A Song of Flight (Warrior Bards #3) by Juliet Marillier

  

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Content: Strong language

 

After a violent encounter with masked men and the sinister Crow Folk, Prince Aolu of Dalriada disappears without a trace, and his companion Galen is seriously injured.

Liobhan and the Swan Island warriors seek answers to the prince's abduction. For Liobhan this mission is personal, as Galen is her beloved brother.

While she and her team investigate, Liobhan's younger brother Brocc is in serious trouble. Brocc's secret attempt to communicate with the Crow Folk triggers a shocking incident, and sends him on a path which endangers the one he loves above all else.

What brought the Crow Folk to Erin? And who plots to use them in an unscrupulous bid for power? As Liobhan and Brocc seek the truth, it becomes clear the two missions are connected - and an extraordinary mystery unfolds.

 

I've enjoyed this trilogy right from the beginning, and this book was no exception. I ended up loving the characters so much. I think Marillier does an excellent job with her characters, from the humans down to the little fae creatures that inhabit her books. I especially enjoyed getting to see Blackthorn and Grim from her previous series again. I really liked how both series dealt with the individual struggles each of the characters had. I felt like Blackthorn and Grim had an overall message of redemption and forgiveness, and this series seemed to have an overarching theme of being true to oneself, and I enjoyed that very much. 

I liked Brocc's story the most in this book. He remained stalwart through all the trials and disappointments he went through and I felt for him. I admired his devotion to doing what he felt was right, and the love and care he had for his daughter was heartwarming. The thing with Eirne was incredibly sad to me, although not really surprising considering what happened in the last book. I struggled to understand her character, as she felt distant to me, but I'm wondering if that wasn't the point.

Liobhan and Dau were still my favorite characters of the series and I liked the way the author showed how they struggled to be apart while on their separate missions. I also thought their story-line ended perfectly in the book. The resolution with the crowfolk was also nicely done. It was nice to be able to come to understand them and what was happening with them.

This was a good conclusion to the trilogy. I think everything was wrapped up nicely, although there is definitely more room to expand on this world if the author chooses. I'm looking forward to whatever she writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with and ARC of this book.