Song of the Huntress
Lucy Holland
21 March 2024
9781529077407Synopsis
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SISTERSONG
'Lucy Holland's lyrical prose and powerful storytelling will lure you in' Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
A must-read for fans of Circe, Song of the Huntress recasts the folklore behind the Wild Hunt into a dark, feminist fantasy set amidst the legends and beauty of ancient Britain.
Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, land and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield – a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.
Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband’s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever: the dead kings of Wessex are waking, and his own brother seeks to usurp him. Ine’s only hope is to master the magic that’s lain dormant in his bloodline since ancient days.
When their paths cross, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. As she and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity – and a way to break the curse – before it’s too late.
‘A brilliantly assured storyteller’ – Molly Flatt
A beautiful reimagining of an old British folklore ballad, Sistersong weaves a captivating spell of myth and magic around the reader. Lucy Holland's lyrical prose and powerful storytelling will lure you into an eerie, intriguing world in which enemies lurk unseen, the threat of betrayal hangs heavy and sisterly loyalties are tested to their limitJennifer Saint, author of Ariadne, on Sistersong
Sistersong is a fresh and gripping retelling of an ancient tale. Set in a realistic, gritty world, the nuanced, compelling characters are the heart of this story about family, love, loyalty and identity. I loved itJohn Gwynne, author of Malice, on Sistersong
Rooted in history but shot through with surprises, this takes ancient British myth and gives it a wonderfully fresh twist. The book combines timely themes around our lost connection with nature, the fluidity of identity and the power of claiming your own story with a haunting atmosphere and a rollicking pace. Lucy Holland is a brilliantly assured storytellerMolly Flatt on Sistersong
