#Review - Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross #YA #Fantasy

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.

After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.

Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.

 

Author Rebecca Ross's Sisters of Sword and Song is a tale of two sisters, Evadne, and Halcyon. It has been 8 years since Evadne last saw her older sister Halcyon. Halcyon was chosen to become part of the Common Court as well as being one of the Queen's Bronze legion hoplite soldiers (heavily armed ancient Greek foot soldier whose function was to fight in close formation) when she was just 12 years old. But, the long expected reunion will be tossed aside with a stunning revelation that Halcyon is in big trouble.

Halcyon is a fugitive accused of murdering the Commander Straton's son Xander and then running away instead of facing the consequences. It's not as simple as it sounds. Trust me. When Halcyon is finally caught by her own legion, Straton demands punishment for her crimes. Halcyon is sentenced to (5) years working in a quarry, (5) years in prison, and (5) more years in service to Straton’s household. Not wanting to lose her sister again, Evadne risks her freedom to give Halcyon a chance at surviving. She agrees to serve the (5) years in Straton’s household on her sister’s behalf.

So, while Halcyon is sent to do 5 years of hard time, Evadne is sent to work for Lord Commander Straton's household. A household that resents her and is very angry at her sister for what she allegedly did to her own shield mate. Evadne is the closest thing readers get to an "ingenue", and she's so much more than that. She was hopeful of having magic, only to learn that she's been passed by. Her sister left her behind and she walks with a pronounced limp thanks to an injury that didn't heal properly.  

It is very easy to see Evadne as naive and out of her depth, but in reality, she's clever, and plays under the guise of being weak and therefore harmless. Evadne's lifelong desire to have magic leads her to becoming a magician's scribe, and even being able to wield a magical relic. When Eva and Damon get together as magician and scribe, there is a bit of a connection. The connection slowly grows as the two of them take up a difficult journey to collect an artifact that can be used to help the Queen survive. 

Meanwhile, Halcyon is sent to a quarry where she struggles each day to stay alive. Here she faces life and death and enemies willing to do whatever they can to force Halcyon to revealing what really happened and what her mission was that ended in tragedy. This is where we slowly start to learn about what really happened between Halcyon and Xander and the need to keep it away from certain eyes. The story alternates between the two sisters perspectives in a third person narrative. I would have preferred to have it first person just to gain more understanding as to what the sisters were going through. 

This was an interesting book with definite ancient Greek/Hellenistic influences especially with the clothing and the Gods and the olive trees which are relevant to Greece. I mostly liked Evadne's story since she often struggles with walking after suffering a long ago injury to her foot that never healed properly. This is a world of relics; relics which are not suppose to fall into the hands of non-magically born. But, there are relic hunters willing to scour the Earth in order to bring fame and fortune to their families.

1. Magda (mother goddess of the sun) – the Sunstone Ring (grants enchanted healing to its bearer)
2. Irix (father god of the sky) – the Sky Cloak (grants power over weather and elements)
3. Ari (goddess of the night) – the Shawl of Stars (grants protection to its bearer; is impenetrable and rebounds weapons)
4. Nikomides (god of war) – the Devouring Sword (grants dominion over enemy weapons, turning them into dust; also cuts down enchantments)
5. Acantha (goddess of fate and knowledge) – 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)
6. Euthymius (god of earth and beasts) – the Golden Belt (grants animal allegiance to its bearer)
7. Loris (goddess of water and sea) – the Pearl Earrings (grants the power to breathe underwater)
8. Pyrrhus (god of fire; trapped beneath the earth) – the Ember Stone (grants fire effortlessly when the stone is breathed upon)
9. Kirkos (god of the wind; fallen god) –the Winged Necklace (grants flight to its bearer)

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Kobo