There was quite a bit of pleasant buzz surrounding Grace and Fury that made me want to pick the book up. Unfortunately it didn’t manage to move away from average for me but I can see why others might like it so much. I am certainly a bit of an odd one out here.

Grace and Fury focuses on two sisters, Nomi and Serina. Serina is a grace in training, hoping to be chosen by the heir as one of his graces and Nomi her handmaiden. In Viridia it is normal for the king to have various graces by his side if you catch my meaning… There doesn’t seem to be a queen. I hadn’t really read the synopsis so the twist at the start caught my attention. I quite liked that. But after that the plot sunk in a bit of mediocrity. Not the message the book tries to send. But why does Serina need a man along for the ride during the rebellion? I think her piece could have felt a lot stronger had we not had Val there. The love triangle and the twist at the end were too obvious, and for how smart the girl is, she fell into it way too easily.

Like I said, I admire the book for what it tries to do with the message about standing up for yourself, to take your life into your own hands. That your worth as a woman isn’t determined by men. It doesn’t walk around issues and it doesn’t hide the brutal parts of the society.

I loved how there was such a clear sisterhood between the two that felt realistic. They don’t see eye to eye, and yes they get angry at each other for situations they don’t have control over. But sibling relationships aren’t perfect. They will fight for each other though. I also enjoyed how there are other female relationships like Nomi and Maris or Serina and Jacana.

However, as another reviewer pointed out on goodreads, why do we have so many females, and there barely being any kind of lgbtq+ relationships? There is only the mention of one side character who had a relationship with a female. With so many females in one place that spend years together you are telling me nothing developed there? And it being illegal really isn’t a good reason. They already weren’t coming off the island anyway. Some other world building regarding society and history is also a tad shaky.

But even though I loved the sisterhood, I hate that they are separated for most of the book. I really enjoyed the scenes where they were together, with Renzo too. It had a sense of family. I love that. Separately I think both characters are fine and, especially Serina, has good character development. However I don’t turn hot or cold for either of them. I just don’t care about them as separate characters.

I do however have hope for the sequel. A lot of this was about setting up a new situation and in the next book they will be moving on from that. Hopefully we are getting the sisters together and some of these other characters. I think that would be great to see.

This book....this book INSTANTLY dug it's claws into me. I was hooked from the beginning! The story is of two sisters, Serina and Nomi. Serina has trained all her life to be a Grace. A Grace is a woman that is submissive to The Superior/The Heir and her main goal is that of pleasing him. And then there's little rebellious Nomi who has been her sister's handmaiden, her family's housekeeper, her family's cook, and everything else. Little Nomi that thinks women should have rights and not just be used as something to accessorize a man. Little Nomi that thinks reading shouldn't be just for men. Little Nomi that thinks women should have the right to say no. Little Nomi that thinks women should get to pick their future for themselves!
Serina is chosen to represent her city in the competition to become one of The Heir's Graces. Before Serina has her chance to impress Malachi, The Heir, and win his favor...something dangerous happens that turns Serina and Nomi's world upside down. The rest of the book is spent trying to change the oppression of the women in this book.
What I found frustrating in this book was, at some points I felt like characters who were initially strong were becoming weak and going backward in the growth department. Parts were a bit frustrating for me as a reader. I was screaming at certain characters for being just oblivious to what was happening before their eyes. But don't we all look for a book that makes us feel? I know I do. In the end I think all my concerns were put to rest and because of everything we had very well rounded, not always perfect characters.
I greatly enjoyed this fantasy novel. One thing I loved about it was how the chapters switched back and forth and were told from the two sister's perspectives. I couldn't wait to fly through each one to see what happened to the other sister I had left behind just moments before!
I absolutely cannot wait to see what will happen in book two! Hurry up 2019!
I received an ARC (Thank you!) of this book in exchange for an unbiased honest review.

