I finished reading the Warrior Bard trilogy a couple days ago, and I have some thoughts that I want to share about the books.
I'm putting this under a read-more because spoilers.
What I liked:
The spy missions. I really enjoyed seeing the Swan Island teams in action and the suspense of not knowing whether they were going to be found out.
Brocc being forced to create a Crow Folk army for Sciath, and his secret plan to deceive her and help the Crow Folk fly home instead. Also Brocc fixing the Crow Folk problem by trying to communicate with and understand the Crow Folk. It reminds me of Finbar's words in Daughter of the Forest, about how they should seek to understand their enemy instead of always fighting them. I do think Finbar would be proud of Brocc and what he achieved.
Brocc and Eirne's baby Niamh, and how much Brocc loves her. :') Also love Conmael's reaction to seeing Niamh (who is potentially his granddaughter) for the first time.
The Sevenwaters references -- I love that Inis Eala is still going strong. I love how Bran's Blade is a thing and how Bran is revered as a strong and compassionate leader long after his death. Also Brocc going into the seer's cave and seeing a reflection that's not his in the water is also a reference that I really love. :')
One thing I thought was strange though was that there was no reference to the Sevenwaters family or the Sevenwaters forest. I get that Juliet Marillier probably wanted Blackthorn and Grim and Warrior Bards to be its own thing separate from the Sevenwaters series, but it's weird that these two trilogies are set in the same world as Sevenwaters and yet Sevenwaters is never mentioned.
What I didn't like:
After book 1, it felt like Liobhan was less proactive in the main plot. Book 2 had her just acting as a bondservant and Dau's personal nurse, and in Book 3 she stays on Swan Island until she and Elka saw that vision in the seer's cave and Liobhan decided to 'break the rules' to rescue Brocc. It was disappointing -- I really liked Liobhan's central role in Book 1 and I'd hoped that she would be given similar focus in the other two books.
There are no lasting consequences. Dau loses his eyesight in Book 2? Don't worry, he gets it back via magic cure by the end of the novel and gets to go back to Swan Island with Liobhan. Liobhan doesn't have to complete the year of bondservice she agreed to because Dau is no longer blind. Liobhan breaks the rules again in Book 3? Don't worry, she's not kicked off the Island because she's too valuable to Swan Island (though she does get a slap on the wrist).
Swan Island's rules. I hate how restrictive they are, and how they limited Liobhan and Dau's potential as characters. Especially the "you must exercise restraint" rule. There were many times in Books 2 and 3 when I wished Liobhan would act out and stop restraining herself so much. Also I wished Liobhan and Dau would leave Swan Island by the end of the trilogy because of the rules and was disappointed when they stayed there.
I hated Eirne a lot. She was such a bitch and treated Brocc badly and it's sad that it took so long for Brocc to see how awful she was. I was so happy when he finally left Eirne's Realm.
Questions I have:
What happened to Sevenwaters? Is the family and keep still around or were they destroyed at some point?
Do the Swan Island community remember Liadan? She isn't mentioned at all when Liobhan is thinking about the history of Bran's Blade and how Swan Island was founded.
When exactly are these books (and the Blackthorn and Grim books) set? How many centuries after the Sevenwaters series? I've tried to come up with a rough timeline based on the kingdoms shown in the books but I haven't been able to figure it out yet.
Dau. And Liobhan in two mode. I aim to draw her swan island fighting clothes but I got lazy lol. Her musician’s clothes is easier for me. I’m stuck on book 3 since my vacation is ending and I got so many things I wanna do.
