Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland

⭐⭐⭐/5

A lyrical Celtic folklore retelling, dense with prose and magic.

The theme of female rage, and women stepping into their power is really well done in this story. I love that our two women main characters strong, independent and capable warriors. I also love the beautiful prose and excellent way that Lucy Holland describes the time/land that the story takes place on. I felt like I was really there, riding on horseback beside these characters. If you resonate with these themes, then you'll really enjoy this story.

"Wild-eyed men are tumbling from the fortress as the flames spread, and she cuts them down, her anger at Leofric turning her blows savage. It is only after a dozen have fallen that she remembers they ought to take prisoners."

Where the story falters for me is the interpersonal relationships between characters. Almost every conflict arises from an intentional miscommunication or withholding of information. I wish this storytelling device has been used more sparingly.

I think the marketing of this book lead to a mismatch of my expectations and the story itself. The cover is a picture of two women in profile, the description say, "stunning tale of two great warriors", however this book has three main characters, the two women warriors AND the king, who has about 1/3 of the real estate in this book and who is essential to the storyline. So I was surprised when his first POV chapter popped up, then confused when it kept coming up, asking myself 'why are we hearing so much from this person in a story centering two women?' His character is deep, and authentic and drives the story forward. He's a great character, but the marketing removes him in a big way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for this advanced reader copy.

This book is best read in a grand hall filled with warriors from both sides of a battle. Remember, if they have a cup in their hand, they can't hold a sword.