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No Fair Maidens: A wild journey through memoir, myth and womanhood with the lost goddesses of Britain
'This book is an act of excavation, and an act of remembering.'
As Kim Willis drifts from the traditional path of marriage and motherhood, she yearns for a new set of stories to light her way. Here, she is pulled towards the source of the Severn, hearing whispers of ancient shape-shifting enchantresses, scaly nymphs and goddesses who once commanded our lands. These are no fair maidens, but powerful warrioresses and animalistic beasts, snaking along the edges of watery places where we meet the otherworld in the shadows.
As she uncovers the ancient myths hidden in the rugged landscapes of the British Isles, the stories of women like Arianrhod, Melusine and Cerridwen awaken a forgotten power. Journeying from the Severn to Skye, Eryri to Northumberland, Kim discovers new magic in the tales of old, unveiling forgotten truths about grief and healing, while charting a new course through sisterhood and sexuality, fertility and freedom.
Through the threads of folklore, history and landscape, Kim identifies a better way of being for modern women, and crafts a new vision for Britain where women are - and always were - a force of nature.
As Kim Willis drifts from the traditional path of marriage and motherhood, she yearns for a new set of stories to light her way. Here, she is pulled towards the source of the Severn, hearing whispers of ancient shape-shifting enchantresses, scaly nymphs and goddesses who once commanded our lands. These are no fair maidens, but powerful warrioresses and animalistic beasts, snaking along the edges of watery places where we meet the otherworld in the shadows.
As she uncovers the ancient myths hidden in the rugged landscapes of the British Isles, the stories of women like Arianrhod, Melusine and Cerridwen awaken a forgotten power. Journeying from the Severn to Skye, Eryri to Northumberland, Kim discovers new magic in the tales of old, unveiling forgotten truths about grief and healing, while charting a new course through sisterhood and sexuality, fertility and freedom.
Through the threads of folklore, history and landscape, Kim identifies a better way of being for modern women, and crafts a new vision for Britain where women are - and always were - a force of nature.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 20, 2026
Somewhere between autobiography, historical novel and (thoroughly well, tbf) researched fact/mythology, but somehow failing to get the best out of any of them.
Very vague and meandering, felt completely unfocused. Had enough interest to keep me reading, but I honestly kept wondering why.
Was very insightful in places, and very glad to see anyone discover their muse, comprehend their darkness, learn to become themselves and freely - and I'm all for the empowerment of women, as you doubtless know - but this just got a wee bit too sanctimonious, by the end. The relentless bang-bang-bang of the single note drum had me rolling my eyes.
And anyone using the word 'warrioress' in a non-ironic fashion needs to have a good long sit on the naughty step. Ten years in re-enactment made me a warrior, thank you, a word I am (was!) very happy to stand up and own, to take possession of, in my own right, with no need to feminise it.
Warrior, the word is fucking warrior. And in softening it, you do rather lose the entire point of the book, no?
(Also: that's not how you use a spear).
Not terrible, and some lovely moments, but left me feeling faintly dissatisfied.
Very vague and meandering, felt completely unfocused. Had enough interest to keep me reading, but I honestly kept wondering why.
Was very insightful in places, and very glad to see anyone discover their muse, comprehend their darkness, learn to become themselves and freely - and I'm all for the empowerment of women, as you doubtless know - but this just got a wee bit too sanctimonious, by the end. The relentless bang-bang-bang of the single note drum had me rolling my eyes.
And anyone using the word 'warrioress' in a non-ironic fashion needs to have a good long sit on the naughty step. Ten years in re-enactment made me a warrior, thank you, a word I am (was!) very happy to stand up and own, to take possession of, in my own right, with no need to feminise it.
Warrior, the word is fucking warrior. And in softening it, you do rather lose the entire point of the book, no?
(Also: that's not how you use a spear).
Not terrible, and some lovely moments, but left me feeling faintly dissatisfied.
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April 14, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
This book fits right in with some great recent new releases, so if you've enjoyed Britain's Folklore Year: A seasonal journey through our customs, celebrations and rituals or Briggs's Dictionary of Fairies: Banshees, Boggarts and Other Folklore Creatures on NetGalley in the last few months, I would recommend this for a similar look at UK culture but with a feminist, empowering lens.
