The Sword and the Song by C. E. Laureano
Disclaimer
To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I need to let everyone know that Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for only an honest unbiased review of it.
The shadow of war. A clash of brothers. A terrible sacrifice. In the face of powerful darkness, who will prevail? The island of Seare is at war. The Red Druid is gathering strength and power to stand against Conor, Eoghan, and the brotherhood. But there is strife within the brotherhood as well. Eoghan still refuses to claim his rightful rule, and the resulting conflict creates an uncomfortable distance between him and Conor.
— C. E. LaureanoWhen Conor leaves to find the key to defeating the Red Druid, Eoghan and Aine worry he will succumb to the danger. They set out on their own mission to defeat the Red Druid through Aine’s magical gifts.But nothing―and no one―is as it seems.
— C. E. LaureanoIf you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be?
Aine…because it guarantees that I would also get to spend time with Conor and Eoghan! After all, one or the other is always shadowing her. Plus, she just seems like the type of person I’d like to hang out with: practical, no nonsense, and filled with interesting knowledge. She’s also the one you want around if you’re going to do something dangerous—her healing ability would come in handy!
— Carla Laureano
C. E. Laureano
C. E. Laureano also known as Carla Laureano studied literature and criticism at Pepperdine University where she earned a degree in English in 1997. After she got her degree she began working it numerous industries as a: salesperson, marketing manager, copywriter, and small business consultant. Carla Laureano is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) as well as the Romance Writers of America (RWA). Carla Laureano now lives with her husband and two sons in Denver, Colorado. She has written:
- Five Days in Skye
- London Tides
- Oath of the Brotherhood
- Beneath the Forsaken City
- The Sword and the Song
Who are your fantasy writing inspirations?
My two direct inspirations for this series are Guy Gavriel Kay and Juliet Marillier, both of whom write lovely historical fantasy. But I also enjoy Karen Hancock, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan,David Farland, C.J. Cherryh…the list goes on.
— Carla LaureanoWhat do you think makes a book Christian or not?
Christian authors can’t help but create a world that reflects our beliefs in some way. Sometimes, it’s an overt parallel to historical Christianity as it is in the Song of Seare. Sometimes, it’s the presence of the values that we learn from the Bible: faith, love, hope, loyalty, perseverance. Even if God isn’t mentioned by name, if you look closely, you’ll often find Him there.
— Carla Laureano
Review
First off as I wrote in the disclaimer "To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I need to let everyone know that Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for only an honest unbiased review of it."
I also want to point out that this is The Sword and the Song (The Song of Seare Book 3) and I have not read the two previous books so this review will only be on this book. The first page of the book has a map of the islands of Amanta and Seare. The maps are a nice touch because they allow the reader to have an idea of where the characters are in relation to the world. Chapter one begins with Conor and Eoghan sparring together. The book makes reference to Conor having been held captive at some point in a previous book because of a war.
From what I understand Eoghan was never meant to be king, but the last king's line ended so he ended up being chosen by divine right to be king. However he chooses to be king in name only, not taking the real responsibility to make decisions. Conor feels Eoghan should take up the responsibility to be king with all that it entails. There is clearly tension between Conor and Eoghan, but the root of the conflict is unclear without knowledge of the prior books.
Overall I found the Sword and the Song (The Song of Seare Book 3) rather confusing because there is no chapter or section of the book that sums up the prior books at all. I think it would have been helpful to have a first chapter that flashed back to what happened previously that is important for the reader to know about. I did find that I enjoyed Carla Laureano writing style she really did an amazing job with how the book flows together. All of the characters have a very real feeling to them. I felt myself sympathizing with Conor the most, but I also understood Eoghan.
Overall Carla Laureano wrote the Sword and the Song (The Song of Seare Book 3) to be a good read. However the book is not made to be read by itself and any reader who tries to read the Sword and the Song (The Song of Seare Book 3) without reading the previous books will find him or herself confused.
