Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into "Sistersong." I found that the writing style was difficult to follow at times...the descriptions/allusions seemed clouded and vague at times which sometimes made it hard to grasp exactly what was going on. I also found that the characters were rather flat and unlikeable to me (this is a subjective opinion, of course!) and I had a hard time relating to or sympathizing with them. I was really disappointed that I didn't jive with this book, as I am a huge fan of folklore retellings, but it was just not for me.

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

Actual rating: 9/10

“Remember. This is your story, no matter what history will claim or what songs people sing. And it’s no one’s place to stop you from telling it.”

Sistersong by Lucy Holland is heartbreakingly beautiful. I had never heard of ‘The Twa Sisters’ murder folk ballad but looked it up after I finished reading. Sistersong proved to be as evocative as the ballad is. I read and listened to this one, and though at times I enjoyed reading the rich prose more, I highly recommend listening to the narrator’s haunting singing voice whenever a song is sung within the novel. It rose chills upon my arms, especially for the last song sung in the book. Well done to narrator Robin Holdaway!

If you’re a fan of learning about post-Roman-ruled Britain, the Saxons, or the Dark Ages in general, I think you’ll find pleasure (and heartache) in Sistersong. I personally love learning about this time, and I enjoy how magical realism goes so well with historical fiction in this particular era.

Sistersong blends these areas so seemlessly, and also has a focus on the religious cleansing that took place during this time. I think it’s hard to write about this time without casting an eye on religious aspects.

Our main characters are full of flaws, like most humans are. It was really hard for me to enjoy Sinne as a character in the beginning. She seemed selfish and vain. She grew on me though, and over time I felt more pity for her than anything. She was also surprisingly cunning and perceptive. Riva was sweet and tender, I felt a protectiveness over her. Taking off my rose colored glasses, though, I saw that she was innocent to the point of naïveté and recklessness. Keyne goes through an amazing transformation that will have the LGBTQ+ communities—and its allies—cheering. They are strong, know themself to a deeper level than most people do, and make groundbreaking strides for a greater change. I loved these characters in all of their glory and their culpability in the final outcome.

The book started off a bit slow for me, to the point that I was unsure of this would rate high for me. Trust me though, the middle to end is highly worth the build up. The last quarter of the book had my hair raised on end and tears brewing in my eyes. If you like mythology or writing in the same vein as Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, or Genevieve Gornichec, this book will likely be right up your alley. Gorgeous writing, feminist themes, heartbreak, and more. The sibling rivalry will make you tense and upset but the love that shines through that rivalry will make you want to weep. You will be reminded that even though great battles may be won, fate is often only delayed.

Thank you so much to Orbit for sending me this beautiful book to review.

Sistersong is a lyrical, atmospheric retelling of the Twa Sisters, a British folktale ballad.

Set in the kingdom of Dumnonia in 535 AD, Sistersong weaves the story of the king’s three children through their unique POVs. The eldest, Riva, is a healer who is still coming to terms with her childhood injuries. Keyne, the middle child, is forming his male identity although his family still views him as a woman. And the youngest, Sinne, is a beauty who dreams of romance.

Magic has flowed through the land, making their kingdom fertile, strong, and wealthy. But for several years, a visiting priest has changed their traditions and beliefs, and the kingdom grows weak. They live in fear of the invading Saxons, and their dwindling crops.

I loved the magical elements, so tied to the earth and each characters’ abilities. I loved each sibling, and I think this story will live in my head for a while to come.

We get to spend the most time with Keyne, our fighter. At the beginning of the book, Keyne is viewed as the middle sister of our trio. Keyne builds a relationship with a bigender character, and finally gets to explore his identity as a man. His story has emotional depth, and is also fun - he gets to train with both magic and weapons.

Riva is disabled after being burned in a terrible fire as a child. Her relationship with her magic and the land is her emotional core, and her love story gets a lot of page time. I am always here for a love story, and hers had a lot of twists and turns.

