I would sing with you until the end of days. I would sing with you until my bones turned to dust.
Strong sisterly love. Ancient Greece. New myths, gods and goddesses. Fighting girls. Writing girls. Fallen gods. Magic and singing. Now imagine all of this packed in a gripping story complete with a gorgeous cover to wrap it all up. There, you’ve got yourself a wonderful new story.
I was lucky enough to get an early copy thanks to the author, the publisher and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, I was mostly drawn in because of the cover and the promise of some serious sisterly love. Okay and maybe because the author is a genuine and lovely person and I really wanted to read her newest book. Because that’s a topic that is always speaking to me – I have an incredibly strong bond with my own sister, so I’m pretty intrigued when it comes to tales of sisters and want to see how they play out. And Ross did a wonderful job with her protagonists. Both Evadne and Halcyon love the other one strongly and would do anything for each other. After Halcyon is hunted for murdering a fellow hoplite and ultimately caught and sentenced, Evadne promptly steps up to serve part of her sister’s punishment.
Throughout the story several secrets pop up, pushing the sisters deeper and deeper into something they didn’t know they are a part of. While in their childhood Halcyon was always the strong one, Eva learns to find strength in her own skills and learns to weave magic in a form she never thought possible. All the while Halcyon has to learn that strength does not only lie in the strength of body, but also in one’s mind and she can’t always be the one who has to look after her sister.
On top of that, you’re in for some slow-burn romance. It is very gentle and subtle and doesn’t disturb the story too much. Instead, it’s more like an underlying current which supports the journey of one of the girls and helps her to grow.
Mix all of this up with several myths and earthly relics left behind by gods and goddesses for humankind to find and use. There are nine deities and relics in total:
The Sunstone Ring » grants enchanted healing to its bearer
The Sky Cloak » grants power over weather and elements
The Shawl of Stars » grants protection to its bearer; is impenetrable and rebounds weapons
The Devouring Sword » grants dominion over enemy weapons, turning them into dust; also cuts down enchantments
The All-Seeing Crown » grants its bearer protection from enchantments and enables them to see the past, present, or future of the one they look upon
The Golden Belt » grants animal allegiance to its bearer
The Pearl Earrings » grants the power to breathe underwater
The Ember Stone » grants fire effortlessly when the stone is breathed upon
The Winged Necklace » grants flight to its bearer
I have been swept away with the myth in this story and how it was incorporated. I love it when gods and goddesses are still present – not even in the sense of being there, but when their names are being whispered in the streets or when they are actively worshipped, instead of just being a part of the world-building. And though some of the deities were more present than others, they were still there and I could feel that they’re a part of the world and important.
Overall I really enjoyed Sisters of Sword and Song. It definitely is a story about two girls who’d do anything for one another and I fell in love with both Eva and Halcyon. The execution of their relationship was magical and I was incredibly happy to see this because it reminded me of my own sister and myself. I rarely see such a strong bond with siblings in books, so this was special to me.
I’d strongly advise anybody who loves the topics of sisterhood, ancient Greece and myths to grab this book once it comes out June 23rd 2020 and read it as soon as possible!
The rating:
