Review: Sistersong

Sistersong by Lucy Holland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daaaamn, things got real weird for a hot minute there. I LIKE.

Three sisters: Keyne, who would prefer to have been born a son; Riva, scarred and self-conscious after a fire many years ago; and Sinne, the young, precocious child who dreams of love and adventure. There's also a magician, a priest and a handsome stranger, so these girls are in for some interesting times.

I loved the relationship between the sisters, because there's a really strong bond there with lots of surface bickering. Mori and Myrdhin were a lot of fun, too, though a little bit cliche - the wise wizard who acts as a mentor for the girls, speaks in riddles and only interferes when necessary; the witch who lives in the woods and makes magic with herbs and potions.

The story is a little slow to unravel, though I was never bored - the characters were great to learn about, and the magic system was a curious thing. It was a long, sprawling story, but I never felt the pace - particularly as things get rather bizarre towards the end and the action comes hard and fast so it compensates for the length.

There were some rather frustrating moments that made things easily predictable, but all in all it was a story I followed without too many complaints. I was swept up in the Dwarf King story, too, which was a beautiful moment.

An easy read with plenty of action, diverse characters and some unpredictable moments. I found it rather addictive and definitely recommend it for those interested in YA, twisted fairytales and/or historical fiction with a touch of magic sprinkled in.

With thanks to Macmillan for an ARC

View all my reviews