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Grace and Fury #1
Iron flowers: Solo el coraje de una mujer puede cambiar el mundo
En un mundo de hombres en el que las mujeres no tienen ningún derecho, cada provincia del reino debe presentar a sus jóvenes más hermosas para que el príncipe heredero pueda elegir a su pareja. Así es como dos hermanas, Nomi y Serina, terminan confinadas en dos hábitats contrapuestos: la hermosa, frágil y débil en la inhóspita prisión de Mont Ruin y la chica resuelta, práctica y luchadora entre las sedas y fiestas de palacio. Dos historias de superación, supervivencia y amor entre hermanas... Porque, cuando la solución no llega, solo queda cambiar las reglas: ¡Que empiece la revolución!
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
400 people are currently reading
23928 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Banghart
13 books946 followersTracy Banghart grew up in rural Maryland and spent her summers on a remote island in northern Ontario. All of that isolation and lovely scenery gave her the time to read voraciously and the inspiration to write her own stories. Always a bit of a nomad, Tracy now travels the world Army-wife style with her husband, kids, and pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,779 reviews
August 1, 2018
This book wasn't awful, but it was rushed and weird. The characters are stereotypical and dull. The plot is rushed and forced. There is zero depth to this book.
There's this world about which we know nothing in which women are chattel. They have no rights. They're not allowed to learn to read or write. They're limited to being wives, factory workers, servants, or Graces. A Grace is their king (the Superior)'s concubine, and three of them are chosen every year.
So you have the beautiful and perfect Serena, who has been training in hopes of being a Grace for her life, and her two years younger sister, the unremarkable, spirited, hardheaded, and rash Nomi. When Serena is in competition to be chosen to be a Grace for no fucking reason, after one brief 15 second encounter with the heir to the Superior, Nomi gets chosen instead.
Then Nomi fucks up and Serena is punished, then they're separated.
It is a weird book. There is almost no world building. We're just expected to believe that this is how things are. There's no questioning their fate (kind of understandable because they're kind of meant to be that way). It is just a very shallow book.
The sisters' personality is bland. One is sweet and mild. One is fierce and rebellious. They are boring. There is zero complexity in the writing. It is all action and not much introspection. It is a readable book, but there is nothing in the book that will elevate it to the rank of actual literature.
There's this world about which we know nothing in which women are chattel. They have no rights. They're not allowed to learn to read or write. They're limited to being wives, factory workers, servants, or Graces. A Grace is their king (the Superior)'s concubine, and three of them are chosen every year.
So you have the beautiful and perfect Serena, who has been training in hopes of being a Grace for her life, and her two years younger sister, the unremarkable, spirited, hardheaded, and rash Nomi. When Serena is in competition to be chosen to be a Grace for no fucking reason, after one brief 15 second encounter with the heir to the Superior, Nomi gets chosen instead.
Then Nomi fucks up and Serena is punished, then they're separated.
It is a weird book. There is almost no world building. We're just expected to believe that this is how things are. There's no questioning their fate (kind of understandable because they're kind of meant to be that way). It is just a very shallow book.
The sisters' personality is bland. One is sweet and mild. One is fierce and rebellious. They are boring. There is zero complexity in the writing. It is all action and not much introspection. It is a readable book, but there is nothing in the book that will elevate it to the rank of actual literature.
June 29, 2018
"For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet... And who stood up anyway."
It felt highly fitting to use the author's initial dedication to highlight the overall theme of Grace and Fury rather than a quote from the ARC, because GIRL POWER DUH. Seriously, this is feminist, Italian-inspired fantasy full of court intrigue, the bonds of family (both blood and chosen), and fighting for what is right and good in this world. We've encountered SO many YA fantasies featured in made up worlds recently that it felt nice to come across something a little more realistic and grounded. Yes, it's still fantasy, but it had a strong historical component to it, while also bringing in themes that people still experience worldwide in other countries, like women not being allowed to really do anything except for reproduce.
Here, we have two sisters, Nomi and Serina who couldn't be more different at first glance. Serina has been groomed her entire life to become a Grace, a glorified concubine for the heir to the throne. Nomi has trained to become her handmaiden, but her heart isn't in it. She has secretly been educating herself, with the help of her brother, and feels a life at the palace will be a slow, painful death. Once the girls arrive at the palace, something happens and it is Nomi who is chosen as a Grace, while Serina stays on as her handmaiden. Tension rises and another thing happens, which causes the banishment of Serina to this volcanic island where it's survival of the fittest. Will Nomi be able to work her advantage in the palace to rescue her sister? Will Serina be able to survive and escape to protect Nomi? Duhn duhn DUUUUUUUHHHHHN.
Guys, I loved this story. It's a little slow in the first few chapters, because there's a lot of set up to make this story happen, but stick with it; I promise it's well worth your time. You'll think you've read this story before, but once you get to the second "thing" happening, the plot takes a turn into unique territory and I couldn't flip the pages quickly enough. I have the paper cuts to prove it. Going into this, I didn't realize it was the first in a new series, but once I turned the final page I scoured other reviews to make sure there would be more. Because holy guacamole, was that a cliffhanger! The final 20% or so of the book I had to hold on to my britches because it was twist after twist after twist. Lots of gasping and "Oh no he didn't!" going on here.
While the plot was fantastic and the setting was delectable, I found that the characterization is what really made this debut stand out among a sea of fantasy wannabes. You think you know the sisters and their stereotypical casting in the beginning, but after a few instances shift them out of their comfort zone, we see immediate growth that carries throughout the book. Nomi is the one who has always been expected to be strong, and Serina is the delicate flower, but after their circumstances are exchanged and each girl is thrust out of their comfort zone, we see Nomi navigating a precarious line of political intrigue and learning to solve her problems beyond being brash, yet calculating. Serina has to learn very quickly how to physically toughen up and hold her own after being raised a demure lady. These transformations are phenomenal and I can't wait for you to read about them for yourself.
I'm going to stop here, as to not spoil anything for future readers, but this is a fantasy that is timely, relevant, and necessary for the world we live in. As scary as it sounds, this "fantasy" isn't too far removed from some females' reality, and it's a healthy wake up call for young men and women alike to take hold of their future, not only for themselves, but for their legacy they choose to leave behind as well. Highly recommended for those looking for a feminist infused tale that will hold your attention, and your heart, captive until the final page is turned.
Thanks @TheNOVL for providing my arc for an honest review!
It felt highly fitting to use the author's initial dedication to highlight the overall theme of Grace and Fury rather than a quote from the ARC, because GIRL POWER DUH. Seriously, this is feminist, Italian-inspired fantasy full of court intrigue, the bonds of family (both blood and chosen), and fighting for what is right and good in this world. We've encountered SO many YA fantasies featured in made up worlds recently that it felt nice to come across something a little more realistic and grounded. Yes, it's still fantasy, but it had a strong historical component to it, while also bringing in themes that people still experience worldwide in other countries, like women not being allowed to really do anything except for reproduce.
Here, we have two sisters, Nomi and Serina who couldn't be more different at first glance. Serina has been groomed her entire life to become a Grace, a glorified concubine for the heir to the throne. Nomi has trained to become her handmaiden, but her heart isn't in it. She has secretly been educating herself, with the help of her brother, and feels a life at the palace will be a slow, painful death. Once the girls arrive at the palace, something happens and it is Nomi who is chosen as a Grace, while Serina stays on as her handmaiden. Tension rises and another thing happens, which causes the banishment of Serina to this volcanic island where it's survival of the fittest. Will Nomi be able to work her advantage in the palace to rescue her sister? Will Serina be able to survive and escape to protect Nomi? Duhn duhn DUUUUUUUHHHHHN.
Guys, I loved this story. It's a little slow in the first few chapters, because there's a lot of set up to make this story happen, but stick with it; I promise it's well worth your time. You'll think you've read this story before, but once you get to the second "thing" happening, the plot takes a turn into unique territory and I couldn't flip the pages quickly enough. I have the paper cuts to prove it. Going into this, I didn't realize it was the first in a new series, but once I turned the final page I scoured other reviews to make sure there would be more. Because holy guacamole, was that a cliffhanger! The final 20% or so of the book I had to hold on to my britches because it was twist after twist after twist. Lots of gasping and "Oh no he didn't!" going on here.
While the plot was fantastic and the setting was delectable, I found that the characterization is what really made this debut stand out among a sea of fantasy wannabes. You think you know the sisters and their stereotypical casting in the beginning, but after a few instances shift them out of their comfort zone, we see immediate growth that carries throughout the book. Nomi is the one who has always been expected to be strong, and Serina is the delicate flower, but after their circumstances are exchanged and each girl is thrust out of their comfort zone, we see Nomi navigating a precarious line of political intrigue and learning to solve her problems beyond being brash, yet calculating. Serina has to learn very quickly how to physically toughen up and hold her own after being raised a demure lady. These transformations are phenomenal and I can't wait for you to read about them for yourself.
I'm going to stop here, as to not spoil anything for future readers, but this is a fantasy that is timely, relevant, and necessary for the world we live in. As scary as it sounds, this "fantasy" isn't too far removed from some females' reality, and it's a healthy wake up call for young men and women alike to take hold of their future, not only for themselves, but for their legacy they choose to leave behind as well. Highly recommended for those looking for a feminist infused tale that will hold your attention, and your heart, captive until the final page is turned.
Thanks @TheNOVL for providing my arc for an honest review!
September 3, 2018
ARC provided by Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review.
“Serina and Nomi were like any other daughters in the cold, industrial town of Lanos. But Serina had her beauty. And Nomi had her secret.”
