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emily_mh's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.0
This book really grew on me! I’m not going to lie, the start was super slow. I was pretty worried because I was like 60 pages in and still not feeling gripped, questioning why we were spending so much time in this beginning phase. But once the plot kicked off I got into it and ended up really enjoying the story!
First and foremost, this book has some fantastic disability rep. MC Tania has POTS, and her character development is centred on unlearning her internalised ableism, and growing her self-worth which has been persistently undermined by societal ableism. I loved being able to relate to Tania’s worries and beliefs as a chronically ill person myself. I also liked the exploration of what it’s like to have a disability that doesn’t even have a name yet; Tania feels so incredibly isolated because of that fact. It really drove home the need for visibility to me, as seeing there are other people with your disability can alleviate some of the isolation that comes with having that disability. Which is another reason why I like this book, because it is providing that visibility. Honestly, disability books like this make me so happy!
Another thing this story has going for it is that it is essentially about historical spies. The historical setting gives a real sense of time and place to the narrative, especially as the plot is woven into real historical events. The spy part provides all the action, as the girls carry out training, codebreaking, sidling up to suspects, mini-heists, fencing and more, all undercover as noble ladies. It was just a lot of fun, but also intriguing enough of a mystery for it to have substance.
I also liked the sisterhood aspect of the Musketeers. Lainoff makes sure to include the small and everyday interactions between the girls as well as stuff that moves the plot forward, and she also takes care that Tania forms a connection with all three other girls, so their bond is totally believable. I loved that they provided such reliable, caring support to Tania and just automatically accommodated her without question. Also, each of the girls were distinct from one another, although I wish we had gotten to know Portia more.
Unfortunately I did have a large criticism of the book, leading me to dock one star, and that was the writing style. I found it to be pretty clumsy, like I knew what it was trying to say but it could have said it in a more eloquent or expressive way. The sentence structure could be super clunky at times, and the dialogue a little confusing. I also wish it had been more concise in areas, and that some scenes had been removed entirely. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to put me off the book, as I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but I can see why this might be a problem for other readers!
Rep: MC with POTS, sapphic SCs, potentially aro SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Chronic illness
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Major: fainting, dizziness Minor: gambling, menstruationmattyb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
stacyaj's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
ramunepocky's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Overall, I rlly enjoyed this book, it definitely had the vibe of the musketeers that I love sm and a strong sense of found family !!! It was a good mix of plot and character too and i enjoyed the character growth and watching Tania discover her strength !!! I rlly loved all the characters, esp Aria, tho I feel like she didnt have a real part until the last third of the book, tho I loved her from her first interaction !!! the only thing that spoiled it for me was the mix of French and English as I found it very jarring, even if there was often context to help you figure out wgat the French meant or a direct translation, it still took me out of the stpry and made me question if it was necessary for it to be there at all!! However, I still rlly enjoyed this book and it was rlly refreshing to have good Chronic Illness rep in an action packed book !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
“We are not the ones who are written into history. We are the ones who ensure history exists to be written.”
Now this is where I admit that my knowledge of the Musketeers comes from the Barbie version so of course I was going to come running for a book featuring sword fighting girls. The beginning of the book is a little slow but everything really gets going when Tania arrives at the L’Academie des Mariess and despite the plot being a little predictable at times, I found myself easily drawn in by all the mystery and espionage.
Tania has POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and she is one of the most empowering characters that I have ever read. Though quite stubborn as many YA protagonists tend to be, she doesn’t shy away from her emotions. She very much wears her heart on her sleeve and though this made her quite naïve it was such a refreshing trait to see on page. I really enjoyed following her on her journey of coming into her own, of not letting other people’s sentiments stop her from getting to where she wanted to be and finding a support system that accepts her for who she is.
“There are other ways to fight for someone, Mademoiselle, than merely picking up a sword.”
Which leads me on to mention the sisterhood that is the heart of this book! Found family is one of my absolute favourite tropes and the bonds that formed between Tania and her fellow Musketeers – Aria, Portia and Théa – was so heart-warming. I do find myself wishing that we could have had longer scenes from the times when they were initially bonding but their little missions and the moments of humour and camaraderie that they brought about were so fun.
Fencing is a sport that I have always wanted to try and it was so cool to learn that Lainoff herself is a fencer. I always find it so wholesome when authors are able to inform and enrich their stories with their other passions and honestly all the practice and fight scenes were so good!
A highly enjoyable and admirable spin on a well-loved classic, I can’t recommend One For All enough!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
seyfert's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Bullying and Sexual assault
madamenovelist's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
libraryghost's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Cancer
vaniavela's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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? No
5.0
A feminist genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers where the chronically ill protagonist seeks the truth behind her father's murder.
The author is a fencing competitor and suffers from the same chronic health problem as Tania, which brings great authenticity and veracity to our protagonist's experiences, thoughts and emotions. Important issues such as disability and women's rights are discussed here, featuring highly in the story. One of the elements I enjoyed most was reading the message that her disability was not the problem, but society and the way she was perceived and treated. She was powerful just the way she was. We were not given a story where she was cured of her disability and saved the day, but rather showed that even with her disability she was a hero.
One for All is a beautiful and gripping story. Tania is a very strong character and I love her. The relationships she formed throughout the story were beautiful to me as she was able to grow as a person because of them. The feeling of sisterhood is very strong; seeing the girls united was incredible.
One of the things I like most about this book is that it recognizes more than one type of strength. Willpower, the drive to fight for what's right, and passion are great strength boosters.
Sometimes I have a hard time getting into historical fiction, but this book did not disappoint me at all. The writing in this book is beautiful and completely immerses you in the story.
I can't believe I don't have a copy of this novel in my hands, and I'm heartbroken that I don't have the money to buy it. If any of my acquaintances read this, it would make a great birthday present :)
I loved the concept of an adaptation of The Three Musketeers, and the characters being so well developed is one of the coolest aspects of the book.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
The author is a fencing competitor and suffers from the same chronic health problem as Tania, which brings great authenticity and veracity to our protagonist's experiences, thoughts and emotions. Important issues such as disability and women's rights are discussed here, featuring highly in the story. One of the elements I enjoyed most was reading the message that her disability was not the problem, but society and the way she was perceived and treated. She was powerful just the way she was. We were not given a story where she was cured of her disability and saved the day, but rather showed that even with her disability she was a hero.
One for All is a beautiful and gripping story. Tania is a very strong character and I love her. The relationships she formed throughout the story were beautiful to me as she was able to grow as a person because of them. The feeling of sisterhood is very strong; seeing the girls united was incredible.
One of the things I like most about this book is that it recognizes more than one type of strength. Willpower, the drive to fight for what's right, and passion are great strength boosters.
Sometimes I have a hard time getting into historical fiction, but this book did not disappoint me at all. The writing in this book is beautiful and completely immerses you in the story.
I can't believe I don't have a copy of this novel in my hands, and I'm heartbroken that I don't have the money to buy it. If any of my acquaintances read this, it would make a great birthday present :)
I loved the concept of an adaptation of The Three Musketeers, and the characters being so well developed is one of the coolest aspects of the book.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Medical trauma
bookishflower's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
There are rare occasions when you read a book at the perfect time and feel as though the author has peered into your soul and written a book just for you. This is one of those books for me.
As a chronically ill ex-fencer with the same symptoms as Tania (if less extreme), this book means so much to me. Seeing Tania struggle, fight, make friends, be loved and exist was incredibly validating: to be able to know I’m not alone or exaggerating, that other people relate, that I could just be. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didn’t disappoint.
The political intrigue, balls and ball gowns, women supporting women, musketeers, and women with swords and razor sharp wit was the icing on the cake. Please go support this book and author! ❤️🥄
As a chronically ill ex-fencer with the same symptoms as Tania (if less extreme), this book means so much to me. Seeing Tania struggle, fight, make friends, be loved and exist was incredibly validating: to be able to know I’m not alone or exaggerating, that other people relate, that I could just be. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didn’t disappoint.
The political intrigue, balls and ball gowns, women supporting women, musketeers, and women with swords and razor sharp wit was the icing on the cake. Please go support this book and author! ❤️🥄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Classism
Minor: Blood and Medical trauma