The Bird and the Sword Reviews and Excerption by Amy Harmon

The Teller

The Changer

The Spinner 

The Healer

The Teller - who have the power of words
The Changer - who can take any form of life
The Spinner - who spun and spun one things to another or from another
The Healer - who mend and harmonize things out of love

The story itself is precious. The plot, the words, the sentences, the feelings, the emotions, the characters, everything just fall into place with harmony - to describe with one word - Incredible

How could this story be stand-alone? This story should have a sequel! Or trilogy!!! Or Saga?? I don't know, what I know is I want more. It brings me joy, it brings me tears. It makes me love Amy Harmon more.
It started with Lark's power, Lark's mother and the King. Everyone - including me - thinks this story starts with Lark's mother, but no. (omg is this considered as spoiler?) But I won't tell you why or what. You'll learn at the very end of the book.

The King - merciless King - killed Lark's mother in front of Lark. In addition to that mother being killed in front of her trauma, Lark mistook her mother prophecy as a curse, everyone mistook it, even her father. (Because that era was where people hate witchcraft and thought witches are evil and monsters). So what's the curse? Read the book ~

Let's see what it makes of, shall we?

Twenty riders were gathered in the wide courtyard of the keep, and my husband was bowing and genuflecting when I arrived with Lark trailing behind my skirts. For one so disdainful of the king, my lord was quick to kiss the king’s boots. Fear made weaklings of us all.
“Lady Meshara!” the king boomed, and my husband rose and turned to me, relief in his face.
I curtsied deeply, as was required, and Lark mimicked my salutation, catching the king’s eye.
“What have we here? Your daughter, Meshara?”
I nodded once, but didn’t offer her name. Names had power and I didn’t want him to have hers. There had been a time when I’d considered vying for the king’s attention—I was the granddaughter of the Lord of Enoch and of noble birth, and I’d been drawn to the handsome King Zoltev of Degn. That was before I saw him cut off the hands of an old woman caught spinning wheat into long ribbons of gold. I’d begged my father to arrange a marriage with Lord Corvyn instead. Corvyn was weak, but he wasn’t evil, though I wondered if weakness wasn’t just as dangerous. The weak allowed evil to flourish.


Meshara is Lark's mother. She is a teller too. So the story started with her mother dead, (yes it wasn't a spoiler) in front of Lark on that day.
Then, if you haven't notice, family feud is one hell of famous forbidden sort of love (Romeo & Juliet??) Yeah, the King killed Meshara. But this is the story of Lark and the King's son "Tiras".
Let's see... there's something wrong with Tiras (well, that is not a spoiler but arguable)


The door of the king’s chambers burst open, and Kjell erupted into the room, making me bolt upright, sleep abandoned, the eagle forgotten.
“Where is he?” Kjell growled, as if I’d spun the king into gold while he slept. I shook my head helplessly and extended my arms, indicating the empty chamber.


Yes, there's one important character. Important not to the story but me// omgggg Kjell //
See, why would Lark be in the King's chamber? And it seemed obvious that she can't speak! (Aha! Spoiler!!! Oh not really XD)
Remember Lark is a teller not a healer???
Its gonna be a little bit confusing here,


The door closed softly, and I met the king’s gaze. He looked as troubled as I felt. He wasn’t writhing in horrible pain like he’d been the night he’d been shackled. He seemed more ill than wracked in pain, and I wondered again what was wrong.
“Put your hands on me,” he instructed softly. “Like you did before.”
I shook my head, stalling, wanting to understand. I pointed at his stomach and tilted my head in question. He shook his head. I placed my fingers on his throat and raised a brow. He shook his head once more. I touched his temples, his ears, his arms and his legs, and he finally spoke, answering my question.
“It hurts everywhere,” he explained softly. 
“There is fire beneath my skin.”
Suddenly there was fire beneath my skin too, and I felt the heat warm my cheeks and flood my chest. Last time he was hardly conscious. This time, his eyes clung to my face making the act terribly intimate. I was already sitting beside him on the bed, but I pressed my hands to his heart and closed my eyes. My hands were trembling, and he pressed his hands over them, weighing them down.
“You are afraid,” he murmured. I nodded, not opening my eyes.
“Are you afraid of me?”
I nodded again. Yes, I was afraid of him. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to help him, or worse, that I would, and I would mark myself a Healer. I would mark myself for death.
His breath caught and his back arched in agony, his question forgotten. I pressed him back to the bed, smoothing my hands over him, trying to focus.
Pain be gone, illness leave, skin is cool, sleep now, breathe, I instructed, pushing the words into his skin through my fingertips.

Fire is gone,

Fever leaves,

Health in the marrow,

Rest now, breathe.

There, there.
Like a poem? Or a song? With a rhythm?
I'm not sure but I definitely love this! How did she come up with that? I love Amy Harmon <3
Read this book, you're not gonna regret this. NEVER gonna!!!

Easy Quotes, Excerption and Review by Tammara Webber

Contours of the Heart. 
As soon as I saw that title, I decided to read that series. Yeah, book title counts. For me, book title is the way to tell how creative the author is. Yes, she is creative.

But... it's the writing. Not my type. Not that the writing, it's the sequential writing. This book hardly give me a emotional-ride, let alone a roller-coaster.
The plot is nice.

• Second chance.
• Getting Over. 
• Brave.
• Choosing. 

Yes, there's one pretty twist. But not so brilliant cause I see through it. ;) 

It's actually a good page turner. I also like how the author is being witty and snapped back, and how Landon flirts little with Jacqueline. (I am a slave for words, I know)

I guess, you might want to see the interactions between them right??

