4.25*

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Macmillan for a digital review copy of "Song of the Huntress" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I read Sistersong in 2023 and loved that it took a different direction for historical fiction/myth retellings so I of course was immediately interested in reading Song of the Huntress. Compared to it, this is definitely a more grown up story. We still have three core narrators - this time all adults (Ine and Æthelburg - King and Queen of Wessex and Herla, Lord of the Hunt), but they are still navigating a rapidly changing society and battling to understand how to live, and love in communities that are torn between Christian and Pagan influences. The magic system remains the same and I loved the connections back to Sistersong but it's not a sequel by any means and can read as a standalone. I just felt that I got more out of it though because I had already immersed myself in the world and power dynamics of that society.

This novel has much more focus on the political elements but also wonderfully intertwines magic and folklore throughout. There are numerous plot elements that are introduced including betrayal, treason, and an ancient menace with a ticking clock element that propels the story forward. 

With all of these storylines and many characters the story does take a while to get going and it took me a while to feel connected to the story and the characters as at times I wasn't entirely sure who was who and what their motivations were. But about 40% in it all clicked and started building to its thrilling climax and for me the remainder of the book was an absolute winner.

For me Æthelburg was the heart of the story and her relationships and interactions were what kept the story moving. Ine was frustrating in his lack of ability to communicate but I loved his story arc in the end, glad to see Asexual representation and how he linked back to Dumnonia.

Herla is a statuesque giant in this book. Strong, tormented with fierce loyalty and love keeping her battling against the curses placed upon her. Her relationships and interactions all feel bittersweet as you feel from page one that everything related to her is ultimately doomed though you can't help but feel connected to her and wish constantly for her to succeed and find happiness.

Much like Sistersong all of these characters are very human, even amongst the magics and fantasy. They are fallible and fully rounded with good and bad traits so you cheer them on and then feel frustrated when they fail. Many of the periphery characters are lacking in characterisation and the villains of the piece do feel more one dimensional but they don't detract from the power of the core three narrators.

The slow build up for this book did pay off for the story and I loved it's focus on love, loyalty and navigating through uncertainty especially in relation to religion and societal changes. Fans of Sistersong will love that it takes the adult perspective this time and doesn't just rehash the same story but keeps the core magics and wonderful storytelling that we got in that book.

Song of the Huntress comes out 21st March 2024