Book Review: ‘Sistersong: A Novel’ By Lucy Holland

Review by Lauryn Angel

Sistersong is the story of siblings Riva, Keyne, and Sinne, children of King Cador of Dumnonia, set in an ancient Britain after the Romans left it, when the Saxons are a looming threat. Dumnonia is a kingdom caught between the old gods whose magic is waning and Christianity as espoused by the monk Gildas. The narrative is split between the perspectives of the sisters: Riva, the healer who is herself scarred from a fiery accident; Keyne, who was born female but struggles to make his family acknowledge his true identity; Sinne, the youngest, a free spirit who has visions of a future romance.

Keyne is my favorite of the siblings, as his story is one of discovering who he is meant to be. He starts as a character who feels shame, hiding who he is from his own family, to a confident leader. Her transformation is guided by the gender-fluid Myrdhin/Mori, who teaches Keyne about magic and storytelling. Sinne started out as my least-favorite of the siblings because, quite frankly, she was quite the spoiled brat. But much like Keyne, she grew on me as her situation causes her to grow up and take responsibility for her actions. Riva started out as a much more empathetic character than she ended up, and her journey is both understandable and frustrating, as her lack of confidence is in many ways what ultimately brings about the troubles that befall Dumnonia.

Fans of historical fiction will likely enjoy Lucy Holland’s Sistersong as I did. Comparisons to Madeline Miller’s Circe are well-founded, as the prose is just as lyrically beautiful. I eagerly anticipate Holland’s next novel.