ripples_and_embers's review against another edition
4.0
Addictive! Two sisters: one embracing her fate to serve and the other fighting the whole way. Their futures however do not play out as they expected. In a world where women are meant to be seen and not heard, these two sisters are ripped apart and will do anything to try to get back to each other.
I liked both of the sisters, but I found Serina to be the character that really grew and I therefore felt a better connection to her. I felt like Nomi's character was mainly there to advance the plot. With that said, I loved the story. I read this book in about two days, and only put it down because I had to do things. It was well paced and exciting. The story bounces back and forth between sisters, and the chapters always end on a cliff hanger, so you have to keep reading to find out what will happen. I would definitely recommend it! I can't wait for book two!
I liked both of the sisters, but I found Serina to be the character that really grew and I therefore felt a better connection to her. I felt like Nomi's character was mainly there to advance the plot. With that said, I loved the story. I read this book in about two days, and only put it down because I had to do things. It was well paced and exciting. The story bounces back and forth between sisters, and the chapters always end on a cliff hanger, so you have to keep reading to find out what will happen. I would definitely recommend it! I can't wait for book two!
macchi's review against another edition
3.0
It's not you, it's me. Everything was fine about this book, as far as I read. But it felt like yet another YA book in a very slightly different setting with nothing much new to add and that's just not for me.
emwoodley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? N/A
4.5
thunderbolt_kid's review against another edition
This book allegedly ends with a cliffhanger, but I didn't like it enough to care. It is worryingly terrible on consent in relationships and seems to be shoving each of the two heroines into what are, in essence non-consensual pairings (prisoner-guard; royalty-forced "marriage"). MEH, says I.
myth's review against another edition
4.0
Here we are, folks. I am back in action and reading YA that isn't SJM, and it feels SO GOOD.
Also helpful: I enjoyed this book immensely. It consciously worked against girl hate and had multiple WoC (though none were main characters) and solidly settled the fault of needing to look beautiful and compete with each other onto the shoulders of men. Even Cassia, who is the only Grace happy to be there, the only Grace looking forward to sex with the heir, and the only Grace happy with her cage, isn't hated by the narrative. Nomi doesn't even dislike her that much: Cassia is, after all, competing with Nomi for something Nomi doesn't want.
Meanwhile, Serina is over on Death Island having to fight for her life and choosing not to murder people for the benefit of the guards anyway. Frankly, I liked Serina better? Serina was raised to trust men and to always obey them, but boy does she get over that quick. She's faster than Nomi to embrace other women despite always being raised to see them as competition. To be fair, she has utterly different circumstances, but also to be fair, Nomi already hates everything the nation stands for. Why does Nomi trust any men, especially when some just tossed her sister into hell on earth for the crime of supposedly reading?
Also, mad that Oracle died.
All in all, I appreciate that the book addressed relevant issues and tried really hard. Something about it missed drawing me in, and I suspect it's the time involved. While I liked Serina a lot, I wish there had been more time to develop her living on her own and slowly talking the others around into cooperation.
That being said, I'm definitely going to read the next one.
Also helpful: I enjoyed this book immensely. It consciously worked against girl hate and had multiple WoC (though none were main characters) and solidly settled the fault of needing to look beautiful and compete with each other onto the shoulders of men. Even Cassia, who is the only Grace happy to be there, the only Grace looking forward to sex with the heir, and the only Grace happy with her cage, isn't hated by the narrative. Nomi doesn't even dislike her that much: Cassia is, after all, competing with Nomi for something Nomi doesn't want.
Meanwhile, Serina is over on Death Island having to fight for her life and choosing not to murder people for the benefit of the guards anyway. Frankly, I liked Serina better? Serina was raised to trust men and to always obey them, but boy does she get over that quick. She's faster than Nomi to embrace other women despite always being raised to see them as competition. To be fair, she has utterly different circumstances, but also to be fair, Nomi already hates everything the nation stands for. Why does Nomi trust any men, especially when some just tossed her sister into hell on earth for the crime of supposedly reading?
Also, mad that Oracle died.
All in all, I appreciate that the book addressed relevant issues and tried really hard. Something about it missed drawing me in, and I suspect it's the time involved. While I liked Serina a lot, I wish there had been more time to develop her living on her own and slowly talking the others around into cooperation.
That being said, I'm definitely going to read the next one.
myendlessshelf's review against another edition
4.0
You can read this review and more on my blog, My Endless Shelf.
Review to follow...I was so excited to receive an early, exclusive copy of this book in the June 'Rebels in Ballgowns' FairyLoot box. The book itself looks really beautiful, which is always a bonus!
This is one of those books that just gets better and better as you keep reading. When I first read the synopsis it gave me sort of Hunger Games vibes, and in terms of the sisterly bond and the island it definitely delivered.
I love the characters in this book, the two sisters who are so different, and all of the fantastic females we meet along the way. Serina is by far my favourite character. For me, she's a stronger character than Nomi, her personality and conviction are what drive the book forward.
The mystery, the deception, the shock, awe and terror, this book is full of it, and at it's core is an exceptionally strong feminist message, an uprising if you will, which you can gather before you even start reading, from the dedication itself...
"For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet...and who has stood up anyway."