I didn’t know much about this book going in. I didn’t even read the synopsis. I only requested from NetGalley because a few of my best friends wanted to buddy read it with me. But I went into this story expecting nothing. And as I began reading, I was enjoying, but I wasn’t expecting anything great, but the end of chapter three was such an unexpected twist. I never would have seen it coming. And it was when I knew I was going to enjoy this book.
Grace and Fury is a story about two sisters who feel like they are on the path toward the only future they can somewhat control. Yet that path gets so twisted and manipulated, so very quickly, right before their very eyes.
➽ Serina has been taught her entire life how to be the most beautiful girl in the room. From music lessons, to dancing, to being the perfect, and quiet, girl. Her family has instilled in her that the only way she can have a good life is to use her looks to ensure a spot being a Grace for the royal heir.
➽ Nomi has been taught how to be her sister’s handmaiden to help her win and keep that spot. But she has never wanted to live her life serving her sister as a royal, all she’s ever wanted is to be treated equally.
“It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed!”
In this world, it is almost like a modern The Handmaid's Tale, but both serve to prove that oppression wasn’t as long ago in history as people like to believe. In this world, women aren’t allowed any choices, and are forbidden to even learn to read and write. When Serina becomes a Grace, she will literally be sharing one man with many girls, and her time will be spent however he deems fit. Girls in this world who aren’t as fortunate to even begin to compete to become a Grace, are sold away to become wives of other men, with their sole purpose being to birth children. Or they can become servants and/or factory workers.
“Women were forbidden to read. Women were forbidden to choose their husbands, their jobs, their futures. Forbidden to dive for pearls or sell goods at market to help their families. Forbidden to cut their hair unless a man told them to. Forbidden to think for themselves. Forbidden to choose.”
And any woman or girl who speaks out, or does anything that is deemed only acceptable to men, will find themselves on a volcanic island prison that has been abandoned by the outside (besides to bring food and more women there) since the last eruption. And on Mount Ruin, the prison guards rule. They force the women into different clans and make them fight to the death for the food that should be equally distributed.
Trigger and content warnings for captivity, a lot of physical abuse, graphic violence, murder, death, hinting of past rape/sexual assaults, brief implied attempted rape, animal abuse and talk of past animal abuse.
This story is told from alternating points of view between the two sisters that end up going down very different paths than they ever expected. We get to see both girls explore their grace and their fury, and they soon realize that both can coexist simultaneously. When I first started reading this, Nomi was easily my favorite sister. But the more and more I read, Serina is, without a doubt, my favorite.
And I truly did enjoy it, and I loved that first twist so very much, but I feel like the second “reveal” was so painfully obvious that it started to really hinder my reading experience. I still believe that Tracy Banghart created a beautiful set up for what is probably going to be a magnificent series. Yet, I feel like if the second “twist” could have been more secretly woven (like the first), I would have ended up five starring this story.
My favorite aspect of this story was definitely the sisterhood. Together or apart, Nomi and Serina always think about the other one, and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the other’s wellbeing. Even when things do not go as planned, and even when they are honest about their hurt and their anger, the unconditional love they have for one another always shines through.
Overall, I really did enjoy this. The first half was easily five star worthy. I might not have loved one of the sister’s point of view for the other half, but I still think this was a wonderful twist on the “princess locked away in the castle” kind of trope. And I can’t wait to see where the author takes this beautiful, feminist, story next.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
❤ Buddy Read with: Lilly | Amy | Jules | Jen
This was in the August 2018 OwlCrate box!
November 24, 2019
”It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed!”
Okay, I’m going to be blunt here. This book was:
35% Red Queen
30% V Games
25% The Selection
10% VOX
If you read all of those books you’ll either:
a.) Love the book because you’re a hardcore YA fan and there’s nothing better than to read all your fave YA books and tropes mashed up into one.
b.) Hate the book because you’re a hardcore YA fan and there’s nothing worse than to read all your fave YA books and tropes mashed up into one.
c.) Wonder how the freaking hell you’re supposed to rate a book like that!?!?
If you wondered about my choice: I’m kinda stuck between b.) and c.)! *lol*
”You must be as strong as this prison, as strong as the stone and ocean that hems you in. You are brick and barbed wire. You are iron.”
I think in this particular case I’ll just go for one of my short “What I liked & What I didn’t like” reviews because urgh I’m kinda disappointed and don’t feel like writing a 2.000 words review. *sighs deeply*
So here I go with what I liked:
- Some of the strong female characters and their refusal to accept their fate!
”I didn’t know what to do.”
Petrel squeezed her shoulder before letting her arm fall to her side. “You fight back. Always.”
- The writing style that kept me reading.
- Serina’s character arc.
- ”Bother me?” He turned fully toward her, a muscle working in his jaw. His voice vibrated with emotion as he said,”Every night, every time I close my eyes, I see them. Always, always they’re in pain. I carry them with me, and I will until I die.”
Val! If you ask me he was the best thing about the entire book! And the only character (aside from Serina) that actually had some depth!
- The beautiful book cover.
- *thinks… thinks some more…* Jeez! I really can’t think of anything else! >_<
What I didn’t like:
- ALL THE TROPES! Seriously, this felt like reading a mashup of every YA series that has ever been written! There were so many similarities I can’t even… Two brothers, a love triangle, the rebel that wants to change it all, the prison island setting, the dancing lessons, the prisoner and the guard, … I probably could go on and on but I’m already suffering a rather severe case of “eye-rollitis” and I don’t want to make it any worse.
- There was an LGBTQ+ character in here but of course it was just a side-character and of course it was a tragic one. *shakes head* Can we please just not? Either make a complex and amazing LGBTQ+ side character or just let it be. I’m sick and tired of authors making half-hearted attempts of writing LGBTQ+ characters into their books just because it’s “in” and might gain them more readers.
- The predictability! I was 30% into the book and already knew how it would end because… well, I did my homework and read all of those aforementioned YA series.
- How on earth was naïve, gullible and weak Nomi supposed to be the strong heroine? Did I miss a memo? The most rebellious thing she ever did was to - wait for it - read! OMG! *facepalm* I mean this was so
- The superficiality. I mean yes, this book had only about 250 pages but some authors manage to give depth to their characters by just writing 10 pages. I really missed some background. All those characters and we basically know next to nothing about them. Not where they came from, what they did, how they ended up either on the prison island or as Graces. Some of them might have gotten a little bit of history like Oracle and Maris but two sentences that are supposed to define a character and personality just won’t do it for me.
- About 200 pages of the book Serina actually resents Nomi for being the reason she became no Grace and went to prison instead. Which is kinda understandable but she’s still her sister and I would defend my sister with my life even if she got me in trouble and did something stupid. So I can’t really say that the strong “sisterly bond” I was hoping for was represented. Such a shame. =(((
Conclusion:
I’m sorry to say it but nope, this one clearly wasn’t for me. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that will love this and I’m certain that I would have enjoyed “Grace and Fury” a lot more if I wouldn’t have read all of those other YA books. I suppose I just would have been blissfully unaware of all the tropes and the fact that other authors wrote similar stories before. Unfortunately I am a YA addict and therefore know my stuff. ;-P I guess in the end this leaves me with two stars and the knowledge that I won’t pick up the second book. Because (and yes this is me being salty) I already know how this series is going to end. *lol* ;-)
”I need a weapon?” Serina had asked.
Their mother had lifted her chin. “Every woman does.”
_________________________
I wanted to read this for ages because:
- The cover is B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L! (even more so in real life!)
- I love a good sibling rep
- The plot sounds intriguing
- I’m always ready to read a new fantasy YA book. ;-)
- I need something to ignore my horrendous and excruciating toothache. >_<
Let’s hope this will work! Wish me luck! XD
Okay, I’m going to be blunt here. This book was:
35% Red Queen
30% V Games
25% The Selection
10% VOX
If you read all of those books you’ll either:
a.) Love the book because you’re a hardcore YA fan and there’s nothing better than to read all your fave YA books and tropes mashed up into one.
b.) Hate the book because you’re a hardcore YA fan and there’s nothing worse than to read all your fave YA books and tropes mashed up into one.
c.) Wonder how the freaking hell you’re supposed to rate a book like that!?!?
If you wondered about my choice: I’m kinda stuck between b.) and c.)! *lol*
”You must be as strong as this prison, as strong as the stone and ocean that hems you in. You are brick and barbed wire. You are iron.”
I think in this particular case I’ll just go for one of my short “What I liked & What I didn’t like” reviews because urgh I’m kinda disappointed and don’t feel like writing a 2.000 words review. *sighs deeply*
So here I go with what I liked:
- Some of the strong female characters and their refusal to accept their fate!
”I didn’t know what to do.”
Petrel squeezed her shoulder before letting her arm fall to her side. “You fight back. Always.”
- The writing style that kept me reading.
- Serina’s character arc.
- ”Bother me?” He turned fully toward her, a muscle working in his jaw. His voice vibrated with emotion as he said,”Every night, every time I close my eyes, I see them. Always, always they’re in pain. I carry them with me, and I will until I die.”
Val! If you ask me he was the best thing about the entire book! And the only character (aside from Serina) that actually had some depth!
- The beautiful book cover.
- *thinks… thinks some more…* Jeez! I really can’t think of anything else! >_<
What I didn’t like:
- ALL THE TROPES! Seriously, this felt like reading a mashup of every YA series that has ever been written! There were so many similarities I can’t even… Two brothers, a love triangle, the rebel that wants to change it all, the prison island setting, the dancing lessons, the prisoner and the guard, … I probably could go on and on but I’m already suffering a rather severe case of “eye-rollitis” and I don’t want to make it any worse.
