Sisters of Sword and Shadow

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

I really enjoyed ‘ Sisters of Sword and Shadow’ by Laura Bates it was good I liked the setting and the characters were really good.

I would highly recommend it 😊

Rating 4 Stars

This writing! It was stunning! I also don't know much about legends surrounding King Arthur but this one was such a good story and it made me want to learn more about the legend.
I really liked the depiction of mental health and depression in this story. Sometimes all it takes is endurance and perseverance to get through the tough times. I was hurting a lot for our main character but I can't wait to see where she ends up <3

"Sisters of Sword and Shadow" is a really fun YA. I can't wait to see this on our shelves. I actually wish it was going to be released just a few weeks earlier, because this would be my go-to Christmas recommendation for teens.

Some things I loved:
- Laura Bates' biggest strength is writing battle scenes. I could feel the frantic energy buzzing through the pages.
- I also loved the focus on friendship, rather than romance.
- I appreciated how Bates brought the cruelty of knighthood to the forefront. Most books focus on the heroism of knights, while ignoring that many were born into that privilege, and then abused their power.
- You can really tell that Bates did her research. There was so much detail in everything, from the way they fought, to how swords were made, to the feel of holding a joust.

Some things that could have been better:
- It had some pacing problems. There were moments where nothing was happening, or the things that happened didn't do anything to pull the story forward.
- Because it has been put into the sci-fi/fantasy genre, I was expecting more fantastical elements.

Nonetheless, I absolutely loved it, and the cover is stunning. I'll be on the edge of my seat until the next book is released.

And yet again I find myself reading a book with facets of Arthurian Legend, and I'm not mad.

We have a lovely tale here, full of found family, friends and female empowerment.

The cover is gorgeous. The descriptive language beautiful. The losses are heart wrenching. And the tender moments are stunning.

Plus we have a heavily pregnant woman being an absolute BOSS.

That being said, I did feel like I spent the whole book waiting for the big reveal. There was hints of a grand destiny right at the opening, and nothing really happened to follow on from that until the last few pages.

But again, I really enjoyed the book, just almost wish we had gone without the hint at the beginning in hindsight.

Struggled to rate, because i enjoyed the read but i think spending the whole book waiting for a reveal that doesn't really happen was a bit of a struggle.

4⭐️

{ARC review - many thanks to @simonschusterau for this copy in exchange for my honest review}

I love me an Arthurian retelling and this one was no different! Laura Bates created an immersive, beautiful world that was easy to get lost in. Sisters of Sword and Shadow is a YA novel and to me it is such a great example of how rich and multidimensional YA novels can be, while still being accessible and fun to read.

My main critique of this novel lies in the pacing - it was quite slow paced especially to begin with. This was partly due to the world-building (a necessary evil) but I think going into this knowing it was YA, I expected the plot to unfold at a quicker pace. It did pick up towards the end, and even during the slower parts the language used by the author was so captivating that I still enjoyed myself.

Also, can we talk about this cover?! I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t at least half the reason I went for this ARC. I love books with strong female characters, and I love that this book tells you straight up using the cover art that that’s what you’ll find here.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a female-focused Arthurian retelling, or anyone who thinks that YA books are flaky and not worth their time - you just need to read the right ones!