Lucy Holland: Sistersong

 Hi everyone

I just finished Sistersong by Lucy Holland. The book has a gorgeous cover but I read it on my e-reader.
It's only 360 pages but it felt longer.

"Inspired by the dark folk ballad “The Two Sisters”, interweaving the perspective of a third sibling that history forgot, Sistersong is a rich and lyrical tale in the tradition of Circe and The Bear and the Nightingale—the story of three daughters of a pagan king who each have their own magical gift, and their own price to pay, when war comes to their land.
In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, the curl of the grass. King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three daughters. Riva can cure others, but can’t seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be seen for who she truly is—the king’s son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding love and 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 sisters entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths.
Their story will shape the destiny of Britain."

I was really looking forward to this but it fell quite short of my expextations. 

 

   * * *        SPOILERS        * * *

 

The writing was ok, a bit simple though not overly so. But the writing is too contemporary for the setting, the dialogue, the characters are all written in modern day English, with modern ideas that don't fit in this historical setting. I'm not sure religion and tolerance were so deeply questionned or accepted back then.
My main problems were the convenience of the magic and the characters. The workings of the magic and the timing were a too perfect fit for the story. When it works or doesn't, who can do what. All way too convenient to fit what's going on and where Holland wants the story to go.
Now about the characters. All three sisters read like teenagers, especially the drama between them and the romantic aspect all three have. Mother and father have no depth, neither do the priest and the magician. Everyone is very one-sided.
As important; in my opinion Keyne should have stayed a woman and become the strong confident independent warrior she really is. Or she should have come into her own as a man but not a warrior. To combine them both made it too much of a stereotype wherein the man is the fighter and leader and the woman stays meek. As if she can only be a warrior is she's a man.
This really took down the book for me. 

It's not a great fantasy novel because it tries to be historical but it's not an amazing historical novel either because of the anachronistic writing.

I wouldn't recommend reading this.

Happy reading
Helena