Sister Wake

by Dave Rudden

A proud culture oppressed for centuries. An island over-run by bestial gods. And a girl with the power to raise the fallen . . .

For three hundred years the wild island of Croí has been subject to the Empire of the Answering. Clans have been subjugated, their language outlawed, their religion reduced to the whisper of fugitive priests.

Until Croí's prayers are answered. The Gods return. Feral and majestic, they stride the land as colossi, throwing the Empire into chaos.

The dispossessed and the vengeful struggle for power. A ruthless priestess rallies the faithful, offering a simple choice - believe, or die - even as the empire's Queen makes the first moves in a long and dangerous game.

But for all their machinations, one woman will decide the fate of them all . . . Sister Wake, unwilling saint of the Goddess of Death.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Mythology, Audiobook, Gods

560 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2026

About the author

I began my arts career as a storyteller in Dublin at nights like The Monday Echo and Milk & Cookies, before realising that it might be a good idea to try writing some of this stuff down.

From then, it was submitting to journals and anthologies, getting rejections, and then occasionally getting accepted by nice places like Bare Hands, the Stinging Fly and The Quotable.

In 2013 I won the Fantasy Book Review Short Story Prize, which was lovely, and I’ve had short stories short-listed for the Hennessy New Writing Award and the Bath Short Story Prize. I graduated from the UCD Creative Writing Masters with the first chapter of what would become Knights of the Borrowed Dark and signed with rockstar agent Clare Wallace of the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency soon after.

Since then, I’ve released the second two books in the KOTBD trilogy, written Doctor Who books for the BBC, and written plays and TV and music videos and RPGs .

I teach creative writing at UCD, currently serve as DCU’s Artist in Residence, and have travelled to more than nine hundred schools and libraries all over the world to talk about writing, mental health, and monsters. I also have two new series coming in 2025.

Follow me on Twitter at @d_ruddenwrites or on TikTok at @daveruddenwrites

Reviews

[Helen Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was growing up, Irish mythology was taught like ancient history, with no real distinction that it was legends that had first been passed down through oral history before being written down.

Irish mythology has influenced a lot of writers, through the names and legends, but most of what makes it familiar is then lost when it’s repurposed. There’s rarely been Irish influenced fantasy done in such a way that an Irish person would recognise and relish it.

Enter Sister Wake.

While Rudden has still put his own spin on things, the Irish gods and the Irish language and the history of colonisation still rings true. Colonisation is a recurring theme in fantasy, especially in the last few years when marginalised writers, grappling with their own experiences of colonisation, have started to be published more in the mainstream. It’s not just the Answering oppressing the Croí; it’s not just England oppressing the Irish — it’s in the erosion of history, language, culture. The unpicking of faith and traditions, what joins a people together. When something loses significance, it stops being passed down and slowly becomes forgotten.

I loved all three plot strands, which remain pretty much separate throughout the narrative, though by the end it’s obvious they’ve become entangled from a plot perspective, and the set up is there for at least two to directly intertwine in the next book. I enjoyed following the three POV narrators, who each brought something new to the book, but I especially loved how Sister Wake started and finished the book, and was the opening chapter of each section. She is the heart of the novel; Abelard the intelligence; and Talasa the cunning.

I also loved the depiction of the Irish gods, and how the reader’s perception of them changes throughout the book. The last fifty pages are a true horror in all the POVs, and the decisions made all in direct conflict with each other, and I can’t wait for the next book. I truly have no idea how this trilogy will end, and that’s very exciting.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. The 4 stars were there in parts and pieces but the world building took me down.

This is fantasy written on the back of Irish mythology and its giant gods and England’s colonization of Ireland. This story is the fantastical war between these factions. Having not grown up with Irish mythology, the world building was probably even that much more intense for me. There were whole actual chapters where I wasn’t sure much what was going on.

And yet, we can leave space for that as fantasy is something I am not yet an exceptional or avid reader. It’s my intention to find the fantasy student within me this year. My intention is to put my 4th grade joy of reading back into my life when I devoured Narnia and Andrew Lang’s fairy books with so much happiness. I am seeking magic this year!

[R.S.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full blurb:

'SISTER WAKE is a brilliant, rebellious scream of a novel with 200 foot tall pissed off gods from Celtic mythology coming for an alternate British Empire in a fever dream of an Irish revenge fantasy. A page-turning epic about people doing monstrous deeds in a desperate bid to win the war between colonizer and colony, it mercilessly shows us that in the war for sovereignty and freedom there can be no saints, only those willing to sell their very souls for victory.'

My unprofessional thoughts:

OMG OMG OMG.

This is fantasy by someone at the top of their game. Human nature laid bare in all is horrible glory, brought to you by a cast of very human, unforgettable characters scrabbling with everything they have to understand and withstand the calamitous, portentous events that drag them all into personal and public hells.

If you crave books that take you on a rollicking ride into the ugliest parts of human history and culture, that champion the oppressed, that shine an unforgiving light on what it takes to both become a monster and fight one, what it takes to both be empire and resist it, how to find who you are when what people want most from you is for you to do what you're told and be who they want you to be, this is the book for you.

If you want to spend an entire book on the edge of your seat, mouth open at each incredible, unique, wondrous worldbuilding detail and reveal, this is the book for you.

If you crave being immersed in the culture entirely unlike your own, or if you wish to be immersed in the authenticity of a culture being lovingly and mercilessly explored by one who lives and breathes it, this is the book for you.

If you want to close a book absolutely sure you'll be reading the next one going, 'this author is a fucking genius' this is the book for you.

I don't know what else to tell you.

Read the damn thing and see what fantasy can do in truly deft hands.

[Ryan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

200-foot kaiju gods, necromancy, and anti-colonial rebellion. What more could you ask for?

[Stacey Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with Ireland and it's history so this was a must read for me.
I wanted to love this story but the pacing dragged so much through 2/3rds of the book that I found it to be work to read. The characters were good, although the POV's were fairly separate through the book which always makes it harder to connect deeply. I loved the build up to the end and was very happy with the dark tone, truly atmospheric vibe and the great ending.
I would definitely pick up the rest of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for this ARC. My thoughts are my own.

