Written by contributor Arina N
The first thing you need to know about the one who is writing this review is that few authors hold my interest with the same magnetic pull of Juliet Marillier. If I was ever to consider “must-read authors” as an immutable concept, Marillier would be one of those most highly regarded on such a list.
As such, it’s safe to say that any time I decide to venture into one of her stories, my longing for her richly built historical fantasies irrevocably amounts to certain high expectations. Such things are perhaps unfair (in their extent) to the author, but I am proud to announce that, every single time, Marillier conquers the delivery of remarkable tales of courage brought alive by magic. A Dance with Fate was an incredible addition to those tales.
Whereas the first book in the author’s latest Warrior Bards series represented a lesson in communal resilience brought about by unity and trust among a coordinated group, its sequel, though no less daring, explores all the ways a person can find strength in another and themselves when they believe all hope has been stolen.
At the beginning of our story, Dau suffers a grave injury that alters the course of what he and Liobhan believe to be an unobstructed path towards their desired place in the Swan Island community.
They will soon find that such paths are hardly ever straightforward, as Dau’s injury ushers in his past, and with it, his lingering demons. Dau and Liobhan must unite stronger than ever and assure neither of them falls prey to unspeakable darkness.
Brocc is not forgotten in this story, as he also battles uncertainties and fears of his own; for his newfound family, for his people. His is a tale tightly interwoven with the magical folklore that sets Marillier’s work apart from any other in its genres.
All of our characters find themselves forced to discover the joys, freedom, and afflictions of opening oneself up to comfort.
From the first page, it’s plain to see that while The Harp of Kings brokered its fair amount of challenges, the sequel presents more intimate quests centring on the theme of family, as well as a timely discussion on the dangers of frighteningly manipulative men of influence.
Marillier plays grief like the strings of a harp; tightly-coiled, posed to break your heart with the echoes of a sorrowful song. Her storytelling skills infuse every scene with such raw emotion that, slowly and steadily, every scene tethers itself around your heart, linking you to this story and its characters.
Marillier may be a grand folklorist, capable of enthralling even the most skeptic of readers with her fascinating lore, but her mastery has always lied in the craft of her extraordinary characters. They have always been the driving engine behind the elegant fables and myths that so enchant readers of the author’s expert storytelling.
In this particular story, men cry openly and freely, which doesn’t account to shatter some illusory concept of strength, but rather testifies to the solidity of their character. Women are caretakers, powerful warriors, mothers. All carry the flawed, incomplete, compelling attributes of more than characters made of ink, rather, they become people born of realistic imagination.
The author knows exactly where to end and begin each POV as to make the reader quickly fly through the story in an edge-of-your-set excitement to unravel what comes next. Despite this being quite a long book, I devoured it expeditiously.
I only wish Dau’s predicament had come to a more satisfying and dignified resolution, as I found the conclusion added to disparaging narratives concerning people and their disabilities.
A Dance with Fate earns its title well by the way it fills you with uncertainty over its conclusions, even as it lifts your spirits. It’ll call to any reader who prizes a heartfelt story of folklore and emotional character development.
Trigger Warnings: Self-harm, suicidal tendencies
A Dance With Fate is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up A Dance With Fate? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A young woman who is both a bard–and a warrior–seeks to repay her debts and settle scores in this thrilling historical fantasy series.
The young warrior and bard Liobhan has lost her brother to the Otherworld. Even more determined to gain a place as an elite fighter, she returns to Swan Island to continue her training. But Liobhan is devastated when her comrade Dau is injured and loses his sight in their final display bout. Blamed by Dau’s family for the accident, she agrees to go to Dau’s home as a bond servant for the span of one year.
There, she soon learns that Oakhill is a place of dark secrets. The vicious Crow Folk still threaten both worlds. And Dau, battling the demon of despair, is not an easy man to help.
When Liobhan and Dau start to expose the rot at the center of Oakhill, they place themselves in deadly danger. For their enemy wields great power and will stop at nothing to get his way. It will take all the skills of a Swan Island warrior and a touch of the uncanny to give them a hope of survival. . . .
