the future.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 