Writing this review a few days after finishing this book, I still have a lot of mixed thoughts and feelings. It was a very in the middle kind of book for me, it wasn't the worst, but it also had a lot of room for improvement. The setting of this book is one that resembles a dystopian society in which women are heavily oppressed and basically not allowed to do anything. The main premise of the story is the crown prince searching for 'graces'-women who become essentially mistresses for him as he goes on. To best describe it, it has dark The Selection vibes.

I wasn't a huge fan of the way the sisters developed-Nomi in particular. At the beginning she is this strong girl, with her secret (that she can read), but by the end of it the two girls almost trade personalities? I would've liked to see more individual growth. Serina, on the other hand, became much more likeable by the end and I am definitely rooting to see how she will continue to grow in the next novel. I find myself a bit disappointed that there was no LGBTQ romance with Serina as she was sent to an all female inhabited island and instead falls victim to the dreaded INSTALOVE (oh how small Kait would've loved this, but now it just feels too unbelievable). I love Val this just kinda leads into my next point...

The plot itself was well paced, just it felt too obvious/predictable. I saw the plot twist coming long before the end of the book (SPOILER BEGINS) I mean, Nomi is smart, Nomi shouldn't have fallen into this and not seen this coming too. I saw a review that called it a Red Queen rip off, and I would have to agree. It felt super obvious that Asa was trying to get the crown for himself and frame Malachi right away. ugh, still frustrated that this was a plot twist we had to deal with. I would've loved to see Malachi actually be evil!! (SPOILER ENDS)

Also I need a paragraph to talk about a favourite muffin who must be protected: yes, I mean you Renzo. I hope we get more Renzo in the next novel (please Tracy, you can't kill my baby, he's too pure).

All in all, this is a book filled with girl power! I loved all the badass women we meet at Mount Ruin, and I am excited to see how this story will unfold. From what I gather, this is set to be a duology, let's hope that this story is wrapped up well.

Grace and Fury releases July 31st in North America (maybe sooner internationally, i have been seeing copies floating around).

Grace and Fury is a dual character, third-person limited omniscient book featuring two sisters, Serina and Nomi. The chapters switch back and forth from Serina to Nomi as they each work to help the other because life is 100% not going they way they had planned. Instead, Nomi --destined to be Serina's handmaiden when she is chosen to be one of three of the Heir's Graces (who live like a sultan's harem)-- is selected to be one of the Graces. And not 24 hours after being relegated to handmaiden, Sernia is arrested and sentenced to imprisonment on Mount Ruin, a post-erupted-volcano wasteland-island. There, Serina learns the value in thinking for herself and not accepting the oppression that women of Viridia live every day. So, will she accept the new normal of an imprisoned woman? Or will she take that strength and do force change? Nomi, meanwhile, must learn to dance, wear make-up and flowy gowns, make conversational small talk, and be the embodiment of Viridian Female as a Grace. But, as the rebellious middle child, she's not content to that lifestyle-- plus she feels horrible for being the reason for Serina's imprisonment. She vows to free Serina, but can she find an ally? And is he who he really says he is?

Grace and Fury has some problems that prevent me from giving it a higher rating. The most annoying aspect was how its narration is set up. Yes, I typically prefer first-person narrators, but I can appreciate that some stories call for other types of narration. What I disliked, though, was that the chapters were very short and *had* to switch back and forth between Nomi and Serina. PLUS, Banghart ended each chapter with a cliffhanger. It felt like cheating-- like Banghart was relying on the reader wanting to know the resolution to the cliffhanger to keep coming back to the book instead of compelling storytelling and connections to characters.

In addition, the short chapters did not lend themselves to actual connections with Serina and/or Nomi. I never felt like I was really rooting for them or their causes. One of the things I love about reading is truly melding with characters: feeling their emotions, desiring their wants, aching for their needs, truly living vicariously through them. I never had that with Nomi or Serina; I was much more a fly on the wall. And Banghart's *telling* instead of *showing* didn't help in that regard, either.

[SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH]
Some of the plot points were too convenient and/or unrealistic. There is no way that Nomi is the only woman who could read and who figured out the "secret" history of the women rulers. There is no way that there wasn't a faction --other than the second-born son of the Superior-- that Nomi could team up with. There's no way that Nomi didn't find another dissenter among the older Graces. It's way too convenient that two of the three Graces chosen that year didn't want to be chosen by the Heir to join his bed on his birthday. There's no way that soft and pampered Serina so quickly takes to the fight-or-die situation and that she picks up on fighting so quickly. (That said, we don't get any hints pertaining to the passage of time within the story outside of the Heir's birthday is in 14 days.)

[SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH]
Plus, some aspects, it was obvious (to a more mature reader at least) that Banghart was setting up for a betrayal. Asa. I believed for about the second quarter of the book that he was as kind and magnanimous as he pretended to be. But then, everything just seemed to easy. But with Banghart's obvious love of cliffhangers, it was undeniable that she would throw more "twists" at the end, too, and Asa's involvement with Nomi's rebellion was the obvious choice.

My reactions while reading Grace and Fury were a rollercoaster: I enjoyed it wholeheartedly, and then I was frustrated by its back-and-forth narration, then I was enamored again, and then I was ready for it to hurry up and end. In all, Grace and Fury is a great idea, but in execution, it was rough. It read like a debut author's third draft, not a polished novel.

Grace and Fury is a good fantasy. I enjoyed reading about the characters and finished the book quickly. The plot twist, however, was easily guessed from the beginning.

***3.5 STARS***

Content Warning: Physical abuse, violence, threatened talk of rape, and death

*HUGE thanks to Little Brown Books For Young Readers for the early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

PLOT

Grace & Fury opens up in an Italian inspired Fantasy setting that has been compared to that of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Women are limited to the role of housewives and the simplest of educations is deemed illegal to them. We meet Serina and her sister Nomi who are complete polar opposites. Serina is in training to compete for a position as a "Grace" for the Heir to the throne. Nomi in turn is being trained to be her handmaiden of sorts if Serina secures a position as a Grace. To be chosen as a Grace is viewed as a honorable thing & blessing bestowed upon a family. In truth, a Grace is groomed in all sorts of manners & etiquette but is also to assume the role of concubine to the Heir. To Serina, being chosen is all that matters & it's what she's worked so hard for. For outspoken & Feminist Nomi, this all sounds more like a life sentence. Free spirited and hungry for knowledge of the written word, Nomi wants Serina to see that this life isn't a choice at all. While Serina aims to please the Heir someday, Nomi can be found sneaking in lessons with her brother on how to read. They both seem to have their life purpose laid out in stone until their world is turned upside down and they are forced to step into each others shoes...LITERALLY! One random run in with the heir leads to Nomi securing a most undesirable spot as a Grace leaving Serina to be her handmaiden. This twisted turn of affairs is one of many that will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can drink in the words.

CHARACTERS

Grace & Fury is told from the alternating points of view between Serina and Nomi which worked really well to show us just how different these two siblings really are. I started off really favoring Nomi and her refusal to be boxed into a role she never asked for. I found myself really wanting to see more from this character & her contribution to the overall story. About half way into Grace & Fury, I found myself really frustrated with Nomi's situation but understood that it wasn't ideal for either of the two sisters. Made to swap roles, neither Serina or Nomi were prepared for the cards they were dealt. I did however have higher expectations from Nomi who knows how to read & is from the very start is very rebellious. Instead, I feel like we didn't get much character growth from Nomi vs. the immense transformation we see in Serina during the last half of this book. Given, Nomi was in a very subdued position given the very nature of having to fulfill the role of a Grace but it doesn't explain some of her decisions specifically when it came to insta-love. Serina on the other hand really won me over during the second half of the book as she came to terms with the hard consequences of her sister's secret. I also really enjoyed Serina's POV chapters because of the supporting characters we are introduced to on the island she is cast away. Not only is Serina stripped of her chances to become a Grace but she takes the fall for her sisters secret & is discarded on an island where the women fight to the death for their meals. The women on the island all have a story and getting to know them had to be my favorite part of this story.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS

This was such a fast paced easy read that caught me by surprise each & every time I sat down. I easily read chunks at a time every sitting but won't deny that the second half of this story is where all the action and character growth really hooked its claws into me. I also found myself enjoying Serina's chapters way more than Nomi's which is a shame since Nomi and what she represents really appealed to my Feminist soul. There is so much good to this story though, including the history embedded into the ways of the land and why women are not allowed to learn how to read. Fear of what is perceived to be the weaker sex gaining knowledge & one day reclaiming power is at the root of the story. I found Grace & Fury to be a solid start to a Feminist Fantasy that I am very interested in continuing on with. If that ending is any indication of things to come...I am one very excited Bookworm! <3

***REVIEW GOES LIVE ON 7/16/18 7AM EST, LINKS WILL THEN BE ADDED FOR BLOG POST & GOODREADS***

4 Stars

Serina wants to be a Grace, ideal woman and lover to the Heir. Her sister, Nomi, wants to read and be able to make her own choices in life, but she'll settle for staying beside her sister as handmaiden. Until Nomi is suddenly chosen as a Grace, and someone sees Serina with a book and assumes she's reading. Thus Nomi is forced into Gracehood while Serina is sent to the prison of Mount Ruin. Out of their respective elements, the girls struggle to survive: Nomi must survive the complex political world were her defiance and ability to read may cost her dearly, and soft Serina must learn how to fight or die.

--

Going into Grace and Fury, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And I found I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve never read a YA with Italian base worldbuilding and I found it was a lot of fun to read about. The world Banghart built was fun to explore because it was different than many other things I’ve read.
And of course Mount Ruin was horrible and great. The writing painted such a clear picture of this desolate, eerie island.

I adored Serina and Nomi. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about Serina but she quickly won me over. The complex feelings the girls have for one another, and their sisterly love was nice. In a world where all women are supposed to be competing, it’s good to see good sisterhood between some of the girls. Even Maris displays that sense of female friendship with Nomi. And Nomi & Maris’ relationship contrasts nicely with Nomi & Cassia’s. (I’m a big fan of foil characters/pairs so I’m very glad Banghart showed both sides of this particular coin).

The book flowed nicely back and forth between POVs and I found myself quickly turning the pages to read more. I definitely stayed up way too late reading it the first night.

--

Why did I deduct 1 Star?

The only thing I didn’t like was the way the princes were handled.

I felt like we got so little of the Heir, thus I wasn’t able to decide if I liked him or not. It seemed like we got one line of dialogue from him per scene he was in. Based on the last quarter of the book, I assume I’m supposed to be routing for him, but I felt like I didn’t know enough about him to be in his boat.

In the first part of the book, we were being led along to hate the Heir because he’s just like every other man in this society, but then we’re supposed to very quickly change our opinion in the last few chapters, because suddenly, we get to see some of his character depth. I think I would have liked to have seen more balanced character development for him.

And then there’s Asa. I have many thoughts about Asa but they fall into spoiler territory. Suffice to say, he fits into a trope I’ve seen quite a bit of, and because of that I wasn’t too fond of him.

Overall it was an enjoyable book, and I will likely grab the next one when it comes around! I definitely want to find out what happens next and I want to see how this world evolves.

This book was actually a 3.5 for me. I loved the premise and thought it had a ton of potential. It was kind of slow since the author had to paint the world for us and let us see Nomi and Serina in their respective prisons. I was halfway through and realized nothing had really happened in the book. Also halfway through the book, I realized that I had not really connected with the characters. I thought Nomi was too naive and impulsive and Serina was too submissive and scared. I do realize years of being raised and taught a certain way will mean it'd take a long time for the person to break out of those habits and acting the way they did but I wanted them to get it sooner. I did love how this was a world that did not have magic but it would count as fantasy because of how it was not set in a certain place. The system that Banghart created was amazing and I also liked the added history as to why women were so oppressed. This was a much needed book for the time and things we're dealing with right now.

