Emerging from self-imposed exile, young Celtic tribeswoman Ailia finds the Roman occupation of Britain advancing across the nation. After encountering the war chief Caradog she joins the resistance to the invaders, while also finding herself increasingly drawn to the passionate leader, and must figure out her place in the swiftly changing world.
Following on from her debut novel Skin (aka Daughter of Albion), Ilka Tampke’s Songwoman delivers another slice of Brythonic life. The narrative is weighted far more heavily towards the historical than the quasi-myth of its predecessor, taking people and events – and, on one notable occasion, speech – directly from the pages of recorded history. The story imagines how the events of the Roman invasion would have been perceived on the Celtic side of things, since the tribespeople kept no written records and as such there’s no way of knowing exactly how events for them played out.
Despite the historical significance, this is still Ailia’s story. As well as being driven to do all she can to aid in the defeat of the Romans, her principal aspiration is to become a keeper of history – a songwoman. Spurred by her ties to the soul of the land, she sees no nobler duty than one whose life’s purpose is as a keeper of history, recounting events and lives in lyrical form long after they have come to pass.
Her growth from girl to young woman formed the foundation of Skin, and despite the events of Songwoman occurring in less than a year, her emotional maturation throughout becomes gradually apparent. An engagingly flawed heroine, she is confident in her beliefs despite coming to realise she’s not quite as wise as she previously thought, but is also willing to stand her ground against people she knows to be wrong and would see her brought down for their own selfish ends.
Given the wartime setting, the fighting isn’t skimped on and the sequences range from single combat and skirmishes right up to full-fledged battles between opposing armies. While an important aspect of the plot, they aren’t dwelled upon more than necessary, and instead of righteous combat determining who emerges victorious, Ailia’s perspective paints them as brutal and violent experiences, her outlook tempering the righteous bloodlust of the men she is largely surrounded by, in particular Caraog’s desire for glory and victory over the Romans at any cost.
The mystical aspects of the story are still present, although don’t feature as overtly as they did in Skin; rather than Ailia directly communicating with spirits and goddesses, the notion of a divine connection to the world around her is invoked as part of a belief system. As one way of life passes as the world moves on, the lives and loves of those who were a part of it live on forever, and Songwoman’s rich prose, authentic details and beautiful imagery fuse into a stirring journey of keeping the past alive.
SONGWOMAN / AUTHOR: ILKA TAMPKE / PUBLISHER: HODDER & STOUGHTON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
