No one is more surprised than I am that I did not enjoy this book. I mean, The Wild Hunt! Dummonia! A Saxon Queen with a sword! Elemental magic!

And yet, I could not enjoy this. It suffers HEAVILY for being 3rd person POV, several times I reread passages wondering who was doing what, and being unable to decipher I was left terribly confused.

I felt this was a story about a story, and I was getting it second or even third-hand. I was not engrossed and I was not pulled in. When a chapter did start to pull me in it was cut short, and a new POV came in and totally halted any momentum the book had finally captured. I found no reason to have each character have a POV.

I also felt the interesting things were skipped over. On A SINGLE PAGE we find 1-where the wild hunt comes from, 2-That Herla is who Aethel has been seeing, and 3- that Ine's father dies. And then it all feels washed away, like none of that was important???

I enjoyed Sistersong by this author, it has been one of my favorite books, unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

Will I reread? No
Will I recommend? No, not unless the person is looking for a very specific niche category, i.e. The Wild Hunt with sapphic romance.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this Advanced Copy, all opinions are my own.

Chose to dnf this book. I liked the strong female leads in this story and the plot was fine, but the writing style was not for me. I may come back to it at some point, and I might enjoy it more as an audiobook when I'm less worried about pronunciation of the names and the era specific letters and spellings. This didn't take away from the story necessarily, but was a personal preference for me that made me decide to stop reading.

This book definitely took awhile to really get into because the author really cared about historical accuracy, so that will definitely be a hurdle if you have difficulty with Old English and Welsh names. Even discounting that, it starts off slow. BUT, I really enjoyed all three POVs we got. There was never a point where the POV switched and I was like "oh no not THEM again." The villains managed to be hyperbolically yet also relatably evil. The sapphic romance was great, but I think where this book truly shined was the depiction of an asexual man, which I have never seen before. It was handled with care, and is the most deeply sympathetic part of this book.

I have always been interested in medieval history and forklore, so this novel was right up my alley, and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint. The characters and world really drew me in to the world, and I thought it was a beautiful imagining of the Wild Hunt mythology. Song of the Huntress is truly and epic retelling on an epic scale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

My Old English studying heart is full after reading this book. Lucy Holland has such mastery when it comes to bringing Early Medieval England to life; The Song of the Huntress flourishes in the mead hall, the battlefield, and the crossroads between Christianity and native Briton religions. Not only is the world of Wessex and its contending belief systems rendered with historical acumen, but also great tenderness for the real people who occupied those times. There are not only kings and queens and figures of myths, but the everyday men and women who are often overlooked in early medieval works of fiction. I could have reveled in this novel for the setting alone, but of course Holland provides a sweeping plot that melds myth and history seamlessly.

When political machinations between the human world and the Otherworld bring together King Ine, his wife Queen Æthelburg, and Herla Lord of the Hunt, what unfolds is a political and religious minefield that will bring the kingdom of Wessex to war with its neighbors and itself. I absolutely loved Ine, the scholar king who prefers words to swords, and Æthelburg, the warrior queen who leads her husband's armies. The love and struggle of their marriage carries significant nuance, exacerbated by the gendered expectations of the time. Watching them contend with the politically savvy, and slimy, Ingild was both infuriating and thrilling. Herla's journey carried just as much care for character development. It was a wonderful triptych of character growth, and the three POVs.

I also thought the way this novel built off of Holland's previous work, Sistersong, was excellent. While not necessary to read The Song of the Huntress, much of the in-world history can be explained by Sisterson. And character cameos/references abound. Again, these are more exciting for those who read Sistersong than necessary to understanding the story. All necessary context is given within the novel. But as a Sistersong reader I had a great time!

A five-star read for sure. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for an advanced digital copy. I made sure to grab a physical copy on release day!

The book is told from a few perspectives, humping between a queen, a king, and a Wild Hunt member. I really liked the complexity of all three of these characters and I also loved the development of their relationships throughout the war/conflict.

I honestly had a hard time getting into the book because of how lost I was with the historical aspects and names, but that’s totally on me. I’m also not hugely into politically heavy fantasy books and this one focuses a lot on war and land ownership and all that.

