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bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Portia, Théa, and Aria weren't the Musketeers who populated my childhood stories. They weren't Papa's Musketeers…
But they were better, because they were mine.”
I absolutely adored One for All. From the first page, I could have sat there and read it all in one go. An all-female Three Musketeers reimagining (or continuation), with disability rep? I’ll be talking about this one for a while.
Tania was such an inspiring main character. With her chronic disability (POTS), she’s struggled to just live all her life. She battles dizziness when she stands, and fencing is the only thing that makes her feel like she’s got control over her life - no wonder she won’t give it up to just be a wife. Her chronic illness is constantly there, but it doesn’t define her.
The other characters were also a delight. I loved the female camaraderie and sisterhood that was developed through the story. The other musketeers taught Tania that her dizziness isn’t a sign of weakness, that actually she’s strong to live with it, and they provided her with friendship she so desperately needed before.
I loved the story. There was always a sense of forward progress with a sense of mystery and the need for justice.
And, I mean, how could you go wrong with sword fighting in beautiful dresses?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Ableism, and Bullying
romie_chat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
such a fun and mysterious feminist retelling of The Three Musketeers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
“We are not the ones who are written into history. We are the ones who ensure history exists to be written.”
Now this is where I admit that my knowledge of the Musketeers comes from the Barbie version so of course I was going to come running for a book featuring sword fighting girls. The beginning of the book is a little slow but everything really gets going when Tania arrives at the L’Academie des Mariess and despite the plot being a little predictable at times, I found myself easily drawn in by all the mystery and espionage.
Tania has POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and she is one of the most empowering characters that I have ever read. Though quite stubborn as many YA protagonists tend to be, she doesn’t shy away from her emotions. She very much wears her heart on her sleeve and though this made her quite naïve it was such a refreshing trait to see on page. I really enjoyed following her on her journey of coming into her own, of not letting other people’s sentiments stop her from getting to where she wanted to be and finding a support system that accepts her for who she is.
“There are other ways to fight for someone, Mademoiselle, than merely picking up a sword.”
Which leads me on to mention the sisterhood that is the heart of this book! Found family is one of my absolute favourite tropes and the bonds that formed between Tania and her fellow Musketeers – Aria, Portia and Théa – was so heart-warming. I do find myself wishing that we could have had longer scenes from the times when they were initially bonding but their little missions and the moments of humour and camaraderie that they brought about were so fun.
Fencing is a sport that I have always wanted to try and it was so cool to learn that Lainoff herself is a fencer. I always find it so wholesome when authors are able to inform and enrich their stories with their other passions and honestly all the practice and fight scenes were so good!
A highly enjoyable and admirable spin on a well-loved classic, I can’t recommend One For All enough!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Ableism, Chronic illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Blood, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
An exceptionally written and action-packed, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers that thoroughly ensnared me with it’s whirlwind plot and utterly endearing protagonist readers are going absolutely love!
Set against the backdrop of 17th C France, One For All follows Tania (a girl with a chronic illness) who gets the chance to train as a musketeer in a training facility posing as an elite ladies’ finishing school. There, Tania hones her skills for sword fighting and seduction, in order to help uncover a treasonous plot that threatens both king and country. And with those new skills, Tania may even be able to find the people responsible for her father’s death.
This was an exceptionally well written and enjoyable read with an endearing sisterhood of swashbuckling, espionage-seeking Musketeers that I was equal parts envious and in awe of!
Now, I should probably mention that I’m not that familiar with Alexandre Dumas’ original. In fact, most of what I know stems solely from childhood recollections of the 1993 movie, so I can’t really tell if there’s any tidbits or nods to the original story and characters.
What I do know however, is that Dumas’ Musketeers weren’t women using society’s gender based stereotypes to benefit their own covert operations —which I thought was actually GENIUS! Lets face it, the best spies—be it in real life, in books or on screen, are always the most unsuspecting of people. And you can’t get more unsuspecting than a debutante.
Tania, our protagonist (who we first meet confronting thuggish burglars) was a really well developed and complex character who doesn’t let her disability define her, nor stop her from achieving her dreams (of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a Musketeer.)
This an own voices novel, so Tania’s experiences with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) are based on the author’s own POTS diagnosis and experiences. Which I felt did add an extra layer of poignancy to some of the book’s earlier scenes (where Tania’s chronic illness leads to ridicule, aversion or outright dismissal.)
I did, however, love that she finds such a supportive, found family-style sisterhood at the L’Acaémie des Mariées, who respect Tania and push her to be the best she can be.
