Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

You don't get too many contemporary writers grappling with British and Celtic mythology (outside of Arthurian stories) so Lucy Holland is a welcome addition to this area. While I did find this novel a bit slow to get started, once all the threads started pulling together it was a very engaging read. Herla and Aethel are great female characters and Ine was also interesting, particularly for asexual representation.

I’ve been going back and for over whether this is a 3 or 4 star book for me.

There was so much about it that I loved. The 8th century British setting with the layers of Celtic mythology were brilliant. I loved the story of Herla and the Wild Hunt and Æthelberg role as a warrior queen in a world that takes her sacrifices but also punished her for them.

The choice to have a third POV in the form of Æthelberg’s husband, Ine, is one I’m going back and forth on. I’m not sure his POV added enough for me and the birthright of Dummonia storyline sat uneasy. I think it was a great idea but the pay off with it felt low.

The pace of this book is steady rather than fast and occasionally dips into slow. While I really loved most of the characters, I did not feel overly invested in their relationships or in the outcome of the final battle with Annwn. In fact, I wanted more Annwn.

Overall, a strong story with some beautiful and lyrical writing that didn’t quite hit the mark for me in a few places.

I'm on the edge because I love some parts and some left me wondering.
Let's start from the beginning: it's part of the lore that you cannot accept gift or food by fae people. Our heroine does both and becomes the head of the Hunt. There's more than a female head of the Hunt but this was a sort of cosmic accident.
Then we meet the Saxon Queen who's great at not winning battles and she acts like she was on shopping spree and someone is telling she spent too much money.
They meet and the story beginning but I thought that these are both sort of standard kickass heroine even if they're not the sharpest tool
I found the style of writing and the storytelling excellent, the historical part was well done, I couldn't care for Æthelburg or Erla and found the side characters more interesting and well developed.
If you choose to ignore the introduction to the characters and how they ignore common sense it's an intriguing historical ficiton with a pinch of myth
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was well written but slow - not for me.
I liked the previous book by the author, and the book might pick up after the mid mark, but not ideal for readers who want more fast-paced books.

Oh I really loved this book! Song of the Huntress combines Anglo Saxon history and Welsh myth in the story of Herla and the Wild Hunt. Lucy Holland's novel Sistersong was beautiful with lyrical prose and characters that were so relatable. It was strange with a lovely dark fairy-tale quality that I hugely enjoyed. In Song of the Huntress, Lucy Holland stretches her wings and delivers an epic tale. She weaves myth and history together through developed interesting characters with the same lyrical prose from Sistersong but on such a large scale leading to a conclusion that was completely thrilling.

Lyrical prose, deeply human characters and a fantastic exciting conclusion make this a fantastic novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Pan Macmillan for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: grief, war, death, xenophobia, animal death, child death, murder, violence, sexual assault

In 60AD, Herla is loyal to her lover Boudica and will do anything to protect her in their war against the Romans. She gathers her greatest warriors and rides to make a deal with the King of the Otherland, hoping to protect the lives of her people, their land and the love of her life. However, Herla and her women are tricked into terrible circumstances where she can no longer stop riding or she’ll die. By the time Herla comes back to herself, hundreds of years have passed and Boudica is long dead. Now the Lord of the legendary Wild Hunt, Herla is forced to keep riding and reaping souls even as she loses her connection to her past life- along with her ability to speak. This continues until one night she and the Hunt storm over a battlefield, where Herla discovers a Saxon queen, covered in blood and fighting like a man, who reminds her of her lost love. Soon enough, Herla finds herself freed from her curse and living in the world again, haunted by the woman she saw and the things that she feels in this new era. Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a brilliant fighter but after a catastrophic failure in battle leads to her forces needing rescue, her husband King Ine’s court turns on her. Trapped in a marriage that makes them both miserable and furious at the world for how it treats her, Æthelburg is less than willing to help when Ine comes to her, begging for help she doesn’t know how to give: to convince him he isn’t losing his mind even as his brother tries to usurp him for good. Ine is convinced that the former Kings of Wessex are rising from the grave, that long-hidden magic is trying to claw him apart and that an alliance with the non-Christian Britons might be the way forward. Herla and Æthelburg’s paths continue to cross and it quickly becomes clear that the Otherworld is at work in the Wessex court. Despite everything their relationship develops and Herla must rediscover her humanity before it can be stolen again, just as Æthelburg fights for her people.