Sinne is a seer and spends a lot of time watching the other characters and commenting on their decisions. I am also always a fan of the romantic in every story - and her story was heartbreaking.

Sistersong is a very character-driven story, and I love all of them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An outstanding debut novel. Lucy Holland did a phenomenal job on her first novel, and I really liked the plot and descriptive characters. There seemed to be a lot of depth to each person in the story, and I enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other. The only critique I really have is the pacing of the story, which was slow for the majority of it. Towards the end, however, things picked up in pace and led to a satisfying ending. There were great plot twists and character decisions which left me with my mouth wide open in shock. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and fantasy, and I can’t wait to read Holland’s future work!

I really enjoyed this and read it extremely fast!

You follow three siblings as they make choices that change their lives forever. I found them all extremely realistic and could relate to each of them in some way.

Sometimes heartbreaking and sad, while other times powerful and uplifting. I think it'll be one of those stories that stick around in my brain for a while!

The origins of fairy and folk tales are never as polished as we imagine them to be when we are children. We picture princesses finding true love and adventure, escaping the confines of her sheltered life with the help of a prince. The truth of them is…more complicated. Lucy Holland's Sistersong reimagines the old British folk ballad of "The Twa Sisters" into something rich with depth and emotion, flipping every traditionally held view of such tales on its head and straight into the hearts of modern audiences.

For the unfamiliar, "The Twa Sisters" is an old folklore murder ballad which recounts, with some variation depending on version and location, the tale of two sisters who venture down near a body of water. The elder sister pushes the younger in and refuses to help her out again, resulting in the younger's death. When her body is found, someone takes it and transforms it into an instrument of some sort which then begins to sing the tale of the dead girl's fate. It is a grim, beautiful, tragic story of jealousy and rage and justice almost no matter where it comes from, but in Lucy Holland's hands it takes on new life.

Sistersong tells the story of Keyne, Riva, and Sinne, three daughters of an ancient king, as they struggle to find their place in a land whose tides are shifting away from long-held beliefs in the power of magic and connection to the land and more toward the domineering force of a preacher who proports to be spreading the word of God. All while facing the ever-increasing threat of war with Saxons. Each sibling has a unique ability that connects them to their homeland. Riva, whose body is damaged by a fiery accident she can't clearly remember, is a healer; Keyne, who harbors a secret inner turmoil, can see the patterns of the land and wants nothing more than to learn the ways of battle and to live freely in the world without shame; Sinne, the youngest of them all who yearns for love and adventure and to see the world, might be able to see the future, can cast glamours, and even has some control over an element of her own.

When a charismatic stranger saves Riva's life and returns her to her homeland, the town is thrown into turmoil and relationships are tested to their limits.

I have never come across a book quite like Sistersong. It effortlessly weaves a tale that leaves you spellbound with characters who tell the story through alternating perspectives at its heart that are so developed they may as well be in the room with you. At another time in my life I might have more closely identified with Riva, whose relationship with her own damaged body and her grasping blindly onto a love that may or may not be using her for its own gain I am all too familiar with, but the beating core of this story is Keyne. While I can't speak from personal experience, Keyne felt important and original.

Having a trans character at the center of a story like this - much less a trans character with such power who gets to have a happy ending (no more spoilers than that!) - is remarkable and, perhaps most importantly, it felt seamless. Keyne's identity struggle is central to his development, yes, but he is never made to be a joke or a cheap grab. His very presence demands respect from even those who wish him dead or forgotten and condemned to hell. There's nothing quite like the shift that happens when you become fully comfortable in your identity, and Keyne's is as palpable as the changing of tides and land.

Keyne isn't even the only queer trans character in this story! Both he and his counterpart and friend Mori are some of the most powerful people the land of Dumnonia has to offer. Neither is Riva the only disabled character; Tristan's partner Osred is mute and successfully communicates with anyone willing enough to learn his methods.