Willis writes passionately about the lost goddesses of the United Kingdom and the women who have been lost to, or neglected from, history. She merges the weird with the wonderful, all the while sharing moving, personal insights into her life and the revelations that her research into these women provided. I hope I get the opportunity in future to travel to some of the places mentioned in the book, particularly the Isle of Skye, and in the mean time I will certainly be looking for ways to incorporate some of Willis' wisdom into my day to day life.
This book fits right in with some great recent new releases, so if you've enjoyed Britain's Folklore Year: A seasonal journey through our customs, celebrations and rituals or Briggs's Dictionary of Fairies: Banshees, Boggarts and Other Folklore Creatures on NetGalley in the last few months, I would recommend this for a similar look at UK culture but with a feminist, empowering lens.
Willis writes passionately about the lost goddesses of the United Kingdom and the women who have been lost to, or neglected from, history. She merges the weird with the wonderful, all the while sharing moving, personal insights into her life and the revelations that her research into these women provided. I hope I get the opportunity in future to travel to some of the places mentioned in the book, particularly the Isle of Skye, and in the mean time I will certainly be looking for ways to incorporate some of Willis' wisdom into my day to day life.
June 11, 2026
No Fair Maidens is a thoughtful memoir that reflects on ancient myths to understand the current self. I loved the celebration of not only women’s stories but also how the natural world interacts with us. The feminine energy throughout the book is beautifully written, raw and unfiltered. Heavy life themes are explored from sexuality to fertility. This is such a personal memoir that weaves seamlessly between eight goddesses and present day. The importance of stories and allowing the past to shape the future come into play. I felt deeply thoughtful throughout. This is a true sisterhood book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kim Willis has described this book as "an act of excavation, and an act of remembering," and that framing has stayed with me since I finished it. Because that's exactly what it is: a digging-up of what's been buried, the goddesses, shape-shifters, and warrioresses of the British Isles, whose stories were quietly swallowed by centuries of patriarchy, witch trials, and the slow strangulation of the languages they were told in.
The premise is genuinely thrilling. Willis structures the book around eight goddesses of these islands, Severn, Cerridwen, Coventina, Arianrhod, Gwendoline, Melusine, Scáthach, and Morgan, weaving their retold myths together with her own memoir of recovering from depression. Each chapter takes its name from a Welsh word for a type of story, which sets the tone beautifully from the start. This is not a dry mythology compendium. It's something more personal and more urgent than that.
What gripped me was the way Willis's personal story and the mythology are inseparable. She doesn't go looking for these goddesses from a position of academic curiosity. She stumbles into them at rock bottom: sitting numb on a Welsh beach after a devastating medical diagnosis, pulling a battered book of folk tales from the bottom of a hastily-packed Mountain Warehouse backpack almost by accident. Reading the story of Severn for the first time and feeling the hairs rise on her arms. That sense of something ancient reaching back is what drives the whole book, and Willis earns it because she's honest about how lost she is before it finds her.
The personal writing here is really compelling. The scenes of Willis's life in London, the warehouse flat, the friends coupling off and leaving, the growing unease of feeling off-script in a world with very clear ideas about what a woman's life should look like, give real weight to why these stories matter to her. And to us. She makes a convincing case that the myths we're raised on aren't just entertainment: they're an operating system, shaping what we unconsciously believe is possible. Which is why excavating a different set of stories, ones where women are forces of nature rather than prizes to be won, is not just an interesting project but a genuinely necessary one.
One of the book's most memorable chapters centres on Melusine, where Willis weaves together personal memoir and feminist argument to explore “female sexuality”, bodily sovereignty, and queer desire. Recounting her attendance at a bi-curious women's event in London, she writes with real tenderness about meeting Naomi and gradually recognising an attraction she had not previously known how to name. Having been conditioned by a heteronormative culture to expect desire for women to look and feel identical to desire for men, she simply hadn't recognised the signs. The relationship becomes the lens through which she explores a broader idea: that good sex, particularly for women, is cyclical rather than goal-oriented, rooted in consent, attentiveness, and mutual responsiveness rather than performance. Connecting this awakening to the Melusine archetype, Willis presents female wildness, sensuality, and sovereignty as intertwined forces that patriarchal culture has long sought to contain. It's one of the points where the memoir and mythology are most seamlessly intertwined, and where the book's argument about reclaiming alternative ways of being feels at its most powerful.
