The Sword and the Song

 

THE SHADOW OF WAR

Seare is at war. The Red Druid has continued to gain strength and power, and the people of Seare suffer beneath the ravages of the isle’s unbound spirits. The Fíréin are all that stand between the land and certain disaster. But there is strife within the Brotherhood as well: Eoghan still refuses to claim his rightful throne, leaving the responsibilities of rule to Conor and creating an uncomfortable distance between the sworn brothers.

When Conor leaves Ard Dhaimin to find the key to defeating the Red Druid, he delves into a world of shadows and danger which will bring him to the brink of madness and back. All the while Eoghan and Aine are left to pursue their own mission to defeat their adversary through her magical gifts.

But as the final battle looms ever closer, they realize that the cost of defeating the Red Druid may be greater than they’re willing to pay… and that nothing—and no one—is as it seems.

 My thoughts: I have enjoyed this fantasy style series that weaves in some Celtic names and lore into it. The world building is well done and I love how the books build on one another (for that reason, I highly recommend reading the books in order). This series did a wonderful job of keeping me guessing with the twists and turns of the story. I enjoyed all three books tremendously and look forward to reading them again!

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

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About the Author

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two sons, and an opinionated tortoiseshell cat named Willow.

 

More from Carla

Why We Should Read About Difficult Things

I’m not going to lie—a lot of my past reading has fallen into the feel-good category. Don’t get me wrong—I like my stories to have some depth, but there’s generally enough turmoil in everyday life that I often feel the need stories with predictably happy endings and not a lot of angst.

But I don’t necessarily think that’s the best approach in times of trouble. Which is why ever since the pandemic hit, I find myself gravitating toward messy, intense reads. Stories where everything goes wrong and it seems like nothing is going to ever work out in the end… until it does. I think it’s a way to work through my own feelings about the state of the world while still being assured that justice will be done, that hope is within reach, that the dawn will still come.

The Sword and the Song is that kind of book. As the third and final volume in the Song of Seare trilogy, things have come to a dangerous tipping point: the rightful High King has been revealed, tensions within the Brotherhood have reached their boiling point, and the Red Druid is slowly but surely moving toward his deadly endgame. Meanwhile, Conor finds his good heart and gentle nature becoming strained by the demands of leadership and the memory of the things that he’s seen and done to survive. It seems that even if victory is still possible—however distantly—it may come at a high personal cost for everyone involved.

There is no doubt that this is the darkest, most dangerous, and most exciting book of the Song of Seare trilogy: on every page, alliances are tested, friendships are shattered, and resolve is stretched to the breaking point. But I would argue that this is the kind of book we need right now. We may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s no arguing that we’ve emerged from it changed in unexpected ways. Some of us may not yet see the light through the darkness. That’s why we find catharsis in reading about difficult things and take hope in their final resolution.

In both this book and in real life, we can be assured that hard times are all part of a bigger plan in the hands of our Creator…and while we may still need to walk through them, there is always One who stays by our side to the very end.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

Worthy2Read, January 29

By the Book, January 29

A Reader’s Brain, January 30

Inklings and notions, January 31

Texas Book-aholic, February 1

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 6

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 7 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, February 7

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 9

Simple Harvest Reads, February 10 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover set of the series (Oath of the Brotherhood, Beneath the Forsaken City, The Sword and the Song) and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/193c8/the-sword-and-the-song-celebration-tour-giveaway