The Bird and the Blade audiobook

“Should you fail to answer correctly each riddle by the end of seven minutes, you shall forfeit your life. Do you understand?” Mongolian fantasy with ghosts and riddles, anyone?Well, this was pretty damn fascinating! I've been putting this book off because I've been so disappointed with almost every YA fantasy novel I read lately, but this was like nothing I've read before. It's a strange and stunning combination of the Mongol Empire, the Italian opera Turandot, and Persian fairy tales. I should point out that this contains a lot of fantastical elements and the author acknowledges all the liberties she took in the note at the end. If you're looking for an accurate historical depiction of the Mongol Empire and the Song dynasty-- this isn't it. Many of the characters, though, are based on real people.Bannen splits the narrative in an extremely compelling way. In the present, Prince Khalaf, a descendant of Genghis Khan, attempts to solve the three riddles presented to him by Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. If he succeeds, he will get to marry her. If he fails, he will die. This is all told from the perspective of Jinghua, a Chinese slave who we soon discover is in love with Khalaf. Jinghua's narrative then skips to the past, filling in the events leading up to that moment.From what I can tell - as I'm only slightly familiar with the opera Turandot - the author sticks fairly close to the original, with the exception that she focuses more on the character of the slave girl. In this book, Jinghua is given far more depth and agency, and the author develops an interesting backstory for her that gives the tale another layer. Jinghua also considers what it is to be a woman or girl in this time (the 13th century), especially one who is enslaved, and laments the obsession with beauty that sees unattractive girls viewed as worthless.It's quite romantic, to tell you the truth, but I did not mind so much. The love story is balanced out by a good amount of action and political intrigue, and I liked how Jinghua's attraction to Khalaf is based on his personality, not his looks. Khalaf is also flawed, even cowardly at times, allowing for more complexity of character than is usually afforded to YA fantasy love interests.There's so many stories within the story, too. The Bird and the Blade feels like a beautiful celebration of poetry, songs and stories from all across Central and East Asia. There are many quotes and retellings of tales from authors such as Rumi, Saadi, Nizami and Qingzhao. And just when you might be thinking the quoting is getting a little sappy, we have Timur to snap us back to reality:Fired by love, he called her his life, his pearl, his dew-petaled flower.“This is the sappiest piece of rotting carrion I have ever heard,” Timur interjects.And we must talk about Timur because he might be my favourite character in the whole book. At first, I hated him, but over time the author develops him into a really funny source of cynicism. I just adore that kind of grumpy but lovable character. He really is a cantankerous old goat, but it is so refreshing in an otherwise pretty dramatic and serious story. Also, my new favourite phrase is: “Go suck your used tea leaves!”If anything, I think the book would have benefited from more female characters and positive female relationships but I guess, sadly, women at this time mostly existed behind the scenes so the depiction is probably fairly accurate. I still liked how the author gave a minor female character in the opera her own voice and story here. A very impressive multilayered book.Some extra notes: ➽ This is a standalone.➽ You do not need to know the opera Turandot to enjoy the book.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

wow. thank goodness this is a standalone, because i dont know if my heart will ever recover from that ending. i randomly picked this up at the library because (1) i saw it on a recent GR list and (2) the font was big, meaning i could speed read through it and if i didnt like it, no real time wasted. so imagine my surprise when i found myself taking my time with this, soaking up every word. because this story felt like a gift - one i didnt want to take for granted.this story was rich with historical intricacies, lush in its writing, humbling with tender romance, and clever in its unfolding. this book really impacted me on an intellectual, emotional and entertainment level. i cant believe how sad i felt when the story came to an end, and i think that is the true sign of a great book. just the overall high quality of this book made me so impressed that it was a debut.this is perfect for those who are fans of renee ahdieh and roshani chokshi - meaning its on par with todays popular ya fantasy writers. i cant wait to see what this author comes up with next!!↠ 4.5 stars

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription“God does not judge you according to your appearance and your wealth, but He looks at your heart and looks into your deeds”🌟 So I haven’t heard a lot about this book, I thought for a moment that it wasn’t even out because it does not get the hype it deserves. I saw Becky talking about this many times in her posts which I am thankful for. I considered this a recommendation and went into it not knowing much.🌟 Then I saw that this has riddles (it got me there), fantasy elements and the Mongol empire which I never read anything about. I go into this and a few pages later the author used the above quote which is from Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and then the writing style is just so good and I read the whole thing in 2 days.🌟 It started a bit slow for me, but it was interesting nonetheless and the good thing is that it kept improving till the last page. From the last riddle onward, I was going full on Hermione mode while reading this, I wanted to know what happened and fast.🌟 So another thing that I really liked is that the author apparently did an extensive research for all parts for the story, she took some liberties which she explained at the end but it was accurate, she quoted Rumi and Ibn ElHaitham and other Arab important figures, she talked about Islam in a very good representation. I was so fascinated by this aspect of the story which I salute the author for. There was a part where a character did something wrong and I thought it was a bad rep for Islam but then it later said that it was “Haram” which is Taboo and that is cool because Muslims are humans and they sin too!🌟 The interesting parts for me are the riddles, and I proudly solved 2 out of the 3 riddles so that gave me a happy boost while reading it. I found the book pacing good and not slow as I expected at first.🌟 The characters in the books are not extensive, But it was more about the quality than the quantity, it is kind of a character driven book. Because it starts from the end and then we get to the beginning only to learn more about the characters and to appreciate them more. I was a fan of all 3 MC at the end.🌟 For the plot, I haven’t heard of the opera Turandot before which by the way is not needed to read and understand/ enjoy this. So I went into this not knowing exactly what to expect and I didn’t care what happens until the end and I thought what if B happens Instead of A, it would be more suitable and a cooler ending. And we did actually get ending B which was so good.“Cruelty is easy to repay, my lord. Kindness is another matter.”

