I'm 99% sure this was a "read now" download. Why did I download? not sure. Anyway this isn't really up my alley so never really got into it.

This was a slow start for me that gradually pulled me in. After the first few chapters, I began to be drawn in by the characters and the story. I thought this was a really well done historical fiction/fantasy that wove in mythology well. I also thought the representation in the story was executed brilliantly. I do wish we had a bit more expansion on Ine, but overall was happy with how the sexuality of the characters was presented. I love Lucy Holland and will be eagerly awaiting her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC!

Thank you, for my advanced copy for my review.

I loved everything about this. The blend of old Britain and mythology into a fantasy world, was just perfect and so epic. The characters of the novel are richly written and developed well throughout the story. The story was immersive and I didn’t want it to end!

This was a beautifully written interpretation of Herla and the Wild Hunt. I am a sucker for retellings of mythology and folk tales, and I had not heard too much about this story previous to reading this book. While I admire the author's writing style and the overall story, I had trouble connecting to the characters and feeling invested. The plot seemed to develop slowly until about 75% of the way in, which is when I finally began to feel truly interested and couldn't wait to learn what happens next. I did enjoy this book overall, and would recommend to those who love historical fantasy and mythology.

Once again I am finding I do not know enough about the myths and history of Britain.

"Song of the Huntress" by Lucy Holland slams together the story of the Wild Hunt and the historical figure Æthelburg
of Wessex. But to get there you have to go back a bit. In an attempt to get power from the otherworld to help her queen, Boudica, against the Romans, Herla makes a deal. While this gives her and her troops magic mounts, arms, and power it the gifter didn't mention the drawbacks... Centuries later on a full moon they are riding as the Wild Hunt, cleaving the unwary down. Except this time Herla comes out of the fog when she spots Æthelburg on the battlefield. The curse starts to slip and the Hunt has regained part of their minds again. Drawn to her, Herla ventures to the Wessex court. Unfortunately that is a pit of snakes with ties to the otherworld that are making themselves known as well. Also Æthelburg's husband is there.

Reasons to read:
-Æthelburg actually existed and was a warrior, once again Lucy Holland showing another historical event I knew nothing about
-Tall warrior lady gives you a magic steed and spear
-Comeuppance!
-I enjoy power dynamics of courts that have different set ups, the king, council, and the church all trying to balance is interesting
-Great ending

Cons:
-He could have been stabbed a bit earlier, but I enjoyed when everyone laughed at him

Song of the Huntress is an exquisitely written queer retelling of Herla and the Hunt that celebrates and recognizes the female warriors of yore and lore. Intricately detailed, Lucy Holland expertly weaves a long forgotten history of England's past with the traditional folklore tale of The Hunt. The characters of Herla, Æthelburg, and Ine are distinctive, unique, and very real. I loved the complexity in Æthelburg's relationships and highlighting her struggle with a husband who does not appear to desire her, but loves her nonetheless.

This is not a fluff fantasy read and will appeal more to history buffs who also love magical realism. It's a slow burn that is clearly meant to be savored. There is, however something for everyone - plenty of spice, epic battles filled with bloodlust, political chicanery, Pagan vs Christianity struggles, and magical realism galore. My only struggle with this book was the name pronunciations and would have been better aided by a full pronunciation guide, as not everyone has had a course in Olde English.

If you loved Sistersong or books about early Britain, Song of the Huntress is not to be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook, and Lucy Holland for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written story, fans of Circe and Song of Achilles will enjoy. I did not give it 4 or 5 stars because it was a little slow for my taste.

Title: Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Date: March 19, 2024

⭐️ 4/5
🫑 2/5

🏹 Cursed Huntresses
🌲 Ancient Magic
❣️ LGBTQ+ Representation
🗡 Otherworldly Trickster

I liked this book once I figured out who was who. The writing style is beautiful, filled with poetic language and a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. I enjoyed the concept of a trickster, found Herla and her fellow Huntresses intriguing, and enjoyed watching them all interact with Æthelburg and Ine while they fight to protect their previously sworn enemies from the corruption in their midst. The villains are detestable, and one of our FMC are morally grey for sure (though not really by choice I suppose?).

Do yall ever read a book you're not sure you're smart enough to read? Since Song of the Huntress is set in very early Britain, the names/towns/positions of characters are all new to me and it made it difficult for me to follow in the beginning— after I got about 30% in I was able to keep the names straight and truly feel immersed in the story.

Thank you @netgalley and @redhookbooks for the digital review copy.

Herla, one of the Iceni, loves her queen Boudica and will do anything to aid her in her fight against the Romans. So when the King of the Otherworld Gwyn ap Nudd offers her otherworldly aid she does not hesitate to take it. But rather than offering aid, Gwyn has cursed Herla to a life of eternal violence, reaping the souls of the dead as the Lord of the Wild Hunt in his stead.
Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is expected to remain at court and provide heirs for her husband the king, instead she fights his battles for him while he remains at home with his council. When Æthelburg encounters an otherworldly host of women warriors on the battlefield and informs the council they do not believe her. Discredited at court, Æthelburg feels out of place in her own home but does not find solace in her distant husband. Instead she throws herself into battle and the mystery of the women warriors.
King Ine of Wessex is supposed to be a strong leader, but he feels anything but. His father mad, brother defying his orders, and the ever growing distance between him and his wife cause Ine to withdraw into himself, allowing others to take charge in the fight against the pagans. But when a newfound magic blossoms within him, Ine finds he may not be so different than the pagans his people have sought so hard to destroy.
Song of the Huntress follows Herla, Æthelburg and Ine as they fight to protect their home and their people from the threat of the Otherworld.