The magic was super cool and I loved the link to Land and how grounding to place was used. The Wild Hunt is of course a very cool story, so seeing this version- sapphic version at that- was cool.

The second half was definitely easier to get into, for me, and I zoomed through the last 20%. As far as sapphic expectations, (spoiler alert!!) it was not amazing for me. In this story it made sense, but I don’t love sad endings/the bury your gays trope and this feels in that vein.

It was nice to see a dynamic where the man uses words and the woman uses force, as a subversion of the medieval trope.

Overall, this book definitely has a target audience, and unfortunately I don’t think this one was really for me. I can see a lot of people loving it, as it’s written well and has such good character building!!

I didn't really have any expectations as I started this book- mostly because I'm so new to the fantasy genre- and I was both let down and pleasantly surprised.

The wlw romance was beautiful and absolutely lovely, minus one part that was a low key violation and absolutely unnecessary, but I honestly pretended that it didn't happen so I thoroughly enjoyed the romance.

My personal favorite aspect of this book was the multiple POVs we experience throughout. I adore multiple POV books and to have three POVs was super interesting and kept me engaged, though the pacing was quite slow at times.

I must say that I struggled with the setting and overall time period. Personally, I don't really care about old British time and whatnot, so I can recognize that this might just not be for me and that's okay.

Overall, I enjoyed Song of the Huntress. It was good, just good.

Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books and author Lucy Holland for the ARC!!

In 60 AD Herla made a pact with the King of the Otherworld in an attempt to save her home, her friends, and the woman she loves. He promises her the power to destroy her enemies if she will join him in the Otherworld for three days. But time flows differently there and when she leaves she finds that three centuries have passed and everyone she loves is long gone. Herla becomes lost to the power and leads the warriors that followed her as Lord of the Wild Hunt. For centuries they ride reaping souls. Until one night they come across a bloody battlefield and Herla comes across Æthelburg, Queen of Wessex, and for the first time in centuries her humanity is stirred. Queen Æthelburg is leading the forces of Wessex against a rebellion while her husband King Ine is dealing with machinations of court. As dark omens start to spread through Wessex their only hope lies in an ancient power dormant in Ine’s lineage.

A reimagining of the Wild Hunt Legend this was a bit of a slow read for me. There is a lot of world building between the two (main) kingdoms at odds with each other, the Otherworld and its inhabitants, myths and history, as well as character backstories. It felt like at times it kind of bogged down the story. However, on the flip side, it made the world richer. Due to this I am kinda on the fence about this book. I did enjoy it but I struggled sometimes staying interested. I felt the dynamic between Ine and Æthel a bit odd. Despite being married (for I'm guessing) at least a decade they still had so many communication issues. The dynamic between Æthel and Herla was a lot better. And to me, at least, it didn't feel rushed between them. Wish there was more time for them between all the war. And on that note, there was a bit of the story I felt unresolved by, what happened to the guy Æthel was chasing at the beginning? Dude just fell off the page. All that being said I did enjoy the book and glad I pushed through.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

Author Lucy Holland takes the story of the Wild Hunt from Old English and British Lore and melds it together with a feminine retelling. Allowing Herla to be female in her story while the original was said to be a legendary king of the Britons. I felt it was a great representation of power and status by giving a female such a role. The writing is well done and beautiful though I do think the story is a bit lacking. I didn't feel as drawn in as I I often want when it comes to mythology and retelling.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review. I do feel this is a book I want to revisit in the future to see if, perhaps, my mind was not in the right place to read it at the moment. I do think the characters are well done and interesting as well. If you are a fan of mythology, The lore of the Wild Hunt, or any sort of retellings when it comes to the ancient world, this may be the right read for you.

Thank you for the arc but I found this was just not for me. I really didn't connect with any of the characters and the representation in this didn't sit right with me. As someone who is ace I found the portrayal of Ine's character to be a little acephobic. I dislike cheating in stories as well and found Aethelburg to be a bit unbearable and selfish. It was a difficult story for me to follow but I am unfamiliar with Saxon history and because of the welsh names it was hard to figure out how to pronounce them and keep track of who was who. There is a pronunciation guide in the front but in reading an ebook going back to the front every time a name came up that I couldn't pronounce would mean I'd never finish the book. Overall I just don't think I'm the right audience as I hoped I would be.