While it isn't perfect in every aspect of its execution, this is the way to bring classic tales to modern audiences in a world that is constantly adapting to new ideas and identities. Folk tales and their ilk in particular are ripe for reimaginings like Sistersong. To shape them the way Holland does is to return to their roots. And to return to their roots is to reach into the heart of what makes them so lasting and powerful.

The plot and characters on offer in Sistersong are a rich tapestry, and Holland's respect for the material she weaves with is obvious. I can only hope the story of Riva, Keyne, and Sinne brings comfort to some in a way it unexpectedly did for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for my unbiased review. 😊

Sistersong is a loose reimagining of "The Twa Sisters," an old british murder ballad. We follow the children of the King of Dumonia during the Saxon invasion. The children are contained to life within the hold for their protection while Paganism is transitioning into Christianity. The childrens' beliefs and their bonds to one another are tested as the world changes around them.

I really enjoyed this unique retelling of "The Twa Sisters" and its roots in British folklore. I loved the twist of the addition of the third sister's storyline. It was a lovely portrayal of the bonds we have with our kin, with a focus on sisterhood. Even though they all had their own path and their own magic, they still stick together. The characters were written very well and it was nice to see this story told from the perspective of the children. Keyne's storyline in particular really had me hooked and I loved this character's arc. The beautiful prose really captured the characters' emotions and overall atmosphere. Overall this was an enchanting tragedy that showed how powerful stories can be. The exploration of gender identity was another unique part of the plot.

Fans of retellings will really enjoy this. If you enjoy books about the importance of family sticking together this would be a good read for you.

I definitely feel like I've been on a mythology/folklore retelling kick recently and this was a good addition to that subgenre!

This book is a sort of retelling of the old British tale, "The Twa Sisters". This was a story that I had never heard of prior to reading this book, so you definitely don't need to be familiar with it in order to enjoy this book. I actually liked that I didn't know the story because it would have spoiled a scene that left me feeling a little shocked.

After reading I did look it up and it seems that the story itself is only retold as one scene in this book, and then the rest of this book were written as the author's idea of what the story of those sisters would have been outside of what the tale tells us.

The story is told from a rotating POVs of three different siblings. We have Riva, a gifter healer who struggles with her failure to heal herself from a tragic accident years prior. Sinne, a romantic at heart who dreams of adventure. And Keyne, who just wants their family and village to accept them as the king's son they believe they are as opposed to the king's daughter everyone sees them as.

The first half of this book was less plot focused and more character focused. We really got a feel for who these three siblings are both to each other and their place in their village. The relationship between the three of them was especially focused on and was done very well.

Once readers get engrossed in the characters and world, the second half of the book really picks up plot wise. I think I read the last 40% or so in the same amount of time I read the first half because it was at that point that I got totally hooked in what was going to happen to the characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone who was a fan of The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

SISTERSONG by LUCY HOLLAND is a historical fantasy retelling of the "Twa Sisters," a traditional murder ballad. Sistersong follows three daughters of a king during a time in which Christianity is being aggressively spread and dominating their gods and culture. With the looming threat of the Saxons, the disregard for their beliefs, and the exploration of their magic, the sisters find themselves embroiled in a tale of love, loss, jealousy, and betrayal, and the acceptance of one's true self.

Thinks I liked:

I enjoyed the setting and world-building in this story. Holland is excellent at crafting descriptions that lure you in.

I liked the three different POVs and felt that each sister was clearly defined and had a different voice.

It has trans representation.

Dislikes:

I think the story moved slowly in the beginning and the writing style was weak, it was hard to get into.

Also, I don't read historical books and didn't know this was one so all the mentions of Christianity took me out of the story because it was familiar. I realize this is a personal preference and has no bearing on the actual rating.

A unique world, with heart-tugging characters full of magic and mayhem, this book will charm you as long as you are patient to get to the heart of it.

The folklore was probably my favorite thing about this book but I also enjoyed the perspectives of our 3 main characters. The sibling dynamic was interesting and I appreciated each one of the sisters having a unique voice.