- There was an LGBTQ+ character in here but of course it was just a side-character and of course it was a tragic one. *shakes head* Can we please just not? Either make a complex and amazing LGBTQ+ side character or just let it be. I’m sick and tired of authors making half-hearted attempts of writing LGBTQ+ characters into their books just because it’s “in” and might gain them more readers.
- The predictability! I was 30% into the book and already knew how it would end because… well, I did my homework and read all of those aforementioned YA series.
- How on earth was naïve, gullible and weak Nomi supposed to be the strong heroine? Did I miss a memo? The most rebellious thing she ever did was to - wait for it - read! OMG! *facepalm* I mean this was so
- The superficiality. I mean yes, this book had only about 250 pages but some authors manage to give depth to their characters by just writing 10 pages. I really missed some background. All those characters and we basically know next to nothing about them. Not where they came from, what they did, how they ended up either on the prison island or as Graces. Some of them might have gotten a little bit of history like Oracle and Maris but two sentences that are supposed to define a character and personality just won’t do it for me.
- About 200 pages of the book Serina actually resents Nomi for being the reason she became no Grace and went to prison instead. Which is kinda understandable but she’s still her sister and I would defend my sister with my life even if she got me in trouble and did something stupid. So I can’t really say that the strong “sisterly bond” I was hoping for was represented. Such a shame. =(((
Conclusion:
I’m sorry to say it but nope, this one clearly wasn’t for me. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that will love this and I’m certain that I would have enjoyed “Grace and Fury” a lot more if I wouldn’t have read all of those other YA books. I suppose I just would have been blissfully unaware of all the tropes and the fact that other authors wrote similar stories before. Unfortunately I am a YA addict and therefore know my stuff. ;-P I guess in the end this leaves me with two stars and the knowledge that I won’t pick up the second book. Because (and yes this is me being salty) I already know how this series is going to end. *lol* ;-)
”I need a weapon?” Serina had asked.
Their mother had lifted her chin. “Every woman does.”
_________________________
I wanted to read this for ages because:
- The cover is B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L! (even more so in real life!)
- I love a good sibling rep
- The plot sounds intriguing
- I’m always ready to read a new fantasy YA book. ;-)
- I need something to ignore my horrendous and excruciating toothache. >_<
Let’s hope this will work! Wish me luck! XD
January 24, 2019
you know i love a good story about women supporting women. the book begins with the dedication ‘for every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet… and who stood up anyway.’ and i knew it was going to be a decent feminist tale.
i really enjoyed seeing how both serina and nomi came to terms with their positions, even when it was the opposite of everything they ever wanted, and grew because of it. their strength to persevere is definitely the highlight of the story for me.
as far as critiques go, this feels like the bare bones of story to me. its pretty short in length, so there is a lot of room the author could have used to expand on certain elements. i thought the world building could have been more extensive, touching upon why women were denied certain rights to begin with. i felt the characters were interesting enough, but i would have loved to see more background detail so that their development could have been more fully flushed out. i also was confused as to why its labelled as fantasy when there are no fantasy elements present?
overall, there is such a promising foundation present, so its a little disappointing that the story is as shallow as it is, even with its deep ideas and themes. its not bad by any means and i enjoyed it, but there is just so much potential for more. so fingers crossed that things will improve and become much more structured in the next book!
↠ 3.5 stars
i really enjoyed seeing how both serina and nomi came to terms with their positions, even when it was the opposite of everything they ever wanted, and grew because of it. their strength to persevere is definitely the highlight of the story for me.
as far as critiques go, this feels like the bare bones of story to me. its pretty short in length, so there is a lot of room the author could have used to expand on certain elements. i thought the world building could have been more extensive, touching upon why women were denied certain rights to begin with. i felt the characters were interesting enough, but i would have loved to see more background detail so that their development could have been more fully flushed out. i also was confused as to why its labelled as fantasy when there are no fantasy elements present?
overall, there is such a promising foundation present, so its a little disappointing that the story is as shallow as it is, even with its deep ideas and themes. its not bad by any means and i enjoyed it, but there is just so much potential for more. so fingers crossed that things will improve and become much more structured in the next book!
↠ 3.5 stars
July 27, 2021
2,5 Sterne, aufgerundet auf 3
Zwei Schwestern mit sehr unterschiedlichen Charakteren. Eine ist lieb und angepasst, die andere rebellisch. Ein fiktives Königreich. Ein Prinz, der sich gleich mehrere Frauen auswählen darf. Statt Serina, die Angepasste, entscheidet er sich für Nomi, die Rebellische.
Eigentlich keine schlechte Grundidee. Nicht wirklich originell, aber das hat mich nicht gestört.
Mir hat gefallen, wie die beiden Mädchen sich entwickelt haben und dass sie trotz dieser „Verwechslung“ nicht böse aufeinander waren.
Trotzdem hat mich die Geschichte irgendwann verloren. So wirklich gepackt hat sie mich einfach nicht. Auch konnte ich mit den Charakteren nicht mitfühlen; sie blieben mir zu unnahbar.
Ich muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass ich hier das Hörbuch gehört habe und dieses leider gekürzt ist. Daher weiß ich nicht, was ich möglicherweise verpasst habe.
Es war okay, aber mich hat die Geschichte nicht neugierig gemacht auf den zweiten Teil.
Zwei Schwestern mit sehr unterschiedlichen Charakteren. Eine ist lieb und angepasst, die andere rebellisch. Ein fiktives Königreich. Ein Prinz, der sich gleich mehrere Frauen auswählen darf. Statt Serina, die Angepasste, entscheidet er sich für Nomi, die Rebellische.
Eigentlich keine schlechte Grundidee. Nicht wirklich originell, aber das hat mich nicht gestört.
Mir hat gefallen, wie die beiden Mädchen sich entwickelt haben und dass sie trotz dieser „Verwechslung“ nicht böse aufeinander waren.
Trotzdem hat mich die Geschichte irgendwann verloren. So wirklich gepackt hat sie mich einfach nicht. Auch konnte ich mit den Charakteren nicht mitfühlen; sie blieben mir zu unnahbar.
Ich muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass ich hier das Hörbuch gehört habe und dieses leider gekürzt ist. Daher weiß ich nicht, was ich möglicherweise verpasst habe.
Es war okay, aber mich hat die Geschichte nicht neugierig gemacht auf den zweiten Teil.
February 10, 2018
Totally addictive fantasy read. I loved both of these Main characters so much, and admired their strength through such hardships. Wish I didn’t have to wait so long for book two haha.
P.S. I just read this for the second time and loved it even more than the first. It’s a really great story of survival, feminism and family (both by blood and found family). Love!
P.S. I just read this for the second time and loved it even more than the first. It’s a really great story of survival, feminism and family (both by blood and found family). Love!
March 6, 2020
This book has been fairly hyped lately, mainly for its claims as a staunchly feminist YA fantasy. You guys already know I’m here for all the feminist reads, so I was pretty excited to pick this one up. When it comes to ARCs, I usually like to go in without knowing much about the story in advance, but a lot of my friends posted reviews for this book over the last week or so, so I had to peek—and found that I ended up agreeing with almost all of them.
Like many other reviewers, I was genuinely disappointed by Grace and Fury, for a few different reasons. The first and most basic disappointment about the story was the writing voice. It wasn’t noticeably bad, it was just not impressive. There are a couple of good quotes, but if this tells you anything, I usually highlight/tab at least 10 quotes in the average book so that I can choose my favorites for my review—in this book, I only was able to find 4 that I thought were decent enough to use.
My other, larger problem with the story was the sisters themselves, Nomi and Serina. The perspectives alternate, and while they’re very different characters, 1) their “voices” feel identical, and 2) they both consistently make the worst decisions possible, and it not only harms them, but it also hurts the people around them (most of them innocent, more or less). One choice in particular is made that literally spells out impending doom for hundreds of people, yet the character who makes the decision just doubles down and refuses to show any remorse. I wanted to throw my iPad so many times out of pure frustration with these girls.
The book does have some redeeming qualities in the sense that it is very feminist, though I’m not sure if it sets the best examples of feminism. As I mentioned before, choices are made—for the sake of the sisters’ perspectives on feminism—that actually hurt people more than they help them. I felt like they were so immature that they rushed blindly into situations without any consideration for how it would affect anyone else, because all that mattered was that they were “rebelling”.
That said, the book is not a total waste of time: it’s a very fast read, and the ending put things into such a tailspin that, as reluctant as I am to sit through another 300 pages of awful choices and subpar writing, I have to know what happens next. I doubt I’ll request an ARC or purchase the sequel, but I could see myself grabbing it from the library next year just to see where things go next. All of this in mind, though, I can only truly recommend picking up Grace and Fury if you aren’t looking for anything particularly impressive and don’t mind irritating characters.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Little, Brown for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
“You must be as strong as this prison, as strong as the stone and ocean that hems you in. You are brick and barbed wire. You are iron.”
Like many other reviewers, I was genuinely disappointed by Grace and Fury, for a few different reasons. The first and most basic disappointment about the story was the writing voice. It wasn’t noticeably bad, it was just not impressive. There are a couple of good quotes, but if this tells you anything, I usually highlight/tab at least 10 quotes in the average book so that I can choose my favorites for my review—in this book, I only was able to find 4 that I thought were decent enough to use.
Women had ruled this country. And history had denigrated them. Erased them.
My other, larger problem with the story was the sisters themselves, Nomi and Serina. The perspectives alternate, and while they’re very different characters, 1) their “voices” feel identical, and 2) they both consistently make the worst decisions possible, and it not only harms them, but it also hurts the people around them (most of them innocent, more or less). One choice in particular is made that literally spells out impending doom for hundreds of people, yet the character who makes the decision just doubles down and refuses to show any remorse. I wanted to throw my iPad so many times out of pure frustration with these girls.
Every aspect of their world pitted women against each other while men watched.
The book does have some redeeming qualities in the sense that it is very feminist, though I’m not sure if it sets the best examples of feminism. As I mentioned before, choices are made—for the sake of the sisters’ perspectives on feminism—that actually hurt people more than they help them. I felt like they were so immature that they rushed blindly into situations without any consideration for how it would affect anyone else, because all that mattered was that they were “rebelling”.
“In all the stories, women give up everything.”
That said, the book is not a total waste of time: it’s a very fast read, and the ending put things into such a tailspin that, as reluctant as I am to sit through another 300 pages of awful choices and subpar writing, I have to know what happens next. I doubt I’ll request an ARC or purchase the sequel, but I could see myself grabbing it from the library next year just to see where things go next. All of this in mind, though, I can only truly recommend picking up Grace and Fury if you aren’t looking for anything particularly impressive and don’t mind irritating characters.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Little, Brown for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
September 18, 2018
I'm just picking the real cover because I got two different covers from Fairyloot and Owlcrate and they are in the trade in box! And yes, the same book in the same month! Sigh! I might add the box pics later!
I told myself that after cancer treatment I wasn't going to waste time on books I'm not liking! I'm gonna start DNF'ing cuz time is short.
I'm happy for my friends that loved this and I'm glad I'm not the only one of my friends that didn't like it!!!
I reckon that's all folks. I just can't be wasting any moment of my time. No one should actually!
Anyhoo, happy reading!
Mel 🖤🐺🐾
February 2, 2023
This was a short, fast-paced read that almost felt like a novella in the way it flew by. In a fantasy world where women have no rights, cannot be taught to read, and have no options in life other than factory work, bearing children, or if you’re one of the “fortunate” being chosen as a “Grace” one of the King’s basically concubines, being a girl basically sucks. One sister has been trained for this position her entire life in the hopes she will be chosen. Her rebellious younger sister has been raised as her maid. But when they are sent to the palace, things go horribly wrong.
I quite enjoyed this and even wished in places we might have gotten a bit more—to know certain characters better and have more scenes with them. It was well paced and a great book… I wanted more!
I quite enjoyed this and even wished in places we might have gotten a bit more—to know certain characters better and have more scenes with them. It was well paced and a great book… I wanted more!
July 27, 2018
*cinematic jaw-drop* Omg?????? Omg!!!!!!!! What just happened?????? What. In. The. Hell. Just. Happened??? I fucking adored this book and omg. I can’t function rn. What the fuckkkkkkkk!
Review to come while I try to recover from that wild cliffhanger ending...
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Post-shock-review:
The Selection meets The Hunger Games meets Red Queen
A solid and strong start to a new and very promising series in the genre!
This book was a very pleasant surprise, very pleasant indeed. Going in I didn't know anything about it other than that it was a feminist read about two fierce sisters standing up for themselves in a world where women aren't allowed to read, hell even possessing books is a crime. Too scared to fight back, too beaten down to do anything about it, women are oppressed by the men around them. Sounds awesome, doesn't it?! Little did I know how much more awesome it was gonna get!
Serina and Nomi have spent their lives preparing for the palace. Nomi, the rebel and headstrong one of the two, to be her sister's handmaiden, and Serina herself who has been groomed to be a Grace which is considered the highest honor and standard for a woman and would secure her wealth and well-being in the king's palace itself. It would also mean dedicating her life to a man she doesn't even know. But only the luckiest and prettiest one gets the chance to be the heir's grace, someone dedicated to pleasing him, standing by his side as the perfect example of a woman. When Serina gets chosen to be one of the Graces, she cannot believe her luck - A life in the palace??? Excactly what her parents always wanted for her! When Serina gets caught with a book by mistake, the king sends her to an island prison where women are forced to fight to their deaths. Nomi, however, is to take Serina's place as a Grace against her will. Both girls are condemned to live a life that no one could've predicted. They have to be strong and cunning, but most of all they have to be iron if they’re to have any chances against the dark forces at play...
Can we pls talk about these extraordinary women????
I fucking adored both Serina and Nomi for different reasons and admired their incredible strength and will of mind to endure what they had to endure in this book. I cannot wait for the sequel next year and wished I could speed up time to get my hands on it sooner tbh. I absolutely loved this book with all its flaws and edges and amazing characters!
THE HEART POUNDING ROMANCE!!!
Be still my ever beating fangirl heart. The romance in this book I just
so good. so so good i have lost the ability to even...
Not too much to overshadow the girls' story, and not too less to leave me feeling unsatisfied
i'm not gonna tell you anything more about it though. It's best if you don't know ;)
MY DAUGHTERS, OUT TO WREAK HAVOC
This deserves so much more hype you guys!! Everything in this book was gold. Everything was so worth my time. EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. I SPENT. READING. Yes it has clichés and tropes but who cares, I don't care. The story was original, the setting slightly resembled an italian royal city and that volcano. DAAAAAAMN!
Review to come while I try to recover from that wild cliffhanger ending...
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――��――――――――
Post-shock-review:
"You must be as strong as this prison, as strong as the stone and ocean that hems you in. You are brick and barbed wire. You are iron."
The Selection meets The Hunger Games meets Red Queen
A solid and strong start to a new and very promising series in the genre!
This book was a very pleasant surprise, very pleasant indeed. Going in I didn't know anything about it other than that it was a feminist read about two fierce sisters standing up for themselves in a world where women aren't allowed to read, hell even possessing books is a crime. Too scared to fight back, too beaten down to do anything about it, women are oppressed by the men around them. Sounds awesome, doesn't it?! Little did I know how much more awesome it was gonna get!
Serina and Nomi have spent their lives preparing for the palace. Nomi, the rebel and headstrong one of the two, to be her sister's handmaiden, and Serina herself who has been groomed to be a Grace which is considered the highest honor and standard for a woman and would secure her wealth and well-being in the king's palace itself. It would also mean dedicating her life to a man she doesn't even know. But only the luckiest and prettiest one gets the chance to be the heir's grace, someone dedicated to pleasing him, standing by his side as the perfect example of a woman. When Serina gets chosen to be one of the Graces, she cannot believe her luck - A life in the palace??? Excactly what her parents always wanted for her! When Serina gets caught with a book by mistake, the king sends her to an island prison where women are forced to fight to their deaths. Nomi, however, is to take Serina's place as a Grace against her will. Both girls are condemned to live a life that no one could've predicted. They have to be strong and cunning, but most of all they have to be iron if they’re to have any chances against the dark forces at play...
Can we pls talk about these extraordinary women????
I fucking adored both Serina and Nomi for different reasons and admired their incredible strength and will of mind to endure what they had to endure in this book. I cannot wait for the sequel next year and wished I could speed up time to get my hands on it sooner tbh. I absolutely loved this book with all its flaws and edges and amazing characters!
THE HEART POUNDING ROMANCE!!!
Be still my ever beating fangirl heart. The romance in this book I just
so good. so so good i have lost the ability to even...
Not too much to overshadow the girls' story, and not too less to leave me feeling unsatisfied
i'm not gonna tell you anything more about it though. It's best if you don't know ;)
MY DAUGHTERS, OUT TO WREAK HAVOC
This deserves so much more hype you guys!! Everything in this book was gold. Everything was so worth my time. EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. I SPENT. READING. Yes it has clichés and tropes but who cares, I don't care. The story was original, the setting slightly resembled an italian royal city and that volcano. DAAAAAAMN!
Read
August 9, 2018#BookTubeAthon Day 7, Book 6.
Challenge: Read a book with a beautiful spine.
I liked the overall message of this book. About women standing up for their rights and coming together whilst doing so.
The plot, however, felt flimsy to me. It’s only 310 pages, but I’m so tired of some of these books not having a concrete first book where the foundation is laid out properly, then built upon.
We barely knew much of the world where these women had their rights taken away.
It’s supposed to be a fantasy, yet there were no fantastical elements.
The characters were given some groundwork, but their development felt rushed.
I think there’s a second book coming out, but I’m just annoyed at how mediocre some YA fantasy books have become for me at this point. I doubt I’ll be continuing on with the series.
Challenge: Read a book with a beautiful spine.
I liked the overall message of this book. About women standing up for their rights and coming together whilst doing so.
The plot, however, felt flimsy to me. It’s only 310 pages, but I’m so tired of some of these books not having a concrete first book where the foundation is laid out properly, then built upon.
We barely knew much of the world where these women had their rights taken away.
It’s supposed to be a fantasy, yet there were no fantastical elements.
The characters were given some groundwork, but their development felt rushed.
I think there’s a second book coming out, but I’m just annoyed at how mediocre some YA fantasy books have become for me at this point. I doubt I’ll be continuing on with the series.
January 24, 2019
4.5 stars!
“For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet... And who stood up anyway.”
You know, I must be reading a different book from everyone else. Because while everyone hated this book, I ended up friggin loving it!! And I almost let a huge amount of negative reviews scare me away. I am so glad I gave this book a shot. Thanks Owlcrate! Would have never discovered it otherwise.
