Genre Fiction
![Lucy Holland - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_lucy_holland.jpg)
Sistersong
"A beautiful reimagining of an old British folklore ballad, Sistersong weaves a captivating spell of myth and magic around the reader." (Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne)
In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, and the curl of the grass.
King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can't seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be accepted for who he truly is-the king's son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people's last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne-three siblings entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths.
Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.
Praise for Sistersong:
"An absolutely stunning book." -Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf
"I was utterly captivated from the beginning to the tragic, bittersweet end." -Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Fans of folkloric fantasy will be spellbound." -Publishers Weekly
"Magical, beautiful and heartbreaking." -Greer Macallister, author of Scorpica and The Magician's Lie
"A marvelous tale, gracefully told in language as beautiful as the song that inspired it." -Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"An enthralling fantasy. " -Booklist
In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, and the curl of the grass.
King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can't seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be accepted for who he truly is-the king's son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people's last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne-three siblings entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths.
Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.
Praise for Sistersong:
"An absolutely stunning book." -Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf
"I was utterly captivated from the beginning to the tragic, bittersweet end." -Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Fans of folkloric fantasy will be spellbound." -Publishers Weekly
"Magical, beautiful and heartbreaking." -Greer Macallister, author of Scorpica and The Magician's Lie
"A marvelous tale, gracefully told in language as beautiful as the song that inspired it." -Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"An enthralling fantasy. " -Booklist
Editorial Reviews
"A beautiful reimagining of an old British folklore ballad, Sistersong weaves a captivating spell of myth and magic around the reader. Lucy Holland's lyrical prose and powerful storytelling will lure you into an eerie, intriguing world in which enemies lurk unseen, the threat of betrayal hangs heavy and sisterly loyalties are tested to their limit."―Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
"Sistersong truly reads like a ballad-beautiful and mournful, a melody that sticks in your head. An absolutely stunning book."―Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf
"From its opening pages, Sistersong transports you to a time period often overlooked, and spins a tale of family, loyalty, and the triumph of becoming the person you were always meant to be. I was utterly captivated from the beginning to the tragic, bittersweet end."―Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Sistersong is a marvelous tale, gracefully told in language as beautiful as the song that inspired it. It's a celebration of the power of sisterhood, the strength of earth magic, and the triumph, in the end, of fidelity to both. I fell in love with all three siblings, and I think you will, too!"―Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"Magical, beautiful and heartbreaking, Sistersong keeps you turning the pages until the thrilling conclusion, both tragic and triumphant. Lucy Holland is a talent to watch."―Greer Macallister, author of Scorpica and The Magician's Lie
"An enthralling fantasy. . . Fans of reimagined folklore and mythology like Christina Henry's The Horseman and Genevieve Gornichec's The Witch's Heart will be enchanted."―Booklist
"Holland delivers an enchanting queer retelling of the English murder ballad "The Twa Sisters"… [her] fast-paced plot and fresh, inventive take on a little-known classic make for a stirring experience. Fans of folkloric fantasy will be spellbound."―Publishers Weekly
"Sistersong is a fresh and gripping retelling of an ancient tale. Set in a realistic, gritty world, the nuanced, compelling characters are the heart of this story about family, love, loyalty and identity. I loved it."―John Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods
"A gory, gripping and magically mythic tale of love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal."―Daily Mail
"Holland's lush reimagining of the ballad is a fantastic amalgamation of historical fantasy and English folklore. Brimming with magic….[Her] storytelling is mesmerising, and Sistersong kept me feverishly turning the pages until the very end."―Nerd Daily
"Sistersong truly reads like a ballad-beautiful and mournful, a melody that sticks in your head. An absolutely stunning book."―Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf
"From its opening pages, Sistersong transports you to a time period often overlooked, and spins a tale of family, loyalty, and the triumph of becoming the person you were always meant to be. I was utterly captivated from the beginning to the tragic, bittersweet end."―Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Sistersong is a marvelous tale, gracefully told in language as beautiful as the song that inspired it. It's a celebration of the power of sisterhood, the strength of earth magic, and the triumph, in the end, of fidelity to both. I fell in love with all three siblings, and I think you will, too!"―Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
"Magical, beautiful and heartbreaking, Sistersong keeps you turning the pages until the thrilling conclusion, both tragic and triumphant. Lucy Holland is a talent to watch."―Greer Macallister, author of Scorpica and The Magician's Lie
"An enthralling fantasy. . . Fans of reimagined folklore and mythology like Christina Henry's The Horseman and Genevieve Gornichec's The Witch's Heart will be enchanted."―Booklist
"Holland delivers an enchanting queer retelling of the English murder ballad "The Twa Sisters"… [her] fast-paced plot and fresh, inventive take on a little-known classic make for a stirring experience. Fans of folkloric fantasy will be spellbound."―Publishers Weekly
"Sistersong is a fresh and gripping retelling of an ancient tale. Set in a realistic, gritty world, the nuanced, compelling characters are the heart of this story about family, love, loyalty and identity. I loved it."―John Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods
"A gory, gripping and magically mythic tale of love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal."―Daily Mail
"Holland's lush reimagining of the ballad is a fantastic amalgamation of historical fantasy and English folklore. Brimming with magic….[Her] storytelling is mesmerising, and Sistersong kept me feverishly turning the pages until the very end."―Nerd Daily
Readers Top Reviews
BlackDogBlueGrace Ba
When I first started reading this I wasn't sure how to feel. I'm used to reading crime thriller type books so maybe for that reason the book felt a little slow to me. However I was wrong. It's not slow. It's setting the scene. It's introducing you to everyone. It's making you care so that when the action really starts it hits you hard! And hit hard it does. I finished this book last night and all day I haven't stopped thinking about it. The author makes you care about the characters who feel real. No-one is perfect and no-one is evil, they are flawed people like we all are and we care. If you find the start a little slow like I did please keep reading. Please finish the book. It's absolutely fantastic and it moved me emotionally. The inclusion of a non gender conforming character was done well and with empathy, it wasn't sensationalised, he just wanted to be who he was. I just loved this. If you plan to read this avoid spoilers if you can, it's so much better when you have no idea where the book is going. Read this! I 100% recommend it!
Michele
Sistersong is a gripping, thoroughly engaging, well-paced tale of three young adult siblings who are all struggling both to find their place in the world and also to hang onto their own culture and religion against the ever-increasing onslaught of Christianity. The one struggling the most is Constantine, who was assigned female at birth but knows full well he is not a young woman in a time when transgender wasn't even a word. A clever mixture of Anglo-Saxon history and fantasy, Sistersong was inspired by the folk ballad The Twa Sisters, and Holland has spun and woven a tale of richly observed historical details and fantastical elements that I found almost impossible to put down. I loved this story (which I was lucky enough to read an ARC of last year) and have been recommending it to all and sundry with the unrelenting fervour of a devout convert. Sistersong is my book of 2020 and with any luck it'll be your book of 2021.
Donna Bull
Sistersong is an enchanting, haunting and thoroughly wonderful story of magic, love, betrayal, jealousy and acceptance. Set in the lands of Dumnonia after the Romans have left Britain, the story follows Riva, Sinne and Keyne, the daughters of King Cador. The King has turned his back on the magic of the land for the new religion of Christianity and the local priest vehemently discourages any of the long time practices of the Britons. As crops begin to fail, healing arts begin to falter and war with the Saxons seems imminent the sisters seek their own connections to the magic of the land. All three sisters have strong connections to the magic just in very different ways. Riva has skills and power in healing, Sinne is a seer and Keyne's connection is the strongest of all and very much like what her father's had been. When the handsome Tristan arrives from a nearby kingdom it sets into motion events that will impact each sister and all brings things to a head with the Christian priest. All of these changes and the choices each sister makes will have profound and deadly consequences. I loved this story from beginning to end. The descriptions of all the different festivals throughout the year like Imbolc and Beltane, plus the way the magic is felt by each of the sisters is written beautifully and you really feel how important the connection to the land was for the Britons. The changes that are wrought with the coming of Christianity plus the conflicts with the Saxons show just how fragile the Britons hold on the land was. The relationship of the three sisters and how they are tested throughout is the true heart of the story and Keyne's journey is just so poignant. The building tensions through the story combined with the twists and turns make the ending truly satisfying and oh my that epilogue just gutted me. I would highly recommend this to fans of both historical fantasy and fantasy books, it's just a marvelous tale!!
Basic Bibliophile
Thank you to Macmillan, Redhook Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and provide an honest review of Sistersong. 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.
Mary Joy Fasullo
Absolutely stunning story of magic, sibling rivalry, betrayal and forgiveness. It’s not hard to visualize anything in this book, and the last couple of chapters left goosebumps. 15/10