I never connected with Nomi but I did end up liking Serina a lot. I liked how she never let Mount Ruin break her. She was willing to fight to her death for her fellow women and would not bend to the rules of men. She'd done that all her life and being sent to Mount Ruin was just what she needed to see that things could not stay the way they were. She was worth more and could do so much more like her sister had been telling her. She grew so much throughout the book and her thinking and motives and wants expanded as well. Nomi did not grow as much as I would have liked. I loved her rebellious spirit and the fact that she realized early on that the way things were in Viridia was not right. Women should not have to bow to the will of man and the highest honor should not be being a Grace. Her defiance was admirable but it was what got her and her sister in trouble. After Serina is taken, I feel as if Nomi became one track minded and it is totally understandable that she did but it clouded her judgment. It made her see what she wanted to see and she made bad decisions. In the next book, I want to see her character grow and see where she goes from here.

Just because I gave this book a 3.5 does not mean I did not enjoy it. I thought it was so well written and the characters have so much potential. I liked Val, Malaki, and some of the women at Mount Ruin. I cannot wait to see what Banghart does in the next book and how everything is resolved!

I see what you're doing Tracy Banghart and I'm undecided on it currently. haha

First and foremost, I was provided an advance reader copy of Grace and Fury from Little, Brown Books in exchange for an honest review.

Grace and Fury is a new Young Adult Fantasy by Tracy Banghart and will be released released July 31st, 2018. (SOON!)

This book follows the story of two sisters, Nomi and Serina. Set in a  fantasy based Italy type world, Serina has spent her life dedicated to becoming a 'Grace'. A trophy wife of the world's Heir and an example of female submission. In this world, women have no rights but to be tools of men.

I admit, when starting this book, for some reason I didn't expect so much oppression but it's a clear theme from page one. You are shown a world in which women cannot do much but be servants or paraded around for their beauty. The other option seems to be factory worker. (Super glamorous)

For the first 10% of the book I was really excited and invested and then I did realize something. This is a SERIES and book one is just set up. hahahaha. By about 40% it becomes clear that a good closure for the book will not be had, and right now, there is not series title or release date for book two. For those of you that don't like starting a series with no defined end date, you may want to hold on this one for a bit.


“For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet... And who stood up anyway.”
― Tracy Banghart, Grace and Fury
Let's go for things I liked about the book first. The world is presented wonderfully and the writing kicks off well. You're engrossed immediately, with no down time or pacing issues. The story is solid and fits right into the current trend of royalty, fantasy YA. It is a bit more realistic though, which is nice. Nothing magic or dragons related, but more historical, and that's a wonderful change.

Nomi started as my favorite character but that quickly changes to Serina based on how Tracy Banghart develops their stories in this book. I actually spent a good portion of reading trying to determine who was the 'grace' and who was the 'fury' of the sisters, only to then assume, it's both. Tracy's written a good introduction and firm foundation for a series in this book.

Now for things that I wasn't a huge fan of so far. This book has a trope in it that infuriates me. hahaha. A pet peeve that's becoming very common in YA and so for a good chunk of the book I was reading and glaring at how gullible they've made a certain character when it's glaringly obvious what's going on. I don't mind intrigue, but usually when it's a little more subtle.

Also, I wanted more in this book. I wanted more information on the side characters. We pretty much get development just for the sisters. The secondary development is then dispersed between one to two side characters but that's it. This may just be me being greedy though. LOL

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it as a fun, fast read. I have high expectations for book two at this point, as Banghart will need to tie things together and bring the audience through the next trials. The story line is a tad predictable, but it doesn't take from the enjoyment.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Writing: 4 Stars
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Young Adult or Historical Fantasy. It's a breath of fresh air, genre wise, for the young adult arena. It's also a perfect summer read.

Happy Reading~
Ash

Two sisters: one embracing her fate to serve and the other fighting the whole way. Their futures however do not play out as they expected. In a world where women are meant to be seen and not heard, these two sisters are ripped apart and will do anything to try to get back to each other.
I liked both of the sisters, but I found Serina to be the character that really grew and I therefore felt a better connection to her. I felt like Nomi's character was mainly there to advance the plot. With that said, I loved the story. I read this book in about two days, and only put it down because I had to do things. It was well paced and exciting. The story bounces back and forth between sisters, and the chapters always end on a cliff hanger, so you have to keep reading to find out what will happen. I would definitely recommend it! I can't wait for the next one!