Grace and Fury is basically The Hunger Games meets The Handmaid's Tale. In a dystopian fantasy world, women are not allowed to read and don't have much to hope or work for in life. Sisters Nomi and Serina are total opposites: Nomi destined to be a handmaid and who rebels against society and Serina meant to be a Grace and who does everything she's told. When the Heir to the throne chooses Nomi as his Grace over Serina, their world is turned upside down. Even more so when Serina is punished for a crime she didn't commit. Both girls must face a world and life they never expected and if they aren't careful, they both won't make it.
“My father used to say that opression isn't a finite state. It's a weight that is carried until it becomes too heavy, and then it is thrown off. Not without struggle, not without pain, but he believed the weight would always, always be fought and overcome.”
Like I said before, I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did seeing as most of my book friends didn't like it. But I always give my Owlcrate books a chance and this was no exception. I loved the character development in this book and how the sisters were thrown into unknown situations out of their element and they either thrived or drowned.
There's a lot of mystery following Nomi's story and Serina's is action packed and so compelling. I was so completely emotionally invested in what would happen to both girls, normally I care about one character more than the other in dual POV but I loved Nomi and Serina for different reasons.
I can honestly say the next book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and its release date cannot come soon enough. I hope readers give this book a shot!
“It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed.”
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“For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet... And who stood up anyway.”
You know, I must be reading a different book from everyone else. Because while everyone hated this book, I ended up friggin loving it!! And I almost let a huge amount of negative reviews scare me away. I am so glad I gave this book a shot. Thanks Owlcrate! Would have never discovered it otherwise.
Grace and Fury is basically The Hunger Games meets The Handmaid's Tale. In a dystopian fantasy world, women are not allowed to read and don't have much to hope or work for in life. Sisters Nomi and Serina are total opposites: Nomi destined to be a handmaid and who rebels against society and Serina meant to be a Grace and who does everything she's told. When the Heir to the throne chooses Nomi as his Grace over Serina, their world is turned upside down. Even more so when Serina is punished for a crime she didn't commit. Both girls must face a world and life they never expected and if they aren't careful, they both won't make it.
“My father used to say that opression isn't a finite state. It's a weight that is carried until it becomes too heavy, and then it is thrown off. Not without struggle, not without pain, but he believed the weight would always, always be fought and overcome.”
Like I said before, I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did seeing as most of my book friends didn't like it. But I always give my Owlcrate books a chance and this was no exception. I loved the character development in this book and how the sisters were thrown into unknown situations out of their element and they either thrived or drowned.
There's a lot of mystery following Nomi's story and Serina's is action packed and so compelling. I was so completely emotionally invested in what would happen to both girls, normally I care about one character more than the other in dual POV but I loved Nomi and Serina for different reasons.
I can honestly say the next book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and its release date cannot come soon enough. I hope readers give this book a shot!
“It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed.”
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September 14, 2018
Grace and Fury is a feminist fantasy that draws similarities to The Selection, The Belles, The Handmaid's Tale, Red Queen, and even The Valiant.
Set in a world where women don't have any rights, you are either a factory worker, servant, or you get married. It's even illegal for women to read. It's awful and infuriating. I wish we got more background as to how the world got to be this way. The world building is lacking a bit.
The one thing that can save you from an awful future, at least in Serina's eyes, is to become a Grace. Every three years, three Graces are chosen to stand by the heir. They are essentially concubines. Serena has been groomed to be a Grace her whole life because of her beauty. The plan is for her headstrong sister Noni to be her handmaiden. However, Noni has a huge secret. One that could result to being sent to the prison on Mount Ruin, a volcanic island, where women join clans and fight to the death like gladiators for food.
The competition to be a Grace is where the The Selection and The Belles comparisons come in. The prison with clans and a gladiator fight system is where The Valiant comes into play. And The Handmaid's Tale for the shitty world for women, Red Queen for the plot.
I enjoyed this one overall. It kept my interest. The big twist was good, although semi-expected. The theme of girl power is awesome. I'll definitely be reading the sequel. Hopefully there's more world building to come.
Set in a world where women don't have any rights, you are either a factory worker, servant, or you get married. It's even illegal for women to read. It's awful and infuriating. I wish we got more background as to how the world got to be this way. The world building is lacking a bit.
The one thing that can save you from an awful future, at least in Serina's eyes, is to become a Grace. Every three years, three Graces are chosen to stand by the heir. They are essentially concubines. Serena has been groomed to be a Grace her whole life because of her beauty. The plan is for her headstrong sister Noni to be her handmaiden. However, Noni has a huge secret. One that could result to being sent to the prison on Mount Ruin, a volcanic island, where women join clans and fight to the death like gladiators for food.
The competition to be a Grace is where the The Selection and The Belles comparisons come in. The prison with clans and a gladiator fight system is where The Valiant comes into play. And The Handmaid's Tale for the shitty world for women, Red Queen for the plot.
I enjoyed this one overall. It kept my interest. The big twist was good, although semi-expected. The theme of girl power is awesome. I'll definitely be reading the sequel. Hopefully there's more world building to come.
July 31, 2018
"For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet... And who stood up anyway."
This is the first novel in a new feminist fantasy series, so of course I was so excited to read this book! Unfortunately I was a little disappointed. I did really enjoy reading it, but I did have a few problems. My main problems were with the writing style (a little too simplistic for my personal taste), and I didn't feel super invested in the story/any of the characters. I enjoyed reading about them, but didn't necessarily care what happened to them.
What I loved:
- THE FEMINIST THEMES & THE FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
- Reading from the perspectives of Nomi and Serina - I found both of their perspectives really interesting to read from
- The character development we see in Nomi and Serina
- The relationship between Nomi and Serina (I always love reading about sister relationships!)
- The story is super fast paced and is definitely a quick & easy read
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick feminist fantasy read.
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for providing me with an ARC!
This is the first novel in a new feminist fantasy series, so of course I was so excited to read this book! Unfortunately I was a little disappointed. I did really enjoy reading it, but I did have a few problems. My main problems were with the writing style (a little too simplistic for my personal taste), and I didn't feel super invested in the story/any of the characters. I enjoyed reading about them, but didn't necessarily care what happened to them.
What I loved:
- THE FEMINIST THEMES & THE FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
- Reading from the perspectives of Nomi and Serina - I found both of their perspectives really interesting to read from
- The character development we see in Nomi and Serina
- The relationship between Nomi and Serina (I always love reading about sister relationships!)
- The story is super fast paced and is definitely a quick & easy read
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick feminist fantasy read.
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for providing me with an ARC!
July 31, 2018
I received this eARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
I'm so unbelievably shook.
Obligatory Summary
So, this is a hard book to really nail down. It's not fantasy, but it's not science fiction either, and it's not contemporary or historical fiction. It's somewhere in between. You won't find post-apocalyptic America in these pages, or teenagers wielding infernal powers. This isn't the world you know, but it's frighteningly similar. It's a merge between The Selection, Maze Runner, Throne of Glass, and The Hunger Games, but is uniquely distinct from all of them. This is a feminist story about the power of rebellion, love, and agency.
This book revolves around Serina and Nomi, two sisters divided by their belief in the role of women in society. Nomi believes that women should have the right to read, to cut their own hair without permission, to do pretty much anything, tbh. Serina, on the other hand, is content to become a Grace; in other words, a concubine for the Superior and his Heir, the rulers of Viridia, and a symbol of feminine beauty and, well, grace. Things go horribly wrong, though, when the Heir chooses Nomi, not Serina, as his Grace, and Serina is imprisoned for a crime Nomi committed. Now Nomi must brave the Heir and his world, where one wrong word would seal her doom, and Serina is trapped on an island where guards force the inmates to fight to death for food and water.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
I was not a huge fan of the non-dialogue prose. It tended to run exposition-y, especially in the early chapters, and was particularly redundant sometimes. For example, in the same exact chapter, it said the Nomi always did Serina's makeup before like three times. Besides that, though, I loved it! The plot was masterfully crafted, and I was on the edge of my seat literally the entire time. That ending KILLED ME.
Pet peeve time though: I HATE IT WHEN AUTHORS SAY "GOOSEFLESH" INSTEAD OF "GOOSEBUMPS" LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. I'VE LITERALLY NEVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE HEARD SOMEONE SAY "GOOSEFLESH" UNIRONICALLY. PLEASE, WRITERS, S T O P I T. NO ONE IS WORRIED YOU'LL SOUND LIKE R.L. STINE. N O O N E.
Like I said in the Obligatory Summary, the world itself was really unique. I've never read anything quite like it. It was a made-up world, but there wasn't any magic or fancy science fiction devices. It seemed, if anything, like a parallel world of early 1900's Europe, Italy in particular.
The themes were really well done, and I particularly liked that it was a feminist story, but like actually (not a SJM kind of feminist, in which it actually isn't but it really wants you to think it is). No, this is real, quality feminism. The kind that advocates women helping each other, supporting each other. The kind that doesn't shun men for existing, or try to elevate its female characters above them. It shies away from stereotypes, and even pokes some fun at other books in the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself actually feeling empowered by its messages, which is amazing, because honestly, I rarely do--tbh most "feminist" stories fill me with unbridled rage, because a lot of them completely miss the point. This one, though. This one totally gets it.
The Characters
Serina: Proud, poised, and a remarkably quick study without coming across as a Mary Sue, Serina is pretty hardcore. Her resolve to survive, both body and soul, was amazing. She grows so much as a character, becoming so strong by the end, but still recognizably herself, without sacrificing her feminine attributes.
