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A review by 100pagesaday
Daughter of Black Lake by Cathy Marie Buchanan
4.0
In Iron Era Briton, the season of Fallow is upon the small community of Black Lake. The small community works the land, hunts, forges iron, and lives off of the land; protected by and ruled over by their gods. Sacrificing to them when rain does not stop or fields do not grow is part of their everyday life. For Devout, Mother Earth is her provider. Devout came of age that Fallow and is able to seek a mate. With this comes a choice, mate with Arc, a fellow field hand or a tradesman, Young Smith. As Devout is choosing, change is coming to Black Lake. A Druid comes to tell of the impending Roman invasion and most of the Smith clan goes to fight. Seventeen years later, Devout's daughter, Hobble sees the Roman's arrival in one of her visions. When a druid again shows up to Black Lake, he wants to use Hobble's visions to incite the villagers to fight.
Daughter of Black Lake weaves together the coming of age stories of mother and daughter for an intimate portrait of life within an Iron Age settlement. The point of view switches between Devout and Hobble as young women giving a progressive view of Black Lake and the people there. I enjoyed reading about the day to day activities of Black Lake and how much their beliefs in the four gods of Protector, War Master, Begetter, and Mother Earth affected their daily lives. I was enthralled by Devout's devotion to Mother Earth and the rituals she followed as well as Hobble's gift of sight and how she used it. The writing had immersed me in the lives of the people of Black Lake and their daily struggles and successes. While they lived a very different life from us, the uncertainties they faced and bonds they made felt very similar to life today. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Daughter of Black Lake weaves together the coming of age stories of mother and daughter for an intimate portrait of life within an Iron Age settlement. The point of view switches between Devout and Hobble as young women giving a progressive view of Black Lake and the people there. I enjoyed reading about the day to day activities of Black Lake and how much their beliefs in the four gods of Protector, War Master, Begetter, and Mother Earth affected their daily lives. I was enthralled by Devout's devotion to Mother Earth and the rituals she followed as well as Hobble's gift of sight and how she used it. The writing had immersed me in the lives of the people of Black Lake and their daily struggles and successes. While they lived a very different life from us, the uncertainties they faced and bonds they made felt very similar to life today. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.