A Sword of Bronze and Ashes

I received this as an eARC from Netgalley.

I really struggled with this book. The concept sounds fantastic. I have been getting into grimdark lately, having discovered it later than I should have. This grimdark with Celtic elements should have been right up my alley; but, ultimately it wasn't and I was pretty bored and keen for it to end. 

I realised it was going to be a slog when at 30% in we are still going back and forth between the main character and her children on the run from an unspeakable evil. Even after spending that first third of the book doing nothing but building the characters (the plot certainly wasn't progressing) I found I didn't care about any of them and ultimately didn't care what happened. 

Overall I think the concept is great but it wasn't for me. If you want something that focuses on what older parents with a young family on the run is like then this might be for you. If your idea of a good grimdark is more like first law then this is not going to scratch your itch. 

This is a beautifully written book. It's grimdark, but it also has some wonderful folklore.

This is the story of Kanda. She's a wife, mother, farmer. But that's not who she used to be.

One day while she's taking a walk on her land, she sees something in the water and knows her past has found her.

I loved this. It's lyrical yet brutal. If you're looking for a standalone fantasy to lose yourself in, you need to read this!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.