With little choices to choose from for women, Serina has been raised and groomed to be the heir's grace, with her sister Nomi as her handmaiden. But in a twist of fates, it is Nomi that is chosen. Serina is also mistakenly accused for a secret of Nomi's. Both girls feel trapped in their situation and must fight to be reunited as well as fight to make changes so that girls no longer have to endure what they are going through.

The Story
Told from both girl's POV we are given the story of two very fierce girls who are driven to fight in ways that didn't imagine they could. Forced into situations with their back against the wall, they must not only survive but also save each other. Because we are hopping between the two different stories, there really isn't a lot going on. Relationships seemed a little rushed, and sometimes trust was given a little too easily, among all the characters. 

Now, while the story was entertaining, I found the twists wildly predicting. However, despite that, there were still a few parts that I was pleasantly surprised. There were enough scenes that had the girls in precarious situations that I never really got bored. 

Some trigger warnings could include: violence, attempted rape, and implied pleasure houses. 

The World Building
I was intrigued by the culture of the oppression against women. Unfortunately,  I sort of think that the reasoning for the oppression was a little bland, and relied too heavily on the basis of fear and insecurity. I expected a dynamic world, but felt it was fairly standard.

I really liked the Italian inspiration of the capital, and it certainly created a little bit of color to where the palace was. I was really hoping to see more of it on Serina's end.

The Characters
This book was definitely character driven. While both girls were a bit naive, I just adored their sisterly bond. Even though both sister felt like they had received some part of the shorted end of the stick, both were frightened and cornered, they still were so concerned with protecting the other. I think what I loved most was how each girl reacted when their world was crumbled. Again, and again they both got back up and did not cower down.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, I found myself unable to put this down. I read it in just under 24 hours. I really enjoyed the writing, so much so we'll forgive the cliffhanger ending :) I really loved this and highly recommend it!

Grace and Fury follows two sister, one is trained to be a Grace, poised and submissive and selected to be a consort of the Heir of the realm. The other is her handmaiden, she is stubborn, outspoken, and everything a woman of this time is not supposed to be. Women in this kingdom suffer from severe oppression. They cannon learn to read or write, they hold only the most basic jobs deemed appropriate for women, and their only real goal in life is to marry a man, be subservient to him, and have children. Serina, has trained to be selected as a Grace her entire life. She has had etiquette and dance lessons, play the harp, wears beatiful dresses, and is the picture of poise and perfection. Nomi, is none of those things, she hates that women have no rights and cannot make t heir own choices. Upon their arrival at the palace, Nomi runs into the Heir and cannot says something outlandish. She is chosen as a Grace in place of her sister which causes them both pain and turmoil.

Just as both of the sisters begin to adjust to their new roles in the palace, Serina is caught with a book and sent to Mount Ruin, a horrible prison island where women are sent for breaking the rules. Serina has known nothing but softness, but on Mount Ruin she must put her Grace training to use in order to survive the brutality that awaits her on the island. Meanwhile back at the palace, Nomi must learn to hold her tongue and play the part of a Grace or else she too will find herself punished. Both of the sisters vow to rescue one another and find unsuspecting allies along the way.

I loved the twists and turns this book throws at you. The author takes her time setting things up and developing the characters. Both of the sisters do alot of soul searching and they both have to find their inner strength to fight mentally and physically. I do like that there is no magical or paranormal element to this story. None of the characters have special powers to help them fight, they will fight because it is the right thing to do. There are some great quotes in here about women being smart and powerful and men being scared of smart and powerful women. I think this is a great book for young girls to read. Women need to stand by other women and be supportive of each other instead of tearing each other down when we have success. The society in this book is built around a history of oppression because a strong woman was in charge and when she was defeated, the men made sure nothing like that would ever happen again. While this book leaves off with a major cliffhanger, I'm ready for the next one to see where the rebellion takes us and how the sisters overthrow the awful government and horrible oppression that is all they've ever known.

I received an advanced copy of Grace and Fury through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of Grace and Fury through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This might be my favorite read on the month! I found Grace and Fury to be so engaging and fast paced. I never wanted to stop reading, but had to because of a family emergency that happened the day I began reading it.