Wow, this was so beautiful... 😢Sometimes you stumble upon a book that no one is talking about (a book many have never heard of) and you read it, and fall so in love. Fuck..this was amazing. The Bird and the Blade is now one of my favorites books of the year. Maybe Of all time! Where do I even start?The Bird and the Blade, by Megan Bannen is a retelling of "Prince Khalaf and the Princess of China," which was later turned into a famous Opera (Turandot), by Giacomo Puccini. The Bird and the Blade follows the story of a slave girl named, Jinghua and a Prince named, Khalaf. Set against the backdrop of the early thirteenth century, Mongol Empire. Jinghua has lost everything. Her home, family and her freedom. As a slave, she comes to work under the Khan of the Kipchak Khante (Khan Timur), and his son ( Prince Khalaf). When the Kipchak Khantes army is destroyed, Timur and his son Khalaf are forced to flee their home. Fearing for her own safety, and desire to return home, Jinghua decides to follow the Prince and exiled Khan into a journey that leads them across the Mongol Empire. I loved this. At first I had no idea what to expect. I bought this on a whim, and am so glad I did. The story is so heartbreaking, but so well written. Had I known it was based off an Opera, I would have been better prepared. Those last few pages. 😟 The story moves between the past and the present, and is told exclusively from Jinghuas point of view. So well done! I was engaged throughout the entire story.This book has so much. It has aspects of war, politics, grief, family. But most importantly it has a love story between a girl and a boy. Man, the love story between our two main characters...it was just so good. I believed it! The development of their love was so believable. It felt authentic and real. I want a 10 book series on just them. Too bad this is a standalone novel 😭 The pacing of this story is slow going, but it felt right for this partucular story. I liked how most of the story chronicled their journey across the Mongol Empire. How their feelings and perceptions of each other changed so much over the course of their journey. How they learned to love and accept each other. One small negative was that at times it was hard to keep track of all of the names, but luckily the author provides a glossary to help discern names and phrases, so I overlooked this. I dont want to give anymore away, but just know that its worth the read! I highly recommend.It was devastatingly beautiful. I'm so sad it's over...I dont think I could handle any more. But just know, I loved this. 💗5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I knew I was going to love this book. I just knew it. I mean, unless the actual writing turned out to be subpar, there was simply no way this book wasn't going to be a favorite. But . . . even though I knew I was going to love this book . . . I HAD NO IDEA JUST HOW MUCH I WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK. Here's the thing--I was an honest-to-goodness outcast in high school. Not because I was rebellious or reclusive or anything. Mostly it was because I just didn't like the right things. Even the other outcasts I knew liked the same kinds of outcast-friendly books, movies, and music. Me? I read the classics. I liked old movies from the 1930s and 40s. And worst of all . . . I listened to opera. For the fun of it.So yeah. Totally an outcast. But very happy that way, thank you! (And I did find My People eventually, so this is not a pity-party, I promise!) All that to say, the opera on which The Bird and the Blade is based is one of my favorites--Puccini's Turandot. It's tragic and epic and gorgeous and just stunning. When I was eighteen, I got to see it live. I wore a floor-length, black velvet dress and elbow-length gloves. I mean, when you're going to the opera, you should GO TO THE OPERA. Right? And I cried through the beautiful production and loved every moment. Of course the best character in the story was the slave girl, Liu. (She also gets several amazing solos, including THIS one.) Hers is the emotional story that carries the whole opera, even if she is "only" a secondary character. She is brave and strong and selfless and just a wonderful heroine in her own right. Turandot is interesting . . . but Liu is the heart and soul of this tale. And this book . . . this beautiful book is about HER. In Megan Bannen's version of the tale, the heroine is renamed Jinghua and is a slave to a Mongol prince. Bannen really dove into the heart and head of her heroine in ways I could never have predicted, staying true always to the original character on which she is based, but always deepening and expanding as she went. Most of the book is actually prolonged "flashback," which I wouldn't ordinarily enjoy . . . but it was so perfectly done in this instance. We keep coming back to the "present" for short intervals as we watch the horrifying Riddles Test play out, but the story of what brought Jinghua, Khalaf, and Timur to this crisis is the real adventure. I read in an interview that Bannen was heavily inspired by Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, which features an unreliable narrator, several MASSIVE surprise twists, not to mention a richly developed setting and culture. Turner is one of my all-time favorite authors, so knowing that Bannen was inspired by her also lead me to believe I would love her novel. And I have to say, the influence is VERY evident in all the best possible ways. So here's the thing readers should probably be aware of going in--this book is tragic. I mean, tears-pouring-down-my-face-as-I-read-the-last-few-pages tragic. Familiar with opera as I am, I wasn't SURPRISED by how things turned out . . . still, I will confess, I kept hoping the author would take some creative liberties and find a different way to bring about her conclusion. But you know what? I'm glad she didn't. The story ended just the way it should. Everything about the journey led to THAT moment, and to write THAT moment any other way would have been a coward's move. Megan Bannen is no coward. She courageously tackled this tale and pulled it off brilliantly. It's been a week since I binge-read the whole thing in about a 24 hr. period, and I've not stopped thinking about it since. I bought a second copy and sent it to my best friend. I forced my own copy into my husband's hands, and I keep pestering my mom that she MUST read it as well (she likes a lot of the same kinds of books I do). I can think of at least three more people I'm going to foist this story on, and I fully intend to keep talking it up every chance I get. It's just THAT good. So yeah--I don't know if Bannen has any more books in the works. But I'm telling you, she has made the VERY short list of authors whose works I will buy on name only going forward. Whatever she writes, I'm here for it. And The Bird and the Blade itself is a book I'm going to be re-reading and sharing for years to come.

btw if you want some uber hilarious bonus content from the author on this book, check out this postThis book has ruined me.The standards for YA fantasy just shot up to the moon after this book. Because this was extraordinarily heart-wrenching as well as engaging and absorbing and completely amazing.

Loved this so much! Review to come closer to release date.(EDITED TO ADD REVIEW)*Amazon*B&N*I honestly can't remember the last time a book tore my heart out and stomped on it as hard as this one did. I can't remember the last time I cried, truly cried and didn't want to stop because of the emotions that I felt not only all through this story, but especially at the end.Oh my poor heart and soul. I may never be the same again.Filled with beautifully rich history and a strange friendship that blooms and grows, this truly was a wonderfully heartfelt , wonderfully written story that should be experienced by everyone.Magnificently done and presented, this will be one that I won't soon be forgetting. I adored absolutely everything about it, even the agonizing and heartbreaking ending. *ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Gah this book made me cry. I loved the setting and characters soooo much! I honestly am not knowledgeable about the history (during -13th century and having to do with Mongol Empire) but this book led me to google. Plus, I really enjoyed reading the author’s notes! TBatB is really beautifully written, fast paced and tense! Some of the language used is a bit modern but I loved this aspect because it helped me relate to the characters as well as had me laughing at parts. The characters are funny, flawed and lovable. But, like I said- it also made me cry. I usually do not cry while reading. This book sort of ripped open my heart.

ouch, there goes my heart. full review to come soon

"For the first time in over two years, I believe the world is not an entirely terrible place simply because this one decent person lives in it." First off, who let me get this invested in the lives of fictional characters?? This book absolutely DECIMATED my feelings . . . and yet I love it even more because of that fact?? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?? I swear I'm only like this about books, since I'm a little pickier about continuing to love things in real life that have decimated my feelings.Anyways, on to my brokenhearted attempt at a review!!!Oh, what to say about this book? It's beautiful, magical without magic, poetic, enthralling, and a magnificent gift to the world. It was much slower than I originally thought it would be, and yet I was still absolutely captivated by each page. I read this as quickly and breathlessly as I would have read a intensely-paced book because it was just THAT well-written. There were so many moments and lines that I truly FELT as a match for my heart's thoughts. "I feel almost naked sitting here in a room full of people who either didn't understand the poem or didn't care enough to try." I STILL HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH OKAY??? So please bear with my rambling and flailing and basically all the symptoms of a person who has been in love with books for over fifteen years . . . I keep trying to write semi-decent reviews that hopefully someone can make sense of, but perhaps this skill will forever be outside my grasp!! I just . . . there is just SO MUCH to love in this book. I could even escape to bullet-points to try and catalog the precise things I loved, but even then that would be a jumbled mess. But I really appreciate the dedication and detail of research that clearly went into this book, how lovingly the characters and their interactions were crafted, and the representation and diversity was such a well-done blessing in here. The romance was so soft and slow and yet also perfectly tense, too!! It was basically everything I like in a romantic plot arc delivered to me!! I'm not gonna talk about the ending though except to say that it emotionally gutted me. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't . . . which probably made it better??Basically, this book utterly broke my heart into a thousand pieces of destroyed feelings but I am also utterly in love because this book was bold enough to break my heart. “And wilderness is paradise now.”

Holy moly did I drink this up or WHAT. Megan Bannen is an author that I will be following very eagerly for the rest of her writing career. Which I hope is forever and ever.