Retelling a traditional murder ballad in the shape and style of an epic fantasy, Lucy Holland’s Sistersong is a fascinating, evocative and at times shockingly dark tale of family, magic, faith and suppressed voices set in post-Roman Britain. In the kingdom of Dumnonia, the three daughters of King Cador each search for their place in life and in their family, while war gathers on the horizon and their father’s connection to the land and its magic wanes as the Christian church gains power. As the danger of Saxon invasion grows and the fortunes of the kingdom fade, the sisters are each faced with choices that will have significant consequences for themselves, their family and their people.
If you haven’t come across them before, murder ballads are particularly dark traditional folk songs all revolving around death (see here for more details), with a rich history of reinterpretation, and in this case it’s The Twa Sisters that loosely forms the basis of Sistersong. Holland weaves the central themes of the ballad (I won’t give details, for risk of minor spoilers) in with elements of Arthurian legend and British history, and while some of the characters here will be familiar to those with an interest in 6th Century British history, the various influences are all bound together into a gripping story with its own unique identity. Central to the story are the three sisters – Riva, Keyne and Sinna – each with their own skills and struggles, and the culture clash between Dumnonia’s ancient pagan beliefs and the increasing power of Christianity as exemplified by the sinister presence of crow-like priest Gildas.
Structured into relatively quick, pacy chapters, the viewpoint rotates across the three sisters, giving different perspectives on the events of the plot and the relationships within the family. The most compelling of the sisters is Keyne, whose search for place and identity is defined by his transmasculinity and the way the world sees him, a subject which Holland handles with finesse and blends effortlessly into both the narrative and the context of the setting. Themes of gender and sexuality help contribute to a fresh, modern feel to the story despite its historical elements, combining beautifully with the more traditional elements that tie in with the ballad, from religion and spirituality to the complex dynamics within families and cultures. Although they don’t quite have Keyne’s complexity, both Riva and Sinne add fascinating elements to the story, Riva’s scarred self image contrasting effectively with Sinne’s spoiled, youthful daydreaming, while the rest of the supporting cast – in particular the controlling Gildas and ambiguous, mysterious Mydrhin – have plenty to do themselves.
For all that this is a story driven by strong characters and based on an intriguing mixture of history and mythology, it’s very much an epic fantasy in form, complete with pitched battles and sieges, magic, mystery, faith and deadly power struggles. With the clever mixture of the traditional with the modern, however, it offers a refreshing take on the genre, blending together historical fiction, mythology, folklore and fantasy into something truly wonderful. Add to that Holland’s exquisite prose, haunting descriptions of the Dumnonian countryside and coastline (roughly equivalent to Cornwall and Devon today) and an intriguing connection between the land, the people and their magic, the end result is a book that’s beautiful but dark, which tackles complex, compelling themes while remaining compulsively readable. It’s very special, totally in keeping with the history and traditions of its influences, and will live long in the reader’s memory.
Many thanks to Black Crow PR, Macmillan and Lucy Holland for providing me with a review copy of Sistersong in exchange for my honest review, and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.
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