Landon,We were together almost three years. I never saw it coming. I followed him here to school, instead of trying for a performing arts school. My orchestra teacher nearly had a stroke when I told him. He pleaded with me to audition at Oberlin or Julliard, but I didn’t. I can’t blame anyone but myself. I trusted my future to my HS boyfriend, like an idiot. Now I’m stuck somewhere I’m not supposed to be. I don’t know if I just believed that much in him, or that little in myself. Either way, pretty freaking stupid, huh? So there’s my weepy little story.Thank you for the article.JW

Jacqueline,Not stupid. Overly trusting, maybe, but that reflects on his lack of trustworthiness, not on your intelligence. As for being somewhere you’re not supposed to be – maybe you’re here for a reason, or there is no reason. As a scientist, I lean toward the latter. Either way, you’re off the hook. You made a decision; now you make the best of it. That’s all you can do, right? On that note, I’m off to study for a statistical mechanics quiz. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to prove scientifically that your ex isn't worthy of you, and you're exactly where you should be.LM

/sigh/ yes, they are emailing each other. Because Landon isn't Jacqueline's friend. He is assistant of J's professor. He's giving her assignments and help her cover for the exam she missed. AND THEY NEVER MET OUTSIDE!!!!

Heyyyy, don't forget about Lucas yet!!!

“Hey, Jacqueline.” That wasn’t Benji’s voice.The seats were bolted to the floor, with right-handed desktops. Lucas leaned slightly over the side of Benji’s, pushing into the very margin of my space. My breath caught, and I focused on letting it out, appearing unaffected. “Oh, hi.”
He bit his lower lip once, briefly. “I guess you didn’t notice the phone number on your coffee cup.”I glanced at my phone, sitting on the edge of my textbook. “I noticed.” I watched his reaction, knowing I was practically telling him to chase me.
He smiled, his light eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, and I tried not to swoon visibly. “I see. Turnabout is fair play. How ’bout you give me yours?”
I arched a brow at him. “Why? Do you need help in economics?”He bit his lip in earnest that time, stifling a laugh. “Hardly. What makes you think that?”
I frowned. Could I be attracted to a guy who cared so little about doing well in class? “I guess it’s not my business.He leaned his chin into the palm of his hand. The tips of his fingers were tinged with gray, probably from drawing with that pencil sitting over his ear. “I appreciate your concern, but I want your number for reasons completely unrelated to economics.”
I picked up my phone and found his number, and sent him a text that said: Hi.“Dude, you’re in my seat.” Benji’s tone was matter-of-fact, but unperturbed.
Lucas’s phone vibrated in his hand, and he smiled as my text popped up, giving him my number. “Thanks.” He unfolded himself from the chair and addressed Benji. “Sorry, man.”“No prob.” Benji was one of the most easygoing people I’d ever met. 
His attitude said slacker, but I’d gotten a look at the midterm crammed into his notebook—he’d made a high B, and for all his talk about skipping class and sleeping in, he’d yet to miss one. After Lucas sauntered back to his seat, Benji leaned over the edge of his desktop, closer than Lucas had. “So what was that about?” His eyebrows rocked up and down and I tried not to grin.

And here we go, quotes ^_^

Choosing to be with you, isn't a difficult decision, Jacqueline...It's easy. Incredibly easy.

Love is not the absence of logic
but logic examined and recalculated
heated and curved to fit
inside the contours of the heart

As for being somewhere you're not supposed to be--Maybe you're here for a reason, or there is no reason.

I noticed you the first week. Not just because of how pretty you are, though of course, that played into it. It was the way you lean onto your elbows when you 're listening in class, when something catches your interest. And when you laugh, it's never to get attention, it's just-laughter. The way you obssevively tuck your hair behind your ear on the left side, but let the right side fall down like a screen. And when you 're bored, you tap your foot soundlessly and move your fingers on the desktop like you 're playing an instrument. I wanted to sketch you.

The way he kissed me felt like a brand. Like he was tattooing himself under my skin.

Love in Spanish Review and Quotes by Karina Halle

Q : Do we need to read the first book "Love, in English" before reading "Love, in Spanish"? 

A : Yes, you do.

Q : Are "Love, in English" and "Love, in Spanish" the same story with different POV?

A : No and Yes. They aren't the same. But "Love, in Spanish" is of Mateo's POV.

So, Q&A time's over!!!
You're so wrong if you think this book is boring and typical. Yes, that was what I thought so I waited for a long time to read it after reading Love, in English (my bad).
Karina Halle proved that she is not boring, she will not endure boring. I know. Because, with the change of POV, I dun feel alienated. I immediately can connect with Mateo from book 1.
Mateo is practically the God for me. (THIS IS ME SCREAMING)
When he wasn't fluent in English, the way he struggled to speak English is very cute and sexy.

But Love, in Spanish, this book took place in Spain of course.
Yupppp! She went with Mateo. Mateo has divorced now. So, I thought things are finally going smooth... but guess what! Surprise, there are villains EVERYWHERE!!!

You're gonna be so frustrated with people who won't keep their noses under their own eyes.

I was so mad that I cried. 

I was so sad that I cried. 

I can relate to Mateo and also understand Vera.
And the love between them, their love for each other and the situation Mateo is in, everything is so complicated and intense.
Such a short book can give you so much tears and so much feelings. Not to mention the RADIATING HEAT, oh right, Mateo is hot as f*ck!

For all of those who heard it was impossible and went for it anyway.
Love is always worth it.

Life is full of hard choices. I choose you.

I am here because you are mine,” I tell her, kissing her behind the ear and breathing in deeply. “And I am yours. I belong with you, and you belong with me. I don’t care which country or where or under what stars but without you, I’m only me.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, and I’ll go to my grave saying it. You are my star, my light, my love. And it doesn’t matter if you believe in it or not because it is the truth and the truth always finds a way to shine.