The plot of this novel gave me a little bit of The Bear and the Nightingale vibe so if you enjoyed that book, you're very likely to enjoy this one too. I didn't find the atmosphere to be as strong but it definitely was there.

This was a very promising debut from Lucy Holland and I'm looking forward to whatever she writes next.

Thank you to Redhook and Orbit for an advanced reading copy!

𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐
𝚋𝚢 𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍

@𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 @𝚘𝚛𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 @𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗

𝙰 𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚍 "𝚃𝚠𝚊 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜".
𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍’𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚖.

𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚢 𝙳𝚞𝚖𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚊 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚊. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚊𝚡𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜. 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜.
𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍. 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝, 𝙺𝚎𝚢𝚗𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎, 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚊𝚕, 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌.

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍’𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚡 𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚢 𝙳𝚞𝚖𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚊, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚊.
𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚜, 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝙴𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑, 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝙶𝙱𝚃 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚗-𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢.

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍’𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚃𝚋𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛.

#𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 #𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 #𝚘𝚛𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 #𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 #𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟷𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 #𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 #𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 #𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚖 #𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛 #𝚌𝚘𝚣𝚢 #𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊 #𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊 #𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖 #𝚊𝚖𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 #𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 #𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 #𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚞𝚎𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 #𝚊𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 #𝚑𝚢𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 #𝚖𝚢𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 #𝚋𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚘_𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 #𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌 #𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎 #𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 #𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝

I absolutely loved this book. It reminded me of books by Juliet Marillier, Madeline Miller, and Signe Pike which was great because I adore all of those authors! The writing is just so wonderful and lovely. I thought the pacing was great as well. I'd classify it as more character driven, but this gives us time to really explore relationships. Plus, we do actually have some exciting, fast paced battles as well. Overall, I was definitely invested in the story throughout the book and couldn't stop reading.

The setting is very atmospheric. It takes place in Britain a long time ago, and we do get to see some familiar faces from legend. I really liked how this was incorporated, but I also loved the inclusion of little folktales within the main story. These provided excellent immersion into this time period and mythology, and I thought I recognized some of these stories (or at least the bones of them) with things like the Wild Hunt. We do have some elements of magic here, and I really liked how this was tied to the land and nature.

I didn't anticipate the direction this went, and it made me feel so emotional! The book generally has more of a melancholy tone, especially since it's set at a time when Christianity is spreading and the old ways are vanishing. Reading about this time period (or generally in worlds where magic is vanishing) always tends to make me feel sad, but your mileage may vary with that. In any case, the tone worked so well to make this a beautiful story.

The point of view sections rotate between the three children of the king. Riva, the oldest, was badly injured in a fire as a child. I felt very mixed on her because I actually liked her initially and sympathized with her, but I started to dislike her as she made some choices that had consequences. I do still feel bad for her because she's had to live with everyone's pity and thinks her life will just be that of a noblewoman where she's married off for political purposes (that is, if someone accepts her). I can understand her desire for love and think she's really just caught in a bad place here.

Keyne just wants to be seen as a son/brother rather than a daughter/sister. He was by far my favorite character here. He has a really heartbreaking journey of wanting to be the person he was born to be. I think that this POV provided an excellent glimpse of what it's like to be transgender and some of the hardships that can accompany this with things like people refusing to acknowledge how he wants to be addressed. He has some very beautiful moments in this journey!

Finally, Sinne, the youngest sibling, has some ability as a seer and can use glamour. I started off disliking her, and I still think that she's my least favorite of the siblings. She's rather selfish and bratty, but that doesn't mean that she's not deserving of happiness. She just wants love and a fairytale-like story with adventure. She also has some abilities that she doesn't entirely know how to control, so this certainly led to some problems.

Obviously, the bonds between the siblings play a huge role in this book. We get to see the range of this from jealously and petty squabbles to full support and understanding.

This was such a lovely book and I highly recommend it! I'll definitely be keeping my eye on Lucy Holland for any future books.

My video review can be seen on my booktube channel (around minutes 15:30-20:12 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NWCE7RAdDQ

Absolutely loved the lyrical style of this piece! It was immersive and swept me away in the fairytale. Can't wait to read more from Lucy Holland.

What a beautiful novel, this is based on an old English folktale and was utterly magical. The character development and plot were so well done. I cannot wait to pick up a physical copy!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book - I absolutely devoured it and read it in one sitting!

I am consistently drawn to stories about sister bonds, so I was immediately interested in the title. The added depth of a trans sibling was so interesting to read and I adored getting (spoiler)'s perspective. I feel like I learned a lot and I am glad to have read this book.

Aside from that, the writing was the perfect blend of lyrical and simple, and like I said I couldn't put it down. I LOVE the setting and the magic and EVERYTHING about this book!

I didn't know what to expect from this book but the magical vibes and history really hooked me. Retellings are usually my favourites so I really liked where this went!

Inspired by British folklore and the “Twa Sisters” ballad, Sistersong tells the tale of sisters Keyne, Riva and Sinne. They are the daughters of King Cador and Queen Enica who are having to pick up the pieces in their land of Dunbriga after the Romans left Brittain due to invading Saxons, and tribes who are on the brink of war. Magic once travelled through the land and inside the people’s hearts. But after Gildas, a Christian leader who has a tendency to use scare tactics arrives, everything changes. The people of Dunbriga are slowly forgetting the ways of old because of Gildas and without magic the defensive walls of Dunbriga are on the brink of collapse. It’s all down to the sisters as they must discover their own hidden powers in order to save their broken land.

Sistersong by Lucy Holland was a powerful, captivating, and a downright epic historical fiction read that I absolutely loved! Everything about this book for me was just stupendous from the writing, to the world, and the complexity of each character.

The story is told from the POV of three sister, Riva, Keyne, and Sinne. Firstly we have Riva, who after a childhood injury has been left with burn marks. Riva is a healer who although has the ability to heal others has been unable to heal her own scars. Her life changes after the arrival of the mysterious Tristan who causes a divide Riva and her sister Sinne. Then we have Sinne who is a seer and has the ability to see into the future. Sinne dreams of adventure and yearns to find her one true love. Finally, we have my favourite, Keyne. Like her father Cador, Keyne is also one with the land and feels its struggles. Although a princess, Keyne sees himself more so as a man and wishes to be seen that way by everyone else. Keyn struggling as he is fully pushing for others to see him as a male rather than female. But after the arrival of Myrdhin, a wizard and friend of King Cador, Keyne begins to gain more confidence in himself and his identity

What all three of them have in common is that they are trying to find themselves during a time of turmoil and distruption. On one hand you have Gildas who is spreading nothing but hate and fear in the name of religion. The land is slowly withering away as a result of it’s people no longer taking magic in their hearts. Then you have Saxons who are causing havoc left, right, centre. So yeah not a great time for any of them really. Lucy Holland has written these characters so well as you begin to understand them and their choices.

The tension between the three sisters was also done really well.After the arrival of a certain individual, the jealousy between Riva and Sinne bubbles up into an exploding volcano which we see fully erupt right at the end. There is also tension between Sinne and Keyne. Sinne is basically a snitch and a jealous person of sorts. She is always trying to catch out her sisters and get them into trouble. However, it was nice to see them look past their differences in order to come together right at the end.

When considering the world, much of the story is boxed into the land of Dunbriga. It is definitely a land divided, on hand you have Gildas who is spreading Christianity dangerously and in a way that creates hate for others. Gildas attempts to place strict restrictions on society using fear. He was definitely a character I despised due to his actions and words. He is definitely a reminder of those people who use religion as a way of spreading their own hate and in turn creating divisions in society. Opposite to this you have Myrdhin who believes the land needs magic to survive and stave off the invading Saxons. He is the opposite of Gildas and believes magic can help society and also believe everyone should make their own choices. I really enjoyed the back and forth between Gildas and Myrdhin, especially when Myrdhin got one up on Gildas.

