I had such high hopes for this book! Sistersong was an instant favourite for me, and this was an eagerly anticipated second novel, but ultimately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

Firstly, the things I liked! I really loved the relationships between the main characters, particularly between Æthulburg and her husband Ine. While they often felt estranged they also deeply cared about each other, and I found their relationship – especially when they embraced unconventionality – very tender and compelling.

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Throughout the whole book, there was such an interesting exploration of queerness; of different sexualities, genders, and how those are expressed in this time period. I thought the depiction of asexuality was particularly noteworthy, as its an identity that is often looked over, but was explored here in a very truthful and heartfelt way.

There were also a couple of call-backs to Sistersong, just occasionally reminding us that they exist in the same universe even if the stories are not interlinked. I always love an Easter egg and so this was something I really appreciated!

As much as I enjoyed these aspects of the book, I just found it so difficult to get stuck into the story. I never felt particularly immersed in the world or invested in the plot, and I felt a lot like I was going through the motions reading it. So while I did like the main characters (I wasn’t fussed about the minor characters) and some of the themes, the actual reading experience was fairly average for me.

I received a free copy for an honest review.