Nomi: At first, I found Nomi annoying (back when I thought this might just be a SJM kind of feminist book), because of how brash and reckless she was, how immature she could be, not seeing or understanding her place in the world, as if she was just a book character who was just plopped there instead of a living, breathing person, born and bred in this fictional land. Once the plot really started, though, her true character explained itself, and I found that she was definitely my favorite character. I found her relatable, and I was most eager for her chapters of the book. She's headstrong, and thinks after she speaks sometimes, but she grows a lot too, and I really admire her.
Malachi: He was such a surprise, honestly. I really appreciated where his character went, and the depth that is explored in him.
Asa: He's a little like Nikolai Lantsov and I'm SO hyped to see where he goes in the sequel (GIVE IT TO ME NOW, TRACY!!!)
Val: He's a bit of a cinnamon roll, and I like him <3
Conclusion
I NEED THE SEQUEL!
I'm so unbelievably shook.
"It isn't a choice when you don't have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn't mean the same thing when it's the only answer you're allowed!"
Obligatory Summary
So, this is a hard book to really nail down. It's not fantasy, but it's not science fiction either, and it's not contemporary or historical fiction. It's somewhere in between. You won't find post-apocalyptic America in these pages, or teenagers wielding infernal powers. This isn't the world you know, but it's frighteningly similar. It's a merge between The Selection, Maze Runner, Throne of Glass, and The Hunger Games, but is uniquely distinct from all of them. This is a feminist story about the power of rebellion, love, and agency.
This book revolves around Serina and Nomi, two sisters divided by their belief in the role of women in society. Nomi believes that women should have the right to read, to cut their own hair without permission, to do pretty much anything, tbh. Serina, on the other hand, is content to become a Grace; in other words, a concubine for the Superior and his Heir, the rulers of Viridia, and a symbol of feminine beauty and, well, grace. Things go horribly wrong, though, when the Heir chooses Nomi, not Serina, as his Grace, and Serina is imprisoned for a crime Nomi committed. Now Nomi must brave the Heir and his world, where one wrong word would seal her doom, and Serina is trapped on an island where guards force the inmates to fight to death for food and water.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
I was not a huge fan of the non-dialogue prose. It tended to run exposition-y, especially in the early chapters, and was particularly redundant sometimes. For example, in the same exact chapter, it said the Nomi always did Serina's makeup before like three times. Besides that, though, I loved it! The plot was masterfully crafted, and I was on the edge of my seat literally the entire time. That ending KILLED ME.
Pet peeve time though: I HATE IT WHEN AUTHORS SAY "GOOSEFLESH" INSTEAD OF "GOOSEBUMPS" LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. I'VE LITERALLY NEVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE HEARD SOMEONE SAY "GOOSEFLESH" UNIRONICALLY. PLEASE, WRITERS, S T O P I T. NO ONE IS WORRIED YOU'LL SOUND LIKE R.L. STINE. N O O N E.
Like I said in the Obligatory Summary, the world itself was really unique. I've never read anything quite like it. It was a made-up world, but there wasn't any magic or fancy science fiction devices. It seemed, if anything, like a parallel world of early 1900's Europe, Italy in particular.
The themes were really well done, and I particularly liked that it was a feminist story, but like actually (not a SJM kind of feminist, in which it actually isn't but it really wants you to think it is). No, this is real, quality feminism. The kind that advocates women helping each other, supporting each other. The kind that doesn't shun men for existing, or try to elevate its female characters above them. It shies away from stereotypes, and even pokes some fun at other books in the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself actually feeling empowered by its messages, which is amazing, because honestly, I rarely do--tbh most "feminist" stories fill me with unbridled rage, because a lot of them completely miss the point. This one, though. This one totally gets it.
The Characters
Serina: Proud, poised, and a remarkably quick study without coming across as a Mary Sue, Serina is pretty hardcore. Her resolve to survive, both body and soul, was amazing. She grows so much as a character, becoming so strong by the end, but still recognizably herself, without sacrificing her feminine attributes.
Nomi: At first, I found Nomi annoying (back when I thought this might just be a SJM kind of feminist book), because of how brash and reckless she was, how immature she could be, not seeing or understanding her place in the world, as if she was just a book character who was just plopped there instead of a living, breathing person, born and bred in this fictional land. Once the plot really started, though, her true character explained itself, and I found that she was definitely my favorite character. I found her relatable, and I was most eager for her chapters of the book. She's headstrong, and thinks after she speaks sometimes, but she grows a lot too, and I really admire her.
Malachi: He was such a surprise, honestly. I really appreciated where his character went, and the depth that is explored in him.
Asa: He's a little like Nikolai Lantsov and I'm SO hyped to see where he goes in the sequel (GIVE IT TO ME NOW, TRACY!!!)
Val: He's a bit of a cinnamon roll, and I like him <3
Conclusion
I NEED THE SEQUEL!
"You must be as strong as this prison, as strong as the stone and ocean that hem you in. You are brick and barbed wire. You are iron."
August 24, 2018
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart is the first book of the young adult fantasy Grace and Fury series. So yes, being the first book of a fantasy story this one will leave you with a cliffhanger to lead into the later books for the series.
I normally find the advertising descriptions in blurbs really far off the mark and wonder what they were thinking comparing one book to another but with this one I really can see the books mentioned, The Selection, Caravel and The Handmaid's Tale. It's as if the author did a bit of a book stew with ideas from each and mixed it all together.
The story starts with sisters Serina and Nomi in which Serina wants desperately to be chosen as a Grace and Nomi is content with being her sister's servant. However, as one knows in the world of fantasy things often don't turn out the way they should and instead of Serina Nomi ends up being chosen and poor Serina ends up a prisoner.
So yes, a bit of book stew reminding me a bit of the Selection in the choosing, the Handmaid's Tale in the world in which women have no rights and the sisterly love shown in Caravel. Roll all this together with some twists and turns for Serina and Nomi and you have Grace and Fury.
When finished with this opener to the series I would rate this at 3.5 stars for a couple of reasons. I felt along the way that I wanted a bit more explanation here and there with the world building, it's not bad at all though just needed a tweak or two. And with this reminding me of other stories I saw a few things coming along the way and wondered about a few choices the sisters made. Overall though a nice start and I would continue.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
I normally find the advertising descriptions in blurbs really far off the mark and wonder what they were thinking comparing one book to another but with this one I really can see the books mentioned, The Selection, Caravel and The Handmaid's Tale. It's as if the author did a bit of a book stew with ideas from each and mixed it all together.
The story starts with sisters Serina and Nomi in which Serina wants desperately to be chosen as a Grace and Nomi is content with being her sister's servant. However, as one knows in the world of fantasy things often don't turn out the way they should and instead of Serina Nomi ends up being chosen and poor Serina ends up a prisoner.
So yes, a bit of book stew reminding me a bit of the Selection in the choosing, the Handmaid's Tale in the world in which women have no rights and the sisterly love shown in Caravel. Roll all this together with some twists and turns for Serina and Nomi and you have Grace and Fury.
When finished with this opener to the series I would rate this at 3.5 stars for a couple of reasons. I felt along the way that I wanted a bit more explanation here and there with the world building, it's not bad at all though just needed a tweak or two. And with this reminding me of other stories I saw a few things coming along the way and wondered about a few choices the sisters made. Overall though a nice start and I would continue.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
October 10, 2018
Okay. I did it. I finally finished. I deserve an award for this amazing feat. I also need to make sure my insurance sends all bills to Grace & Fury’s publishing company for the corrective surgery that will roll my pupils back into forward position. Because...🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I think this book would’ve annoyed me less had there not been so much hype around it. I cracked the spine expecting this badass, pro-woman, smash-the patriarchy-hand-in-hand-with-men-but-not-like-Cersei-Lannister-in-the-season-6-finale type of awesome. Instead, I got cardboard cutouts of generic Mary Sue 1 and Mary Sue 2. These cardboard cutout sisters waddle like South Park characters from room to room and interact with generic prissy girl and generic sad girl in the castle, as well as generic wise old one-eyed Grandmother Willow and generic WOOYEAHMANPOWERGIRLSAREICKY villains on the prison island.
The story is predictable in a way that I spent most of my time reading it trying to decide what it’s a cross between. I’m currently at “If Disney’s Frozen had a baby with The Cruel Prince,” but I’m still not happy with that. I’ll come up with the correct book “parents” eventually. Though, I could be struggling because Grace & Fury is the base skeleton plot of every sister story in existence. Other authors usually try to flesh that out (I hate myself for that unintentional dad joke), but this one never moved past the outline stage. It may as well have been typed in size 12 Times New Roman.
The only reason this gets 2 stars instead of 1 is for the character Malachi. He deserves better than this.
I think this book would’ve annoyed me less had there not been so much hype around it. I cracked the spine expecting this badass, pro-woman, smash-the patriarchy-hand-in-hand-with-men-but-not-like-Cersei-Lannister-in-the-season-6-finale type of awesome. Instead, I got cardboard cutouts of generic Mary Sue 1 and Mary Sue 2. These cardboard cutout sisters waddle like South Park characters from room to room and interact with generic prissy girl and generic sad girl in the castle, as well as generic wise old one-eyed Grandmother Willow and generic WOOYEAHMANPOWERGIRLSAREICKY villains on the prison island.
The story is predictable in a way that I spent most of my time reading it trying to decide what it’s a cross between. I’m currently at “If Disney’s Frozen had a baby with The Cruel Prince,” but I’m still not happy with that. I’ll come up with the correct book “parents” eventually. Though, I could be struggling because Grace & Fury is the base skeleton plot of every sister story in existence. Other authors usually try to flesh that out (I hate myself for that unintentional dad joke), but this one never moved past the outline stage. It may as well have been typed in size 12 Times New Roman.