Likewise, I really enjoyed the romance aspects which were phenomenal (the tension and slow-burn chemistry was absolutely delicious) with not one but TWO handsome love interests (Henri and Étienne) to swoon over. Though personally, my heart belonged solely to Henri, whose (super relatable) lack of coordination and constant tendency to blush instantly won me over—I just wish we got to see more of him.
So, if you’re looking an empowering, female led (and feminist) historical fantasy full of sword fights, espionage and tons of adventure or love gender-bent retelling then you definitely have to check this out, it’s MARVELLOUS!
Also, a massive thank you to Titan books for this incredible proof and including me on the UK blog tour.
Set against the backdrop of 17th C France, One For All follows Tania (a girl with a chronic illness) who gets the chance to train as a musketeer in a training facility posing as an elite ladies’ finishing school. There, Tania hones her skills for sword fighting and seduction, in order to help uncover a treasonous plot that threatens both king and country. And with those new skills, Tania may even be able to find the people responsible for her father’s death.
This was an exceptionally well written and enjoyable read with an endearing sisterhood of swashbuckling, espionage-seeking Musketeers that I was equal parts envious and in awe of!
Now, I should probably mention that I’m not that familiar with Alexandre Dumas’ original. In fact, most of what I know stems solely from childhood recollections of the 1993 movie, so I can’t really tell if there’s any tidbits or nods to the original story and characters.
What I do know however, is that Dumas’ Musketeers weren’t women using society’s gender based stereotypes to benefit their own covert operations —which I thought was actually GENIUS! Lets face it, the best spies—be it in real life, in books or on screen, are always the most unsuspecting of people. And you can’t get more unsuspecting than a debutante.
Tania, our protagonist (who we first meet confronting thuggish burglars) was a really well developed and complex character who doesn’t let her disability define her, nor stop her from achieving her dreams (of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a Musketeer.)
This an own voices novel, so Tania’s experiences with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) are based on the author’s own POTS diagnosis and experiences. Which I felt did add an extra layer of poignancy to some of the book’s earlier scenes (where Tania’s chronic illness leads to ridicule, aversion or outright dismissal.)
I did, however, love that she finds such a supportive, found family-style sisterhood at the L’Acaémie des Mariées, who respect Tania and push her to be the best she can be.
Likewise, I really enjoyed the romance aspects which were phenomenal (the tension and slow-burn chemistry was absolutely delicious) with not one but TWO handsome love interests (Henri and Étienne) to swoon over. Though personally, my heart belonged solely to Henri, whose (super relatable) lack of coordination and constant tendency to blush instantly won me over—I just wish we got to see more of him.
So, if you’re looking an empowering, female led (and feminist) historical fantasy full of sword fights, espionage and tons of adventure or love gender-bent retelling then you definitely have to check this out, it’s MARVELLOUS!
Also, a massive thank you to Titan books for this incredible proof and including me on the UK blog tour.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual assault
seyfert's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Bullying and Sexual assault
caitlink's review against another edition
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Ableism, Death of parent, and Death
juliaegreene's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
definitely a fun and fast-ish read, but a bit one note at times and some of the representation felt a bit half-baked. i got a lot from learning about POTS and tania's experience, but the LGBTQ+ rep felt very background and not very well-developed. the romance was not my thing (and romance is usually my thing!) but i do understand the part it plays. however, girl power! how we define family! swords!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
book_loving_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Death of parent
josb's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Re-imagining of The Three Musketeers but with women and a disabled lead.
Overall the book was well written but as a debut there were some bumps that kept it from really standing out. I loved the disabled lead written from an ownvoices perspective. Tania's tenacity really shined as she described her POTS symptoms throughout the day-to-day activities. However, Tania was just so naive that it felt like her understanding was held back to keep the pace of the plot.
For a book that is based around Parisian court politics and subterfuge (female musketeer spies essentially) there were not a lot of high courts navigating which was nice. I did wish we spent more time having Tania decode some of the communication of the nobles at parties since the few times it happened felt interesting.
There were sapphic side characters and they stole the show in my opinion. In order to justify their relationship in the end their scenes together had to be quite strong, there were lots of subtextual hints and longing glances. They only had a few scenes and they were the biggest reason for me to keep reading.
Certainly worth a try if you are interested in a reimagining of an old tale or would like to try something different with disability rep.
Overall the book was well written but as a debut there were some bumps that kept it from really standing out. I loved the disabled lead written from an ownvoices perspective. Tania's tenacity really shined as she described her POTS symptoms throughout the day-to-day activities. However, Tania was just so naive that it felt like her understanding was held back to keep the pace of the plot.