I loved the dual perspective from Serina and Nomi. I think it should more insight into the story than if it had just focused on one of the sisters. I enjoyed that the sisters were so different and that each one worked for the story in it's own way. While Serina has been trained her whole life to be a Grace, Nomi has been in the shadows and been the rebellious one. I loved the character progression for Serina! It was amazing to see her go from someone who was trained her whole life to basically just stand there and look pretty to this fierce and strong woman who speaks her mind. I found the story lines with the princes to be so intriguing. I never knew who to trust or what was going to happen.

I absolutely did not expect the twist at the end of story to happen! I went to go to the next page and saw the acknowledgements and was so shocked that was how the story ended. Absolutely can't wait to see what happens next.

Girl Power!!!

First, I want to start by saying that I truly didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. I am so glad I picked this one up to read, I was completely captivated!

What would you do if you lived in a world where women had no rights? Well, sisters Serina and Nomi live in that world and face that fate every single day: one in a palace, the other one in prison.

Serina Tessaro has been groomed her entire life to become a Grace - the perfect woman that stands by the heir to the throne. Nomi Tessaro, the rebellious sister, has trained her entire life to become Serina's handmaiden. But, unfortunately, Nomi captures the heir to the throne's eye and has been chosen Grace instead of Serina. Now Serina takes the fall for the extremely dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Nomi feels trapped, being a Grace and living life in the palace is like a death sentence to her. But she has to save Serina, and there is only one way she can do that: embrace her role as Grace until she can use her position to save her sister. Darkness walks the halls of the palace and time is running out for Serina. One wrong move can cost Serina and Nomi Tessaro their entire life. Will time run out before Nomi can save Serina?

I absolutely loved this book and can not wait for the second book in the series! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for some girl power action mixed in with some fantasy.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for the advance Kindle copy of this 7.31.18 release. All opinions are my own.
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In a world where women have no rights, the male rulers and heirs to the throne select Graces every year. These women have one job - to stand by the heir or ruler and cater to his every whim. Serina has been preparing her whole life to become a Grace. When she is chosen, she brings her sister Nomi to be her handmaiden. Nomi has a dangerous secret though, and when it is revealed Serina takes the fall for it. Suddenly Serina finds herself sent away to prison, while Nomi is promoted to Grace. They each must find it in them to survive, while trying to find their way back together. I would have liked to see more world building, but I think students will enjoy it. Recommended for grades 7+.

GRACE AND FURY. GRACE. AND. FURY. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"A yes doesn't mean the same thing when it's the only answer you're allowed!"

My feelings cannot even be contained over this amazing ARC. Thank you SOOOO much to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for a chance to read this beast of a book prior to its release.

Synopsis before I start to gush uncontrollably – Grace and Fury follows the story of two sisters who live in a place called Viridia where women literally can’t. do. shit. EVERYTHING is forbidden except for being a lady and agreeing to any and everything the men say. In a word – it’s horrible. Serina doesn’t mind this horrible world, she is a darling who follows the rules and wants nothing more than to be one of the Kindgom’s Graces (an elite group of women who in a slightly Selection-esque way vye for the Heir’s affection). She’s been training for this all her life, she can curtsey, she can sew, she can walk with a book on her head. You name a trait of being a lady and she can nail it. Nomi, on the other hand, is having none of your oppressive shit, Viridia. She’s a rebel, she hates the system, hates the king, his Heir, and the kingdom.

Serina is selected from her village to go forward as one of the kingdom’s Graces and she takes Nomi with her to be her handmaiden, however in a bizarre twist of events, the Heir chooses Nomi to be the Grace, which of course neither sister is happy about. They swap roles but it doesn’t last long because the Head Grace catches them doing something they shouldn’t have and the blame is placed all on Serina and she is sent away. Now it’s up to Nomi to play the part she never wanted to play in order to get the answers and find a way to rescue her sister.

Okay, now we’re over that part and it’s time for my favorite part – my thoughts  I’d say mild spoilers at best, but nothing that’s a dead giveaway to the story.

- “I’ve never highlighted a damn dedication before. The bar has been set high.” (btw, the dedication is AMAZING. For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet…and who has stood up anyway.)
-2% - this is starting out very Selection-y
- tbh I keep reading Piazza as Pizza
- Holla, LGBT representation
- @62% this fight is evvvvverything. I am 9,000% here for this
- Malachi seems like one dull ass dude tbh
- yassssss get both those brothers girl
- Oh lawd which is the bad brother because now my opinions flip flopped. I don’t trust Asa
- So. Many. Feels. OMG.