Set in Saxon Britain, ‘Song of the Huntress’ combines fantasy, myth and history to create a beautiful, queer narrative around the Wild Hunt and a story I found impossible to put down. This is gorgeously written and well researched, adding real life historical figures and conflict into a world where paganism and Christianity control everything. I loved Æthelburg and Ine from the first page but I connected most to Herla, who has to battle with herself to regain her humanity before everything can be destroyed. Their romance is slow and not a focus but it defines what I love so much about this book in particular, that a story as good as this needs to be built up gradually. I've never read a book by this author before but I'm definitely going to try her debut now as well!

I have loved history and mythology since I was a child, I absorbed every bit of information I could, whether in history lessons, or in the library, I was addicted to the past (factual or mythical) in anyway or form I could get it. The last decade or two for me has been wonderful for me due to the amount of authors who clearly share my love bringing more books for me to devour into the world, king may it continue!

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland is her second book , I adored Sistersong so I was eager to explore the new worlds and characters she would introduce in this offering. In no way was I disappointed, it has all the wonderful writing skill and craftsmanship I came to expect from Lucy in Sistersong and I enjoyed it just as much (although Sistersong is still my favourite ).

I particularly love that Lucy focuses on British ancestry through the female perspective, but outside of Boudicca (not that she isn’t interesting or ) it’s so wonderful to read a about these women that I may have heard of but not known much about. Then there’s the fact that she weaves this with the mythology and that’s where I fall in love with Lucy Holland firmly now after two books (as an author)

I’m always impressed by how much rep she manages to weave into the story effortlessly too. (Another thing I’m grateful for over the last decade or so) Song of the Huntress is simply a fantastic piece of historical fantasy encompassing loyalty, betrayal and love one that captures the struggles of women, who even with power are still ultimately silenced and constrained in patriarchal society. Stunning.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Holland is looking at history and carving out a space for queer characters in such a beautiful way with her books. Song of the Huntress takes place in the same fantastical/historical world as Sistersong only a few generations down the line and retells the myth of the Wild Hunt.

While the mythology and fantastical elements do play a role in telling the story, Song of the Huntress reads first and foremost as an ancient historical fiction. And don’t get me wrong, I love historical fiction set in this era but I did find the fantastical thread lacking.

The Wild Hunt is crucial to the plot but takes a backseat until the climax when everything begins to read a touch surreal. There were mythological characters we weren’t introduced to until this moment and this led the melding of historical and fantastical to feel disjointed at times.

Æthelburg and Herla’s romance was the central focus, but it was King Ine and his experience with otherworldly power I found the most interesting. I wanted to love Æthelburg so much but in the end, Ine’s character had more depth while all Æethelburg seemed to care about was fighting and kissing.

In the same vein, the story is slow to kick off and much of the characters’ early problems could be solved by sitting down and having one serious long conversation with each other. The history and mythology of the time were well-researched and I did enjoy myself, but it was such a slow burn that I have to say I liked Sistersong better.

Weaving British history and folklore seamlessly together, Lucy Holland tells the stories of Herla, Eceni warrior, Aethelburg, Saxon Queen of Wessex and the threats they face from the living, the dead and those of the Otherworld.

Beautifully written, the multiple points of view allow you to see the inner thoughts of the three main characters, increasing the impact of the emotional punches of the book.