For a book that is based around Parisian court politics and subterfuge (female musketeer spies essentially) there were not a lot of high courts navigating which was nice. I did wish we spent more time having Tania decode some of the communication of the nobles at parties since the few times it happened felt interesting.
There were sapphic side characters and they stole the show in my opinion. In order to justify their relationship in the end their scenes together had to be quite strong, there were lots of subtextual hints and longing glances. They only had a few scenes and they were the biggest reason for me to keep reading.
Certainly worth a try if you are interested in a reimagining of an old tale or would like to try something different with disability rep.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault
asparagusisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
First, I want to say thank you to the author, the publisher, NetGalley, and the FierceReads for making an e-arc copy for me to read in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: finishing school used a cover for something else, love triangle, found family,
Representation Included: POTS, a lesbian character, an ac character, a demi bi character,
Content and Trigger Warnings: ableism, implied sexual assault, death of a parent, murder, violence, blood, gore
ONE FOR ALL by LILLIE LAINOFF is an Own-Voices feminist, gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers following a female main character with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). All Tania wants is to become a musketeer like her father but when he is found dead and the circumstances sound suspicious, she sets her sights on finding who killed him and why. The next thing she knows, she is sent to a finishing school (a place to teach women to be proper ladies and wives) as part of her father's will. At first, Tania is appalled by her father's choice of school but quickly learns why. The finishing school is secretly a cover for what is really taught: how to use a sword, hide weapons underneath skirts, and how to use them, to seduce men and get secrets. Tania starts to feel like she's found where she belongs, a place where she and her illness are accepted but she has to choose where her loyalties lie when she starts to fall in love with her first target... and he might have information on who killed her father.
Before I begin my review, I read this book mostly with an audiobook because the book has been released by the time I got around to reading it. Talia is about 16 years old and that is shown by how naive she can be. Some parts of the book were a little easy to guess based on books with similar tropes and plots, but I didn't mind it. The main twist towards the end I didn't catch onto because I fully believed the twist would've involved one of the musketeers. I do not have POTS so I can not speak on the accuracy of the representation from that perspective. However, I can speak on it from what I know through research and friends that have it. Based on what I know, I think the POTS representation was done well and explored more than just the fainting spells. I liked seeing Talia's growing connection with the musketeers and the small family she found from it, how they supported her and "wouldn't let her fall." Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and anticipate reading the ebook or physical book will be even better.
My content featuring this book:
-August TBR https://youtu.be/nVPYzsM5Zfk
-September TBR https://youtu.be/GAqnZvCFdOw
Tropes: finishing school used a cover for something else, love triangle, found family,
Representation Included: POTS, a lesbian character, an ac character, a demi bi character,
Content and Trigger Warnings: ableism, implied sexual assault, death of a parent, murder, violence, blood, gore
ONE FOR ALL by LILLIE LAINOFF is an Own-Voices feminist, gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers following a female main character with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). All Tania wants is to become a musketeer like her father but when he is found dead and the circumstances sound suspicious, she sets her sights on finding who killed him and why. The next thing she knows, she is sent to a finishing school (a place to teach women to be proper ladies and wives) as part of her father's will. At first, Tania is appalled by her father's choice of school but quickly learns why. The finishing school is secretly a cover for what is really taught: how to use a sword, hide weapons underneath skirts, and how to use them, to seduce men and get secrets. Tania starts to feel like she's found where she belongs, a place where she and her illness are accepted but she has to choose where her loyalties lie when she starts to fall in love with her first target... and he might have information on who killed her father.
Before I begin my review, I read this book mostly with an audiobook because the book has been released by the time I got around to reading it. Talia is about 16 years old and that is shown by how naive she can be. Some parts of the book were a little easy to guess based on books with similar tropes and plots, but I didn't mind it. The main twist towards the end I didn't catch onto because I fully believed the twist would've involved one of the musketeers. I do not have POTS so I can not speak on the accuracy of the representation from that perspective. However, I can speak on it from what I know through research and friends that have it. Based on what I know, I think the POTS representation was done well and explored more than just the fainting spells. I liked seeing Talia's growing connection with the musketeers and the small family she found from it, how they supported her and "wouldn't let her fall." Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and anticipate reading the ebook or physical book will be even better.
My content featuring this book:
-August TBR https://youtu.be/nVPYzsM5Zfk
-September TBR https://youtu.be/GAqnZvCFdOw
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Ableism, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Gore