(any quotes presented in this review were from an advanced copy and subject to change before final publication)

A fast-paced fantasy, about two sisters who refuse to give up on each other. It’s riddled with feminist ideals - focusing on women’s roles in society. Emphasizing the importance of choice, of freedom. The writing was rather average, but it was interesting enough to keep me engaged. And I’m curious to see what will happen once the sisters finally reunite.

Now I read a lot of YA fantasy, and this was pretty much what you'd expect from one. A world where women are oppressed, a rebellion to change it, balls and princes and inevitable betrayal. If you've read the Red Queen this is that but feminist instead of magical.

What makes it unique though, is that instead of having one MC doing what we're used to: unexpectedly going from rags to riches or riches to rags, we get both sides. One sister is meant for royalty (aka Grace) and the other for serving, and their roles reverse where one becomes a Grace and the other goes to prison island to compete in the 'Hunger Games'. It's a 2-for-1 deal!

I enjoyed reading it, though I think it's meant for the younger side of YA (13-16). While teen girls will definitely relate to the sister's thoughts and actions, to me it felt too dramatic.

Overall, a great book to purchase for a teen girl, full of feminism and girl power (you can preoder it now as it releases on July 31!). If you're older and like more mature main characters in your YA (17-19), you'd probably be rolling your eyes a lot, but it's still worth checking out for a guilty pleasure read (think The Selection).

And of course, tons of thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book wasn’t for me. I did not appreciate the treatment and portrayal of women. I’m not a fan of the demeaning of women and how many books are telling stories of how women are so impoverished and less than where they rise to the occasion. Not my cup of tea, but may be for others.

If you enjoy a book with more than one perspective, then you might be interested in this fantasy by Tracy Banghart. This book follows two very different sisters in a world where women aren't valued. Men are entitled to education and knowledge and women are expected to be beautiful accessories.

Overall, the pacing is pretty good and once you adjust to the alternating perspectives, you will enjoy getting to know the two sisters. Great book that readers of fantasy will enjoy.

This book has been fairly hyped lately, mainly for its claims as a staunchly feminist YA fantasy. You guys already know I’m here for all the feminist reads, so I was pretty excited to pick this one up. When it comes to ARCs, I usually like to go in without knowing much about the story in advance, but a lot of my friends posted reviews for this book over the last week or so, so I had to peek—and found that I ended up agreeing with almost all of them.

Like many other reviewers, I was genuinely disappointed by Grace and Fury, for a few different reasons. The first and most basic disappointment about the story was the writing voice. It wasn’t noticeably bad, it was just not impressive. There are a couple of good quotes, but if this tells you anything, I usually highlight/tab at least 10 quotes in the average book so that I can choose my favorites for my review—in this book, I only was able to find 4 that I thought were decent enough to use.

My other, larger problelternate, and while they’re very different characters, 1) their “voices” feel identical, and 2) they both consistently make the worst decisions possible, and it not only harms them, but it also hurts the people around them (most of them innocent, more or less). One choice in particular is made that literally spells out impending doom for hundreds of people, yet the character who makes the decision just doubles down and refuses to show any remorse. I wanted to throw my iPad so many times out of pure frustration with these girls.

The book does have some redeeming qualities in the sense that it is very feminist, though I’m not sure if it sets the best examples of feminism. As I mentioned before, choices are made—for the sake of the sisters’ perspectives on feminism—that actually hurt people more than they help them. I felt like they were so immature that they rushed blindly into situations without any consideration for how it would affect anyone else, because all that mattered was that they were “rebelling”.

That said, the book is not a total waste of time: it’s a very fast read, and the ending put things into such a tailspin that, as reluctant as I am to sit through another 300 pages of awful choices and subpar writing, I have to know what happens next. I doubt I’ll request an ARC or purchase the sequel, but I could see myself grabbing it from the library next year just to see where things go next. All of this in mind, though, I can only truly recommend picking up Grace and Fury if you aren’t looking for anything particularly impressive and don’t mind irritating characters.

Thank you so much to Little, Brown for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Serina and Nomi live in a world where women have no rights, and their only real chance to become rich is to be able to marry one of the Royals. Serina has trained for this her whole life and has chosen her sister Nomi to be her handmaid. Everything seems to be perfect until Nomi is chosen by a Royal instead of her. Then, she is caught "reading" to Nomi when she was really only reciting a story from memory while holding one of Nomi's books. This act sends her to the women's prison, where she must fight for her life just to receive food on a regular basis. Nomi is also going through her own struggles as she has to learn how to be a Royal. She was always known as the extra girl, the one who wasn't supposed to have to learn anything, and would become an old made or get married to someone she didn't love. The two sisters must try to work through their struggles while feeling almost completely isolated. 

