Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

49 reviews

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. It’s pride and prejudice, if written in 2020, with the humor of The Princess Bride…and they’re in the supernatural world. It’s definitely a niche book but it’s my niche! I’m definitely continuing the series based on the hilarious banter alone. If you need a whimsical laugh, you have to read it!

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claudine2's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

An odd, but fun book about a group of female Victorian pirates. Lots of silliness and adventure.

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hazelgirl21's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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lit_with_lauren's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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vaniavela's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A lady pirate society with a gun-wielding heroine and an assassin who's been hired to kill her but he's also a spy?

Cecilia, a first-rate scoundrel and pirate, has a dream: seat at the table of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. When Ned Lightbourne, a skilled pirate and assassin, is hired to assassinate her [by Queen Victoria] and rescue her [by a mysterious man], everything changes. She certainly must kill him first, but.... why does she find it so difficult to do so?

The concept of the story is interesting and I loved the chapter headers; they are incredibly creative. What I liked the most was the hilarious opening. Imagine you’re with your aunt, waiting for your lunch, when someone bangs the door. When you open the door, a [really handsome] salesman tries to sell you a brochure, but you decline. Then he proceeds to climb up your window.

I would have liked to connect with the characters. I found the dialogues pleasant most of the time, and I was able to laugh from time to time.

It did not meet my expectations unfortunately; I don't know what was missing, but it really wasn't what I expected. Despite that, it is a good book and although I do not plan to read the following books, I liked it.

TW: death of a parent, kidnapping, stealing, violence, gun violence, injury, sexual content

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is one of those books where the title is the reason and that's all there is to it. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to read such a fabulously titled book, and in this monumentally horrific time to be a person with a uterus in the United States, this kind of whimsy was exactly the escape I needed (and, if we're being fully honest, one of the only types of stories I could really handle attention-wise).

Cecelia Bassingwaite has been training since childhood to be a member of the Wisteria Society, an elite class of proper British lady pirates. They follow a strict training regimen of proper manners, high tea, and the particulars of assassinations and robbery and blackmail. When a dangerous(ly charming) assassin is sent to take Cecilia out, and her estranged father, Captain Morvath, kidnaps her aunt and other members of the Wisteria Society in a devious plot to take down Queen Victoria and restore men to their "rightful place" in power, things get complicated. Especially since the assassin, Ned Lightbourne, seems not only to be unsuccessful at killing Cecila, but is perhaps starting to make her feel some very improper feelings. Together Cecilia and Ned must face down flying gothic abbeys, deeply horrible poetry, quite a few attempts on their lives, and their own hot and bothered feelings.

This was one of the *most* incredible, in the literal "lack of believability" use of the word, stories I have ever read. The combination of magic (like, flying houses and incantations everywhere), piratical violence (swords and guns and poisons and "ship" hijacking), and soap opera level drama (evil fathers, unknown parentage, double agents, betrayals), with a snarky dose of Victorian etiquette (the great evil of sun exposure/freckles, being sure to bring a side dish to share at a social event, interrupted tea time) created an ambiance of arbitrary propriety that was just...hilarious. Like, all the quality off-the-wall, humorously satirical, entertainment one could want. Plus, it served that "touching a small piece of exposed skin on one's wrist/ankle" sexual tension that is wonderfully unqiue to historical romance, while also giving readers some kissing and one more "full" sex scene to satisfy on the release of said sexual tension front.

Slightly more seriously (though only by a little), I want to recognize a few other things I really enjoyed about this reading experience. First, the chapter titles. They were spectacular, totally original. I had fun guessing what they were talking about, and then after finishing each chapter, I went back to revisit them and confirm what they were referring to, with appreciation for the wordplay in them. They, along with the rest of the writing (including the dialogue) was all really impressively clever. There were a few times the language got caught up/twisted in itself, but overall, I was into it. Also, there were a few nuggets of depth and real social commentary within the ridiculousness, not as much serious moments in themselves, but sarcastic callings out of inconsistencies in gender-based expectations (that was the social theme in focus throughout this novel, though never in an intersectional way), that did hit home.

Was this novel deep/profound in any way? Absolutely not. Was it delightful, rolicking, absolutely bananas and with a funny and irreverent feminist vibe that was a balm to the soul? Yes. Yes it was. If you need that in your life, then give this one a try.

“…The Wisteria Society, a noble coterie of ladies who were virtuously open about their crimes.”

“'It is violence that best overcomes hate, vengeance that most certainly heals injury, and a good cup of tea that soothes the most anguished soul'; thus ran the motto of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.”

"Although she had been brought fairly late to propriety and self-restraint, she found they suited her. Indeed, if she were a bird, she would happily allow a net to ensnare her. Granted, she might cut that net with her dagger, fashion a hammock from it, and lie in said hammock reading books and drinking lemonade someplace no one would bother her, but that is beside the point.”

“…but the world makes love impossible for women sometimes, leaving us no choice but loss and grief. [...] Or rampant piracy.”

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stwriter92's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I really need to stop getting recommendations from BookTok. I know that they might be other people's cup of tea, but it wasn't mine. This wasn't a horrible book, to be sure. It was just kind of...meh. It didn't leave any sort of impression for me either good or bad.

The story centers around a society of lady pirates (scoundrels) who fly around in houses, having tea, planning assassinations, and discussing the latest in literature. It is set in an alternative Victorian England and, thus, carries a lot of the sensibilities that were common during that time. The story starts during a botched assassination attempt on Cecilia Bassingwaite by one Ned Lightbourne. However, instead of killing her, her would be assassin decides to assist her when her aunt (along with the rest of the Wisteria Society) are kidnapped by the mysterious Captain Morvath.

After reading the synopsis, I was intrigued. Flying houses? Lady pirates? Tea time? Excellent. I was drawn in immediately. However, upon reading the book, I felt that the plot was lacking. It kept being bogged down by unnecessary tea parties, awkward banter, and conversations that seemed to keep repeating themselves. I can only giggle at the juxtaposition of "tea parties" and "assassinations" being mentioned in the same sentence once. However, it kept happening throughout. It seemed as if this was the only real method of humor used. That and it felt as if the book was written as a movie with stage directions being slipped in here and there.

In addition, I felt like the pacing was very inconsistent. There would be minutes upon minutes (I listened to the audiobook) of repetitive banter and then suddenly something big would happen in the span of thirty seconds before returning back to the mundane banter. The ending also felt extremely drawn out to me for no particular reason.

I think the problem was more with me expecting more than was there. I think that if you go into this expecting a lighthearted story of a pirate girl and a debonair assassin bumbling their way through a plot (and their own feelings for each other) in a story that seemed to have a longer-than-necessary resolution, then this is the book for you.

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