kblincoln's review
4.0
Card sharps, an alternate-world port city run by shipping Guildmasters, a disgraced family, a gentleman bandit, and a hint of magic.
If you took a fantasy heist novel such as Bardugo's Six of Crows or Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora and mixed it with Austen or Cheney's manners-and-spies book of alternate Portugal-- Golden City-- you'd have The Sisters Mederos.
There's not a central heist per se, but the book begins with a powerful merchant shipping family disgraced and penniless sending their daughters away. The real action begins when Yvienne and Tesara return to the city, however, and both find decidedly unladylike ways to help their family survive its fall. Yvienne looks into which other powerful Guild members profited from her family's losses, as well as decides to steal from them. Tesara regains some social footing and enters the balls and salons to seek out backroom card games.
Both of them must enter places they're unwanted, find a way to play the roles of biddable young society girls, and ward off unwanted advances by powerful men. In some ways their home situation is straight out of an Austen novel as the father is ineffectual and confused and the mother constantly berating and dismissive especially of Tesara. There is some hint that the mother knows of Tesara's ability to resonate with wind and water, although this doesn't play a very big role in this first novel as Tesara spends most of the novel trying to recover from a brutal childhood incident.
This is pure escapist fantasy presented in mannered prose. There is a hint of romance, but it doesn't really push that button for me. It's more manners and dress up and hiding in dumbwaiters and pretending to be servants, and secret meetings.
If you took a fantasy heist novel such as Bardugo's Six of Crows or Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora and mixed it with Austen or Cheney's manners-and-spies book of alternate Portugal-- Golden City-- you'd have The Sisters Mederos.
There's not a central heist per se, but the book begins with a powerful merchant shipping family disgraced and penniless sending their daughters away. The real action begins when Yvienne and Tesara return to the city, however, and both find decidedly unladylike ways to help their family survive its fall. Yvienne looks into which other powerful Guild members profited from her family's losses, as well as decides to steal from them. Tesara regains some social footing and enters the balls and salons to seek out backroom card games.
Both of them must enter places they're unwanted, find a way to play the roles of biddable young society girls, and ward off unwanted advances by powerful men. In some ways their home situation is straight out of an Austen novel as the father is ineffectual and confused and the mother constantly berating and dismissive especially of Tesara. There is some hint that the mother knows of Tesara's ability to resonate with wind and water, although this doesn't play a very big role in this first novel as Tesara spends most of the novel trying to recover from a brutal childhood incident.
This is pure escapist fantasy presented in mannered prose. There is a hint of romance, but it doesn't really push that button for me. It's more manners and dress up and hiding in dumbwaiters and pretending to be servants, and secret meetings.
ladyofbooks's review
5.0
This book was loads of fun!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It reminded me of Downton Abbey, if there was magic and spies involved with the series, then this would be a perfect match for that. I loved the sisters, and their drive for bringing back their house to full society's standard after its downfall. I empathized with the characters and the family greatly.
I liked both sisters, and I particularly loved the girl who could do magic (not naming names to avoid spoilers) and the servant girl was awesome, and I really enjoyed the adventure and action throughout the book. Spies, magic, and manners...what more could you possibly want?
I eagerly anticipate book 2 of the series!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It reminded me of Downton Abbey, if there was magic and spies involved with the series, then this would be a perfect match for that. I loved the sisters, and their drive for bringing back their house to full society's standard after its downfall. I empathized with the characters and the family greatly.
I liked both sisters, and I particularly loved the girl who could do magic (not naming names to avoid spoilers) and the servant girl was awesome, and I really enjoyed the adventure and action throughout the book. Spies, magic, and manners...what more could you possibly want?
I eagerly anticipate book 2 of the series!
indyreadrosa's review
5.0
Good ol fashioned adventure novel. Has a story to tell and doesn't waste time going down unnecessary alleys ...Sketches the world so that the actions of the characters make sense and then gets right down to the telling not showing.
majkia's review
4.0
Sisters, raised in wealth, now live in poverty with their ruined parents. The girls decide to get revenge on the folks who brought their house down. And, being mere girls, are hardly seen as a threat - until it is way too late.
bookbeaut's review
2.0
There was a lot of potential here, but not much payoff. The idea of a wealthy family fallen from grace, with a daughter who's got some sort of magic latent ability, is interesting. But after the fall, the family is awful to each other and it gets so tiring to read that dynamic as it's unchanging. The solutions to their problems come too easily, after too long of a build up, to be narratively satisfying. More importantly, I really get annoyed when a magic talent of some sort is included, only to be utilized so inconsistently. The power is used as a plot convenience more than anything - when the author needs a quick solution. I wanted to root for the relationship between the sisters, but too much of the book was spent keeping them apart from one another. Overall, it wasn't that fun of a read.
piratenami's review against another edition
4.0
I quite enjoyed this one. It's a sort of a fantasy of manners in a somewhat flintlock fantasy setting, with magic existing alongside pistols and printing presses. The two sisters of the title are the only daughters of a disgraced house, who are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives and find out the truth of what happened to send their family into disgrace.
The younger daughter, Tesera, has a secret that makes it think it's all her fault.
The elder daughter, Yvienne, has ambition and ideas about how to uncover the truth that soon get her embroiled in a plot larger than her family's business.
I did feel like the sisters kept their secrets from one another a little too long, but once they came together and started working together, things really started moving. I'm hoping for more of that from the sequel.
The younger daughter, Tesera, has a secret that makes it think it's all her fault.
The elder daughter, Yvienne, has ambition and ideas about how to uncover the truth that soon get her embroiled in a plot larger than her family's business.
I did feel like the sisters kept their secrets from one another a little too long, but once they came together and started working together, things really started moving. I'm hoping for more of that from the sequel.