4.5

I am blown away by the clear amount of research that the author has put into this book! I know truly next to nothing about this time period or these historical figures, and I loved getting to know them through this story. This is a slow-paced, dense book that really requires your attention and it was lovely to immerse myself into the book, despite it feeling at times a struggle to fully connect with the characters. There is so much to unpack in this book - conspiracies, political plots, old magic, the Wild Hunt, ancient British kingdoms... power, love and sacrifice all meld together to create a truly epic story. I also loved how the author imagines queerness fitting into history, with discussions of asexuality and sapphic characters. It didn't quite hit a 5 star rating for me, but this was an incredible book and I really really want to read Sistersong now!

4 (3.5 rounded up) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I loved Sistersong, it’s a book I recommend regularly. I was so excited to read Song of the Huntress.

For me it wasn’t as amazing as Sistersong. But I did still really enjoy it.

I love the retelling and blending of British myth and history, telling the stories of people we really don’t know much about at all. I find the characters all really well written and engaging.

I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

Lucy Holland you never miss!

The writing in this story is so lyrical and evocative, I just loved it. The characters are vivid, fleshed out, and compelling. I loved the journey all three main characters had to go on and how their dynamics played out between the three of them.
My only issue was the pacing lagged just a bit in the middle, but otherwise I loved it.

Really mixed feelings on this one. It starts so so strongly – I adore the tale of the person seeking gifts from the King of the Otherworld who ends up trapped until entire lifetimes go by, and Lucy Holland’s telling of it was beautiful and unnerving in the best ways. Personally, I love reading depictions of the effect that becoming immortal has on mortal characters – how going beyond the boundaries of their humanity changes them – and I thought that the way she wrote this was so compelling.

The ending was also great (note: ending spoilers!) – I may be wrong, because I don’t know too much about the myth of The Wild Hunt, but I found it fascinating how Holland incorporated the idea of multiple tellings of a myth into the plot structure itself – how, through Herla returning the mantle of the Lord of the Wild Hunt to Gwyn, a mythic role, so to speak, is passed between different individuals as it would be between different interpretations of a myth.

It’s for these reasons that I’m glad to have a copy of the book for my shelf, because I know I’ll leaf back through it to think over the way that the plot has been crafted and to re-read these earlier parts of the book.

I also thought that the way that the dynamics were set up between the characters in the broader political sphere in the beginning were excellent. The way that Aethel is constantly undermined by other characters implying things about the way that she perceives things, nurturing sexist biases in other characters’ minds that she must be illogical. Their dynamics were very true to life, in a way that is, unfortunately, very recognisable.

There was less of the earth magic in this one than in Sistersong, even though it forms a fairly significant part of the plot developments later on, but I think this magic system is one of my favourite depictions of magic that I’ve read, and she writes it absolutely beautifully.

(There aren’t any specific spoilers about plot developments from this point on, but may be some more generic spoilers about character development.)

I think that my mixed feelings are mostly down to the characters, unfortunately. I’ve noticed a lot of reviewers commenting that the pace of this one made it feel like something of a drag to get through – I also noticed this, but normally don’t mind a slow pace (I’ve loved books that are mostly character interaction and very little in the way of action sequences.) I think the issue with the pacing was due to the characters feeling somewhat stilted. I would have loved moments where Herla connected more solidly and specifically to her past self, because it all felt like it was too generalized – there was never anything, after the first third of the book, that made me feel more connected to her as a character. I understand that the connection between violence and passion within her is the core of her character and that she’s at a certain distance from her humanity due to her immortality, but to me, it didn’t feel like she developed beyond that core, which would have been fine if she was a secondary character but it made her point of view feel quite one-note.

This kind of extends to the other characters, too, to a lesser extent. I would have liked for Ine and Aethel’s relationship to be characterized more fully – there were the seeds of a really interesting bond there, but we very rarely saw the things that they’d been through together previously. Similarly, we saw two different sides of Ine’s character – him bewildered by feeling out of control, and the strength he manifests later in the book – yet the thread connecting those two parts of him feels weak. And I think a greater focus on that would have perhaps also have made his position relative to other characters (for instance, his rule as king and his relationship with Aethel) more compelling, because it’s clear that this part of him that we see later doesn’t emerge from a vacuum, and that it has always been an element of his character.