This was a beautifully written feminist retelling of the Wild Hunt told from the perspectives of three people: Queen Æthelburg, King Ine, and Herla, Lord of the Hunt. I was super excited to read this story as I enjoyed Sistersong, and because it takes place in Wessex, 60 AD, a time period that I’ve recently become very interested in, though, admittedly I didn’t know much about it prior to reading this.
I loved the way that historical fiction was blended with the mythology surrounding the Wild Hunt, and I found the characters and relationships to be incredibly compelling and well crafted.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed Holland’s writing, this is a very character-driven story, and I found myself getting slightly bored at times. The beginning of the book follows a very slow pace, as it was a very dense story, packed with folklore and mythology. However, the second half of the story picks up and I flew through the rest of it.

Overall, I enjoyed this, and I’m excited to read whatever else Lucy Holland writes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook/Orbit for the e-arc!

Sistersong was, without a doubt, the best book I read last year. And probably my favorite book of the last decade. And as soon as I saw this one on NetGalley, I preordered it before I requested the ARC. And Holland does not disappoint.

As Sistersong was a retelling of The Twa Sisters, this was a retelling of The Wild Hunt. But there’s also the deep historical background of the encroachment of Christianity in the UK, the forgetting of the old traditions,

The characters are so vivid, and we get to know them in the stress of battle, but also during quiet moments of conversation and love. It was so riveting to read as our three main characters moved through the world, and with each other.

This whole story has a gorgeous weight to it. It feels lush and vast, and as soon as I finished reading it, I also bought an audio copy so I could listen to it. It’s got the feel of an oral tradition, told in a vast hall filled with a hearth fire and a hushed crowd.

And the pacing! As the tension ramped up, I could literally feel my blood pounding in my ears as the climax of the story approached. And this story used one of my absolute favorite tropes where the king is the land. This gets used beautifully bring everything to a head.

Lucy Holland is an auto buy for me, and has pretty solidly landed herself as one of my favorite authors.

Huge thanks to both NetGalley and Redhook Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

‘Song of the Huntress’ captivates from start to finish with its poetic prose and richly woven tapestry of mythological intrigue. Lucy Holland transports readers to ancient Britain with vivid descriptions that evoke both the lush beauty and harsh realities of the landscape. The character dynamics are deeply compelling, particularly the nuanced development of Ine, whose empathy and resilience shine through amidst the turmoil. While the initial pacing may seem slow, the payoff is immense as the narrative unfolds, revealing layers of complexity and emotion. This is a story of love, loyalty, and betrayal, where every character is beautifully flawed and intricately layered.

2.5 stars

I’m so sad that I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to. The writing is absolutely beautiful and captured me at first, but as the story went on, I just felt disconnected from the plot. There was nothing bad about it, but I found myself not caring about any of the characters, especially the romance, which was probably attributed to how slow the plot was.

Solid 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Amongst a sea of Greek retellings, Song of the Huntress is a fresh take on the English Wild Hunt mythos. I loved the blend of history with fiction, and you are left wondering what is "real" and what is magic.

The story is told in multiple POV, which allows you to really see into each character. There is quite a bit of queer representation, including ASEXUAL rep which I do not see nearly enough of. Lucy Holland subverts gender norms and I am here for it.

The prose can give you whiplash a bit, going from slow to very fast with little notice. But overall a great read (and now I need to go and read Holland's other books!)

Thank you to Orbit/Redhook and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance e-galley copy of SONG OF THE HUNTRESS. This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on the advanced copy I received.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Song of the Huntress is a gorgeous tribute to the history and mythology of Britain and it's people—both native and foreign. Lucy Holland blends mythology with history in such a gorgeous way, its hard to accept these are merely tales of fantasy.

