Songkeeper

By: Gillian Bronte Adams

Narrated by: Ann Richardson

War ravages Leira and the Song has fallen silent

Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street–wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.

Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran's fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?

Book two of the Songkeeper Chronicles.

Highly recommended

A well written story full of realistic characters and fantastical creatures. There is an undertone of faith and the Creator (Songmaster), but it does not have an overt Christian message. I do love how Birdie is simply a vessel to the Songmaster and cannot control the song of her own accord, only submit and yield to it.

The series is clean in language (though one character gets creative and humorous in alternative expressions :-) and contains no romance of any kind. There is violence to some extent (plenty of battle scenes) but an overall message emphasizing the value of life.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the series and highly recommend it to those who enjoy clean fantasy.