I would have also loved more of the Otherworld – I understand wanting to maintain a certain level of mystery about it, but the way she writes it is so compelling. (That’s less of a critique of the book and more of a personal taste thing though!)

Overall, I’m still excited to see what Lucy Holland writes next – I’m really glad and so grateful that such a skilled writer with such a passion for the history and myth of this period is writing these books. If you were going to pick one of her books to start with, however, I’d definitely suggest Sistersong first.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy (although, full disclosure, I did end up reading it in physical form since I had it on preorder and wanted a copy for my shelf!)

Song of the Huntress is a spellbinding fantasy novel set in 60 AD Britain, where the clash of cultures between Romans, Saxons, and Britons is at its peak. The story follows Herla, a woman who makes a pact with the Otherworld King to save her lover and her homeland from the Romans. This pact binds her to the Wild Hunt, where she is tasked with reaping the souls of wanderers. Her centuries-long journey takes a turn when she meets Queen Æthelburg of Wessex, a fierce Saxon queen who faces turmoil within her husband's court. As Herla and Æthel's destinies intertwine, they must confront ancient magic and dark forces that threaten not only their own lives but the future of the land itself.

It is a beautifully woven tapestry of myth, legend, and history. The novel immerses readers in the richly detailed world of ancient Britain, where magic and folklore intertwine with the harsh realities of political intrigue and shifting alliances. Holland's use of the Wild Hunt as a central theme is captivating, offering a fresh and feminist perspective on a classic folkloric concept.

Herla is a compelling protagonist, her tragic backstory and sense of duty make her a character to root for. As she rides with the Wild Hunt, her encounters with various souls, particularly her meeting with Queen Æthelburg, provide depth and complexity to the narrative. The developing relationship between Herla and Æthel is a key element, showing how two strong-willed women can find common ground despite their differences.

The historical context, with its focus on the Roman conquest and the power struggles within Saxon courts, adds layers of intrigue. The plot's pacing is well-balanced, with moments of action and tension interspersed with quieter, more introspective scenes. The writing is vivid and evocative, bringing to life the ancient landscapes and the eerie atmosphere of the Otherworld.

Tropes/Themes:
-Folkloric fantasy
-Historical setting (60 AD Britain)
-Wild Hunt mythology
-Strong female protagonists
-Romance and loyalty
-Political intrigue and treachery

It is a compelling and enchanting read. It appeals to fans of fantasy and historical fiction, offering a unique blend of ancient myths and strong character-driven storytelling. Lucy Holland's deft handling of feminist themes and the exploration of complex relationships make this novel a standout in its genre.

I went into this with high expectatiosn because I adored Sistersong, and those expectations were definitely not disappointed. I loved the characters, and the premise here, and especially loved the little nods to Sistersong scattered in there! Lucy Holland has struck again with some amazing writing, I'm definitely going to be reading any other books she lets out!

I’m a strong believer that stories evolve. Authors play off what comes before adding in their own concepts and reflections of the time they are written in. We get a certain shape to tales and we start to classify this and that as sub-genres but none are ever really frozen in amber. They too will evolve. In Lucy Holland’s engrossing epic fantasy Song of the Huntress we have a impressive epic tale with three fascinating evolving characters that was the rare book I savoured and found subverted my expectations.

In 60AD Herla is a loyal warrior to Queen Boudica but fears the upcoming battle with the Romans to force them from their lands may be too much. Herla and a group of her fiercest warriors make their way to a place where the worlds are thin to make a deal with the King of the Otherworld Gwyn ap Nudd they seek great power. But such bargains often end in trickery and Herla instead finds herself transformed into the leader of the Wild Hunt a deadly rampaging magical force that leaves their slumber when the moon starts to die every month and take away souls (good or evil). As time passes Herla loses all memory of humanity.

