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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I love the disability rep - seeing Tanya coming into her own, finding her true friends, and being a badass AND being disabled was awesome and I definitely want more books with those themes because this is one of the first I've read with such well done disability rep.
However... The rest of the book was kind of... Bland. With a cover literally riddled with swords, there is only one stabbing and two serious duels in the entire book. The rest of it was very predictable court drama YA. When I say I rolled my eyes at the final twist (because it was so obvious, even though I held out hope that it would go in another direction, ANY other direction). It was kinda slow and without enough action to justify the time commitment
There's some queer rep, but it's just a paragraph 85% in and not really relevant to the plot or anything that comes before or after. So other than the stellar disability rep, there's not much else to speak of in terms of diversity.
I would probably read another book by the author, but it wouldn't be a priority.
{Thank you Recorded Books for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
However... The rest of the book was kind of... Bland. With a cover literally riddled with swords, there is only one stabbing and two serious duels in the entire book. The rest of it was very predictable court drama YA. When I say I rolled my eyes at the final twist (because it was so obvious, even though I held out hope that it would go in another direction, ANY other direction). It was kinda slow and without enough action to justify the time commitment
There's some queer rep, but it's just a paragraph 85% in and not really relevant to the plot or anything that comes before or after. So other than the stellar disability rep, there's not much else to speak of in terms of diversity.
I would probably read another book by the author, but it wouldn't be a priority.
{Thank you Recorded Books for the ALC in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
A reimagining of the Three Musketeers where the main characters are girls, there are four of them, and one of them has a chronic illness.
One of the absolute best parts of this book was the disability representation, it was truly flawless. Tania wants to be a musketeer like her father was. She hears his stories of friendship and honour and knows that she wants it too. But when she was 12, the dizziness started and has never gone away. Tania is a sick girl, that's what everyone in the village says. Her father might teach her to fight but does it mean anything in the end?
Then her father is murdered and Tania is sent to Paris, honouring his final wish that she would attend a finishing school. Only when she arrives does she discover that it is a secret organisation training young women to be musketeers. The king's life is at risk. Maybe by saving him, she can discover who killed her father.
I really loved Tania as a character. She can be a little naive and she makes mistakes, but these make her feel so human. Her insecurities are understandable and they came across so well. I also loved getting to see her relationships developing with the other girls and how their friendship strengthened her.
My only slight issue with the book was the pacing. It felt a little off at times, especially in the middle. I also sometimes felt a little disconnected from the other girls. I can't quite explain it, but there was something missing that meant I didn't quite connect with them.
Despite this I really enjoyed the book and would read anything by this author.
One of the absolute best parts of this book was the disability representation, it was truly flawless. Tania wants to be a musketeer like her father was. She hears his stories of friendship and honour and knows that she wants it too. But when she was 12, the dizziness started and has never gone away. Tania is a sick girl, that's what everyone in the village says. Her father might teach her to fight but does it mean anything in the end?
Then her father is murdered and Tania is sent to Paris, honouring his final wish that she would attend a finishing school. Only when she arrives does she discover that it is a secret organisation training young women to be musketeers. The king's life is at risk. Maybe by saving him, she can discover who killed her father.
I really loved Tania as a character. She can be a little naive and she makes mistakes, but these make her feel so human. Her insecurities are understandable and they came across so well. I also loved getting to see her relationships developing with the other girls and how their friendship strengthened her.
My only slight issue with the book was the pacing. It felt a little off at times, especially in the middle. I also sometimes felt a little disconnected from the other girls. I can't quite explain it, but there was something missing that meant I didn't quite connect with them.
Despite this I really enjoyed the book and would read anything by this author.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm a sucker for a gender-bent retelling of a classic, and this was a fun one. I also really loved the whole cast of characters in the school and the development of their relationships through the story. There were some kind of rough patches in the prose at times, but honestly I would love to see more from this author and I would love a sequel to this story and the ongoing adventures of these four musketeers.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this somehow manages to be the most satisfying book i've ever read while having given me none of what i wanted. it's a masterpiece.