The only reason this gets 2 stars instead of 1 is for the character Malachi. He deserves better than this.
June 12, 2019
Grace and Fury is a wonderful mix of The Hunger Games and The Selection — In a world ruled by men, women are forbidden to read or even own books. Nomi Tessaro has rebelled and learned how to read from her brother, but she must keep it a secret. Serina chose not to break the law, knowing that her ultimate goal was to serve as a Grace to the Prince — a sort of wife/concubine role in the castle.
When Serina is chosen to compete to be one of the Prince’s Graces, her sister, Nomi, goes with her to serve as her handmaiden. But in a twist, the Prince chooses Nomi as one of his three Graces. Serina reluctantly agrees to stay to be Nomi’s handmaiden. On their first day in their new roles, Serina is caught holding a book and reciting the story from memory. Seemingly being caught reading, she is sentenced to life on a prison island where the guards force the all-female prisoners to fight to the death for rations.
Both girls are forced into situations they were not trained for, have no experience with, and are ultimately afraid of. But the bond of sisterhood keeps them going — each has the hope that they can survive and find and save their sister. I cannot recommend Grace and Fury enough. It also should be known it is set to be a duology, with the second book coming out next year.
If you loved The Hunger Games and The Selection, and also fangirl over love triangles, strong women fighting oppression (and each other), and beautiful world-building, chances are this book is for you.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
When Serina is chosen to compete to be one of the Prince’s Graces, her sister, Nomi, goes with her to serve as her handmaiden. But in a twist, the Prince chooses Nomi as one of his three Graces. Serina reluctantly agrees to stay to be Nomi’s handmaiden. On their first day in their new roles, Serina is caught holding a book and reciting the story from memory. Seemingly being caught reading, she is sentenced to life on a prison island where the guards force the all-female prisoners to fight to the death for rations.
Both girls are forced into situations they were not trained for, have no experience with, and are ultimately afraid of. But the bond of sisterhood keeps them going — each has the hope that they can survive and find and save their sister. I cannot recommend Grace and Fury enough. It also should be known it is set to be a duology, with the second book coming out next year.
If you loved The Hunger Games and The Selection, and also fangirl over love triangles, strong women fighting oppression (and each other), and beautiful world-building, chances are this book is for you.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 28, 2020
This was like eating bland oatmeal.
October 14, 2018
What a way to complete my reading challenge for 2018!
I am in love. I need the second book now.
I'm not going to lie, I kind of predicted a lot of it, but it had so many elements of what I love in books, and there was so much GIRL POWER!
10s 10s 10s across the board!
Full RTC
Update... I hate myself that I never reviewed this 😩
I am in love. I need the second book now.
I'm not going to lie, I kind of predicted a lot of it, but it had so many elements of what I love in books, and there was so much GIRL POWER!
10s 10s 10s across the board!
Full RTC
Update... I hate myself that I never reviewed this 😩
Want to read
May 8, 2018Available to first 500 readers on Netgalley as of 5/8/18!
So glad I got a copy, can't wait to read it! I love fantasy with a strong feminist narrative.
So glad I got a copy, can't wait to read it! I love fantasy with a strong feminist narrative.
August 16, 2019
Schon die Widmung hat es mir angetan.
"Für jede Frau, von der verlangt wurde, sich zu setzen und nicht zu widersprechen - und die sich dennoch erhoben hat"
Ich mag ja starke Heldinnen, die es den Kerlen zeigen.
Die Schwestern Serina und Nomi haben mir gut gefallen, auch wenn mich das Schicksal von Nomi mehr interessiert hat. Da passierte irgendwie mehr.
Ansonsten war es leichte Lektüre, die man schnell lesen kann. Insgesamt zwar total vorhersehbar, aber das ist für mich OK, ich mochte es 😊
"Für jede Frau, von der verlangt wurde, sich zu setzen und nicht zu widersprechen - und die sich dennoch erhoben hat"
Ich mag ja starke Heldinnen, die es den Kerlen zeigen.
Die Schwestern Serina und Nomi haben mir gut gefallen, auch wenn mich das Schicksal von Nomi mehr interessiert hat. Da passierte irgendwie mehr.
Ansonsten war es leichte Lektüre, die man schnell lesen kann. Insgesamt zwar total vorhersehbar, aber das ist für mich OK, ich mochte es 😊
June 25, 2019
Grace and Fury was an incredibly slow paced book about a world where women have no rights and no voice. To be bluntly honest, I didn't enjoy it much.
2.5 stars
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Writing: 4/5
The story revolved around two sisters- Serina and Nomi.
Ever since she was a child, Serina had been training to be a Grace to the heir to the throne. Her goal was to be the supposedly 'perfect model' of how a women should be: obedient, graceful, subservient and beautiful. Like an object on display, a pretty vase of flowers on a shelf. One of the things she had to learn how to do was become a living statue and stand very still on a pedestal in extravagant poses during special events. That was her plan, until she was sent to a women's prison for the 'crime' of reading a book (something that she didn't even do) where she had to learn to fight for her survival on an island full of women who had lost too much and bled from many scars.
Nomi was Serina's younger sister and at the start of the book was the complete opposite to her. She had a fiery soul and thought that women deserved better treatment and should be allowed the same rights as men. She also learnt how to read even though it wasn't allowed. She hated the idea of Graces, how they were chosen even if it was against their wills. But then she was chosen to be a Grace instead of Serina. Instead of fighting for her survival she ended up untangling court intrigue and being weaved into plots involving the Heir (Malachai) and his younger brother (Asa).
Despite my low rating I did like how at the beginning I assumed Serina was 'grace' and Nomi was 'fury' but then my expectations were completely reversed.
The characters were as flat as a paper snowflake and the plot was as unrealistic as a pigeon tap dancing on the moon. Nomi was extremely naïve and although I can understand that she was being manipulated, the entire plot she was apparently lured into didn't even make any sense. It was sloppily thrown together and had almost no planning behind it and I don't think this story line was properly done. Malachai, Val and Asa had no nuances to their characters. Malachai was serious and moody all the time. Val was just nice, nice, nice. And Asa was the classic two-faced evil villain character. Furthermore, the plot moved so slowly that I was perpetually bored whilst reading and couldn't wait for the book to end because barely anything interesting happened!
Please don't not read this book just because I didn't enjoy it- there are people out there who loved it. It didn't work for me and I have tried my best to explain why and despite everything I will still read the second book.
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2.5 stars
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Writing: 4/5
The story revolved around two sisters- Serina and Nomi.
---Serina---
Ever since she was a child, Serina had been training to be a Grace to the heir to the throne. Her goal was to be the supposedly 'perfect model' of how a women should be: obedient, graceful, subservient and beautiful. Like an object on display, a pretty vase of flowers on a shelf. One of the things she had to learn how to do was become a living statue and stand very still on a pedestal in extravagant poses during special events. That was her plan, until she was sent to a women's prison for the 'crime' of reading a book (something that she didn't even do) where she had to learn to fight for her survival on an island full of women who had lost too much and bled from many scars.
---Nomi---
Nomi was Serina's younger sister and at the start of the book was the complete opposite to her. She had a fiery soul and thought that women deserved better treatment and should be allowed the same rights as men. She also learnt how to read even though it wasn't allowed. She hated the idea of Graces, how they were chosen even if it was against their wills. But then she was chosen to be a Grace instead of Serina. Instead of fighting for her survival she ended up untangling court intrigue and being weaved into plots involving the Heir (Malachai) and his younger brother (Asa).
Despite my low rating I did like how at the beginning I assumed Serina was 'grace' and Nomi was 'fury' but then my expectations were completely reversed.
The characters were as flat as a paper snowflake and the plot was as unrealistic as a pigeon tap dancing on the moon. Nomi was extremely naïve and although I can understand that she was being manipulated, the entire plot she was apparently lured into didn't even make any sense. It was sloppily thrown together and had almost no planning behind it and I don't think this story line was properly done. Malachai, Val and Asa had no nuances to their characters. Malachai was serious and moody all the time. Val was just nice, nice, nice. And Asa was the classic two-faced evil villain character. Furthermore, the plot moved so slowly that I was perpetually bored whilst reading and couldn't wait for the book to end because barely anything interesting happened!
Please don't not read this book just because I didn't enjoy it- there are people out there who loved it. It didn't work for me and I have tried my best to explain why and despite everything I will still read the second book.
This review and more bookish awesomeness found on my blog!
Follow me on Twitter!
August 6, 2018
I just can't decide who was more stupid between these 2.
No character development (mentally). Things happened too fast. I just can't accept someone being good in fights only in 2 pages, I need to see and feel the proof.
Boring characters. Very superficial both "heroines".
I felt nothing while reading this book. 0-zero emotion.
I'm sure I'm not reading the next one. Done with this.
No character development (mentally). Things happened too fast. I just can't accept someone being good in fights only in 2 pages, I need to see and feel the proof.
Boring characters. Very superficial both "heroines".
I felt nothing while reading this book. 0-zero emotion.
I'm sure I'm not reading the next one. Done with this.
June 19, 2019
It was the first book I read of this author and I love it, it’s a 5 star for me , it was an easy reading and a very engaging story ! I love story’s about bravery and survival specially if is a girl or woman character. ☺️
June 29, 2018
✨4.5 stars✨
I really wasn’t expecting to love this book quite so much, and I’m so pleasantly surprised by how entirely captivated I was reading it. It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t like it, it's just that I couldn’t have predicted quite how much I truly do love it. This review will undoubtedly have spoilers sprinkled throughout so bewaaaaaare (nice one George, very well written).
