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The Bloody Branch
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Expected 29 Jan 26Three powerful heroines – a queen, a sorceress and woman made of flowers – plot revenge against the villain who wronged them. A gorgeously dark debut novel inspired by Celtic Britain’s first fantasy fiction.
Man is cruel, but the flowers will take their revenge.
Three great heroines – slave queen Goewin, the reclusive sorceress Arianrhod, and Blodeuwedd, a woman conjured from flowers – unite to avenge themselves on the most dangerous man in ancient legend.
Gwydion is a powerful sorcerer, whose ambition and cruelty wreak havoc across the kingdom. When at last the earth itself is put at stake, Goewin, Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd each unleash their uncanny powers to challenge him.
In this vital and visceral retelling of one of the oldest stories in British literature and precursor of modern fantasy fiction, Brigid Lowe casts ancient light on desire, sex and our relationship with nature to bring Celtic myth to explosive, sensuous, blossoming new life.
Man is cruel, but the flowers will take their revenge.
Three great heroines – slave queen Goewin, the reclusive sorceress Arianrhod, and Blodeuwedd, a woman conjured from flowers – unite to avenge themselves on the most dangerous man in ancient legend.
Gwydion is a powerful sorcerer, whose ambition and cruelty wreak havoc across the kingdom. When at last the earth itself is put at stake, Goewin, Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd each unleash their uncanny powers to challenge him.
In this vital and visceral retelling of one of the oldest stories in British literature and precursor of modern fantasy fiction, Brigid Lowe casts ancient light on desire, sex and our relationship with nature to bring Celtic myth to explosive, sensuous, blossoming new life.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 29, 2026
342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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November 23, 2025The Bloody Branch is a literary fiction based in traditional welsh storytelling and is undeniably rich in celtic folklore.
the lyrical prose creates such a detailed and vivid picture of this story. the style of writing is well suited to the atmosphere and the depth of story Lowe is trying to create. however, i think this beauty was sometimes lost, especially if u are unfamiliar with the original folklore.
the multi pov felt critical for learning how each charcter truly felt and to see exactly what they experienced through their own words. this books truly gave a voice to women who have been silenced or wronged, with each heroine written was such power.
a gorgeous work for those who love folklore.
thank u to Vintage at Penguin for sending me this arc :))
the lyrical prose creates such a detailed and vivid picture of this story. the style of writing is well suited to the atmosphere and the depth of story Lowe is trying to create. however, i think this beauty was sometimes lost, especially if u are unfamiliar with the original folklore.
the multi pov felt critical for learning how each charcter truly felt and to see exactly what they experienced through their own words. this books truly gave a voice to women who have been silenced or wronged, with each heroine written was such power.
a gorgeous work for those who love folklore.
thank u to Vintage at Penguin for sending me this arc :))
Read
December 29, 2025This was a brilliant read. The beautiful writing paired so well well with the folklore, creating an intense and emotional atmosphere. The journey @brigidlowewriter takes you on in this book is raw and powerful! I didn’t know anything about the Welsh lore but the feminine rage hooked me and the folklore mysteries kept me around. The Bloody Branch is lyrical yet full of impact; if you like mythology and lesser known tales with scream into the air moments along with screaming, fighting, powerful women then this book is for you.
Thankyou @harvillbooks / @vintagebooks for gifting me a proof for review.
Thankyou @harvillbooks / @vintagebooks for gifting me a proof for review.
November 30, 2025
The Bloody Branch gives a strong voice and understanding to the stories of three women from Welsh Mythology. It’s lyrical and raw. Celtic mythology is all kinds of wild, I’m not very familiar with the stories of Welsh mythology and had to stop myself from looking things up to avoid spoilers. I’d recommended this book if you enjoy mythology or feminine rage.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews