A review by allieeadams
Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

I’m pretty sure I read this book wrong, which is why it might earn more stars from me on a reread— I assumed because it’s a retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, that it would stand alone from the other book in the series, The Queens of Innis Lear. I might’ve been wrong on that one; there were a couple references to the other book I got lost in. Besides that, this is a LONG read, and in desperate need of a map and a list of characters on the first couple pages.

ALL THAT SAID!!

this was some of the YUMMIEST prose I’ve had the pleasure of reading lately— nothing on the cover does the inside justice. Tessa Gratton’s world is sparkling, colorful, and rich, breathing nature and magic. The characters basically blaze through the story— I’m particularly fond of Hal, Hotspur, and Connley— and about two thirds of the way through there’s a delightfully dramatic love pentagon.

above all else Tessa Gratton looked at Henry IV and said what if Hal and Hotspur were bitter lesbian exes and they were SO real for that