In the early 8th Century Britain is a collection of small countries that uneasily sit alongside each other. King Ine and his Wife Queen AEthelburg rule Wessex as Saxons and are currently on the edge of war with the nearby Dumnonia ruled by Geraint and populated by Britons. Two mighty but very different cultures that also differ on religion with Wessex being part of the new Christianity while the Britons favour the older pagan beliefs. Treachery and battles continue to rage and Ine finds himself in a web of deceit to unpick and being changed by forces beyond his knowledge. For AEthelburg the warrior queen finds herself faced directly with the Wild Hunt and Herla finds a kindred spirit that may bring back her humanity but a higher price may still need to be paid.

I love a book that makes you think and slightly subverts your expectations and that combined with Holland’s approach to telling the story in the poetic writing style of an epic makes this a deliciously chewy read. What also impresses me is the evolution of the Historic fantasy that Holland makes work so well here. The gender-flipped character we have seen many tales take is here Herla the Huntress of the tale. It makes logical sense that Boudica would have understood women can do battle and Herla has a fascinating angle to the chapters that focus on her. She is all warrior; a touch inhuman both being now a being of magic but also she is an outsider to the world she finds centuries later. Powerful, deadly when needed and the question for her is can she re-find and keep her humanity that her encounters with AEthelburg a kindred spirit awakens.

With AEthelberg we get the real-life warrior Queen. The woman who acts for Wessex and her husband by leading armies, fighting ably and isn’t afraid to destroy a lost fortress to not give the enemy any aid. She revels in this; she loves the feel of being a warrior and yet knows this makes her untrusted at court for not doing what a woman is believed to be and Ine never seems able to explain if they truly love this woman that they were made to marry as teenagers but now in their thirties feel slightly estranged. Meeting Herla creates a more obvious connection that both women feel.

Now it would be easy to think this then moves us into the sapphic fantasy that also is popular, but Holland adds a third character in Ine who is not simply the selfish husband that can be forgotten. In Ine we get a fascinating likeable asexual character who we rarely get as a lead in fantasy. If AEthelburg is seen as a rebel for being a woman who fights Ine is also out of character for the time being focus on laws, knowledge and is a more cerebral character than the key rival for the throne Ingild his brother. Ine though is equally challenged by the magical forces of the country and this new dynamic in the relationship that Herla creates. This ultimately creates a trio of interlinked stories that really make the story come alive.

What we have is a brilliant layering of conflicts. We have the Saxons versus Britons that Ine and Aethelberg are most familiar with, and Holland makes us see the UK as a very different place. Where what we know as counties are here Kingdoms warring and scheming for power and also very different in cultures. We get immersed in the way things work but not quite as we know them now. Kings here are not quite hereditary but need supporters (even after coronation); Christianity is a new force sitting over the Saxons while the Britons are very different in approach. We go from Wessex to Glastonbury to Tintagel and each area has its own feel and sense of place that we tend to lose in the modern age. It’s a long simmering battle that Ine is the latest key player in.

The tale focuses on Ine and Aethelberg though, so we also find Wessex is not a united front. It is a country itself made of Saxons and Britons uneasily living together which Ine is keen to maintain to prevent civil war. There are groups in his court looking to take their own power and when acts are made that may force war with Dumonia Ine finds himself having to stand up and decide what actions are to be taken. The cautious and thoughtful Ine must decide how to act and that more than words may be needed to resolve things.

The final conflict though is humanity versus the forces of the Otherworld and the enigmatic Gwynn ap Nudd pulling strings. The Wild Hunt seems more of a weapon now and Herla is in the process given more freedom than she has had for centuries. Running across Aethelberg fascinates her and the two join forces to save Wessex and possibly the rest of the world. What this means is we constantly are on the move from one front to the next and each chapter focuses on one of the three characters and one of these conflicts. Holland weaves into the human intrigue the appropriate unearthly forces and magic here is appropriately wild but also based on pagan beliefs that in particular means Ine is keenly enveloped by. The sensation is of this not being basically local human politics but a key point in the world of magic that could destroy humanity. The forces of the Otherworld we meet beyond Herla are much less human and quite cruel and ruthless so are very able opponents in their own right. It creates soe big stakes that fully engross the reader. Fans of Sistersong by Holland may also find some echoes of the past given a nod to which are rewards for constant readers yet do not require reading the previous book.

