Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
A few years ago, I got into reading NetGalley ARCs. Then I requested a whole bunch of books at once, had a depressive episode, didn'r read or review any of them, and was so convinced that no publish would give me a book again that I just abandoned the whole thing. But now I'm getting into it again, and maybe I'll review enough "read now" books, that I'll look like a decent ARC investment again.
My first book is Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart.
(I received a free advanced reading copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
It's clear that this book is a product of a post Handmaids Tale TV show world, and so I was a bit apprehensive that it would be a Handmaids Tale knock-off. It's certainly not. If I were going to compare it to another author's work, I'd probably say Tamora Pierce.
Grace and Fire is a feminist inspired story that neatly avoids the most reductive and trivializing "girl power" tropes. And it includes a "rebel girl" character whose rejection of her assigned role in society is shown to have actual consequences, rather just function as an endearing audience relatability trait.
The initial twist is perhaps not the most surprising, but still serves as a neat way to twist character expectations. (I say not the most surprising, but I'm slow sometimes, and I wouldn't have caught on ahead of time, if not for the book description.)
I have a real love for political intrigue, and Grace and Fire delivers that in compelling ways. This book also serves as a rare example in which the obligatory YA love triangle actually enhances the plot. It's not so much about which guy the heroine has the strongest pants-feelings for, it's about who she's supposed to trust when the wrong move could make her as good as dead.
Speaking of the love interests, some of them feel too egalitarian towards the heroines, given the extreme patriarchal nature of the society, but I genuinely think this is a case when reader enjoyment trumps realism. If the love interests had had more (in my opinion) realistic attitudes, I might have appreciated the verisimilitude, but I wouldn't have enjoyed the male characters or the romance. So, I think Banghart made the right decision.
There are some aspects of the world building in which I'm undecided if I find it a little too clearly constructed, or if I think people really could be like that. Maybe I'll decide in the sequel. And I certainly hope we get the clearly planned sequel.
This entry was originally posted at https://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/479205.html. Please consider commenting there.
My first book is Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart.
(I received a free advanced reading copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
It's clear that this book is a product of a post Handmaids Tale TV show world, and so I was a bit apprehensive that it would be a Handmaids Tale knock-off. It's certainly not. If I were going to compare it to another author's work, I'd probably say Tamora Pierce.
Grace and Fire is a feminist inspired story that neatly avoids the most reductive and trivializing "girl power" tropes. And it includes a "rebel girl" character whose rejection of her assigned role in society is shown to have actual consequences, rather just function as an endearing audience relatability trait.
The initial twist is perhaps not the most surprising, but still serves as a neat way to twist character expectations. (I say not the most surprising, but I'm slow sometimes, and I wouldn't have caught on ahead of time, if not for the book description.)
I have a real love for political intrigue, and Grace and Fire delivers that in compelling ways. This book also serves as a rare example in which the obligatory YA love triangle actually enhances the plot. It's not so much about which guy the heroine has the strongest pants-feelings for, it's about who she's supposed to trust when the wrong move could make her as good as dead.
Speaking of the love interests, some of them feel too egalitarian towards the heroines, given the extreme patriarchal nature of the society, but I genuinely think this is a case when reader enjoyment trumps realism. If the love interests had had more (in my opinion) realistic attitudes, I might have appreciated the verisimilitude, but I wouldn't have enjoyed the male characters or the romance. So, I think Banghart made the right decision.
There are some aspects of the world building in which I'm undecided if I find it a little too clearly constructed, or if I think people really could be like that. Maybe I'll decide in the sequel. And I certainly hope we get the clearly planned sequel.
This entry was originally posted at https://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/479205.html. Please consider commenting there.