And then there are the goddesses themselves, who are wonderful. I came in knowing only three of the eight, which meant most of this was new territory for me, and the discoveries were a genuine pleasure. Cerridwen, the enchantress who births the spirit of awen (inspiration, creativity, deep wisdom) into the world. Scáthach, the Scottish warrior goddess and teacher of heroes. Morgan, whose story Willis reclaims from centuries of vilification. Each chapter follows the same shape: memoir, mythology, landscape encounter, reflection, and it works because Willis makes you feel why this goddess arrived in her life at this particular moment.
With eight goddesses across one book, each chapter can only do so much, and occasionally I wanted to slow down and stay inside a myth longer before the personal thread pulled us back. The history of how these stories were nearly lost, the witch trials, the Welsh Not, the slow colonial suppression of the languages these tales were told in, is handled compellingly when it appears, and I would have loved to have been more of it.
But this is a small caveat about a book that is doing something genuinely important. Willis isn't offering these ancient women as curiosities or aesthetic objects. She's offering them as companions, medicine, and evidence that there have always been other ways to be.
"Cynefin," she quotes early on: a Welsh word for a place you feel you ought to live and belong, where the natural world weaves the threads of the person you are yet to become.
That's what this book is searching for. And it's a beautiful search. #pudseyrecommends
Thanks to Doubleday / Random House UK, Transworld Publishers. ARC received via NetGalley
The premise is genuinely thrilling. Willis structures the book around eight goddesses of these islands, Severn, Cerridwen, Coventina, Arianrhod, Gwendoline, Melusine, Scáthach, and Morgan, weaving their retold myths together with her own memoir of recovering from depression. Each chapter takes its name from a Welsh word for a type of story, which sets the tone beautifully from the start. This is not a dry mythology compendium. It's something more personal and more urgent than that.
What gripped me was the way Willis's personal story and the mythology are inseparable. She doesn't go looking for these goddesses from a position of academic curiosity. She stumbles into them at rock bottom: sitting numb on a Welsh beach after a devastating medical diagnosis, pulling a battered book of folk tales from the bottom of a hastily-packed Mountain Warehouse backpack almost by accident. Reading the story of Severn for the first time and feeling the hairs rise on her arms. That sense of something ancient reaching back is what drives the whole book, and Willis earns it because she's honest about how lost she is before it finds her.
The personal writing here is really compelling. The scenes of Willis's life in London, the warehouse flat, the friends coupling off and leaving, the growing unease of feeling off-script in a world with very clear ideas about what a woman's life should look like, give real weight to why these stories matter to her. And to us. She makes a convincing case that the myths we're raised on aren't just entertainment: they're an operating system, shaping what we unconsciously believe is possible. Which is why excavating a different set of stories, ones where women are forces of nature rather than prizes to be won, is not just an interesting project but a genuinely necessary one.
One of the book's most memorable chapters centres on Melusine, where Willis weaves together personal memoir and feminist argument to explore “female sexuality”, bodily sovereignty, and queer desire. Recounting her attendance at a bi-curious women's event in London, she writes with real tenderness about meeting Naomi and gradually recognising an attraction she had not previously known how to name. Having been conditioned by a heteronormative culture to expect desire for women to look and feel identical to desire for men, she simply hadn't recognised the signs. The relationship becomes the lens through which she explores a broader idea: that good sex, particularly for women, is cyclical rather than goal-oriented, rooted in consent, attentiveness, and mutual responsiveness rather than performance. Connecting this awakening to the Melusine archetype, Willis presents female wildness, sensuality, and sovereignty as intertwined forces that patriarchal culture has long sought to contain. It's one of the points where the memoir and mythology are most seamlessly intertwined, and where the book's argument about reclaiming alternative ways of being feels at its most powerful.
And then there are the goddesses themselves, who are wonderful. I came in knowing only three of the eight, which meant most of this was new territory for me, and the discoveries were a genuine pleasure. Cerridwen, the enchantress who births the spirit of awen (inspiration, creativity, deep wisdom) into the world. Scáthach, the Scottish warrior goddess and teacher of heroes. Morgan, whose story Willis reclaims from centuries of vilification. Each chapter follows the same shape: memoir, mythology, landscape encounter, reflection, and it works because Willis makes you feel why this goddess arrived in her life at this particular moment.
With eight goddesses across one book, each chapter can only do so much, and occasionally I wanted to slow down and stay inside a myth longer before the personal thread pulled us back. The history of how these stories were nearly lost, the witch trials, the Welsh Not, the slow colonial suppression of the languages these tales were told in, is handled compellingly when it appears, and I would have loved to have been more of it.
