A review by abookandaspotoftea
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

adventurous challenging medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

 I preface this review by stating that I am not typically driven to write a review in rage, but this book and the author have received so much praise despite being extremely problematic. I appreciate that the author centered an ace (or asexual) lead character. I also understand that this book is a historical fantasy and should be treated with a grain of salt.

Things that I loathe about this book:
  • the normalization of white feminism
  • the overt racism and Islamophobia
  • the colonization fangirling

To @Mackenzi Lee and those who praised this book:
  • Removing a person's ḥijāb without consent is a gross violation and should NEVER be normalized.
  • Casually dropping the "N" word is NEVER okay. Also, get it through your daft head: the immediate assumption that black people are thieves and criminals is NOT okay. A half-hearted apology does not make up for this ridiculous shit. Stop using this as a trope.
  • The idea that it is okay to plunder another nation for its resources is NOT okay. And sit your white feminist ass down with your holier-than-thou attitude that colonizers will use these looted resources to "heal" the world. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings