Holland weaves the central themes of the ballad (I won’t give details, for risk of minor spoilers) in with elements of Arthurian legend and British history, and while some of the characters here will be familiar to those with an interest in 6th Century British history, the various influences are all bound together into a gripping story with its own unique identity. If you haven’t come across them before, murder ballads are particularly dark traditional folk songs all revolving around death ( see here for more details), with a rich history of reinterpretation, and in this case it’s The Twa Sisters that loosely forms the basis of Sistersong. As the danger of Saxon invasion grows and the fortunes of the kingdom fade, the sisters are each faced with choices that will have significant consequences for themselves, their family and their people. In the kingdom of Dumnonia, the three daughters of King Cador each search for their place in life and in their family, while war gathers on the horizon and their father’s connection to the land and its magic wanes as the Christian church gains power. Sistersong is a powerfully moving story, perfect for readers who loved Naomi Novik's Uprooted and Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale.Retelling a traditional murder ballad in the shape and style of an epic fantasy, Lucy Holland’s Sistersong is a fascinating, evocative and at times shockingly dark tale of family, magic, faith and suppressed voices set in post-Roman Britain. Riva, Keyne and Sinne become entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, and must fight to forge their own paths. It's a story that will shape the destiny of Britain. But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the land. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky - bringing Myrdhin, meddler and magician. All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people's last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. Keyne battles to be seen as the king's son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure. Riva can cure others, but can't heal her own scars. King Cador's children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. This is that story. For fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Lucy Holland's Sistersong retells the folk ballad 'The Twa Sisters.'
Murder. A tale of three siblings and three deadly sins. In a magical ancient Britain, bards sing a story of treachery, love and death.
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