But this is a small caveat about a book that is doing something genuinely important. Willis isn't offering these ancient women as curiosities or aesthetic objects. She's offering them as companions, medicine, and evidence that there have always been other ways to be.
"Cynefin," she quotes early on: a Welsh word for a place you feel you ought to live and belong, where the natural world weaves the threads of the person you are yet to become.
That's what this book is searching for. And it's a beautiful search. #pudseyrecommends
Thanks to Doubleday / Random House UK, Transworld Publishers. ARC received via NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There is so, so much more to British culture than football violence, queueing and imported tea. There are so many beautiful traditions and tales that are lost to time; back to the Cymrian, Celtic, Scots and pagan roots of the British Isles — stories of goddesses who were revered, respected, feared and loved but forgotten whether by force or time.
No Fair Maiden reclaims these stories, reminding us that there’s a reason we call it Mother Earth At the authors own admission, while the stories included were researched, there is also a storytelling element so the way these old folktales and legends are presented within so I’d encourage any reader to keep researching any tales that resonate. Willis tells each tale in a manner that almost requires a crackling bonfire to accompany it, told with wonder and awe, with beautiful rich storytelling that captures that magnificence these legends once held.
We go between beautiful telling of these stories, to deeply personal anecdotes about the authors journey to uncover their histories — at times these, while beautifully written and linked to the appropriate tales, felt a little too substantial and biographical if you’re opening it just for the stories - I enjoyed them nonetheless but did find them a little out of context here based on what I’d expected going into the book.
Make no mistake, this book is stunning; full of wonder and beautiful writing, deeply emotive and showing the authors meaningful journey to discover these stories — and the subject is so important. Its delivery, for me, just didn't match how the book was presented so left me feeling that it wasn't what I wanted when I picked it up.
No Fair Maiden reclaims these stories, reminding us that there’s a reason we call it Mother Earth At the authors own admission, while the stories included were researched, there is also a storytelling element so the way these old folktales and legends are presented within so I’d encourage any reader to keep researching any tales that resonate. Willis tells each tale in a manner that almost requires a crackling bonfire to accompany it, told with wonder and awe, with beautiful rich storytelling that captures that magnificence these legends once held.
We go between beautiful telling of these stories, to deeply personal anecdotes about the authors journey to uncover their histories — at times these, while beautifully written and linked to the appropriate tales, felt a little too substantial and biographical if you’re opening it just for the stories - I enjoyed them nonetheless but did find them a little out of context here based on what I’d expected going into the book.
Make no mistake, this book is stunning; full of wonder and beautiful writing, deeply emotive and showing the authors meaningful journey to discover these stories — and the subject is so important. Its delivery, for me, just didn't match how the book was presented so left me feeling that it wasn't what I wanted when I picked it up.
June 21, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I picked up No Fair Maidens, I expected a collection of retellings and explorations of myths, legends and folklore surrounding women from Celtic and Arthurian tradition. What I found instead was a deeply personal memoir interwoven with those stories.
Initially, that left me feeling a little unmoored. The folklore and mythology were the aspects that drew me to the book, and at times I found myself wanting to spend longer with the legends and less time with the author’s personal reflections. Readers looking primarily for mythology may have a similar experience.
However, as the book progressed, I began to appreciate the purpose of that structure. Each chapter pairs a legendary woman with a theme such as healing, courage, creativity, sovereignty, resilience or transformation, and the memoir elements demonstrate how these ancient stories can still speak to modern lives.
The chapters on Cerridwen, Coventina, Scáthach and Morgan were particular highlights for me. I enjoyed discovering alternative interpretations of figures I thought I already knew and exploring the ways these women have been remembered, reshaped and reimagined over time.
While this wasn’t quite the mythology-focused book I expected, I still found much to admire in its thoughtful exploration of feminine archetypes, personal growth and the enduring power of story. An engaging blend of folklore and memoir that will particularly appeal to readers interested in mythology, spirituality and self-reflection.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
When I picked up No Fair Maidens, I expected a collection of retellings and explorations of myths, legends and folklore surrounding women from Celtic and Arthurian tradition. What I found instead was a deeply personal memoir interwoven with those stories.
Initially, that left me feeling a little unmoored. The folklore and mythology were the aspects that drew me to the book, and at times I found myself wanting to spend longer with the legends and less time with the author’s personal reflections. Readers looking primarily for mythology may have a similar experience.
However, as the book progressed, I began to appreciate the purpose of that structure. Each chapter pairs a legendary woman with a theme such as healing, courage, creativity, sovereignty, resilience or transformation, and the memoir elements demonstrate how these ancient stories can still speak to modern lives.
The chapters on Cerridwen, Coventina, Scáthach and Morgan were particular highlights for me. I enjoyed discovering alternative interpretations of figures I thought I already knew and exploring the ways these women have been remembered, reshaped and reimagined over time.
While this wasn’t quite the mythology-focused book I expected, I still found much to admire in its thoughtful exploration of feminine archetypes, personal growth and the enduring power of story. An engaging blend of folklore and memoir that will particularly appeal to readers interested in mythology, spirituality and self-reflection.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I feel kind of conflicted about this book because there were parts I really liked and parts that didn’t really work for me.
No Fair Maidens is pitched as an exploration of forgotten goddesses and mystical women from Britain’s celtic past.
In reality it’s more of a memoir and travelogue as Kim Willis journeys across the country to the various places these goddesses may have existed. I wasn’t really expecting this to be the central narrative of the book and while it was moving at times, I found it to be a bit too new-age for me. I loved learning about the goddesses and more about the ancient sources their stories have appeared in but I wish it had been more in depth, as I felt like each chapter gave a brief overview of their story and then became about the writer trying to commune with them through nature and particularly bodies of water as some sort of liminal space to understand them.
I’m a wild swimmer too and love being in nature but I think this just veered slightly into being too hippy-dippy for me, especially as Willis writes very compellingly about these powerful women from Celtic myths and I just wish there was more of this in the book.
Thank you to Doubleday for the arc
No Fair Maidens is pitched as an exploration of forgotten goddesses and mystical women from Britain’s celtic past.
In reality it’s more of a memoir and travelogue as Kim Willis journeys across the country to the various places these goddesses may have existed. I wasn’t really expecting this to be the central narrative of the book and while it was moving at times, I found it to be a bit too new-age for me. I loved learning about the goddesses and more about the ancient sources their stories have appeared in but I wish it had been more in depth, as I felt like each chapter gave a brief overview of their story and then became about the writer trying to commune with them through nature and particularly bodies of water as some sort of liminal space to understand them.
I’m a wild swimmer too and love being in nature but I think this just veered slightly into being too hippy-dippy for me, especially as Willis writes very compellingly about these powerful women from Celtic myths and I just wish there was more of this in the book.
Thank you to Doubleday for the arc
June 28, 2026
It was ok? I would argue that these mythological figures are not lost or unknown and that the author has cherry picked a version of the story that suits her. The issue with this is that these are stories which tell us what the early Britons thought of themselves as a people. When you remove that context, and the context of he Medieval era or Victorian era when they were written down, you limit the understanding possible by embracing the idea that stories must be allowed to shapeshift: that there is no definitive version; that your version is one of hundreds. Yes you can look at these through the lens of resisting thc patriarchy but you're really only underlining your lack of research and scholarly rigor: you're actually depowering your own goddesses. Added to which this was full of vibes and feels which had me rolling my eyes. I don't want to judge someones personal connection to these archetypes but this overly sanitised and facile paganism is somewhat nauseating. All of which might have been avoided if the author had just said that this was what these stories meant to her and there were many versions.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had high hopes for this book, but sadly they were dashed.
The premise is genuinely interesting: a look at powerful warrioresses of the British Isles — and no, not Boudica. Instead, we delve into Britain’s deeper past and mythology to uncover the stories of Arianrhod, Melusine, Severn and more. I was unfamiliar with these women and eager to learn about them, especially as many of their tales involve witchcraft at a time when such things were dangerous.
However, this is where the book shifted more into a self‑help memoir than an exploration of these figures. Although the myths themselves were new to me, they felt more like a frame for the author’s personal journey than a true examination of the women behind the stories, which left me feeling a little let down.
I’m sure some readers will find the author’s memoir compelling, but for me it distracted from what had drawn me to the book in the first place — the lost myths and legends of these remarkable women.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The premise is genuinely interesting: a look at powerful warrioresses of the British Isles — and no, not Boudica. Instead, we delve into Britain’s deeper past and mythology to uncover the stories of Arianrhod, Melusine, Severn and more. I was unfamiliar with these women and eager to learn about them, especially as many of their tales involve witchcraft at a time when such things were dangerous.
However, this is where the book shifted more into a self‑help memoir than an exploration of these figures. Although the myths themselves were new to me, they felt more like a frame for the author’s personal journey than a true examination of the women behind the stories, which left me feeling a little let down.
