Meanwhile, Sinne – young, flirtatious, and a little silly – toys with simple deceptions and “glamours”. She’s quiet and caring, but acutely aware of how unfair it is, particularly as the oldest daughter, and the one most expected to marry well.

Riva, scarred from a childhood accident, can cure others but not herself. In those respects, Holland has done a great job of giving Riva, Keyne, and Sinne different voices, and their more magical skillsets suit their personalities perfectly.įor Riva and Sinne, these are fairly clear from the get-go. One that’s bound to appeal to fans of the likes of Circe and Ariadne.īouncing back from a rather unsettled opening – quickly switching chapters between the three siblings so early on, when readers just want to get a real taste for the personality of each character, is a little jarring – once characters are rather more firmly established, it’s easier to follow and to differentiate between them. Inspired by The Twa Sisters, a traditional murder ballad dating back centuries, Lucy Holland‘s Sistersong is an exciting historical fiction fantasy.

And when the magician Myrdhin returns, only to be rejected by his old friend the king, the siblings must tap into their own power, to forge their own destiny and save the land they call home. Under his often cruel guidance, the people of Dunbriga are forgetting the old ways, and Riva, Keyne, and Sinne feel it keenly. Without the protection of the old gods, the kingdom’s magical defences are crumbling. Already set to inherit a land torn asunder, the children of King Cador and Queen Enica watch as their parents bend increasingly to the will of Gildas, an influential and dangerous Christian leader. The Romans have left Britain, abandoning it to warring tribes and the invading Saxons.

Sistersong lucy holland