Sistersong

In a land abandoned by the Romans and at the mercy of the invading Saxon armies Dumnonia sits alone. The King, once powerful, has turned to the new Christian religion but his three daughters are aware of the power and magic associated with their land. As spiritual and physical conflict threaten their lives a stranger arrives and through him their destinies are determined.
At first I found this story very slow but then it got into my head and I realised that the tempo is part of the joy of reading it. The characters are all carefully drawn but with a degree of mystery that fits the premise of the clash of cultures. Based on an ancient folk song the story is tragic but the writing is stunning in places and this was a great read.

this is one great read!

its a re-telling of an old british folklore, the twa sisters, with heavy trappings of Arthurian mythology...it leans heavily into feminist and LGBTQ+ themes...and yet it feels so grounded somehow. and in spite of all the familiar tropes, the author managed to surprise me several times in the book!

midway i kept praying that this is the start of a trilogy of books (i want more!)...right before the end i understood why it cannot be so and i cried happy and sad tears...

I loved both the historical elements and the fantastical elements, as well as Keyne's proto-trans storyline. I did find the middle third of the book a bit of a slog, when the YA-ish angst elements were most pronounced, and the oppression and intimidation of the Christian priest was heaviest. The last third of the book was terrific--thrilling in many places, horrific and heartbreaking in others. I don't think this is intended to be a series, but I'd be very interested in reading more work set in this timeline. Well done!

My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
A story of three Sisters told in alternate chapters So you see the events as they unfold from different perspectives. Well written and researched a clever mix of history and fantasy. A story of love magic politics sibling rivalry and ultimately betrayal.
As a sixty three year old bloke and a grumpy Yorkshireman to boot I do not feel I am the target audience for this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Recommended.

This is a tale of 3 sisters in post-Roman Devon as the Saxons are beginning their invasion of Britain. It takes a long time to become something more interesting than a bland YA with a historical veneeer - I was about a third of the way through before it really grabbed me - but then it becomes more complex and nuanced, and very enjoyable.

This is a beautiful fantasy story of two sisters and their trans brother. It reads very similarly to the Elements of Cadence duology. I enjoyed the tension between the church and magic here too.

A well-written story of magic and connection to the land in the time of the Saxon invasion of Britain. The characters are well drawn and compelling.