Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart ~ A Review

by MK French

What do you think of that opening? Would you keep reading? 
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2018; Little, Brown Books
978-0316471411
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); YA, fantasy

In a world where it's illegal for women to read, they are fated to work in factories, bear children or aspire to be a Grace, a woman who is to be near the Heir to the throne as the ideal woman. It has always been Serina Tessino's dream to be a Grace, and her younger sister Nomi railed against the way the world worked. Serina might have been chosen to be sent to the capital to see if she could catch the eye of the Heir, but it's Nomi who actually does. Serina is sent away to fight for her life on a distant island when she's caught with Nomi's book, and she has to learn how to be a Grace and use the position to save Serina. There are dangers lurking in both places, and neither sister is safe.

This is a fascinating book, and my only complaint was that it ended on a cliffhanger! Serina and Nomi are wonderfully fleshed out characters, sniping at each other like sisters, then coming together as a team at the beginning. We see them grow into themselves in ways they never dreamed they could, and there's a bit of the revolutionary in both of them. It was fascinating to see the dynamics on the island, with the different teams jockeying for power, which would get them rations and protection from guards intent on abusing the power they were given. Serina still managed to keep her ideals, a difficult feat even in the best of conditions.

Nomi, for all that she felt unable to do the tasks of a Grace, was far better at it than she thought she could be. The politicking with the other Graces and the royal sons was difficult to read because of their histories and stories; they were all trapped in this society, and few even realize that they are. It leads to a lot of nuance in the characterization, and plot twists until the cliffhanger finale. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, because there absolutely has to be a way to wrap up the story.

Buy Grace and Fury at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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