I’m sure some readers will find the author’s memoir compelling, but for me it distracted from what had drawn me to the book in the first place — the lost myths and legends of these remarkable women.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2026
Review:
I did really enjoy learning about the mythology in Britain through this book. I know so little about it compared to Greek, Roman and Norse myth that it was a really interesting read.
Some of the discussions had in the book as well were much needed, such as about Willis’ battle with depression and her struggles with infertility. Hearing how she used the stories of the seven goddesses to help her when going through these difficult times was very heart warming. The history of the stories and Britain itself discussed was also interesting, particularly about the eradication of the Welsh language.
However, at times it felt more like a travel book, with Willis talking about travelling across Britain. That sort of took me out of it and felt unrelated and disjointed. During these sections I found myself waiting to get back to a topic that I was actually interested in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld digital for this ARC.
I did really enjoy learning about the mythology in Britain through this book. I know so little about it compared to Greek, Roman and Norse myth that it was a really interesting read.
Some of the discussions had in the book as well were much needed, such as about Willis’ battle with depression and her struggles with infertility. Hearing how she used the stories of the seven goddesses to help her when going through these difficult times was very heart warming. The history of the stories and Britain itself discussed was also interesting, particularly about the eradication of the Welsh language.
However, at times it felt more like a travel book, with Willis talking about travelling across Britain. That sort of took me out of it and felt unrelated and disjointed. During these sections I found myself waiting to get back to a topic that I was actually interested in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld digital for this ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for sending me his arc in exchange for a fair and honest review🤍
No Fair Maiden by Kim Willis explores ancient stories of women in Britain’s past and weaves them into moments of her own life.
Let me tell what I did like. I enjoyed the stories, which were really engaging and atmospheric. I especially liked the story of Gwendoline, and the link to the Severn.
But I opened this book thinking it would be more fiction than memoir. I wanted more mythology and less personal anecdotes. It ended up being more self-help - which maybe was the intention? But I’m not typically interested in self-help books so this fell a little flat for me. It’s not to say the book is bad, I think it just wasn’t what I expected or what I was looking for.
2⭐️
No Fair Maiden by Kim Willis explores ancient stories of women in Britain’s past and weaves them into moments of her own life.
Let me tell what I did like. I enjoyed the stories, which were really engaging and atmospheric. I especially liked the story of Gwendoline, and the link to the Severn.
But I opened this book thinking it would be more fiction than memoir. I wanted more mythology and less personal anecdotes. It ended up being more self-help - which maybe was the intention? But I’m not typically interested in self-help books so this fell a little flat for me. It’s not to say the book is bad, I think it just wasn’t what I expected or what I was looking for.
2⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 34%. This was a lot more self-help based that I anticipated when requesting the book - I went in wanting to learn about the goddesses of Britain and was left learning mainly about the author's journey with fertility and womanhood, which, unfortunately wasn't what I was looking for. I was perhaps not the right audience - whilst I wasn't quite expecting a full, informational non-fiction, this was a little too personal for me. The tone was also very...woo-woo which just didn't align with me.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 34%. This was a lot more self-help based that I anticipated when requesting the book - I went in wanting to learn about the goddesses of Britain and was left learning mainly about the author's journey with fertility and womanhood, which, unfortunately wasn't what I was looking for. I was perhaps not the right audience - whilst I wasn't quite expecting a full, informational non-fiction, this was a little too personal for me. The tone was also very...woo-woo which just didn't align with me.
June 29, 2026
No Fair Maidens is such a fascinating and exceptionally well-researched memoir, exploring the lost goddesses of the British Isles and the women whose stories have been forgotten or overlooked throughout history. Kim Willis weaves together ancient myths, folklore and the natural world with deeply personal reflections on her own life.
I loved how seamlessly the narrative moved between the stories of these women and the author’s own journey, exploring themes of identity, fertility and belonging with honesty and vulnerability. The celebration of women’s stories is thoughtful and beautifully written.
Reading this book left me feeling reflective about the importance of the stories we inherit and the ways the past continues to shape who we are. It has also inspired me to visit some of the places featured in the book! I thorougly recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoir, folklore and powerful stories about women.
Thank you so much Double Day Books for sending me a copy of this book. I am grateful as always :)
I loved how seamlessly the narrative moved between the stories of these women and the author’s own journey, exploring themes of identity, fertility and belonging with honesty and vulnerability. The celebration of women’s stories is thoughtful and beautifully written.
Reading this book left me feeling reflective about the importance of the stories we inherit and the ways the past continues to shape who we are. It has also inspired me to visit some of the places featured in the book! I thorougly recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoir, folklore and powerful stories about women.
Thank you so much Double Day Books for sending me a copy of this book. I am grateful as always :)
July 10, 2026
I didn't quite connect with this the way I hoped. In part that's on me rather than the book, because I assumed it was a book of British folklore, and it mostly isn't: it's part loose memoir, part self help, as the author uses the idea of British goddesses as a starting point to explore her own spiritual and sexual identity and encourages others to reconnect with themselves and the landscape.
At times this can come across as the 'girlbossification' of goddesses, and though Willis writes well enough I don't feel I came away with much more than I started, other than a fairly sparse idea of who these figures were and the context they sprung from.
At times this can come across as the 'girlbossification' of goddesses, and though Willis writes well enough I don't feel I came away with much more than I started, other than a fairly sparse idea of who these figures were and the context they sprung from.
July 3, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of No Fair Maidens.
★★★★☆ 3.75 / 5 stars!
Although No Fair Maidens isn't the kind of book I normally pick up, I ended up enjoying it. Willis combines memoir, myth, and British folklore in a way that is both intimate and vast, intertwining her personal journey with stories about ancient goddesses and lost female figures. Although I don't usually read nonfiction, I enjoyed the evocative writing and sense of rediscovery in this book. A thoughtful book with a distinct voice that empowers.
★★★★☆ 3.75 / 5 stars!
Although No Fair Maidens isn't the kind of book I normally pick up, I ended up enjoying it. Willis combines memoir, myth, and British folklore in a way that is both intimate and vast, intertwining her personal journey with stories about ancient goddesses and lost female figures. Although I don't usually read nonfiction, I enjoyed the evocative writing and sense of rediscovery in this book. A thoughtful book with a distinct voice that empowers.
April 15, 2026
1.75⭐️
A lot more self help based that I thought it would be
A lot more of the authors experiences and thoughts than there is myths and stories which really disappointed me, when the writing was about these myths and stories it was well done and I was really interested to learn more tho I do think it looked at them in a very simple way, but when it went more into the author and their thoughts it was just boring and kind of cringy
Thank you Netgalley and random house uk for the digital arc
Review of advance copy received from Author
A deeply personal account told in an authentic and likeable voice. This is no history book, it interweaves personal experience and weekend quests into the tales of celtic goddesses. It feels like you are hand in hand with the author as they discover a deeper connection with our island, revealing a plethora of warrioresses to guide us on our journeys.
Thoroughly readable, and presents a strong lived-experience argument.
June 12, 2026
Thank you @NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
I went into No Fair Maidens expecting a deep dive into myths, legends, and goddesses of Britain, but the book leaned much more toward self‑help than storytelling. While the themes were interesting, it wasn’t what I was looking for, and the mythological elements felt more like a backdrop than the focus. Readers wanting practical advice may enjoy it, but if you’re hoping for rich mythology, this might not hit the mark.
I went into No Fair Maidens expecting a deep dive into myths, legends, and goddesses of Britain, but the book leaned much more toward self‑help than storytelling. While the themes were interesting, it wasn’t what I was looking for, and the mythological elements felt more like a backdrop than the focus. Readers wanting practical advice may enjoy it, but if you’re hoping for rich mythology, this might not hit the mark.
June 16, 2026
I love love loved this book! I loved the weaving of mythology and important goddesses with the personal stories. Kim shared feelings and anecdotes that were often raw and vulnerable, which made me feel such a connection to her journey. And I love that she completely rejects modern definitions of masculinity and femininity because they harm everyone. And we see the immense power of goddesses and Kim’s embodying of that as she moves through a traditional life stage.
July 10, 2026
I picked up this book as I thought it was going to be an exploration of the stories of goddesses from the history of the British isles. That is included but, although marketed as the driver, the book was mainly about the author and grasping feminism. I was disappointed that the eight goddesses had a short story written but there was much about saunas and bathing and getting to one with nature. Great if that is your interest, but it's not mine!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a DNF for me. I made it around half way through the book, but it wasn't for me. It seemed more like a self help book or memoir than a book about the mythical women of Britain which made it hard for me to finish.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
[ARC provided by NetGalley]
So I dove into the waters with her.
In this process of recounting the forgotten tales of British goddesses, the author unraveled the myths veiled for centuries, drew awen from the stories, and together we witnessed how one strives to regain sovereignty.
"These eight goddess myths are a revolution in how we connect with the land, and with ourselves."
They are no fair maidens, not the saccharine, innocent, immaculate caricatures of goddesses, whose characters diminished often to coerce into a male-centric narrative. They are unapologetically determined, powerful, resilient, and fiercely protective of their land and communities. They embraced their own identities and relentlessly fought for liberty.
And such vigor and wildness lived within each and every one of us.
The quest for these lost tales was interwoven with the author's journey of reinstating inner peace. When confronted with insurmountable grief, feeling nearly suffocated in life, we could so easily be torn apart into unrecognizable fragments even to ourselves that it felt impossible to truly recover. This journey of gradual revelation of old tales and discovery of our connection to nature, is, in its process, catharsis.
"I hoped to be able to tell you that these goddesses have cured me of my woes, as if I could pitch these myths as a perfect antidote for all grief and depression. [...] But myths don't quite work like that, and the medicine they offer isn't quite one of resolution, but more one of restoration: reconnecting you to powers we might have forgotten, but which were always ours. Yes, you may descend, but you will rise again. You may be lost, but your intuition will find you one day. You may be in a void, but that's often where inspiration most likes to strike. And when it does, run. Grasp it with both hands and run as if a hound was on your tail."
In the moments where we might feel as if sinking and drowning, rather than instantly levitating or keeping us buoyant, would you perhaps mind being in the waters with us just a little while?
So I dove into the waters with her.
In this process of recounting the forgotten tales of British goddesses, the author unraveled the myths veiled for centuries, drew awen from the stories, and together we witnessed how one strives to regain sovereignty.
"These eight goddess myths are a revolution in how we connect with the land, and with ourselves."
They are no fair maidens, not the saccharine, innocent, immaculate caricatures of goddesses, whose characters diminished often to coerce into a male-centric narrative. They are unapologetically determined, powerful, resilient, and fiercely protective of their land and communities. They embraced their own identities and relentlessly fought for liberty.
And such vigor and wildness lived within each and every one of us.
The quest for these lost tales was interwoven with the author's journey of reinstating inner peace. When confronted with insurmountable grief, feeling nearly suffocated in life, we could so easily be torn apart into unrecognizable fragments even to ourselves that it felt impossible to truly recover. This journey of gradual revelation of old tales and discovery of our connection to nature, is, in its process, catharsis.
"I hoped to be able to tell you that these goddesses have cured me of my woes, as if I could pitch these myths as a perfect antidote for all grief and depression. [...] But myths don't quite work like that, and the medicine they offer isn't quite one of resolution, but more one of restoration: reconnecting you to powers we might have forgotten, but which were always ours. Yes, you may descend, but you will rise again. You may be lost, but your intuition will find you one day. You may be in a void, but that's often where inspiration most likes to strike. And when it does, run. Grasp it with both hands and run as if a hound was on your tail."
In the moments where we might feel as if sinking and drowning, rather than instantly levitating or keeping us buoyant, would you perhaps mind being in the waters with us just a little while?
Did Not Finish
June 11, 2026DNF - unfortunately the author's writing style is not for me. Too flowery & overly descriptive, I found it starting to grate.
July 7, 2026
4.5 stars. A combination of memoir and mythology. I adored Willis's retellings.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5*
"No Fair Maidens" by Kim Willis is an interesting blend of memoir and folklore that shines most for me when it explores the stories behind the women at its heart. I found the deeper dives into the myths, legends, and historical context more compelling than the memoir elements, which didn't resonate with me quite as strongly.
Even so, this is an engaging and thoughtful read that offers fresh perspectives on tales that are known but maybe don't always come to mind when you think of British folk tales. Overall, this was an enjoyable book for readers with an interest in folklore. and memoir.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday for a digital review copy of "No Fair Maidens" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
"No Fair Maidens" by Kim Willis is an interesting blend of memoir and folklore that shines most for me when it explores the stories behind the women at its heart. I found the deeper dives into the myths, legends, and historical context more compelling than the memoir elements, which didn't resonate with me quite as strongly.
Even so, this is an engaging and thoughtful read that offers fresh perspectives on tales that are known but maybe don't always come to mind when you think of British folk tales. Overall, this was an enjoyable book for readers with an interest in folklore. and memoir.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday for a digital review copy of "No Fair Maidens" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
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