Menewood picks up shortly after the end of Hild, and continues to follow Hild and her companions through the tumultuous landscapes of medieval Britain. 

The highlight of this book for me was Hild’s character arc. It was amazing to see her become more confident and actually claim her power, and to see her surrounded by true friends and trusted family. The dramatic battles and complicated politics were done so well and watching a woman take charge in a time of war (which happened a lot in medieval England) was so neat. ALSO! Female friendships in historical fiction are SO cool and important and the ones in this book series are particularly good. I was impressed with the ending as well. It was satisfying, but there are a couple loose ends, potentially for another book or just for the imagination. Either way, I loved it.

One note I do have: once again, this book was super dense and slow-paced. Sometimes the author falls down the rabbit holes of the historical world and goes into detailed explanations/descriptions/scenes that are difficult to read and contribute little to the plot. Simply put, this book wasn’t as concise as it could’ve been; Which isn’t necessarily a flaw! I’m not trying to say that it SHOULD have been shorter and easier, and I actually really liked the complex style. But "long and difficult" IS the style of this book and so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

All in all, this was a fantastic sequel, even if it was a bit tedious at times. I love Griffith’s writing style so much, and she brings this character and time period to life beautifully. Though it isn’t fantasy, if you like Game of Thrones, you’ll love this book.