Serina and Nomi are, at a first glance, complete opposites. Serina is on the road to becoming a Grace: Viridia’s perfect example of a woman, she follows the rules to a tee and has accepted that whatever her life is, she’ll just have to make the most of it rather than questioning it. Nomi is rebellious and unaccepting of the treatment of women within Viridia, defying and questioning her way through everything. As the book progresses, however, both sisters become so much more than just this initial impression. I adore Nomi, and I sympathised with her the most throughout the book. I’m living for the feminist messages laced throughout, they’re so bloody important, and they were conveyed so perfectly. Women in Viridia have, essentially, zero rights other than cooking, cleaning, and looking pretty. It’s against the law for them to even read. Nomi is strong-willed and determined to fight this, and I loved watching her do so. Her intentions are so powerful, her passion for her beliefs is so strong and resolute, and I just really adored her.
I loved Nomi from the minute she sassed Malachi to high heaven upon first meeting him. I must say, I was less sure about Serina to begin with. She took a minute to grow on me, but her character development was so brilliant. Watching her realise her true worth, and the weight of Nomi’s defiant beliefs, was so satisfying, and her standing up for herself was bloody wonderful. I was so enthralled in her story, and even though she is put through hell, it felt so glorious that she was the start of the revolt against the guards. I really appreciated her inner battle with her annoyance and blame toward Nomi- she knows Nomi isn’t to blame, but sometimes she can’t help but feel angry about the way things played out, and even though this could come across as an annoying character flaw, it actually came across as realistic as hell. If this was me and my sister, no matter how much I love her, I imagine I would probably be at least a little bit irritated at her for landing me in the worst prison in the land. Just a teensy bit annoyed. It also made Serina’s character arc that bit more satisfying and impressive, as she really does change so hugely from who she is at the start of the book.
‘It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed’ !!!! so important !!!!
At first I was worried that the alternating perspectives were going to get frustrating or annoying, but they actually lend themselves perfectly to the pace and intrigue/suspense, and I was hooked so bloody quickly. The plot progression went in and out of being both predictable and being shocking as hell. I wasn’t expecting so many aspects of it (Nomi being chosen, Serina being sent to Mount Ruin, the Superior’s end), however I was kind of expecting Asa’s plot twist. As the book went on, I wanted to know more about Malachi, as despite being told he’s this manipulative and awful man, he never really came across that way. He was intriguing and confusing, and I can’t really resist being pulled into wanting to find out more about characters like that. Asa also seemed to be more than he appeared- he felt like he was coming across as trying to be this absolute perfect thing that Nomi wanted him to be, and I was wary trusting him, so it didn’t really surprise me when it was all revealed.
Despite it being something I had suspected would happen, I still really enjoyed it, and I’m desperate for the next book (waaaah I hate waiting). Cliffhanger type endings can sometimes feel like they’re solely there to set up for more books, but the ending genuinely did feel like a perfect place to leave it for this book. It didn’t feel like a cop-out to sell a sequel, it made sense to leave it here to create the perfect amount of suspense for what’s to come, especially after everything that takes place. I really enjoyed this book- it’s hard to read at times, as the characters really are dragged through the wringer, but it’s brilliant. As I was reading, I just kept thinking ‘wow yes I am in LOVE with this story’, and I’m so happy about it (I was nervous beforehand that maybe it would come across as too dystopian, a genre I definitely exhausted myself with back in 2013, but I needn’t have worried). The problem I have now is that I want the next book asap, so maybe I should have waited to read this book, at least until the publication date. Oops. It also kind of pulled me out of this weird little reading slump I’ve been going through, so yay for this book!!
I really wasn’t expecting to love this book quite so much, and I’m so pleasantly surprised by how entirely captivated I was reading it. It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t like it, it's just that I couldn’t have predicted quite how much I truly do love it. This review will undoubtedly have spoilers sprinkled throughout so bewaaaaaare (nice one George, very well written).
Serina and Nomi are, at a first glance, complete opposites. Serina is on the road to becoming a Grace: Viridia’s perfect example of a woman, she follows the rules to a tee and has accepted that whatever her life is, she’ll just have to make the most of it rather than questioning it. Nomi is rebellious and unaccepting of the treatment of women within Viridia, defying and questioning her way through everything. As the book progresses, however, both sisters become so much more than just this initial impression. I adore Nomi, and I sympathised with her the most throughout the book. I’m living for the feminist messages laced throughout, they’re so bloody important, and they were conveyed so perfectly. Women in Viridia have, essentially, zero rights other than cooking, cleaning, and looking pretty. It’s against the law for them to even read. Nomi is strong-willed and determined to fight this, and I loved watching her do so. Her intentions are so powerful, her passion for her beliefs is so strong and resolute, and I just really adored her.
I loved Nomi from the minute she sassed Malachi to high heaven upon first meeting him. I must say, I was less sure about Serina to begin with. She took a minute to grow on me, but her character development was so brilliant. Watching her realise her true worth, and the weight of Nomi’s defiant beliefs, was so satisfying, and her standing up for herself was bloody wonderful. I was so enthralled in her story, and even though she is put through hell, it felt so glorious that she was the start of the revolt against the guards. I really appreciated her inner battle with her annoyance and blame toward Nomi- she knows Nomi isn’t to blame, but sometimes she can’t help but feel angry about the way things played out, and even though this could come across as an annoying character flaw, it actually came across as realistic as hell. If this was me and my sister, no matter how much I love her, I imagine I would probably be at least a little bit irritated at her for landing me in the worst prison in the land. Just a teensy bit annoyed. It also made Serina’s character arc that bit more satisfying and impressive, as she really does change so hugely from who she is at the start of the book.
‘It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed’ !!!! so important !!!!
At first I was worried that the alternating perspectives were going to get frustrating or annoying, but they actually lend themselves perfectly to the pace and intrigue/suspense, and I was hooked so bloody quickly. The plot progression went in and out of being both predictable and being shocking as hell. I wasn’t expecting so many aspects of it (Nomi being chosen, Serina being sent to Mount Ruin, the Superior’s end), however I was kind of expecting Asa’s plot twist. As the book went on, I wanted to know more about Malachi, as despite being told he’s this manipulative and awful man, he never really came across that way. He was intriguing and confusing, and I can’t really resist being pulled into wanting to find out more about characters like that. Asa also seemed to be more than he appeared- he felt like he was coming across as trying to be this absolute perfect thing that Nomi wanted him to be, and I was wary trusting him, so it didn’t really surprise me when it was all revealed.
Despite it being something I had suspected would happen, I still really enjoyed it, and I’m desperate for the next book (waaaah I hate waiting). Cliffhanger type endings can sometimes feel like they’re solely there to set up for more books, but the ending genuinely did feel like a perfect place to leave it for this book. It didn’t feel like a cop-out to sell a sequel, it made sense to leave it here to create the perfect amount of suspense for what’s to come, especially after everything that takes place. I really enjoyed this book- it’s hard to read at times, as the characters really are dragged through the wringer, but it’s brilliant. As I was reading, I just kept thinking ‘wow yes I am in LOVE with this story’, and I’m so happy about it (I was nervous beforehand that maybe it would come across as too dystopian, a genre I definitely exhausted myself with back in 2013, but I needn’t have worried). The problem I have now is that I want the next book asap, so maybe I should have waited to read this book, at least until the publication date. Oops. It also kind of pulled me out of this weird little reading slump I’ve been going through, so yay for this book!!
July 29, 2018
Girl Power!!!
First, I want to start by saying that I truly didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. I am so glad I picked this one up to read, I was completely captivated!
What would you do if you lived in a world where women had no rights? Well, sisters Serina and Nomi live in that world and face that fate every single day: one in a palace, the other one in prison.
Serina Tessaro has been groomed her entire life to become a Grace - the perfect woman that stands by the heir to the throne. Nomi Tessaro, the rebellious sister, has trained her entire life to become Serina's handmaiden. But, unfortunately, Nomi captures the heir to the throne's eye and has been chosen Grace instead of Serina. Now Serina takes the fall for the extremely dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.
Nomi feels trapped, being a Grace and living life in the palace is like a death sentence to her. But she has to save Serina, and there is only one way she can do that: embrace her role as Grace until she can use her position to save her sister. Darkness walks the halls of the palace and time is running out for Serina. One wrong move can cost Serina and Nomi Tessaro their entire life. Will time run out before Nomi can save Serina?
I absolutely loved this book and can not wait for the second book in the series! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for some girl power action mixed in with some fantasy.
*Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First, I want to start by saying that I truly didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. I am so glad I picked this one up to read, I was completely captivated!
What would you do if you lived in a world where women had no rights? Well, sisters Serina and Nomi live in that world and face that fate every single day: one in a palace, the other one in prison.
Serina Tessaro has been groomed her entire life to become a Grace - the perfect woman that stands by the heir to the throne. Nomi Tessaro, the rebellious sister, has trained her entire life to become Serina's handmaiden. But, unfortunately, Nomi captures the heir to the throne's eye and has been chosen Grace instead of Serina. Now Serina takes the fall for the extremely dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.
Nomi feels trapped, being a Grace and living life in the palace is like a death sentence to her. But she has to save Serina, and there is only one way she can do that: embrace her role as Grace until she can use her position to save her sister. Darkness walks the halls of the palace and time is running out for Serina. One wrong move can cost Serina and Nomi Tessaro their entire life. Will time run out before Nomi can save Serina?
I absolutely loved this book and can not wait for the second book in the series! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for some girl power action mixed in with some fantasy.
*Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2018
eh.
rtc
or never
rtc
or never
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