SONG OF THE HUNTRESS follows three main characters and their struggles to defend Wessex and its peoples in order to bring peace between hostile sides. Ine—the pacifist King who takes pride in protecting the Britons and welcoming them into his Kingdom, Æthelberg—the warrioress Queen who spends more time roaming Wessex defending the King's peace that at home at Ine's side, and Herla—a woman out of her time due to a cursed pact she made with the king of the Otherworld. Together, they must find the answers to the mysteries that haunt their land, before an ancient magic awakens to destroy them all.

It's a gorgeous historical fantasy that retells the old tale of Herla and the Wild Hunt in a queerly feminist way.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book. It was slow to start, the old spellings of names and places definitely tripped me up a bit at times. If the old mythology and stories from the British Isles is not something you're invested in to any degree, I can definitely see this book being a rough one to get into. But, if you're like me, and the old ways and tales hold a special place in your heart—then this tale is a magical journey to take.

Lucy's writing is poetic and elegant. She tells a compelling story while also weaving in themes of queerness of many forms, feminism and women's roles in society, and the Church's hijacking of pagan lands, rituals, and holidays.

The most important to me was the exploration of asexuality in Ine and how it impacted him and his relationship. I, myself, identify as ace so his personal journey of learning to stop hiding his truth and being open/honest with his partner hit home for me. Ine touched on many of the insecurities many Ace individuals struggle with, including me. It is so rare to find Ace characters in fantasies, especially in any with romance sub-plots. I thank Lucy Holland deeply for her choice to include asexuality representation as part of a main character's character arc. I felt it was well done and given excellent care and attention. In addition to ace, other forms of the LGBTQIA+ community were integrated into the tale. Bisexuality (Æthelburg), Lesbian (Herla), and Nonbinary (Spoiler character).

The characters were a joy to spend time with. When POVs would swap, I never felt disappointed. I was fully invested in all three POVs and their parts in this tale. They were all so complex and fully fleshed out with fantastic character growths that were satisfying to see their fruitions at the end. Ine, Æthel, and Herla all were flawed in their own ways, and that made them feel all the more real, despite the magic that surrounds them. Despite the numerous times I wanted to yell at them "No don't do that!!" or "Just f**king TALK to them", their flaws were relatable and choices understandable.

All in all, I enjoyed this tale. It brought the old ways and the old tales of the british isles to life and I can still feel its magic lingering in my mind as I write this review. If mythology is something you enjoy, then you should really check out this book!

This book has everything that I want in a story: strong women, Welsh mythology (the Wild Hunt), war, politics, magic, and mystery. It even dives in to topics like asexuality that I don’t typically find in this type of setting. With all of that going for it, I really struggled to get through this one.

It feels conflicting to say, but as much as I liked the characters, I didn’t really *care* about them. The pacing within individual chapters and scenes was overall slow, but then I’d have whiplash when something actually happened. Overall it felt very clunky and was hard to follow at times.

I will say that the character arcs were rewarding. I also enjoyed the retelling of the Wild Hunt with its gender-bending elements. Overall, I think the plot had a lot of potential, but the flowery prose decreased the clarity. I’m glad that I finished it, but it was just okay for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Song of the Huntress on March 19, 2024.

I loved the premise of this book, with a queer, feminist take on the classic Wild Hunt story. Unfortunately, the reading slump plague has hit me, and I had to DNF shortly into the book.

I'm hopeful this is only a temporary DNF, and I'll be ready to pick it up soon. But even looking at the cast of character page made me hesitant to keep going, and I think I just need to be in the right headspace to tackle this one.

But if you're looking for a complex historical fantasy with lush writing, you might want to pick this one up!

Wonderful young adult book. Kept me reading and engaged. I think this. Will be very popular on book tok

This is a retelling of the Wild Hunt.
Herla mistakenly asked for help to ensure Boudica's victory, but she was tricked. Hundreds of years later, she is still trying to right that wrong. Herla and her sisters of the hunt are determined to fight.
With war brewing between humans and the Otherworld, they will have to choose sides.

I loved the setting and all the historical aspects. Great characters. The writing was just a bit flowery for me. Otherwise I thought it was great.