Early Review – Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 23, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-0062471413
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from Edelweiss.com
Rating: 5/5 stars
“After eight years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon unexpectedly appears a day early, Eva knows something is wrong. Halcyon has charged with a heinous crime, and though her life is spared, she is sentenced to 15 years.
Suspicious of the charges, brought forth by Halcyon’s army commander, as well as the details of the crime, Eva volunteers to take part of her sister’s sentence. If there’s a way to absolve Halcyon, she’ll find it. But as the sisters begin their sentences, they quickly learn that there are fates worse than death.”
Series Info/Source: I got a copy of this book to review through Edelweiss. This was a stand alone YA fantasy book.
Story (5/5): This was a beautifully written fantasy that I really enjoyed. The story is told from the POV of two sisters; one (Evadne) who wishes she was a mage but is stuck working on her family’s olive farm and the other who has chosen to join an elite military force (Halcyon). When Halycon shows up in the night in a panic and fleeing from something, Evadne does everything she can to help. Little do they both know where these actions will lead them.
I was sucked into the story right from the beginning and didn’t want to put this book down. There’s an excellent blend of action, intrigue, magic, and politics here.
Characters (5/5): I really loved all of the characters here. We are mainly involved with Halcyon, Evadne, and Damon. However, even the side characters are very well done. I loved the contrast between Halcyon and Evadne, they are two very different people but they display different types of strength throughout the story that I really admired.
Setting (4/5): This is a fairly typical fantasy setting. I enjoyed the adventure into the heart of the mountain. The settings are beautifully described but don’t play a huge part in the story.
Writing Style (5/5): This book is beautifully written and full of adventure, magic, light romance, and intrigue. The book switches POV between Halcyon and Evadne throughout and this works incredibly well for this story. The descriptions were amazing and the writing flows so well that the book was a pleasure to read.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this fantasy story and loved all the characters as well. I would definitely recommend it if you are a fantasy lover. I plan on checking out Ross’s other books as well because I loved this one so much!