[Jefferz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steeped in Irish folklore and narratively inspired by Ireland’s oppression by England, Dave Rudden’s Sister Wake is an expansive high fantasy epic full of thematic and cultural content. The start of a planned trilogy, Sister Wake follows three individuals of different backgrounds and affiliations during a period of rising political conflict following the reappearance of monstrous gods causing unpredictable carnage across contested land. Ambitiously written and creatively inspired, Sister Wake is a novel full of big ideas that sometimes feels like it’s struggling with fitting together its individually strong pieces and balancing its complex plot.

Highlights:
☕︎ Creative and unique high/epic fantasy series debut inspired by Irish history, folklore, and mythology.
☕︎ Individual perspectives are compelling and provide varied and complex explorations around themes of colonization, oppression, and grassroot rebellion.
☕︎ Rudden's prose is distinctive from other authors in the epic fantasy genre, a mix of poetic lyricism with unique metaphors and phrases.

Considerations:
-Multiple POV shifts can be jarring and often hinder the momentum being built within each narrative. The three main characters and their storylines often feel fragmented and disjointed from each other.
-Slow overall pacing combined with extensive world-building often make it difficult to follow the plot and the overall direction of the story is murky in second-half of the book.

Usually, I try to avoid directly recapping what a book is about in my reviews but for Sister Wake, this book blurb is particularly vague; even with a 1st edition copy in hand, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. Set on the fictional island of Croí and the neighboring continental peninsula controlled by the Answering, Sister Wake is a high fantasy adventure of colonial rebellion and political conflict. Previously taken over from across the strait, the Answering has ruled over the distant and wild Croí by instituting their hierarchy of leaders, schooling, culture, and hanging all those favoring traditional Croí culture and legends for the past three hundred years. However, the sudden appearance of Croí's old legendary and giant gods once spoken and sung about have returned, disrupting the oppressive status quo and causing mass damage and casualties in their wake. Based on Irish mythological gods and figures, Sister Wake’s gods take the form of giant, juggernaut kaiju-like beings capable of leveling everything in their path or using various fantasy powers such as Sister Wake’s Cailleach, the Goddess of Death who kills everything she looks at.

As the Croí rebellion, the Answering, and other groups navigate the tense arrangement, Sister Wake is presented through the perspectives of three different individuals caught in the shifting tides of change and power. The book’s namesake Sister Wake is an individual blessed by the Goddess of Death who has the power to reanimate recently deceased animals and is a rising figure and face of the Croí rebellion seeking to restore their independence (it took me far longer than I would like to admit that the title Sister Wake refers to an priestess figure and not a phrase or slogan, hence “Sister” Wake). Abelard Caudefoy is the son of one of the Answering’s lords and is an aspiring naturalist who is interested in rumored “beasts” causing instability in Croí. And finally, Talasa is the daughter of the Answering’s Queen and second wife of the King (of no blood relation to the King) who has zero political power or inheritance and is navigating the political instability caused by the King’s mysterious absence. Alternating by chapter, Sister Wake follows these three characters and their individual adventures around Croí and the Answering’s nearby land, whose lives and future are all affected by the gods' return.

The start of a planned epic fantasy trilogy, this book is expansive and full of creative concepts and ideas. As previously mentioned, the series is inspired by the historical oppression of Ireland by England and though neither are directly mentioned by name, the series is a direct adaptation in a high fantasy reimagining. Croí and the Answering are direct counterparts to Ireland and the English and many of the book’s terminology, folklore, culture, and stories either have strong Irish inspirations or are incorporated as-is. Although I’m not particularly well-versed in Irish history and culture living half-way around the world in the middle of the ocean, the English history of colonizing the Irish is well-known and that basic understanding is all you need to get the gist of Sister Wake. However, the book isn’t simply a story of angry rebellion but is a much more complex exploration of what change can look like and how it affects individuals on a micro level. The three different characters provide very different snapshot views into Croí’s growing resurgence as well as the cost and casualties involved.

In addition to the themes of colonization and oppression, the book also has a strong recurring theme of given and inherited responsibilities. All three characters face difficulties navigating their perceived roles, none of which are their own choice, and what everyone else around them thinks they should be doing. Besides having different political affiliations and storylines, each of the three main characters also have distinctive personalities whose ideologies and character logic give each perspective a different tonal flavor. Fiery, headstrong, yet emotionally passionate, Sister Wake’s adventure across Croí is action-packed, vibrant, and nuanced, particularly due to powers of reanimation that infuse her with the memories and feelings of those she mentally inhabits temporarily. Abelard is more nervous and scholastic, whose chapters see science clashing with folklore, culture, and conflicting loyalties. And Talasa’s intuitive, strategic resourcefulness is put to the test as she attempts to sway the Answering’s top lords in a similar vein to the Queen. Across the three storylines, the book is full of world-building, folklore, and elements that perfectly suit the series’ mythic fantasy premise. Rudden’s prose also enhances the material in a dramatic and sweeping fashion that’s also quite distinctive both in terms of phrasing as well as thematic reflection.

While I found Sister Wake fascinating to read from a literary review standpoint, I found the book less enjoyable from a subjective reader standpoint. Multiple POVs are quite common and standard for high/epic fantasy books and Sister Wake utilizes them to show different angles to the Answering's occupation of Croí. While I found each of the three perspectives individually compelling, they felt quite isolated and tonally different from each other. The issue isn't that each perspective is geographically separated or follows a character of a different affiliation, it's that each perspective feels like completely different narrative. One is a cross-country fantasy action adventure, one is a scholastic exploration of loss of culture, and one is of political strategizing and manipulation. On paper, all three narratives are loosely tied to concepts of colonialism, oppression, and cultural conflicts and initially at first the variety of content was refreshing and interesting. But when read back-to-back repeatedly, especially once each perspective continued to develop, the narratives often felt like they were clashing to me. Sister Wake and Talasa's perspectives in particular felt like I was often reading two different books and I often would forget Abelard's story was there until the next chapter shifted to this story despite enjoying his character and arc when actively reading them.

Additionally, each perspective has different figures that could be considered villains, have different political entities in play, and all have their own set of world-building that is likely intended to show the huge scale and scope of the series. However, the book's world-building and lore were already quite extensive in general and by having three separate perspectives in different settings and political climates, it felt like I was getting triple the amount of setup with not enough progression or context clues for where the story was heading. After a strong opening prologue and first few chapters, I found my overall interest fluctuating dramatically due to the constant perspective shifts. I feel the issue here was due to each narrative hitting sudden plot twists or spikes in intensity mistimed or out of sync from each other, for example a major battle occurring with Sister Wake and a sudden discovery in the destroyed town followed by a lull in Abelard's chapter. Or in Talasa's chapter where a major development in regards to the missing King occurs, by the time the book makes the full rotation across all three perspectives and returns to Talasa, the momentum her story had built had partly deflated or worse, forgotten. This nitpick also affected the character development for me, particularly its character relationships and dynamics. The three main characters had good character development individually, especially when it comes to their stance and opinions of the Answering and Croí’s status. However, possible romantic interests felt like they went from platonically strained to romantic abruptly and I often felt like the book could’ve used more character moments in general to draw the reader in. While I found the characters likeable, I didn't feel particularly invested or connected with any of them or their journeys which reduces the intensity of dramatic moments.

In addition to the already disjointed feeling of the book, at about the halfway point I felt like I lost the plot and struggled to try and figure out where the book was going and what it was trying to do. Quite a bit of new developments happen, complimented with supplemental world-building and framing. However, I often found myself trying to discern their relevance to the overall plot. Some other reviews have previously highlighted the book's strong conclusion, but I personally found myself increasingly more confused and puzzled by new narrative elements being added rather than them adding to the book’s intensity and tense atmosphere. The confusing nature was also sometimes exacerbated by Rudden's prose which while generally immersive and poetic about 75% of the time, but occasionally veered into convoluted territory for me. At that midway point I was foggy on where the trajectory of both the book and by the end of Sister Wake, I'm still uncertain on where the story is going and how the different narrative elements across the three perspectives come together which isn't an encouraging impression to end on.

Imaginative, ambitiously conceptualized, and full of thematic depth, Rudden's Sister Wake is unique mythic fantasy epic full of great ideas. The themes and metaphors of the English's colonization and oppression of Ireland are very well-adapted and for those that enjoy folklore inspired by real-world culture and history, Sister Wake is a great book to pick-up. However, as much as I can appreciate the book's literary aspirations and highlights, the presentation and different narrative elements didn't quite come together for me. The first half of the book was interesting, but the overall disjointed reading experience and plot prevented me from fully enjoying the powerful story it was trying to tell. Received as part of Goldsboro’s GSFF subscription, this is their first pick that wasn't my personal cup of tea, however, it's nonetheless a fascinating book I appreciate being able to experience as Sister Wake is currently a UK-only release. While I likely won't be continuing with this series, it was still a decent read and one I'm curious to see where it goes.

*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, check out my blog TheBookGrind!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply AMAZING!!! Review to come! 💀

(FINAL REVIEW:)

Are you looking for a dark fantasy inspired by Ireland’s brutal history of colonization by England and filled with kaiju-sized gods, goddesses, and mythic heroes from mythology that roam the landscape with other creatures from Irish folklore? And are you looking for a fantasy book to fill that hole Shauna Laweless’s Gael Song series has left in your heart but with more violence and ever developing political intrigue in the midst of a rebellion for independence? And all of this written by an Irish writer? If you said yes to any or all of these questions, then oh man do I have the book just for you! 🍀

This book gave me everything that I didn’t think I was missing until it was in my gremlin hands, and man did I want to both devour this and slow roll my reading of it. Sister Wake is set in a period that my brain was picturing as something like the late 18th century. The book is split into three POVs on both sides of the conflict. The titular character, Sister Wake is a young woman who finds herself in a position of influence but hates how she got it with all her being. She was my favorite of the three simply because she is a reluctant figurehead of a rebellion she was convinced to take part in, and I also enjoyed her repeated and rather failed attempts to loop her sworn warrior into something like a friendship. 🗡️

Abelard is the second of the POVs and he is the classic youngest son who doesn’t really serve a purpose other than the spare of the spare. He’s intelligent but incredibly socially awkward and naive to the world outside the Answering (this world’s UK). When he finds himself on Craí (this world’s Ireland) after a spur of the moment decision, he’s woken up to the horrors that his nation has committed to the neighboring island. I really liked that he wanted to change and acknowledged that his ingrained prejudice was consistently impeding his understanding of the Croí and why they were rebelling in the first place. 🖋️

The last of the POVs was the most mysterious to me, but gave a great insight into the royal court of the Answering and their reasoning as to why they just can’t give up on the Croí and their land. Talasa is an observant foreign woman who finds herself playing the dull princess role to please her mother. She was the POV that made me feel like an intrigued and nosy bug on the wall because I wanted to better understand her role in the overall plot. She remained a bit of a mystery to me til the very end and so I’m very excited to see where her role in all this goes in the sequel! 🔍

Speaking of the ending, WHAT THE F**K?!? I’m both horrified and so excited for the sequel to come out because I have so many questions that need to be answered NOW!! I guess here’s to me once again sitting and “patiently” waiting for any news on the sequel. 😱

Thank you goes out to Hodderscape and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this early in exchange for an honest (and a little late 😅) review! I had a PHENOMENAL time reading this and am so excited to see where the sequel goes! And to Rudden: I didn’t know I needed a dark fantasy based on Irish history until I started your book and now I’m desperate to get more in the future! I’ll be so happy when my Broken Binding copy finally shows up in Korea! ❤️

Publication date: January 15!

Overall: 5!/5 ⭐️

[Sarah Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Overall, a good read. Starting with the good, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the mythology, those were great and who doesn't love a story about an conquered land rising up against it's occupiers. Sister Wake was also very intriguing as a character, and the necromancy element was presented in a interesting way I've not previously come across. However, there were several aspects of this that hampered my enjoyment. Firstly, while I enjoyed all three stories individually, they felt a bit disconnected. And the constant switching between these stories made it hard to connect with the characters and to stay immersed in each storyline. I also couldn't help but feel that all of them fell slightly flat, perhaps because it was difficult to give each of the storylines the attention they deserved. Secondly, while it is very clear that the author is very passionate about the mythology which inspired this, the use of Irish words throughout the text without sufficient context broke the immersion even more with the frequent need to transit to the glossary. Now, I fully understand wanting to include it, but I felt more care should have been given to how it was used. Overall I would recommend this to fans of mythology inspired fantasy whilst bearing in mind that it is not the smoothest reading experience.

[Alexandra]

RTC

Thank you Netgalley and Hodderscape from Hodder and Stoughton for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Release date : 15 January 2026

[Eternity's Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this and thought this was a great start to a new fantasy series. I was hooked from the first line and gobbled this story up. The world building was interesting because it was so heavily inspired by our actual history, I liked the blend of real Irish myth with twists created by the author. My little Irish heart adored this.

The characters felt real and complicated and I loved all of their POV chapters. Sister Wake in particular was such a treat to read, I loved her reluctant agreement of helping a cause she didn't fully see the point in and how it morphed into her desperately wanting to fight for it, and for herself.

I thought Abelard was a great middle ground character for his belief in the Answermen way but his slowly dawning horror at what they were doing in Croi. But also his horror at what Croi and it's Gods were doing back. He was the perfect foil to be introspective through.

The over arching story in this book was really interesting and I like how things were slowly brought together in the last few chapters. I am honestly disappointed we will have to wait to get book two as I am desperate to see where this story goes.

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters: 4/5
Story/Plot: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5

This is a heavily Irish inspired dark Epic Fantasy that at its core is a story of colonization. It follows three different Characters: Sister Wake who is a saint with powers akin to necromancy, and her guardian Brother Wight, Abelard the lowly son of a Lord who is a disappointment to his family, and Talasa a woman surrounded by the Answering. As we follow these three characters, we see the two sides of the conflict as well as Sister Wake who is in between.


The Character of Sister Wake was my favorite, as she had an interesting backstory, and I think she is the character that we spend the most time with. I will say that all the characters felt well fleshed out and complex, each with their own motivations.

The writing in this was difficult for me. The world building was hard to grasp as someone who has no exposure to Irish Mythology or History. Some of the visuals were also hard to picture at times. I think this led me to not getting as much out of the plot or characters as I would have liked. I think I would like to sit down with a physical copy of this and utilize the glossary to better understand what I'm reading. I also felt like the pacing was a little slow in the middle.

My struggles aside, I think this was a fine addition to the Fantasy Genre as a whole and I know a lot of readers will enjoy this!


Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing me with an eARC!

[Scarlett Rhianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a book that took me a while to get into but once the plot picked up I couldn’t stop reading. The reason why I gave this a four stars is because the world building was quite poor and it often felt like I was an outsider looking in rather than the one reading the book. I understand it’s hard to find a balance between just explaining the world to the reader and breaking the immersion or just expecting the reader to already know everything and unfortunately this book does lean towards the latter. Once I finally got to grips with the environment, however, it was a fantastic read.

The ending was crazy! So many reveals that i can’t wait to see expanded in the next book :)

[Probably · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely great to read a fantasy novel that is so authentically Irish, and just an absolute joy to read at the same time.

Usually reading these sorts of novels you spend the first while trying to parse all of the terminology and such, it's a real pleasure when the characters are speaking exactly how your own family and friends would be.

Also I apparently just have a soft spot for necromancy in my fantasy.

Can't wait for the rest of the series.

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my blog.

Actual rating 3.5

Galley provided by publisher

First, a disclaimer, if you like. There is very little fantasy that I’ve read and enjoyed this year that hasn’t been Malazan, Book of the Fallen or otherwise. It’s like nothing else has been able to grab my attention. Whenever I pick up a different fantasy book, all I can think about is that it’s not Malazan and it will not reach the worldbuilding heights of Malazan.

That being said, Sister Wake is a book that grew on me. At the start, I have to admit it did fall into the not-Malazan trap. I am still of the opinion that its worldbuilding is somewhat half-baked (I will come back to this later), and it didn’t help that that’s my favourite thing about the Malazan series. However, the characters in this one came to the fore and, with that ending, I am so intrigued as to where this one goes next.

I might as well dive straight in, starting with the characters. The story splits into three plotlines, thus far unrelated except in the broadest sense. First is Sister Wake, who is a saint blessed by the goddess of death and therefore able to reanimate corpses (though only animals). She travels the country alongside her protector, Brother Wight (sp?), helping to incite rebellion amongst the Croí (Ireland) against the Answering (British Empire). Then there is Abelard, the youngest son of an Answering lord who disappoints his father at every turn, and, finally, Talasa, the daughter of the Queen of the Answering who is not Answering herself. Now, of course I had favourites (Sister Wake), that was inevitable, but each character grew on me the more I read. As you would hope, given that this is a relatively chunky fantasy. They’re clearly characters travelling distinct roads at this point, but it’s clear enough that they’ll draw together sometime. In retrospect too, I actually really liked that this book is pretty much a set-up for the main conflict. Of course things happen, but it’s clear that this is just the beginning. Nowadays, it feels like more books and series need to take their time over things (told you I was Malazan-pilled), and this one looks to be doing just that.

So you would think this would be right up my alley as a book, which. I guess it was mostly? My only real qualm was with the worldbuilding. YMMV here, but I struggle with books where the worldbuilding is just a fantasy version of real life events. I have nothing against them, in theory, but I do feel that it lends itself to not thinking so much about the depth of the world because you can just assume a certain amount of shared knowledge. As such, here the worldbuilding felt somewhat surface-level. The Answering is Britain, the Croí is Ireland, and all of it is otherwise identical to late 19th-early 20th century Britain and Ireland, just with some fantasy flavour names. The world functions very like our own, just with Irish gods being real (why do they appear after 300 years? Who can say) and bestowing blessings upon people who become saints and gain powers. How and why this works is not clear (though I hope it might be explained later). It’s only towards the end that things start to become more interesting with the fantasy side of things. I also will admit that, the more the plot progressed and the more drawn in by the characters I got, the less concerned I was with the worldbuilding. I could let it go and just enjoy the ride.

Therefore, as a conclusion, all I can say is that this should be a book that fantasy fans will love. It’s definitely one that’s got me eager for the rest of the series.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Hodderscape for the ARC, it hasn't affected my review. 

Release date: 15th Jan 2026

TW: death, murder, colonisation, violence, blood, horror, racism, war, body horror

Utterly brilliant from the very first page, ‘Sister Wake’ is a devastating and epic reimagining of the Irish invasions and rebellions in a fantasy world where gods have begun to walk again. The island of Croí has been under the oppressive control of the Empire of the Answering for centuries, its people systematically crushed down and mistreated by colonisers. As a new rebellion begins with the hope of freeing Croí for good, Sister Wake- the only person ever spared by the goddess of death and now acting as her emissary- is forced into a role as an unwilling saint, driving her people forward- even though she doesn't fully believe they can succeed. Aided by Brother Wight, her protector knight and only companion, Sister Wake marches across Croí until the impossible happens: the Gods rise again. Hundreds of feet tall and devastatingly destructive, they throw the entire Empire of the Answering into chaos even as the foreign Queen Kalifsena and her mysterious daughter Talasa try to influence things at court. Caught in the middle is Abelard, the son of an Answering Lord who hops on the boat to Croí and into history in the making. It's up to Sister Wake, Abelard and Talasa to discover if the gods are actually on Croí's side or just dooming everyone to destruction. 

I genuinely found this book impossible to put down when I started. I've not been caught up in the start of an epic fantasy series like this for a long time and I can't wait to see where it goes next. This book is dark, brutal in places because of the violent and calculated oppression committed by the Answering against the Croí but there's also an undercurrent of humour in parts that I really enjoyed. I took to Sister Wake immediately as she and Brother Wight tried to raise their rebellion and found her backstory to be especially fascinating, particularly when you see her powers in action. I also really liked the naive character of Abelard and how in wanting to prove himself, he walked into a nightmare he's nowhere qualified for: it was with him that some of the horror began, especially with the towering figure of Macha walking through crowds of people like they're nothing. Talasa is a sixteen year old girl caught up in the machinations of a racist court, limited in what she can do because of her role though she stretches and pushes those limits in some brilliant political scenes. I have to mention the Gods because they're so scary and inhuman, I couldn't stop imagining the sheer size of them while I was reading. Wherever I thought ‘Sister Wake’ was going to go, it always surprised me and made some incredible comparisons to the treatment of the Irish people throughout history. This will be a standout book of 2026!

[Lel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this in a Goldsboro box and it sounds amazing but just didn't click for me. Whether that was because I read it over Christmas and was constantly interrupted from reading it I don't know. The inclusion of a lot of irish mythology was great and that is the aspect of the book that I liked the most. I may pick up more books in the trilogy as they come, but it will be a series that I will get from the library or second hand rather than rushing out on release date.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley & HodderBooks for the eARC,

Shocking how little press (till now) this book has gotten in Ireland, it is only down to The Broken Binding, it came into my space, so glad it did!.

First up, I suspect not having the ARC will help getting to the glossary for the translation meanings, sadly as I don't speak Irish, however this did not take away from the book it added to it [Props for the mention of Manchán Magan books, who I hope to read a bit this year in his memory], the premise is a retelling of the British Empire invasion/ occupation of Ireland in this fantasy setting Croí (Ireland) & The Answering (British Empire).

It is told from three points of view: 1) a Croí religious/rebellion figure chosen by her god Cailleach, under dubious circumstances; 2) the youngest child of an answering lord; 3) the daughter of the Queen of Answering (from a different region). They did not overlap as of yet (perhaps in the sequels); however, I felt that it did add to the story, as all three were learning about different things, and I felt it gave you a wider grasp of what is going on.

The story holds nothing back in describing the violence of occupation/ war, which I loved. I also loved one of the biggest draws to me was the weaving in on mythological gods (based on Irish Mythology), cultural practices still happening despite the danger of doing so.

The ending came as a surprise, but thinking back, there were hints. I look forward to the sequels and where this story goes! Excited to get the SE for my shelf, and it will be a reread for sure.

Favourite line ‘Knowledge is not always a product of teaching and books. Sometimes it is... bound into a thing. We don't know how.’

[L Powers (Bookish_Mum) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Wake was definitely outside my usual fantasy comfort zone. I don’t often pick up epic fantasy, but the premise of this one really grabbed me, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

The story takes place on the island of Croí, a land that’s been under the rule of the Empire of the Answering for centuries. The clans have been crushed, their language outlawed, and their religion pushed into hiding. Then, after hundreds of years of whispered prayers, the gods return…and not quietly. They’re huge, feral, and terrifying, and their arrival throws everything into chaos.

From there, it’s a mix of political manoeuvring, religious conflict, and power struggles on all sides. You’ve got a ruthless priestess forcing belief at knifepoint, an empire queen playing a long and dangerous game, and caught in the middle of it all is Sister Wake, an unwilling saint of the Goddess of Death who can literally raise the fallen.

I’ll admit, it took me a bit to really get into this one. There’s a lot of world-building upfront, and it took some time to settle in. But once it clicked, I was invested. The world feels lived-in and carefully built, and I ended up enjoying following all of the different character arcs.

Sister Wake was easily my favourite character. Her backstory is interesting, she’s complex, and she feels very human despite everything that’s happening around her. That said, all the characters felt well developed, each with their own goals and motivations, which made the story even more engaging.

Overall, this was a solid, immersive read and a great pick if you’re in the mood for a darker, god-filled fantasy with depth.

[mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you hodderscape and netgalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

it took me so long to finish this. partly because of the book itself but also just because of my own reading slump and inability to pick up my kindle.

there were a lot of things that i enjoyed about this. i think the prose is great and i appreciate how rudden has taken inspiration from irish mythology, language, and history with colonialism and crafted this world and story. i know that this novel will be exactly some peoples cups of tea and i think if you read the synopsis and find yourself intrigued then you should definitely pick it up and give it a try (it releases jan 15th!!)

the reason i’m giving it 3 stars is that it was just missing *something* for me. again, i don’t really know how much of that is because of the reading slump i was in or whatever but sometimes it felt like such a chore to pick up from wherever i left off when i put my kindle down. i understand why the decision was made to have multiple povs but i personally felt like the povs were quite disconnected for a majority of the story. my favourite pov of course was sister wake’s. i think her character is excellent and i loved reading about her relationship with her sainthood and the ways in which she navigates the intense trauma she’s been through. i also really liked her dynamic with brother wight. i found myself most engrossed when i was reading her chapters and then immediately being less intrigued when we switched to talasa’s or abelard’s. although towards the very end i did find what they had going on somewhat interesting.

the final scene has left me in anticipation for what comes next in the series. i am not 100% sure if i will continue it but i am willing to give the second book a chance whenever it is published.

[Josh Huntley · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - tapped out at halfway.

I went into Sister Wake with high expectations. The premise is genuinely strong, with an intriguing blend of Irish mythology and folklore, layered alongside an ambitious political parallel that pitches Irish history and identity against British imperialism. On paper, this should have been compelling, rich, and resonant.

In practice, the novel consistently overreaches. It tries to do far too much at once, cramming in concepts, lore, perspectives, and thematic weight to the point where the basic act of storytelling gets lost. Rather than being immersive or entertaining, the book becomes overcomplicated for no clear reason. The narrative momentum stalls, not because the ideas lack merit, but because they are never given the space or clarity needed to land properly.

This is particularly frustrating because the core ideas are good ones. Irish myth is fertile ground, and the historical and political undertones have real potential. However, ideas alone are not enough. They need careful execution, pacing, and narrative focus. Here, that execution never quite comes together. Instead of building tension or emotional engagement, the story becomes dense and, ultimately, boring - a result of a promising premise that is not delivered upon.

I stopped reading at around halfway through, feeling that the novel was unlikely to resolve its structural and narrative issues. While some readers may appreciate its ambition, for me the lack of coherence and storytelling discipline outweighed its conceptual strengths. A disappointing read, not because of what it tries to do, but because it never finds a clear or compelling way to do it.

[Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this read, that it might be what spoiled the result. The premise seemed like it couldn’t fail and credit where it’s due, there was some 4 and 5 star sections of this book.

Unfortunately as a whole, it was difficult to read and fully comprehend. Mythology is always exciting for me to delve into and the three storylines from different perspectives felt right. However, I just couldn’t follow or fully enjoy for big chunks of the book. Sister Wakes was the most consistently engaging and easy to comprehend, the other two felt a lot rougher to finish chapters at times.

Over all, it’s not a bad read but I can’t see myself rushing for any future ones in the series.

[Siavahda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy ‘inspired by Ireland’s history of English oppression’ is ALWAYS going to get my attention, and Sister Wake did not disappoint!

The Croí are the Irish, and the Answering who rule them as colonisers are a mash-up of English, Roman, and bits that as far as I can tell were entirely invented by Rudden – I approve. And just as the English were in real life, the Answering are cruel and brutal overlords, having spent the last 300 years doing their best to stamp out the Croí’s language, faith, and culture. Unsurprisingly, there have been many uprisings, and Sister Wake opens in the newest one. What’s different this time? Is that the Croí have saints, individuals who’ve been granted impossible powers by the newly reawakened Croí gods. Meanwhile, across the channel to the West in Dreodyrne, capital of the Answering, the Answering king has vanished on one of his superstitious quests. The only communication he sends back to his councils? Pull out of Croí.

We follow three protagonists: the eponymous Sister Wake, a young woman with necromantic powers over animals and birds since her encounter with the Cailleach, Croí goddess of death, storms and winter; Abelard, a would-be naturalist from a noble Answering family; and Talasa, an awkwardly-royal princess of the Answering with no Answering blood in her. And though I didn’t love all their storylines equally, we very much need all three to get a sense of the Big Picture; each of them have very different points of view on the situation, and bring different knowledge and context to it that the others don’t have. Abelard makes his way to Croí to study the gods, hoping they’re just another form of wildlife that can be understood within the realms of natural science; Talasa spends most of the book in Dreodyrne, showing us the politicking going on behind the curtain among the Answering nobility. And Sister Wake is with the uprising – at least until she discovers something behind enemy lines that ought to be impossible.

Rudden’s prose is silky-smooth and full of rich similes and metaphors. And that always gets a thumb’s up from me, but what’s especially wonderful is the way in which the imagery changes depending on who’s POV we’re in. With Sister Wake, we get lines like

The first blush of light on the horizon, like milk feathering in tea.

or

The gale was plastering Da’s leine to her collarbone, rolling around the sky like a miser scraping up soup.

This kind of homely imagery underscores who Sister Wake is, and more importantly who the Croí are, that they are a nation of people who are…if I say ‘close to the earth’ that sounds like some mystic savage nonsense, and that’s not it. But they live in small villages and towns, they’re people who work with their hands and bodies, and all of that’s underscored when we have similes about tea and porridge and things.

When we’re instead with Talasa in the Answering;

The richest areas of Theobardy and Easteld were not cradled close to the city’s centre but instead pooled out like wax cratering under a signet ring.

We go from soup to signet rings, because we’ve gone from a Croí commoner to a princess. And it’s so RARE for authors to do this, we almost never get to see prose reinforcing worldbuilding/character this way, and I love it and was so delighted to see it here!

Beyond that, Rudden is excellent at crafting powerful lines that are either hilarious

Sister Wake formally released Brother Wight from his geis about five times a day. So far, it had not taken.

or heart-stoppingly poignant.

Abelard remembered the look on the sailor’s face when Netha had sung. Not hungry, but malnourished.

The context there is that the sailor is listening to an ancient Croí song, the kind that the Answering have banned and destroyed knowledge of. Which means he’s malnourished for his heritage. Doesn’t that give you chills?

And I cannot get over the sheer BRILLIANCE of lines like this one, when we encounter the Cailleach for the first time;

It was as if someone had taken every single cruel story about an old woman, every mean and monstrous caricature, and stacked them thirty feet tall.

Yesssssssssss!

For me, story is often secondary to amazing prose, but the story here rocks as well. Rudden does an incredible job at conveying what the Croí have lost and what they want to get back, without flinching away from how complicated the situation is three hundred years down the line. This is a story about heritage, fighting for it and reclaiming it – and about outsiders trying to understand it, in the cases of Abelard and Talasa. (Talasa’s storyline is the weakest, in my opinion, but it does come to an extremely epic, jaw-dropping climax that has me craving her part of the sequel!) The gods are very real but they are also a metaphor – now that they’re back, they’re not what they once were, and they don’t seem to differentiate between Croí and Answering, which is understandably gutting for the Croí who want to welcome them back. It’s a heartbreaking reminder that the Croí have lost so much, that they no longer know all of their heritage, that so much of what they have now has been warped by colonisation. But at the same time – the gods are a huge, plot-central mystery: what ARE they, and where did they disappear to, and why are they back now? Can they be reasoned with? Bargained with? What’s WRONG with all of them; is it something the Answering did, intentionally or not?

The Answering are atheists, which very much pits them against the Croí gods even if they weren’t specifically Croí deities, and I think Rudden was doing a lot with the idea of…not religion, exactly, but maybe the idea of faith? And the evils of disrespecting and/or colonising the faiths of others? The Answering want to kill the Croí gods, refuse to accept that they even ARE gods – and at the same time, they have this king who is devouring the superstitions of every foreign culture he can get his hands on. It’s a situation that can’t be sustained, especially not after the reveals at the end of the book.

Sister Wake is a bit darker and grimmer than most of what I read, but I enjoyed it immensely, and will be keeping an eagle-eye out for the sequel!

[Angela Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic fantasy, full of rebellion, necromancy and rampaging gods 200ft tall. Inspired by Celtic mythology and the British Empire, the story follows multiple viewpoints as each navigate the uprising of a people under the thumb of an invading force for 300 years.

With rich world building, interesting magics and political intrigue, this story is a must for fantasy fans.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts well, ends well. Dips and drags in the middle.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Hodderscape, Dave Rudden and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of Sister Wake!

Sister Wake follows the island of Croi which is currently being invaded and subjugated by the Answering, a colonising empire that has fought the Croi for three centuries. We follow Sister Wake, a saint of the Goddess of Death who can raise the recently dead to follow her commands. The colossal gods of Croi have returned to life and are raging across the nation, and Sister Wake helps to defend her people and her gods against the invading Answering. In the midst of this battle between gods and men, Sister Wake, an exiled Answering nobleman and a young Answering princess uncover secrets of the world and the gods that may change everything they know.

Sister Wake is a dark and gritty fantasy story with tons of Irish mythology and history woven in. I wasn't very familiar with Irish mythology before diving into this, but this story has definitely made me want to do more research into the subject! The worldbuilding in Sister Wake was particularly spectacular, with a well thought out history behind the two warring nations. I also found the magic system to be quite interesting, if a little bit less explored than I'd like, but as this is the beginning of a trilogy I imagine we'll get more insight into the magic in later instalments. The writing here was beautiful, however I think I just wasn't in the best headspace focus-wise while reading this so I did get things confused and took longer to read it than I would have normally. Some parts were quite slow and I found those bits harder to get through.

Our three main leads were all intruiging in their own ways. Sister Wake's POV was my definite favourite; she's such an interesting character to read about with her dark past and even darker abilities. Her and Brother Wight's relationship was very engaging to me as well; I'm excited to see how things develop with them in later instalments. I also connected to Abelard's character; I resonated with his feelings of not being good enough and wanting to live a quieter life than his family expected of him. He had a really interesting arc through this first book and again I'm excited to see where he goes next. Talasa was a harder POV to get into; she has a lot of intrigue in her chapters but I just found them slow and hard to get through. I imagine she'll play more of a key role as the story unfolds, so I'm eager to see that in the sequel.

Overall I really enjoyed this one! I think the slower pace was a hinderance for me reading it when I did, but I was so engaged when I was reading that I know I'll rate it higher on reread. I'm looking forward to the rest of this trilogy; I'll definitely be picking it up to see where the story goes!

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

Sister Wake is a dark epic fantasy inspired by Ireland's history and mythology.

The story takes place on the Island of Croi, which has been colonised by their neighbours, The Answering. The Answering have spent 300 years controlling the land, subjugating the people and attempting to eradicate their beliefs, culture, and language. But the people of Croi have had enough and are fighting back, aided by the ancient gods of the island.

The book is told from the POV of three different characters, all of whom have their own important parts to play in the overall story. My favourite POV was that of Sister Wake, a young woman who was saved from being sacrificed by the God of Death and can now see into the minds of creatures as they die and control their bodies. Her story is one of rebellion, revenge and anger. I love the balanced perspective she gives to the rebellion and the actions of the rebels. Our other two POVs are Abelard Caudefoy, an Answering Nobel and naturalist, who travels to Croi to understand more about the gods, and Talasa, the Princess Undynast, daughter of the foreign Queen of the Answering, who is trying to survive and retain power in the capital at a time when the King of the Answering has gone missing.

While a lot is going on, the three distinctive POVs ensure that it doesn't get confusing; each character has a distinctive arc, going on their own journey and revealing different elements to the complex world. The worldbuilding is fantastic, as is the way the story slowly evolves. Rudden has been able to add so much depth, drawing heavily on Irish mythology and the Irish experience of repression. You don’t need an understanding of Irish history to pick up this book; the fight of the Croi is well explained.

I was thoroughly immersed in the book, and the only reason this doesn't receive a full 5 stars is that, at times, the scenes felt to jump forward too quickly, and the pacing was a bit slow in the middle of the book.

This book is perfect for those who enjoy epic fantasy, particularly those who love mythology and historical settings. It really stands out for its world-building and dark themes. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

An epic fantasy, heavily inspired by Irish mythology, has great potential and well-developed characters. However, its slow execution and confusing delivery hinder its full potential.

The story draws parallels to Ireland’s occupation by the English. The common folk believe in gods with inhumane powers and control over natural elements, preparing to rebel against the British invaders.

There are three compelling perspectives. As a child, Sister Wake, the title character, was sacrificed to the god of death. Instead of dying and providing the village with a good year, she survived and gained the god’s powers, allowing her to raise the dead, communicate with them, and command their obedience. Sister Wake navigates the budding rebellion, helping to lead the people while questioning the rebellion’s motives, eventually leading to her confronting her childhood demons. Princess Undynast, playing coy in the court politics, pretending to be less intelligent and aware, ends up uncovering a secret religious plot in the capital that could upend the entire kingdom. And a lord, who happens to fight for the freedom of the people his country has been enslaving. All the MCs embark on their own journeys, with complex arcs, discovering bigger truths and standing up for their values.

The world is filled with gods seeking destruction, religious zealots who believe they can control the wild gods, and political upheaval, invasion, and the meaning of occupation. In theory, it sounds like my cup of tea. Unfortunately, it’s not the case. The underlying plot revolves around liberation, rebellion, independence, and colonization, and emphasizes the brutality of the invaders. In short, the book places more emphasis on historical fiction than on fantasy. Adding up a very strong Irish mythology background, which is quite confusing for someone unacquainted with it, leads to a struggle in getting into the story.

Despite these flaws, I still enjoyed the book. However, I would truly market it as historical fiction inspired by fantasy, more like Babel than Fifth Season.

[Baccata · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC
This epic fantasy novel, heavily inspired by Irish mythology and history, tells of occupation, resistance, and the slow loss of language, faith, and cultural identity. Set in a world clearly based on Ireland and England, colonization, rebellion, and religious fanaticism take center stage - not merely as a backdrop, but as central themes of the plot.

The story unfolds across three largely separate plot lines with different perspectives:
Sister Wake, a saint consecrated to the god of death with the ability to raise the dead, is the emotional heart of the novel.
Abelard brings a more intellectual perspective that emphasizes inner conflicts.
Talasa/Undynast impresses with their political acumen and tactical skill.
All the characters are complex and develop credibly, even if their paths only cross late and gently.

I particularly liked the characterization, the dark atmosphere, and the portrayal of the Irish gods, whose perception changes significantly over the course of the story. The finale is intense, contradictory, and almost horror-like, leaving me eager for more.

What I didn't like so much was the pace and structure. The plot drags noticeably in the middle, the frequent changes in perspective make it difficult to connect with individual characters in places, and the three narrative strands don't seem to be properly connected for a long time. The mythology and historical references are great, but not necessarily easy to understand. The frequent use of Irish terms threw me off a bit. At first, I had to look things up in the glossary, but that got easier with time and made it much simpler for me.

The bottom line is that the novel is an ambitious, thematically strong fantasy novel with great emotional and mythological potential. Despite narrative longueurs and minor weaknesses, it wins you over with its characters, its dark mood, and its powerful finale. A must-read for fans of mythological fantasy.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘼 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨

𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙨, 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡

𝙒𝙖𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮

THIS BOOK!

I love it when fantasy books deep dive into the reality of how awful people can be and the things they do to hold onto power and this book delivered on that perfectly.

The island of Croí has been under the control of the Empire of The Answering for centuries & now with their Gods returned in the flesh and causing mass destruction, they battle for their freedom.

This book was BRILLIANT and I am genuinely devastated I have to wait for book two because the last 50 pages or so had me violently biting my freshly done nails.

Sister Wake wasnt just about The Answering oppressing Croí, or England oppressing the Irish but the devastation that came with it. The loss of land, culture, history, texts, music, language and faith.

I loved the three different POV’s from sister wake - a saint trying to navigate her new powers, Talasa, a cunning princess & Abelard, a naive but extremely likeable character & being able to see how events unfold separately through their eyes & watch it all slowly come together - It really reminded me of John Gwynne The Faithful & The Fallen in the sense the events were happening all over both islands simultaneously!
(TF&TF also happens to be one of my FAVOURITE series ever so this says A LOT)

This really was an incredible start to this trilogy. The twists towards the end and the cliffhanger went HARD so I’m desperate to get my hands on the next book already. The wait for book 2 will be the end of me. Truly.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding this to your TBR and reading as soon as it releases.

“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣”

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢”

[Robert Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Rudden draws on Irish history for Sister Wake, the first book of his first fantasy series for adults. Much of the action of Sister Wake takes place place on an island called Croí, whose people have been under the thumb of a nearby empire called The Answering. The Answering has spent three hundred years trying to eradicate Croí culture and beliefs but when the book opens, that control is slipping, helped by the fact that the actual gods that the Croí people believe in have returned to walk the land.
The narrative of Sister Wake revolved around three characters. The titual character, Sister Wake, survived an attempted sacrifice but ended up being bound to a god of death called the Cailleach. As a result she can both see into the minds of creatures as they die but also control them after death. Sister Wake travels with the armies of the rebellion, supporting them in their efforts to oust The Answering. Abelard Caudefoy is the fourth son of an Answering noble. He takes himself to Croí where he sees the war between the soldiers of the Answering and the gods of the Croí firsthand. And finally, Talasa, the princess, daughter of the foreign queen of the Answering, at a time where the king has disappeared. Talasa tries her hand at political manoeuvring only to find secrets that might better have been left uncovered.
Sister Wake is compelling grimdark fantasy that draws heavily on the Irish experience or repression, maintenance of culture and revolt. The characters are rich and nuanced and the action is bloody but compelling. While plenty happens, very little is resolved by the end of this book but the table has been well set for a fascinating series to follow.