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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Black Crow PR for sending me a copy for the book tour.
I really appreciated the pronunciation guide and author's note all being at the front because then I didn't have to worry about flicking to the back to be met with the strong potential spoilers.
From reading the synopsis, I felt like it reminded me of the story of Boudica, which I remember being fascinated by when I was a child after watching a fantastic documentary (I believe I watched on ITV and she may have been my bi awakening; this determined warrior queen was so inspiring and quite frankly, epic) and lo and behold, in the first paragraph, who was mentioned? Boudica. I loved that and what I adored more was that it was a story not centered on her but woven around her female lover and what became of Herla, seeking the aid of the fae to bring them power in their battle against the Romans.
Herla was such an interesting character. Her arc wasn't as fully satisfying as I hoped it could be by the end, but her bond with her warrior sisters and brute willpower in trying to break the hold that the curse had over them was amazing. She was such a strong character, filled with a fire burning vibrantly.
Over to the Wiltun royals.
I found it intriguing that the royalty also acted as detectives as a sort. It did have me questioning their safety when so much strife was happening across the land (with the Saxons vs the Britons), for them to be casually running about, but the boldness and strength within Æthelburg (in particular) was inspiring.
It's funny, I didn't really find her likeable, but I found her realistic and not every real person is likeable. She had depth to her and had a mind I couldn't always make sense of or agree with, however she had this raw sense of character to her that I couldn't help but be dazzled by.
Ine on the flip side was incredibly meek for the majority of The Song of the Huntress. Despite this (or because of it, perhaps) he probably had one of the strongest character developments from beginning to end as he really came into his strength and kingship and showed us that not every battle has to be won through war. He was all about peace and the bigger picture and I loved that. I also sympathized to his aversion and indifference to physical intimacy and how the lack of communication about his feelings on the matter created this big sore spot of tension and resentment between him and Æthel (who was completely misunderstanding the reasons for his draw back).
I hate the miscommunication trope and although I was screaming at how long that dragged on in this, I did find the exploration of various sexualities that was adjacent to this super important and well done.
This did feel very slow moving on the whole, which made some scenes drag in the execution, especially the scenes that had tropes, relationships, decisions I wasn't super keen on.
I wasn't content with Herla putting everything she felt for Boudica onto Æthel. That didn't really feel fair or like real love. The relationship (although in sentiment to what Æthel was missing in her marriage) between the two just felt like lust more than anything - a fun, and wonderful experience that definitely bloomed into something more, sure, but at the expense of a possible breakdown of marriage... I don't know... The emotion behind it all just felt either shallow on Æthelburg's side, transferable love from Herla's side that she hadn't properly had a chance to grieve yet, and just pure reckless desire from the both of them.
There can be a lot to be said for the relationships of this story. They were all so complex and messy and despite my qualms mentioned above, I did really enjoy that about this novel. Life is complex and messy; people fall in and out of love with each other (and sometimes back in love again) all the time; sometimes a new person will enter into their lives, shake the dynamic up and this can either destroy it, or have everyone involved reflect on what they're doing in life and love and reevaluate on it all. The Song of the Huntress perfectly captured all of this and more in a harrowing, gritty story of magic, power, duplicity and, of course, love in all its forms.
I ended up having a mixed set of feelings upon completing it, but I can't deny that it was a fascinating portray of the Wild Hunt and of a time where people moved differently in the world, being closer to the land and her wonders.
I really appreciated the pronunciation guide and author's note all being at the front because then I didn't have to worry about flicking to the back to be met with the strong potential spoilers.
From reading the synopsis, I felt like it reminded me of the story of Boudica, which I remember being fascinated by when I was a child after watching a fantastic documentary (I believe I watched on ITV and she may have been my bi awakening; this determined warrior queen was so inspiring and quite frankly, epic) and lo and behold, in the first paragraph, who was mentioned? Boudica. I loved that and what I adored more was that it was a story not centered on her but woven around her female lover and what became of Herla, seeking the aid of the fae to bring them power in their battle against the Romans.
Herla was such an interesting character. Her arc wasn't as fully satisfying as I hoped it could be by the end, but her bond with her warrior sisters and brute willpower in trying to break the hold that the curse had over them was amazing. She was such a strong character, filled with a fire burning vibrantly.
Over to the Wiltun royals.
I found it intriguing that the royalty also acted as detectives as a sort. It did have me questioning their safety when so much strife was happening across the land (with the Saxons vs the Britons), for them to be casually running about, but the boldness and strength within Æthelburg (in particular) was inspiring.
It's funny, I didn't really find her likeable, but I found her realistic and not every real person is likeable. She had depth to her and had a mind I couldn't always make sense of or agree with, however she had this raw sense of character to her that I couldn't help but be dazzled by.
Ine on the flip side was incredibly meek for the majority of The Song of the Huntress. Despite this (or because of it, perhaps) he probably had one of the strongest character developments from beginning to end as he really came into his strength and kingship and showed us that not every battle has to be won through war. He was all about peace and the bigger picture and I loved that. I also sympathized to his aversion and indifference to physical intimacy and how the lack of communication about his feelings on the matter created this big sore spot of tension and resentment between him and Æthel (who was completely misunderstanding the reasons for his draw back).