But for me the key element that I loved was seeing how these three characters all evolve. Its not purely the romance that hovers between AEthelburg and Herla but also the intriguing relationship of AEthelburg and Ine who do love each other but Ine’s asexuality is something they’ve never really got to understand. At the same time each character is forced to be outside their nature. Herla has to act now on her own initiative again and not simply on instinct. Aethelburg so used to fighting now must build alliances and think strategically. This neatly mirror Ine’s arc to move from ideas and the King forced to stand alone without AEthelburg’s protection and often get into a fight himself. Putting these characters outside their comfort zones means each has a personal battle to fulfil and as the tale moves towards the epic conclusion, they all have to decide how best to work together. This is where having three adults rather than those on the cusp of growing up really works. The three leads must consider bigger implications and know that the world doesn’t always need simple and/or answers. It’s a refreshingly mature fantasy tale as we have characters actually talking to one another about what to do next.

Song of the Huntress is filled with rich character work; carries a sense of place and epic magic that really worked for me. Holland’s more sombre almost percussive writing gives the tale a beat of an epic myth being told to you than being read and I enjoyed savouring it rather than racing to the finish line. It also adds to the growing evolution of such tales I think we can see happening in fantasy and I’m very much there for that! Strongly recommended!

This book was nothing short of incredible. I loved the author's writing style, and the world that she created that was so easy to get lost in. It was definitely a slow read, though not in a bad way - it was the kind of story that ought to be savoured, and that I certainly did.

The characters were brilliantly written, and though it took me a few chapters to get my bearings, once I had, I was enthralled by the complex politics that underpinned the story, as well as the magic woven into it. I was also pleasantly surprised by how queer it was, in ways that I wasn't expecting, and how it managed to make the queerness feel so grounded in the story and its setting. All in all, Song of the Huntress was a wonderful story which I would highly recommend to any fans of historical fantasy and British myth.

Content warning - Animal death, child death, fire/fire injury, grief, infidelity, murder, sexual assault, violence, and war.

In Lucy Holland's book, she masterfully intertwines mythology, folklore, history, and fantasy, creating a poetic narrative that captivates the imagination.

Set against the backdrop of a turbulent Britain in 60 AD, Song of the Huntress, delves into a pivotal moment in history.

At its heart lies the mythos of the Wild Hunt, imbued with a feminist reinterpretation. Herla, hailing from the Iceni tribe, strikes a bargain with the King of the Underworld to safeguard her people, only to find herself bound to the eternal chase alongside Annwn and the hunt.

This richly mythological narrative also serves as a fantastical exploration of the repercussions when the realm of the fair folk, deeply intertwined with the world of the deceased, begins to seep into our reality.

As ancient legends collide with the shifting tides of history, the book offers a spellbinding journey into a realm where the boundaries between worlds blur and the echoes of the past resonate with haunting beauty.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Lucy Holland does it again! Amazing truly. Thankfully this was exactly the kind of book I needed to read after my January of disappointments. Not as good as Sistersong (I found the relationships between the siblings in that book more heart-wrenching but maybe that's because I have siblings of my own) but this is an excellent historical fantasy set in early Britain. I loved the exploration of both the ace and sapphic characters whose identities are a key point to the narrative; I loved the discussion around asexuality especially, though not give these terms it's clear to see what they're representing. And how Holland manages to capture a torn early Britain between religion and the old ways whisks me away every time.

This a new kind of historical fiction for me, going back to the days of Saxons, Britons and pagan mythology.

A rich and intriguing book based on real historical figures and the legend of a female Herla.

A dark tale is woven and I enjoyed myself throughout.

The only thing stopping me giving this four stars is the pace was just very slow in paces and I really had to force myself sometimes to get back into it.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher 3.5/5 ⭐️