Sistersong by Lucy Holland tells the story of three siblings who hold the fate of their kingdom in their hands. Riva, Keyne, and Sinne are connected to the land and magic of Dunbriga like their father, King Cador, has not been since he welcomed the Christian priest Gildas to his hold. As the bloodthirsty Saxons crawl ever closer to invading Dunbriga's lands, the royal children must embrace their connection to the land and each other to succeed; Keyne, always fighting to be seen for who he truly is; Riva, scarred by a tragic accident that makes her doubt her abilities; and Sinne, who longs for the adventure she loves in stories. Only if they accept each other and their heritage will they be able to save their people.
I liked the way this book seamlessly combined history with fantasy. Even with all the magic, the details of the kingdoms and their relations made it so easy to picture the events occurring in history as if they were real. I also loved how magic works in this story—it's not just a few special people who can use magic. Everyone in Dunbriga who is faithful to their culture can use magic (though some, of course, are more adept at it than others). And the magic itself is exciting—instead of wands and spells and whatnot, the magic is summoned through prayer or manipulating patterns in the world. It makes me feel like if I could just look hard enough, I'd find those patterns in the real world, too.
However, the pacing of this book was a little slow for my taste. That could be because I'm used to faster-paced books, but I wondered why some scenes were included and when things would happen. While Holland is a talented storyteller, I felt her prose was stilted and bland in some spots, which contributed to the slow pace.
I rate Sistersong by Lucy Holland 3/5 stars. Despite the pacing issues, I still enjoyed the book and was excited to see how the characters grew.
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