As soon as the harp was mentioned I recognized this as a retelling of a murder ballad thanks to having also read Sistersong by Lucy Hounsom. I think having this reference gives the story an added depth which I appreciated. This is a very whimsical short story which I struggled to parse at times, but eventually got into. The illustrations are beautiful but also contributed to the brief length of this novella. I enjoyed it but will probably not be purchasing for myself.

I absolutely loved this. It's a folk ballad retelling - which has been done before. It's an atmospheric fairy fantasy novel - which has been done before. But in this case, it's been done so well, that I would highly recommend this to everyone.

It's also abundantly clear where This Is How You Lose the Time War got its lyrical prose, more of this please!

This story had such a folkloric quality to it and I think it worked so so well. This novella was very well written and the lyrical language added to the sense of this story being an ancient myth or fable. I loved the magic system and the riddles and songs that surrounded it. The theme of sisterhood was really sweet and the relationships between both Rin and Esther and Ysabel and Esther were so compelling and well-rounded even in such a short book. I enjoyed how this took a relatively traditional plot with a straightforward villain and love story, and turned it into an original and magical story with so much charm and wit.

However, I do wish that some elements of the story could have been explored a little more and I feel that it would have benefitted from a slightly longer page count. It would have been lovely to see more of Rin and Esther's relationship and learn more about grammar and Arcadia!

This is a story that's easy to get lost in and to read in one sitting. It had such an enchanting tone and felt like a strange, sapphic fairytale. I would highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.

What a gorgeous story|! I have a new favourite!
This was a really short classic fairytale-like fantasy and I loved every minute of it. Coming from This is How You Lose the Time War, I expected lovely prose but I was still surprised how understated yet beautiful it was. The story itself was very similar- quite understated and slow paced, but really, really beautiful and heartfelt. It doesn't quite reach the dramatic heights of Time War but I don't think that would have really fitted with a small, self-contained story like this one.
The romance was lovely. I'm not usually a romance person on account of my asexuality, but I loved reading about Rin and Esther's bond. It felt really genuine, though I perhaps wish more time could have been spent on it. The non-romantic relationship between the two sisters in the book was also wonderful. I love siblings that support one another in spite of difficulties or conflict!
I also loved the subtle magic of the world mixed together with the very tangible 'grammar'magic. Both felt really ethereal and atmospheric- perfect for the classical fantasy feel of the story!
If you check out any fantasy release next year then definitely go for this one! It's short but sweet and brimming with emotion and magic.

This is a sweet fairytale-like story about two sisters and a river. Although the prose is good, I found the story to be a little half baked, it was not weird enough to feel like a real fairy tale and not fleshed out enough to feel like a modern fantasy novel.
However I liked it, and I read it in just two days.

bursting with lyrical prose, this tale of two sisters is simply etheral. it’s short enough to not overstay its welcome and i devoured it in one sitting like a grimm’s fairy tale. i had a really good time with this one.

This was beautiful but I had no idea what was happening. The writing was so lyrical and completely enchanting, although I felt at times that the focus was on the prose rather than the plot. The sisters were beautifully written as well and I did enjoy the story overall despite being a little confused.