womanon's review against another edition
2.0
I received an earc in exchange for my honest opinion.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this. It had one specific reason: there were constantly letters missing in the earc. It was extremely hard for me to read this, as words weren't complete, and I often had to guess at their meaning, which was impossible most of the time. The story did have potential, though, if the parts I actually could read were anything to go by.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this. It had one specific reason: there were constantly letters missing in the earc. It was extremely hard for me to read this, as words weren't complete, and I often had to guess at their meaning, which was impossible most of the time. The story did have potential, though, if the parts I actually could read were anything to go by.
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Wales, 1109: When Elen's home was raided by a warband three years ago her younger sister died in the ensuing fires. Her older sister was cut down just short of killing the warband's leader, Owain ap Cadwgan. Despite the violence and her own sexual assault, Elen survived, healing Owain ap Cadwgan's wounds and weaving a tale of protection.
She tells all who will listen that Owain ap Cadwgan cannot be killed--not by blade, blow, or poison--so long as Saint Elen protects him, so long as he keeps her namesake by his side.
None of what she tells them is true.
Balanced on a knife's edge and haunted by echoes of the raid that killed her family, Elen knows one false step, one accident could leave Owain dead and render her own life forfeit.
When Owain abducts Nest, the wife of a Norman lord, and her children, war soon follows. As her lies begin to unravel, Elen dares to imagine a different life but first she will have to determine where her loyalties lie in Spindle and Dagger (2020) by J. Anderson Coats.
Elen's first person narration is frank and immediately engrossing, drawing readers into the precarious world she has created for herself. With violence and danger everywhere, Elen is forced to be as calculating and as ruthless as the warband that is both her greatest protection and her greatest danger.
High action and battles contrast sharply with the choices Elen is forced to make to ensure her own survival. Coats' evocative prose and themes of agency and feminism add nuance and depth to this otherwise fast-paced story.
Spindle and Dagger is brutal, bloody, and carefully researched historical fiction. Recommended for readers looking for fierce heroines and history with all the gory details.
Possible Pairings: Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez, Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West, The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
She tells all who will listen that Owain ap Cadwgan cannot be killed--not by blade, blow, or poison--so long as Saint Elen protects him, so long as he keeps her namesake by his side.
None of what she tells them is true.
Balanced on a knife's edge and haunted by echoes of the raid that killed her family, Elen knows one false step, one accident could leave Owain dead and render her own life forfeit.
When Owain abducts Nest, the wife of a Norman lord, and her children, war soon follows. As her lies begin to unravel, Elen dares to imagine a different life but first she will have to determine where her loyalties lie in Spindle and Dagger (2020) by J. Anderson Coats.
Elen's first person narration is frank and immediately engrossing, drawing readers into the precarious world she has created for herself. With violence and danger everywhere, Elen is forced to be as calculating and as ruthless as the warband that is both her greatest protection and her greatest danger.
High action and battles contrast sharply with the choices Elen is forced to make to ensure her own survival. Coats' evocative prose and themes of agency and feminism add nuance and depth to this otherwise fast-paced story.
Spindle and Dagger is brutal, bloody, and carefully researched historical fiction. Recommended for readers looking for fierce heroines and history with all the gory details.
Possible Pairings: Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez, Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West, The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lizbethandthelifeinbetween's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5
The copy I received was littered with typos which often brought me out of the story and made it hard to follow at points, however, I still found the protagonist very plain. This book had a lot of potentials I found the idea around the main character possibly being a saint and being mistaken for her miracles was interesting, but she MC was quite boring. She didn't really do much other than follow the warlord around and I wanted to learn more about the mythology.
2.5
The copy I received was littered with typos which often brought me out of the story and made it hard to follow at points, however, I still found the protagonist very plain. This book had a lot of potentials I found the idea around the main character possibly being a saint and being mistaken for her miracles was interesting, but she MC was quite boring. She didn't really do much other than follow the warlord around and I wanted to learn more about the mythology.
wordsareweapons's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.