I hate the miscommunication trope and although I was screaming at how long that dragged on in this, I did find the exploration of various sexualities that was adjacent to this super important and well done.
This did feel very slow moving on the whole, which made some scenes drag in the execution, especially the scenes that had tropes, relationships, decisions I wasn't super keen on.
I wasn't content with Herla putting everything she felt for Boudica onto Æthel. That didn't really feel fair or like real love. The relationship (although in sentiment to what Æthel was missing in her marriage) between the two just felt like lust more than anything - a fun, and wonderful experience that definitely bloomed into something more, sure, but at the expense of a possible breakdown of marriage... I don't know... The emotion behind it all just felt either shallow on Æthelburg's side, transferable love from Herla's side that she hadn't properly had a chance to grieve yet, and just pure reckless desire from the both of them.
There can be a lot to be said for the relationships of this story. They were all so complex and messy and despite my qualms mentioned above, I did really enjoy that about this novel. Life is complex and messy; people fall in and out of love with each other (and sometimes back in love again) all the time; sometimes a new person will enter into their lives, shake the dynamic up and this can either destroy it, or have everyone involved reflect on what they're doing in life and love and reevaluate on it all. The Song of the Huntress perfectly captured all of this and more in a harrowing, gritty story of magic, power, duplicity and, of course, love in all its forms.
I ended up having a mixed set of feelings upon completing it, but I can't deny that it was a fascinating portray of the Wild Hunt and of a time where people moved differently in the world, being closer to the land and her wonders.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Alcohol, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
chaptersofmads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"Run fast and don't look back."
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Poetically written and thoroughly researched, 'Song of the Huntress' felt more like an experience than a book.
Even for someone with admittedly little knowledge on the historical events this novel retells, I found myself completely immersed in the politics and setting, due to the author's lyrical and yet concise prose. The Wild Hunt has always been a part of mythology that has fascinated me and it was easily my favorite aspect of this book, though I wish that it had been given more time.
As it was, this is a slow-paced, dense book that focuses more heavily on character development than anything else. Which was fine, but also quite tedious at times. I found myself struggling to connect with the story, whenever the chapters started to feel like a repetition of conversations we had already had and emotions we had already felt, just slightly reworded for the new context.
Though I found the character development monotonous at times, I can't deny that it produced vivid, three-dimensional, and compelling characters. Æthel particularly was such a fascinating character to follow, as her intensity and courage weren't excuses to keep her from tenderness and vulnerability. Ine and Herla were also extremely interesting (as were their dynamics with each other), but Æthel was easily my favorite of the three protagonists.
Without giving any spoilers, in the beginning, I struggled with the developing romance between Herla and Æthel. I understand that one of the characters was supposed to be regaining a sense of self, but having them secretly watch the other character bathe (only to never bring it up again) was both bothersome and unnecessary. I had to pretend that it hadn't happened by the time their romance was a prevalent part of the book.
On a more positive note, I was particularly fond of how this story blended historical fiction with fantasy, blurring the line between mythology and reality in such a dreamlike way. I see the comparison to "The Bear and the Nightingale" though I feel like this book was much less whimsical and more... academic leaning when it came to the power-struggle between paganism and Christianity.
Overall, I enjoyed this! Though I wouldn't recommend it to someone trying to fight a reading slump, I do think this was an incredibly well-crafted, interesting story that many people will enjoy. I'm grateful for the chance to have read it.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Poetically written and thoroughly researched, 'Song of the Huntress' felt more like an experience than a book.
Even for someone with admittedly little knowledge on the historical events this novel retells, I found myself completely immersed in the politics and setting, due to the author's lyrical and yet concise prose. The Wild Hunt has always been a part of mythology that has fascinated me and it was easily my favorite aspect of this book, though I wish that it had been given more time.
As it was, this is a slow-paced, dense book that focuses more heavily on character development than anything else. Which was fine, but also quite tedious at times. I found myself struggling to connect with the story, whenever the chapters started to feel like a repetition of conversations we had already had and emotions we had already felt, just slightly reworded for the new context.
Though I found the character development monotonous at times, I can't deny that it produced vivid, three-dimensional, and compelling characters. Æthel particularly was such a fascinating character to follow, as her intensity and courage weren't excuses to keep her from tenderness and vulnerability. Ine and Herla were also extremely interesting (as were their dynamics with each other), but Æthel was easily my favorite of the three protagonists.
Without giving any spoilers, in the beginning, I struggled with the developing romance between Herla and Æthel. I understand that one of the characters was supposed to be regaining a sense of self, but having them secretly watch the other character bathe (only to never bring it up again) was both bothersome and unnecessary. I had to pretend that it hadn't happened by the time their romance was a prevalent part of the book.
On a more positive note, I was particularly fond of how this story blended historical fiction with fantasy, blurring the line between mythology and reality in such a dreamlike way. I see the comparison to "The Bear and the Nightingale" though I feel like this book was much less whimsical and more... academic leaning when it came to the power-struggle between paganism and Christianity.
Overall, I enjoyed this! Though I wouldn't recommend it to someone trying to fight a reading slump, I do think this was an incredibly well-crafted, interesting story that many people will enjoy. I'm grateful for the chance to have read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Infidelity, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Child death and Sexual assault
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