When I started reading this novel, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Lately, I had read a few fantasy novels based in worlds where women have no rights. This setting was starting to get old to me, but I still wanted to give this one a try. Boy, was I glad that I did!

Not only did women simply not have any rights in this story, they also weren't allowed to learn to read. The women's jail that Serina was in heavily reminded me of the Hunger Games, with all of the prisoners routinely forced to fight to the death for their meals. They were allowed to bow out of the fight, but no one ever did, simply because it would mean that they were kicked out of whatever "faction" they had managed to join. This was all for the entertainment of the guards. Serina has to find a way to use the skills that she has honed for years in order to become a Grace and transfer them over to skills that she can use in the prison. 

Nomi is basically in the opposite situation as Serina. She wants to rebel, in a way, and has already been taught to read by her older brother. She doesn't know how she will monitor herself in order to act as if she fits in with the Graces, but blowing her cover could send her to the women's jail like her sister, or a worse fate that she wouldn't even want to think about. She will have to remember all of her sister's lessons and pretend like she fits in with the rest of the girls who have trained for this. I thought that I would like her better at the beginning of the novel, but with the addition of a mini-love triangle and other things that have too many spoilers to mention, I ended up liking her sister's storyline more. 

This worldbuilding was incredible as certain scenes were super descriptive and each character had their own unique story. I found myself being immersed in the world once I started the book, and ended up finishing the entire novel almost in just one sitting. The way the plot flowed so smoothly just really kept me hooked. I never had issues trying to tell whose POV the story was being told in, nor did I have any issues with remembering characters. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new fantasy novel about women trying to overcome their circumstances and reclaim their position in society. 

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary review.

Very original book. Thanks for the review copy. I know people are going to love it. Love the cover and the title.

My feelings about Grace and Fury can be summed up thusly: Tropey and kind of predicable, but also quite entertaining. Like, entertaining enough to make me enjoy it despite the issues.

The Things I Liked:

The characters were quite well done, and I enjoyed their development throughout the story. Serina and Nomi thought that they were so sure of their paths in life. And when everything is turned upside down, they're forced to see things from the other person's viewpoint, and I found that a fascinating story. Plus, they loved each other (and the rest of their family) quite fiercely, and I am always here for that in a story.

Literally everything about Prison Island. Idk what it's really called, I could look it up, but does it matter? Anyway, it's awesome. It's all survival and girl bonding, and fighting oppression, and I am here for it.

I loved that the women's friendships and bonds became important. Not just to survival, but to the girls. They each made some wonderful bonds while separated, and I felt that both characters grew a lot because of these interactions. A great message, especially since it really portrayed that women standing together could accomplish great things.

Again, it was super readable and entertaining. It isn't measurable or objective, I just felt compelled to keep reading.

The Things I Didn't:

The aforementioned tropiness. Trying to protect a sister? Check. Women oppressed in a world where men are in charge just because? Check. A crappy royal in charge? Check. So yeah, those things did make some parts kind of predictable.

There were just a few things that... irked me. But they're a little spoilery? (view spoiler)

Will I Read the Sequel? Oh definitely. Is it wrong that I need more prison?

Bottom Line: While a bit predictable and trope-y, the story and characters were definitely entertaining enough to keep me excited to read!

This book was a little slow to pick up but eventually I couldn’t put it down. It reminded me of Venetian Italy during the Medivial times which I loved, as it seems like that’s a genre that’s not explored much.

Serina has aimed to be a Grace her whole life. In a world where women aren’t allowed to learn to read, becoming one of the heir’s paramours is pretty much as good as it gets – otherwise she’ll be relegated to a life of work in a factory. When she’s selected to go to the palace to be considered for a position as a Grace, she’s beyond thrilled and takes her younger sister Nomi along as a handmaiden. But neither Serina nor Nomi are prepared for the backstabbing political machinations at large in the palace, and soon both girls will find their world turned upside down.