Spoiler
There was minimal romance in this book. I was hoping for Yvienne to take a romantic interest in Mathilde, since it seemed like she was having a bit of a girl-crush on her at the beginning of the story. I'm also hoping we haven't seen the last of Tesera's potential beau, Jone, or the well-dressed lady gambler who Tesera takes special note of, Mrs. Fayres.endlessmidnight's review
4.0
This was one which worked for me, completely. That the relationship of the sisters, and even the mystery was the centre of it all. There is no romance here, but it certainly doesn’t take away from the series at all.
I enjoyed Tesara and Yvienne, in how they interacted as sisters. Worked on getting the real reason why their family was destitute, why they were poor. And how it was so. It was nothing more than that.
These girls used means only they could use and exploited all they had. It was entertaining to read and watch as they did things which were questionable but not completely illegal. And well, seeing that both of them are focused on one thing and will never waver from it.
The plot is as simple as that, but the way they have to find out is really towards the end. Although I did want the introduction to actually be faster, but the second half was absolutely satisfying.
But the first half had kept my attention with the family dynamics, regarding how their parents dealt with it. They didn’t kill themselves, get themselves killed, but were not too willing to find out. Grateful for what they have.
An interesting portrayal, and it was intriguing to read. Although I do wanted a little more involvement when it came to them, because their daughters went behind their backs to find the truth and yet they don’t know. But, I should have seen that coming when they sent them to a school where they were basically humiliated and broken.
Yeah, they weren’t abusive but loving, not really either. But interesting, very much.
Overall, I enjoyed this for the main characters and the plot. Good plot where I didn’t know what to expect, characters who despite all have managed to find strength to survive and finally, the fact that this is overall unique and rather enjoyable.
I enjoyed Tesara and Yvienne, in how they interacted as sisters. Worked on getting the real reason why their family was destitute, why they were poor. And how it was so. It was nothing more than that.
These girls used means only they could use and exploited all they had. It was entertaining to read and watch as they did things which were questionable but not completely illegal. And well, seeing that both of them are focused on one thing and will never waver from it.
The plot is as simple as that, but the way they have to find out is really towards the end. Although I did want the introduction to actually be faster, but the second half was absolutely satisfying.
But the first half had kept my attention with the family dynamics, regarding how their parents dealt with it. They didn’t kill themselves, get themselves killed, but were not too willing to find out. Grateful for what they have.
An interesting portrayal, and it was intriguing to read. Although I do wanted a little more involvement when it came to them, because their daughters went behind their backs to find the truth and yet they don’t know. But, I should have seen that coming when they sent them to a school where they were basically humiliated and broken.
Yeah, they weren’t abusive but loving, not really either. But interesting, very much.
Overall, I enjoyed this for the main characters and the plot. Good plot where I didn’t know what to expect, characters who despite all have managed to find strength to survive and finally, the fact that this is overall unique and rather enjoyable.
the_discworldian's review
4.0
Playing Cards Reading Challenge: 9 of Spades
I picked this book up from a stack on the floor of the greatest bookstore I've ever been in (RIP Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore, a bookstore that truly embodied Terry Pratchett's description of "a genteel black hole that knows how to read" - you can donate here if you want to contribute to its possible renaissance). The cover and description intrigued me. I love badass sisters, historical fantasy, the works. I'd never heard of the author, or any of the authors quoted on the cover, either.
I finally got around to reading it when I restarted doing my playing cards reading challenge again, and I really enjoyed it! The weakest point for me was that it was really hard to root for House Mederos: the father was practically a nonentity, the mother was a sour, resentful, unpleasant mess and the uncle likes to sexually harass any woman nearby AND humiliated his twelve year-old niece to score points with a friend. Also, as other readers have pointed out, it does end abruptly.
However, the sisters and their adventures are well worth the read! I particularly liked Tesara, determined to regain not only her family resources but her powers, but Yvienne was also enjoyable. I question this book being shelved as adult rather than YA because it seems more like a YA or NA book - which is in no way a bad thing! It reminded me in many ways of [b:Court Duel|596308|Court Duel (Crown & Court, #2)|Sherwood Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388452012l/596308._SX50_.jpg|16280489], with a bit of Robin McKinley thrown in for good measure. The whole thing is full of twists, turns and strategies as the sisters plot and scheme to restore the family finances and honor. I will definitely read the sequel.
I picked this book up from a stack on the floor of the greatest bookstore I've ever been in (RIP Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore, a bookstore that truly embodied Terry Pratchett's description of "a genteel black hole that knows how to read" - you can donate here if you want to contribute to its possible renaissance). The cover and description intrigued me. I love badass sisters, historical fantasy, the works. I'd never heard of the author, or any of the authors quoted on the cover, either.
I finally got around to reading it when I restarted doing my playing cards reading challenge again, and I really enjoyed it! The weakest point for me was that it was really hard to root for House Mederos: the father was practically a nonentity, the mother was a sour, resentful, unpleasant mess and the uncle likes to sexually harass any woman nearby AND humiliated his twelve year-old niece to score points with a friend. Also, as other readers have pointed out, it does end abruptly.
However, the sisters and their adventures are well worth the read! I particularly liked Tesara, determined to regain not only her family resources but her powers, but Yvienne was also enjoyable. I question this book being shelved as adult rather than YA because it seems more like a YA or NA book - which is in no way a bad thing! It reminded me in many ways of [b:Court Duel|596308|Court Duel (Crown & Court, #2)|Sherwood Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388452012l/596308._SX50_.jpg|16280489], with a bit of Robin McKinley thrown in for good measure. The whole thing is full of twists, turns and strategies as the sisters plot and scheme to restore the family finances and honor. I will definitely read the sequel.