Overall, Sistersong was a fantastic novel that explores many important and relevant themes such as loyalty, family, and gender identity. Lucy Holland has done superb in using British folklore and making it her own. I won’t be surprised if the novel wins the Women’s Prize and many other accolades! Thank you Angela and Orbit for sending me an early copy 😊. The book releases on the 5th of October 2021.

A lush and profound retelling with a focus on themes of gender and identity.

This book had lyrical, almost whimsical prose - which I especially love in retellings. While the text was beautiful, it was also very easy to read and understand. Songs are important in this book, and that’s almost what this book felt like: a song or spoken poem, with rhythm and word choice which accentuated the reading experience. The author definitely took care to make sure the words of the book were presented in the most enhancing way possible, and I greatly appreciated it and felt as though it decisively added to the story! While prose is often a component of a book that I am ambivalent about - as long as it doesn’t hinder the reading experience, I don’t usually have too much issue with it - I felt it was a major pro for the book in this case.

Overall, the pacing of the book was fairly consistent. However, there were instances in the middle that felt lagged or drawn out. I would have also liked for the conclusion to have felt a bit more climactic - there was a certain moment midway through the book which was very emotional and tense, but the plot was not able to grasp my attention quite as much for any of the remainder of the book. Similarly, there was a plot twist which was very predictable and maybe a bit too heavily foreshadowed, in my opinion, so I would have preferred if that particular plot element/device was a bit more nuanced. As well, I was a bit frustrated by the ending for one character, but delving into that would be spoilery so I won’t elaborate further.

Apart from minor gripes with the plot, however, I felt this book was fantastic. I especially loved the three siblings introduced, and the way they interacted with each other felt very authentic. I also enjoyed how each sibling was portrayed in a way that was unique from the others, while simultaneously not suggesting one sibling was “better” than another for their personality and/or goals. I also appreciated that none of the siblings felt like caricatures, they were all very nuanced and well-developed characters.

I also really enjoyed the themes of gender discussed in this book. Since I am cisgender, I can’t really comment on whether or not they were well-portrayed, and I encourage readers to refer to reviews from trans and non-binary readers for a more nuanced review of this particular element. While gender identity is the primary theme explored, I did also appreciate the discussions of queerness in this book, and found those to be well-portrayed. In addition, I enjoyed the thematic discussion of religion and culture.

I also enjoyed the magical elements of the book. Whie magic is definitely a more understated element of the book, I think the way that magic draws from the land fits perfectly with the themes of the book.

I should also add that, while I am familiar with the general plot of “The Twa Sisters”, I have never read or listened to it personally.

Overall, this is an introspective, character-focused book perfect for a reader interested in retellings, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of Madeline Miller, especially Circe! While I believe this novel is probably a standalone, I would be interested to read any other works which Lucy Holland releases.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect, but I ended up enjoying the prose and magic system! The story takes place while the Saxons were invading Europe and the Romans were being driven away, and a large theme and problem explored is that of religion. Our main characters, 3 siblings, all are dealing with the decision to convert to Christianity and away from their “pagan” religion and are being immensely pressured by the priest who’s staying in their village.

As an Indigenous woman, the similarities between the characters and my kin was quite striking. The magic/religion in the book relies heavily on the land and our connection with nature, much like the beliefs of Indigenous people. Seeing the characters being called pagan, savage, demonic, etc was very reminiscent of how the Church treated my own people. It made the story very personal for me and captured my full attention.

The trans representation also really caught my attention and I really enjoyed how the character was developed, as well as their relationships with their family and the village. It also reminded me of the concept of being Two-Spirited within Indigenous cultures, and I thought it was executed in a really interesting way!

The stories and songs within the book were also stunning, and the writing itself at times felt like poetry. The prose is stunning and the imagery is very strong!

I definitely recommend checking out the book, but because of the religious discussions, it may not be for everybody!