I love that about this book. I love the power play, the gender roles, the pushing back against societal norms, and the realisation that you don't have to just accept the life you've been dealt and the choices that have been made for you.
I did see pretty much all of the 'twists' coming but that wasn't actually a bad thing, because it was what I wanted. I wanted these certain things to happen, to throw the character's into new situations and to see how they'd react.
Whilst this book does have smatterings of romance, I was mostly pleased with how it was handled. Particularly how the subject of consent was handled and demonstrated. Seriously, all men should be given this book so they can see how a man should behave when a woman says no i.e. by backing off and not being a complete a-hole!!!
By the end of this book I just wanted more! The ending was amazing (truly my favourite part of the book) and it leaves the story in a perfect place to continue and I want it desperately! I NEED MORE!!!
Overall, if you're looking for a strong, feminist story set in a rich world filled with greed and pain, where characters must do the unthinkable so that they can discover their true strength and purpose, this is definitely the book for you!
Review to follow...I was so excited to receive an early, exclusive copy of this book in the June 'Rebels in Ballgowns' FairyLoot box. The book itself looks really beautiful, which is always a bonus!
This is one of those books that just gets better and better as you keep reading. When I first read the synopsis it gave me sort of Hunger Games vibes, and in terms of the sisterly bond and the island it definitely delivered.
I love the characters in this book, the two sisters who are so different, and all of the fantastic females we meet along the way. Serina is by far my favourite character. For me, she's a stronger character than Nomi, her personality and conviction are what drive the book forward.
The mystery, the deception, the shock, awe and terror, this book is full of it, and at it's core is an exceptionally strong feminist message, an uprising if you will, which you can gather before you even start reading, from the dedication itself...
"For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet...and who has stood up anyway."
I love that about this book. I love the power play, the gender roles, the pushing back against societal norms, and the realisation that you don't have to just accept the life you've been dealt and the choices that have been made for you.
I did see pretty much all of the 'twists' coming but that wasn't actually a bad thing, because it was what I wanted. I wanted these certain things to happen, to throw the character's into new situations and to see how they'd react.
Whilst this book does have smatterings of romance, I was mostly pleased with how it was handled. Particularly how the subject of consent was handled and demonstrated. Seriously, all men should be given this book so they can see how a man should behave when a woman says no i.e. by backing off and not being a complete a-hole!!!
By the end of this book I just wanted more! The ending was amazing (truly my favourite part of the book) and it leaves the story in a perfect place to continue and I want it desperately! I NEED MORE!!!
Overall, if you're looking for a strong, feminist story set in a rich world filled with greed and pain, where characters must do the unthinkable so that they can discover their true strength and purpose, this is definitely the book for you!
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
3.0
(Real rating 2.5 stars)
This was... okay. Wasn't a fan of any of it, plus it was suuuper predictable, but I am intrigued enough to continue at least
This was... okay. Wasn't a fan of any of it, plus it was suuuper predictable, but I am intrigued enough to continue at least
breerashel's review against another edition
4.0
*ARC provided through Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Grace and Fury reminded me of The Red Queen with the exception of magic and the society that the author creates in this book. I enjoyed the world building. The author created a world that was ruled by men leaving women to be pretty baubles to be traded and looked at as beautiful statues. They are not allowed to learn to read or write and have no choices in order to keep them harmless and docile. Some of them go along with this but one of the main characters, Nomi, believes that this is unacceptable and wants to carve her own path. She is rebellious which I loved about her although she does not always think before she acts. I didn't like Serina at first because I found her to be complacent. I think that she has the most growth in the story which made me change my opinion of her very quickly.
One of my favorite things about this book is the way that author portrays the strength of women in many different ways. She is able to capture how some may seem docile but theirs is a different type of strength. Most importantly, the author portrays women as a force that if pushed will show just what it is made of.
I didn't much care for the princes due to the plot point of the differences between them and their relationship feeling too familiar to me. However, I loved the idea of graces, how they came to be, and what they represented. I thought that it was an intriguing difference to other YA books that I hope the author will focus on more in the sequel. I want to know more about these women and how they felt about being chosen.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2018/08/grace-and-fury-grace-and-fury-1-by.html
Grace and Fury reminded me of The Red Queen with the exception of magic and the society that the author creates in this book. I enjoyed the world building. The author created a world that was ruled by men leaving women to be pretty baubles to be traded and looked at as beautiful statues. They are not allowed to learn to read or write and have no choices in order to keep them harmless and docile. Some of them go along with this but one of the main characters, Nomi, believes that this is unacceptable and wants to carve her own path. She is rebellious which I loved about her although she does not always think before she acts. I didn't like Serina at first because I found her to be complacent. I think that she has the most growth in the story which made me change my opinion of her very quickly.
One of my favorite things about this book is the way that author portrays the strength of women in many different ways. She is able to capture how some may seem docile but theirs is a different type of strength. Most importantly, the author portrays women as a force that if pushed will show just what it is made of.
I didn't much care for the princes due to the plot point of the differences between them and their relationship feeling too familiar to me. However, I loved the idea of graces, how they came to be, and what they represented. I thought that it was an intriguing difference to other YA books that I hope the author will focus on more in the sequel. I want to know more about these women and how they felt about being chosen.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2018/08/grace-and-fury-grace-and-fury-1-by.html