If you want myths and lore from old olde Britain, here you go! We have Herla leading the Wild Hunt after a deal goes awry with the king of the Otherworld, and we have Ine and Æthelberg, king and queen of Wessex, who aren't getting along to great at the moment. And then we have a long list of other characters and places, which, because I am a 21st century person with limited knowledge of that time period, got to be kinda confusing. I'd say about 50% of the way through I was getting a pretty good understanding of who was who and where we were and what was going on. Unfortunately, if it takes that long to understand everything, chances are that you may not enjoy the whole story as much.

What I liked: the characters that were chosen to have POVs, the voice given to women during that time period, and the kind of magic going on. I thought Ine was really interesting and had a lot of potential, and Æthelberg was well-characterized. There was also some inclusivity of gender expression and sexuality that worked well.

What could have used improvement: the pacing was a bit uneven, where at times I didn't want to put the book down, and other times, I didn't want to pick the book back up. I had a hard time with the world-building (though yes, it is nowadays Great Britain) and picturing how things were happening. It was a good story but very academically written, so at times it didn't feel as accessible as I would have liked. Personal preference there, though!

Overall it was a neat story about something that rarely gets stories. I am glad to have read it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook for the e-ARC.

Thanks to Redhook Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

There's that feeling when you've found an author who seemingly writes books meant just for you. I think Lucy Holland is one of those authors for me. Stories set anywhere in the 6th-12th century Britain are my jam and I loved Sistersong, so when Song of the Huntress came along, I knew I had to have it. The wonderful combination of historical fiction, magic and Celtic myths make this another terrific story to lose yourself in. The story is set in Wessex and follows Ine King and his Queen Aethelburg, who was one of the few female Anglo-Saxon warriors and their interactions with the native Britons of Dumnonia. The main myth woven into the story is that of the Wild Hunt and the native Britons relationship to the Otherworld of Annwn and its king Gwyn ap Nudd. The shifting politics of the time period along with the fractious relationship with neighboring Dumnonia, combined with the ever-present pressure from the church, leads to betrayals, murders and the constant wish to escape from societal expectations. I loved that this story was centered around the Wild Hunt, a myth I have some knowledge of, but I really loved the deep dive into everything about it and I thought Herla was a wonderful character to experience the Wild Hunt through. Lucy always does such a wonderful job of describing what life was like in those times with the descriptions of the settlements, clothing, weapons, the Witan and how powerful stories are to this culture. I will always, always take more of these types of stories and so look forward to more from Lucy!

ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Song of the Huntress" is a historical fiction set in 700s Britain. It is a retelling of the Wild Hunt and different Celtic mythologies. The book is set in the same world as Sistersong and does have some Easter eggs in it. It effectively combines a historical setting with fantasy elements. It is told from multi-pov with Herla, an Eceni war chief of Boddica, who becomes the leader of the wild hunt after making a bargain with the King of Annwn, Æthelburg of Wessex, a warrior queen, and her husband King Ine. The book has a mix of LGBT representation, including ace, lesbian, and bi. The characters are complex, and they each have their own motivations. It does a good job of developing the characters and having them grow their sense of identity. It is a slow-paced and dense book; it can be prose-heavy at times.

I’ve attempted to read this arc several times in the 3 months that I’ve had it, and I cannot connect with it to save my life. I found myself zoning out while reading and struggling to follow the author’s writing style. I can’t say there were specific parts of the plot that I didn’t enjoy - I just don’t think this novel is for me. Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for the arc.

This is a gorgeously written story that combines elements of history, fantasy, and folklore, featuring powerful warrior women, eldritch magic, epic battles, dangerous court intrigue, and complicated but nuanced loves. Set in the centuries leading up to the early medieval period, where historical knowledge is scant, this story lives in the gaps in between, combining what is known, what has been told by firelight for centuries, and what the author herself has invented to weave them together into something that feels both original and mythical.

Herla was a loyal warrior of Boudica, but in her pursuit of an advantage over their Roman oppressors, she and her sword sisters are tricked by the devious Gwyn ap Nudd – King of Annwn. Now the women are cursed to ride every old moon, hunting for souls. Herla is fierce and glorious and terrible and wild, but she has been cursed for so long that she has forgotten what it was to be human. She discovers to her dismay that Britain's Roman oppressors have been replaced by the Saxons and the Christian church, and that Britons are still subjugated by outside forces.

600 years later, Aethelburg is a warrior queen of Wessex; powerful, beautiful, clever, and bold. Her husband Ine is King of the West Saxons, but he prefers policy and diplomacy over swords and battles. He trusts his younger brother Ingild, but could he be more ambitious than the king realizes? There is a wedge between Aethel and Ine, which she doesn't understand but bears the brunt of in court, so she prefers to spend her time on the battlefield where the enemies are easier to see and to fight.

The characters are well developed, unique, and memorable, with good representation - there is a bisexual main character, a lesbian main character, an asexual main character, and a nonbinary side character - which other characters take in stride because the church hasn't made people weird about it yet. The Christian church is not given a pass here for the often violent and oppressive methods by which it took hold and spread its influence. It fears the pagan "heathens" in its midst and is committed to wiping out heretics wherever it finds them. But the Saxons and the Britons face a much larger threat than either can confront alone.

This book is beautifully written and compulsively readable. I loved the storylines, the characters, the setting, the mythology, the magic, the battles, and the complicated love triangle. The pacing had enough momentum to keep things moving forward but still allows the reader to linger in moments. The characters growth and the story's resolution were emotionally satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Song of the Huntress was a journey for me. Historical fantasy and mythology is always so enticing to me, especially when it's the not the common Greek myth retellings. This book is set around King Ine and Queen Æthelburg of Wessex as well as the Wild Hunt, though Herla and all the riders in this story are women.

We open with Æthelburg raiding Taunton, which is really one of the only historical records known of her. In this story her motivation for raiding and being known as a warrior Queen comes from a breakdown in her relationship with Ine. She has her first glimpse of the Wild Hunt at the battle of Taunton. Her second encounter with Herla is in a battle with the King of Dumnonia, which really sets off the events of the story. The way Lucy Holland weaves all the mythology and history together makes an incredible fantasy novel with big battles, high stakes and beautiful love stories. I think the sapphic relationship will be the draw for many readers but my favorite part of the book was Ine and Æthelburg and the growth and changes that happens to them. It was very emotional and moving and I loved it.

I said it was a journey because I was very drawn in by the first chapter and I thought, this is gonna be a 5 star. But...then the story lulled and the pacing wasn't quite working for me for a large part of the book and I thought, maybe this period of history just isn't working for me and maybe it's going to be a 3 star. And then by the end it was incredible and I was so invested and so happy with the outcome of the love stories and the ending was so satisfying that I think about this book quite a bit since finishing it. I'm leaving it at a solid 4-4.5 rating and I could see myself doing a reread in the future.

“Song of the Huntress” by Lucy Holland is a historical fantasy novel that delves into the rich folklore of Herla and the Wild Hunt. Set in ancient Britain, the book immerses readers in a vividly depicted world, brought to life through the author's lyrical writing style.

The story follows a cast of complex characters who navigate a landscape steeped in myth and legend. I found myself particularly drawn to the feminist aspects woven throughout the narrative, which added depth and nuance to the storytelling.

While the writing style may initially pose a challenge for some readers, with its more traditional language, I ultimately found it to be a rewarding aspect of the book. The authenticity it lends to the setting and the story's atmosphere make "Song of the Huntress" a truly unique and immersive read.

Overall, “Song of the Huntress" is a book I highly recommend as a must-read for fans of historical fantasy, especially those with an interest in folklore. With its captivating world-building, nuanced characters, and lyrical prose, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.

ARC review:

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland ⭐️⭐️.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover was beautiful and the plot seemed complex and intriguing. The story was held back by its pacing, the first 200 pages truly dragged as characters and Celtic lore were introduced. The political intrigue, sapphic tension and fantasy elements kept me reading, but I was hanging on by a thread.

This story seems geared toward historical enthusiasts with decent knowledge of Saxon/Briton history, who are looking for fresh, new content. If this is you, then definitely pick up this book. For me, the story was missing meaningful interactions and communication between the characters, and needed a faster pace.

Song of the Huntress will be published March 19th 2024

Huge thanks to net galley for this ARC. The writing of this book is absolutely breathtaking but I felt like this book didn't hit it off for me. I felt the story kind of stagnant as in I never fell in love with it. I liked the book very much but I am not sure it was my vibe particularly.

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland is a beautifully-written sapphic, historical fantasy story that was meticulously well-researched and well-written.

Despite not being all too familiar with retellings or the mythology in this book (Herla and the Wild Hunt), I was captivated by Song of the Huntress and its poetic writing. The character development was so detailed and satisfying, which was quite refreshing compared to a lot of the books I’ve read recently. Overall I would definitely recommend this, although be aware that it is very slow in some parts due to how dense of a book it is. I for one enjoyed all the character development but it may be a tough read for some because it’ll require all of your brain!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Lucy Holland for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The acclaimed author of Sistersong transforms the story of Herla and the Wild Hunt into a rich, feminist fantasy in this stunning tale of two great warriors, a war-torn land, and an ancient magic that is slowly awakening.

Song of the Huntress
by Lucy Holland
Pub Date: 19 Mar 2024

Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, her land, and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, leading her immortal warriors and reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield—a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.

Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband’s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. His own brother seeks to usurp him. And their only hope is the magic in Ine’s bloodline that’s lain dormant since ancient days.

The moment she and Æthel meet, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. The dead kings are waking. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. And as Herla and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity—and a way to break the curse—before it’s too late.