A Warrior's Worth is in His Sword.
The Bird and The Blade is a fast paced novel set around the events of a lost princess turned slave to their enemy. When her master falls and is forced to run away with his son, she is forced to accompany them. Where will fate leave them? On a frantic search for her master's son, they are led to many places and learn many lessons. The greatest of which is the true price of courage.
Disclaimer: This review is not spoiler free!
As usual this review will be split into five parts, character building, world building, theme, plot and conclusion.
I. Character Building
This novel did not lack tragic backstories and clever twists. I found that the characters were mostly likeable and didn't feel estranged to me. They were written quite beautifully and showed immense emotion that translated well to me as a reader which allowed me to empathize with each character.
II. World Building
It was not as vividly described so that I could see clear pictures in my head while reading but it was written so I never felt lost or confused about their whereabouts or what they were doing. I felt it was easy to understand the world they moved in and gave me enough of a vague sense of what was happening so I wasn't distracted from the main plot/events.
III. Theme
The theme was clear enough throughout the book. A world at war and the lives ravaged and caught in the crossfire. There is also some romance and cute little moments where the main character builds a sort of father and daughter relationship with her master. I feel the author was successful in delivering the emotions that come along with such loss and still having much to lose.
IV. Plot
The plot was written and flowed clearly enough that I wasn't confused even through bits of withheld information pertaining to the plot twist. I feel like the story was written well and I hadn't seen the ending coming, it was quite far from what the plot suggested in the beginning which was a pleasantly written surprise for me. I also thoroughly enjoyed the way the book ended with the death of the main character. It was a loss that I felt solidified her strength and further made the story unique in the way it did not end in a particularly happy ending.
V. Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe the book is a great fast-paced read for fans of asian-inspired stories about lost princesses and strong women. It is also a great read for people who enjoy non-conventional endings and would like a fresh take on a normally cliché story. I feel it needed to be polished in some places, especially through pages that felt much like "filler" content but was still slightly enjoyable.
Final Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