I went into this thinking it would lean slightly on the fairytale end but it's pretty solidly historical fiction. I liked this enough to read it all in one day. The characters were fine. Seeing as how they are ripped from history, most felt true to the source. I, however, know pretty much nothing of medieval Welsh history. There is a decent amount of action, given that we mainly follow Owain and his teulu (war band). They pillage and raid their way through Wales, mainly trying to keep the Normans out. Elen gets picked up along the way because after they burn her house and murder her family, she convinces them she speaks to Saint Elen. She does this to save her own skin, so props for the quick thinking. However there is not much more to her character outside of this. I think we are meant to sympathize with her for being trapped with a power hungry Welsh heir, but everything she does shows she wants to be there on some level. She repeatedly tries to insert herself in his family, even though they truly hate her for whispering in Owain's ear. Then when Owain makes a huge political blunder and kidnaps a royal wife and her children, Elen immediately tries to worm her way into their family. Unfortunately all of this really takes place as inner dialogue, so it is a whole lot of tell and not show. Elen just rubbed me the wrong way after awhile, especially when she starts feeling like people owe her since she hasn't actually done much of anything. She is also incredibly naive given how she lives. Outside of that most of the other characters don't really matter much. Owain is your typical war band leader, and the rest just stay in the background. There isn't much actual plot to me outside of Elen trying to save herself. I think I would have enjoyed this more if the focus had been on Owain and his father and the political insanity of trying to maintain borders and keep the English and French out.
I went into this thinking it would lean slightly on the fairytale end but it's pretty solidly historical fiction. I liked this enough to read it all in one day. The characters were fine. Seeing as how they are ripped from history, most felt true to the source. I, however, know pretty much nothing of medieval Welsh history. There is a decent amount of action, given that we mainly follow Owain and his teulu (war band). They pillage and raid their way through Wales, mainly trying to keep the Normans out. Elen gets picked up along the way because after they burn her house and murder her family, she convinces them she speaks to Saint Elen. She does this to save her own skin, so props for the quick thinking. However there is not much more to her character outside of this. I think we are meant to sympathize with her for being trapped with a power hungry Welsh heir, but everything she does shows she wants to be there on some level. She repeatedly tries to insert herself in his family, even though they truly hate her for whispering in Owain's ear. Then when Owain makes a huge political blunder and kidnaps a royal wife and her children, Elen immediately tries to worm her way into their family. Unfortunately all of this really takes place as inner dialogue, so it is a whole lot of tell and not show. Elen just rubbed me the wrong way after awhile, especially when she starts feeling like people owe her since she hasn't actually done much of anything. She is also incredibly naive given how she lives. Outside of that most of the other characters don't really matter much. Owain is your typical war band leader, and the rest just stay in the background. There isn't much actual plot to me outside of Elen trying to save herself. I think I would have enjoyed this more if the focus had been on Owain and his father and the political insanity of trying to maintain borders and keep the English and French out.
lory_enterenchanted's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
A rare YA historical novel with a female protagonist that doesn't try to anachronistically empower her beyond the bounds of plausibility. That makes for a rather grim read here, because Elen lives in a very violent time and place (medieval Wales) and she's been through serious trauma. She is conflicted about what she had to do to survive, and yet she still can dare to care deeply for others and to value and fight for her own freedom. Elen stands for all women throughout history who have had to struggle against dehumanizing, disempowering forces; Coats does an admirable job of making her both realistically medieval and relevant to our current concerns. The story behind Elen's deceptively simple narration is thus quite morally complex and requires a mature reader to really comprehend it. Reminded me of Franny Billingsley.
A rare YA historical novel with a female protagonist that doesn't try to anachronistically empower her beyond the bounds of plausibility. That makes for a rather grim read here, because Elen lives in a very violent time and place (medieval Wales) and she's been through serious trauma. She is conflicted about what she had to do to survive, and yet she still can dare to care deeply for others and to value and fight for her own freedom. Elen stands for all women throughout history who have had to struggle against dehumanizing, disempowering forces; Coats does an admirable job of making her both realistically medieval and relevant to our current concerns. The story behind Elen's deceptively simple narration is thus quite morally complex and requires a mature reader to really comprehend it. Reminded me of Franny Billingsley.
all_things_book's review
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lizbethandthelifeinbetween's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5
The copy I received was littered with typos which often brought me out of the story and made it hard to follow at points, however, I still found the protagonist very plain. This book had a lot of potentials I found the idea around the main character possibly being a saint and being mistaken for her miracles was interesting, but she MC was quite boring. She didn't really do much other than follow the warlord around and I wanted to learn more about the mythology.
2.5
The copy I received was littered with typos which often brought me out of the story and made it hard to follow at points, however, I still found the protagonist very plain. This book had a lot of potentials I found the idea around the main character possibly being a saint and being mistaken for her miracles was interesting, but she MC was quite boring. She didn't really do much other than follow the warlord around and I wanted to learn more about the mythology.
juani's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25