Summary

Kennet Pedders wants to be a better person. Finding a cure for a poisoned child seems to be the perfect first step, even when it’s due to his reputation as an assassin that he’s tasked with it. Things get complicated when people from Kennet’s past hold the answer to his quest. Fortunately, he meets a beautiful bard with the power to influence other people’s emotions who, for some reason, enjoys Kennet’s company enough to aid him on his mission.

Title: The Forgotten Lyric

Author: Carolina Cruz

Series: The Creed of Gethin #2, standalone

Pages: 494

Publication date‏: ‎August 1, 2023

That was one thing he loved about his profession. He got to look intense and intimidating, and then when people least expected it… he got to be kind.

Review

First thing I noticed upon opening this book: I loved the writing style.

The main character, Kennet, is ashamed of his checkered past and uses guilt as primary motivator to change his life. He’s turned to the religion of Gethin and prays every day. I found Kennet’s struggles real and wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay.

Asa is a skilled and alluring bard with bright golden clothes and a more colorful personality. They are the light to Kennet’s darkness. Asa comes into his life and sees him for who he is instead of a renowned killer.

Asa’s past is kept in mystery except that they left home in a different country. As any good bard, they are also a composer, and their songs were powerful! (As the kids say, they slap.) It felt as if Asa was playing directly on my heartstrings.

The character work was splendid not only on the two main POVs (Asa’s and Kennet’s), but even secondary characters are complex and their actions understandable. I found myself liking (almost) everyone. (The one I’m excluding is the one who was fine with poisoning a child.)

The book combines two stories in one: the first one intertwines Kennet’s past and present, a dash of political intrigue, dealing with mental health, and finding new allies. I enjoyed it immensely, but it was somewhat predictable.

The second part deals with Kennet’s and Asa’s connection, and Asa’s own relationship with religion and identity; the beginning of this secondary story was a bit slow and got me missing Kennet’s voice.

The epilogue references the first book in the series, but you can enjoy this novel as a standalone. This comes from someone who has only read this one and is absolutely intrigued about the rest.

If you are into dark stories with funny moments, romance, mystery, great character development, and gods with lots of feelings, this series may be for you. I’m glad the author reached out to me with this gem and I will surely be reading more of their work.