Sistersong by Lucy Holland is heartbreakingly beautiful. I had never heard of ‘The Twa Sisters’ murder folk ballad but looked it up after I finished reading. Sistersong proved to be as evocative as the ballad is.
Historical
Review: The Hood (Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet #2) by Lavie Tidhar
The Hood delivers myth and magic with a splatter of sweary violence and comedy in all the right places in what is one of the most unique and masterful reads of 2021.
Review & Interview – Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
Slewfoot is an intriguing horror story that is both extremely unsettling and utterly satisfying. It is both a tale of finding oneself and pure, unadulterated vengeance. It is both exactly and not even close to what I was expecting upon completion, and I thoroughly enjoyed my gateway drug to Brom’s library.
Review: A Song of Steel (The Light of the North #1) by J.C. Duncan
A Song of Steel is a debut novel that heralds epic fantasy in its rawest form. The story can envelop you like a long lost relative after spending months apart. Every interconnecting aspect of it just feels right. From its brutally accurate characterization and its dramatic historic landscape, it’s the kind of story that leaves you grappling for cognitive cohesion. The immersion and the compulsiveness has you addicted within a few pages. Duncan’s spellbinding narrative took me hostage and posted my ransom…although, truth be told, I didn’t want anyone to pay it!
Review: Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt
It is that time of year where I’m ramping up my Norse mythology reads in preparation for Spells & Spaceships Norsevember extravaganza. I kicked off a little early this year with Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt.This is a tale of survival, cunning, and strength amidst the chaos.
Review: She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Empire #1) by Shelley Parker-Chan
She Who Became the Sun has echoes of Mulan but Shelley Parker-Chan has a narrative that is all her own. Raw and spirited. Vividly sketched characters that call to be heard.
Review: Sistersong by Lucy Holland
I’m just saying please buy this book, please read it, please experience it and please feel everything it is going to give you. I was caught out by just how much emotional punch it has, and those last 100 pages are going to be a roller-coaster of emotion. I wanted to cry happy tears at the end. The kind of tears where your heart is broken, then fixed just enough that you feel almost happy again.