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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
~Thank you Netgallery and Fierce Reads for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!~
3/5 stars
So, this is the last book I won from the Fierce Reads giveaway last November. I saw this book a while before the cover reveal and wasn't too interested in the synopsis. But then I won this along with Ophelia After All and Icebreaker, so I figured, "Why not?"
This was a good debut. I'm not chronically ill, myself, but I really enjoyed how Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POST, was portrayed and how it severely affected Tania not only in her day-to-day but in combat, too. It was really cool to read the details of how it put Tania at a disadvantage but she was still able to kick ass despite it all.
I also really liked her relationships with her parents. The first chunk of the novel is dedicated to Tania interacting with her parents and how they react to her condition. Her dad, of course, is really cool and teaches everything about fencing because he believes in her skills and her strength, and, in turn, his death is really effective when it hits. Her mom, though, is more complicated, as she doesn't approve of Tania fencing and believes that her daughter won't be able to live a good life on her own without a partner who would tolerate her illness. Despite how cruel the mom can be towards Tania, she isn't made to be a complete villain, for it's shown that she cares and just Tania to be secure; she just goes about it in the wrong way.
But then things kinda fell off for me after her dad died and goes to the finishing school. The secret Musketeer women's' society was intriguing, but some of the characters weren't. Although they had different personalities, they were also one-note and didn't really offer much depth. Aria was probably the most interesting one; I liked her. Plus, there would be scenes where the girls would be chatting and they sounded too modern for women living in 17th century France. I think Lainoff was going for more adventure than historical-accuracy, but I don't know if that would necessary excuse my criticism.
The mystery was the most weakest element for me. There were so many names and events that were twisting together that didn't make me care, whatsoever. I kinda gave up on following along too closely and just let it drag me through. But I still managed to figure out the twist, which wasn't hard, and the cartoony monologue that followed had me rolling my eyes.
Overall, this was a good debut. I would definitely recommend this to people who would want to read about a character with a chronic illness in a non-contemporary setting.
3/5 stars
So, this is the last book I won from the Fierce Reads giveaway last November. I saw this book a while before the cover reveal and wasn't too interested in the synopsis. But then I won this along with Ophelia After All and Icebreaker, so I figured, "Why not?"
This was a good debut. I'm not chronically ill, myself, but I really enjoyed how Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POST, was portrayed and how it severely affected Tania not only in her day-to-day but in combat, too. It was really cool to read the details of how it put Tania at a disadvantage but she was still able to kick ass despite it all.
I also really liked her relationships with her parents. The first chunk of the novel is dedicated to Tania interacting with her parents and how they react to her condition. Her dad, of course, is really cool and teaches everything about fencing because he believes in her skills and her strength, and, in turn, his death is really effective when it hits. Her mom, though, is more complicated, as she doesn't approve of Tania fencing and believes that her daughter won't be able to live a good life on her own without a partner who would tolerate her illness. Despite how cruel the mom can be towards Tania, she isn't made to be a complete villain, for it's shown that she cares and just Tania to be secure; she just goes about it in the wrong way.
But then things kinda fell off for me after her dad died and goes to the finishing school. The secret Musketeer women's' society was intriguing, but some of the characters weren't. Although they had different personalities, they were also one-note and didn't really offer much depth. Aria was probably the most interesting one; I liked her. Plus, there would be scenes where the girls would be chatting and they sounded too modern for women living in 17th century France. I think Lainoff was going for more adventure than historical-accuracy, but I don't know if that would necessary excuse my criticism.
The mystery was the most weakest element for me. There were so many names and events that were twisting together that didn't make me care, whatsoever. I kinda gave up on following along too closely and just let it drag me through. But I still managed to figure out the twist, which wasn't hard, and the cartoony monologue that followed had me rolling my eyes.
Overall, this was a good debut. I would definitely recommend this to people who would want to read about a character with a chronic illness in a non-contemporary setting.
adventurous
medium-paced
This book was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the POTS representation! We don’t often get to see chronically ill girls kicking butt and I hope this novel inspires more authors to feature accurate representation and for readers to see disability in a different light. I enjoyed the found family aspect, and the healthy relationship between the four girls was refreshing as I feel girls in stories usually work solo or they’re competing for a boy. This is a solid debut and I hope to see more from this author in the future!
En resumen, creo que ha sido demasiado juvenil para mí.
Y me ha decepcionado un poco porque esperaba otra cosa de él.
Como puntos a favor, le doy la sororidad de las chicas y la representación de una protagonista con un trastorno (posiblemente vértigos, pero no me ha quedado claro cuál era exactamente).
Pero es que todo lo demás se le pone en contra, desde la previsibilidad de la trama, hasta la falta de química entre los personajes con intereses románticos, la falta de emoción en la resolución del misterio, pasando por un uso innecesario de frases y expresiones en francés que salen de la nada. Si los personajes son franceses y se supone que hablan todo el tiempo en francés, ¿por qué de repente me encuentro una frase completa ahí en medio?
No, sé. Normalmente defiendo que un retelling no tiene que ser un calco del original, pero en este caso me habría gustado que se hubieran mantenido las luchas de espadas y las aventuras, en lugar de convertir a las muchachas en copias de Milady de Winter de aliexpress.
Y me ha decepcionado un poco porque esperaba otra cosa de él.
Como puntos a favor, le doy la sororidad de las chicas y la representación de una protagonista con un trastorno (posiblemente vértigos, pero no me ha quedado claro cuál era exactamente).
Pero es que todo lo demás se le pone en contra, desde la previsibilidad de la trama, hasta la falta de química entre los personajes con intereses románticos, la falta de emoción en la resolución del misterio, pasando por un uso innecesario de frases y expresiones en francés que salen de la nada. Si los personajes son franceses y se supone que hablan todo el tiempo en francés, ¿por qué de repente me encuentro una frase completa ahí en medio?
No, sé. Normalmente defiendo que un retelling no tiene que ser un calco del original, pero en este caso me habría gustado que se hubieran mantenido las luchas de espadas y las aventuras, en lugar de convertir a las muchachas en copias de Milady de Winter de aliexpress.
A female Musketeer? With a chronic illness? Who is badass and powerful in a cast of other badass and powerful female characters, taking down rebels, avenging her father, and generally having a fantastic character arc?
Count me in!!
Count me in!!
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the plot, setting, and overall idea portrayed in the novel, but the pacing was far too slow for me; in my opinion the book dragged on and repeated quite a bit, which dulled the story.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
"Look how powerful you are, ma fille. Look at what you've created with your own hands and sword."
What a wonderful book! Tania is such a great character! Her bravery and her struggles captured me from the first page and kept me captive the whole way to the end!
I loved watching her grow and gain the confidence she deserved as she fought not only to avenge her father but also to carve out a place for herself where people see her for herself, not her sickness!
What a wonderful book! Tania is such a great character! Her bravery and her struggles captured me from the first page and kept me captive the whole way to the end!
I loved watching her grow and gain the confidence she deserved as she fought not only to avenge her father but also to carve out a place for herself where people see her for herself, not her sickness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Blood
I did this as an audiobook. I didn’t dislike the book enough to quit, but I also didn’t like it enough to devour it. It was just okay.