This was sold to me as The Selection meets The Handmaid’s Tale, which sounded super intriguing as I enjoyed those books for very different reasons - guilty pleasure and biting social commentary respectively. And one of the girls does have an arc that very much meets that description. Interestingly, I didn’t really like her story. Most of that has to do with the fact that we’re told that the character is smart and rebellious, but we’re mostly just shown her swanning around the palace making stupid decisions. The other sister has an arc that’s much more Beauty Queens meets The Hunger Games, and I really enjoyed that one. It was a much more unique story, and the character experienced a lot of growth.

Because the sisters’ paths diverge, I feel that it’s fairly safe to say that at least one of the two stories will appeal to most YA dystopia and fantasy readers. If you like your dystopia with a dose of feminism, you’ll enjoy this slightly derivative series opener. I liked it. 3 stars.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Netgalley for the eARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review. Grace and Fury will become available for purchase on 31 July, but you can put your copy on hold today!

I was super excited going into this. The premise of GRACE AND FURY reminded me of Kendare Blake's THREE DARK CROWNS series which I absolutely adore and I always enjoy a good dystopian—add in the comparison of a YA THE HANDMAID'S TALE—I was all in for this book. It would be too much to say that I didn't enjoy it, because I absolutely did, but (at least for me) it felt very much like the introductory novel (which, again, it is) to a larger story. I was intrigued by the world that Banghart has created and the characters were great, there was just too much exposition packed in. I'm interested to see where this story goes, and I will for sure be checking out the sequel.

Thank you so much to LBYR for letting me read.

Grace and Fury turned out to be very different from what I expected, and yet exactly the same. But no matter what I did or didn’t expect, it turned out to be an amazing read. Not only is it a great fantasy world, with fierce heroines and shocking plot twists, but it also deals with a very current topic, which made it even better. See, the fantasy world is literally the nightmare of every feminist; women have no rights whatsoever. They aren’t allowed to read, they can’t decide to cut their own hair, and they have to be submissive and graceful.

The book starts with a huge plot twist. After that, I was hooked. The plot may not have been the most action-packed, or fast-paced, but I still loved it. It was filled with tension, which made up for the lack of action. It never got boring, was always interesting and kept me wanting to read, and that, after all, is the most important thing. Obviously all books don’t need to be action-packed to be great reads, and this was one of them.

I liked the characters. From the start, I loved Nomi. She’s rebellious, she wants to make her own decisions and have the same rights as her twin brother, and she refuses to settle. In a world like the one she lives in, that is truly admirable. It’s an uphill battle, but she’s willing to fight for women’s rights. Her sister, Serina, is the opposite; she strives to be everything women are supposed to be, and she hates Nomi’s rebellion. At first, I really didn’t like her. She was just too submissive and seemed to have no real thoughts of her own, except judgment for her sister. But she went through a lot of character development, and by the end of it, I loved her just as much as I did Nomi.

The feminism in this book, and this entire world that is hell for women, really fits into the world today. I think we need more books like this one, to show us how unfair and wrong the treatment of women is. It might help raise awareness of the situation, and that’s important. But reading this, it also made me very grateful that where I live has better conditions.

Grace and Fury was, simply put, amazing. It was such a feministic, interesting story that caught me from the beginning. It’s an important story, and I will yell it from the rooftops until everyone just reads it. Or, you know, you can just pick it up and read it. Save me the trouble.

I took a chance because it was compared to The Selection. I’m so glad I took the chance with this book. This is a YA book and I love that it’s about young women snd women who are oppressed but it they aren’t happy and there are those who are willing to rebel and fight for their rights.
Serina is brought up to be a Grace. She’s submissive, wants to help her family by being chosen to be one of the young women the Heir chooses. She conforms to what she is told and taught. She’s like every woman in Bellaqua.
Nomi is the rebellious one. She wants things to be different for women. She’s her sister’s handmaiden. But Nomi stands out because she’s different from the other girls and she catches the eye of the Heir and someone else.
I must say until almost the end I was like Nomi and I believed everything that she was told. I was surprised by the turn it started taking and what was revealed.
I can’t wait for the next book. I need to know what happens to the sisters and how they will rise together. I highly recommend this book. Loved the that was created and the characters. There’s change and growth in these young women. Amazing work. This will be the perfect gift for my best friend.

The plot was reminiscent of other dystopians, especially The Selection, but my real problem was failing to connect with the characters. It does end in a huge cliffhanger so it is sure a trilogy in the works.