A song of flight by Juliet Marillier

Marillier brings her fantasy trilogy to a very satisfying and compelling conclusion in A song of flight. Prince Aolu of Dalriada has been abducted, his friend and guard Galen left seriously injured. The Swan Island warriors are asked to investigate, but because Galen is Liobhan’s brother, it is felt that she is too personally involved, and she is initially left behind when the search begins. Meanwhile times are very difficult for Brocc because of his involvement in the secrets of the Crow Folk and he and his young daughter set off on a difficult and dangerous journey. It gradually becomes apparent that the disappearance of Prince Aolu’s and the use of the Crow Folk to attack people are connected and Liobhan, Brocc and Dau must each play a role in solving the mysteries.

The most memorable part of A song of flight for me was the path that Brocc takes in his efforts to understand the Crow Folk. There are some unexpected twists in his story that had me holding my breath in fear for him. He is determined to communicate with them and believes that they are not all evil, but his efforts lead to disaster, and he puts his young daughter and himself in great danger. Liobhan and Dau both prove their bravery and intelligence in their separate quests and Marillier’s fans will be very happy to meet Blackthorn and Grim again.

All the threads from the previous two books, The harp of kings and Dance with fate have been brought together in a stunning conclusion. The descriptive prose is beautiful and the world building wonderful. This is a series that I will be returning to reread and one that fans of fantasy will not want to miss. And readers new to the fantasy genre and who like a touch of romance, a Celtic setting and memorable characters may find a series to love.

Themes: Fantasy, Good and evil.

Pat Pledger