[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Five sisters. Daughters of King Athelrick. Each strong willed and determined to chart her own course.
- BLUEBELL, the eldest. When her father fell ill in book one, Daughters of the Storm, she corralled her family on a quest to secure his healing. Now she rules again by his side, and grooms her niece to someday be her heir.
- ROSE ignored reason and duty to pursue forbidden love in Daughters of the Storm. Now she lives in an exile of sorts, the people most precious to her out of her reach, maybe forever.
- ASH discovered new elements of her magical powers in Daughters. She also saw a vision of her own future – and the many lives that will be destroyed along with her. So she lives in a self-imposed exile, bound to another magic wielder with murky motives.
- IVY has always been the flighty, dramatic one. She wants to be adored and fawned over – the stereotypical “princess.” In Daughters, her selfish actions kicked off a chain reaction that would pull part of her family apart. But now, four years later, she has her own family, her own power and her own lover. And she has plans to get all that she believes she deserves.
- Ivy’s twin, WILLOW, has denied the faith of her ancestors and family in favor of the trimartyr god, Maava. She hears Maava’s “angels” in her head, and she is willing to betray her “heathen” family for all Maava promises. The betrayals began in Daughters continue here.
The family drama continues to grow as Rose’s daughter, Rowan – Bluebell’s chosen successor – discovers her heritage. She follows her growing powers into danger. Soon the threads of the family are being drawn together again to rescue Rowan and face other threats on every side.
Review
I am thoroughly enjoying this series! The female characters are fascinating – strong, distinct and complicated. The world has a fairly simple magical system that makes it firmly a fantasy story, but the magic doesn’t overshadow the family dynamics at the heart of these books. I would recommend reading them in order to get the best and most full view of this family.
At it’s core, this is a story of family. Sacrifices made for it, and betrayals made against it. And page after page I wonder how it will all turn out. Which alliance will become important next? Which sister will grow up and perhaps join the more responsible parts of the family? Is there something more going on with this piece or that piece? It’s fantastic!
Goodreads says book three will be called Queens of the Sea, but I can’t find a release date for it yet, as Sisters is still so new. I already have Queens on my reading wish list because I can’t wait to see what happens next for these six women. If you enjoy mature fantasy stories, be sure to check out this series! I have thoroughly enjoyed it. (Language, violence, sex)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
(Rating for Daughters of the Storm – ♥♥♥♥½)