It was an easy read and enjoyed the story. However, I felt I have read this story one two many times and I had guessed how this book would end. I felt that characters were a bit shallow in that the reader doesn’t really know them. I really did not enjoy Nomi character at all and felt she had IQ of a tennis ball. I really hope that in the next book she has some major character development. I felt that the author was trying to do a “bait in switch.” Serina whose is described as a girly girl who so focused on make up is the actual strong one/smart while Nomi is the strong independent type is the weakest and can not see beyond herself and relies on others to do thinking. If this bait in switch intentional or not it did bring a little depth to the book. Overall need some more background/depth to characters in future books. Despite my ranting of the book. I would still recommend the book and the next book will determine if it’s going to be a great series.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Grace and Fury" by Tracy Banghart.
This book hooked me right from the beginning to the end. It was really fast moving--maybe a little too fast in the beginning. I think I might have liked a little more time with the sisters together before their dramatic role switching happens. Other than that, I have few complaints. I really enjoyed both sisters and their romances and the twists (even if I did kind of predict them, sometimes you want to be able to call these things). I enjoyed the female empowerment theme and the hard core female prison gangs and everything in between. Seriously, this book has everything you would want in young adult fantasy. I highly recommend it!

YESSS! A badass feminist dystopia! I was HERE for this story!! It was about willpower, and sisterhood, and survival. I loved the political power dynamics and the relationship between our sisters! A total must-read to any fantasy / dystopia fan, who likes a little mystery and strong bond between family!

ARC provided by Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review / Finished copy provided by FairyLoot

I really didn’t know anything about Grace & Fury but kept seeing it on NetGalley. Little, Brown was offering an instant download so I decided to give it a shot. Well, as good timing would have it, my rep package from FairyLoot arrived and it included an exclusive UK hardback edition of Grace & Fury! My friends were also planning a buddy read that very same day, so it was really meant to be!

Like I said, I knew nothing about this book and I ignored the synopsis. And I am so glad I did! Grace & Fury is told in alternating dual POVs: Sisters Nomi and Serina. This book started out feeling a bit stereotypical YA dystopia, and I was getting huge The Selection vibes. I was almost turned off until I got to the very first twist (very early in the book), and oh man, after that, I was ALL IN.

This is a world where women don’t have any rights at all. Its themes are very similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, and dare I say, major Hunger Games vibes, too. This is a story about the total oppression women receive by men, and how the only way “up” in the world is to marry the rich or royal. While I love the awareness this brings for equality, I do hope that as these types of stories become more main stream, they do not become overly glorified.

But, yet, this story is so much about willpower, sisterhood, camaraderie, and survival. I was loving the alternating POV’s and how each sister had to face such different, yet still horrible, situations. There were so many intense scenes that fueled my rage and made my jaw drop. However, the biggest negative, in my opinion, was the “climactic” reveal in the last 1/4 of the book. I could see it coming from a mile away so that took away a bit of the enjoyment for me. I was really hoping we’d get another twist, but instead the story leave us on a cliffhanger! I feel like this book could’ve benefit from being a 500-page standalone instead of a series. But nonetheless, I’m still eager to read the sequel!

I hope I wasn’t being too vague in my review. I feel like the synopsis already gives so much away that I don’t want to spoil anything else for you! So, I suggest not reading the synopsis at all and going in blind! I think you’ll enjoy it so much more that way. Overall I had a great time reading Grace & Fury and definitely recommend it!

My Review: When I first started reading this book it was giving me vibes like a combination of The Selection Series and Hunger Games all rolled into one with a good dose of Frozen too. I love that while there are romance undertones in this story, it doesn't over take the love Serina & Nomi have for each other. I also like how each sister is forced to understand each other's views and lives, I think it really allows for a lot of character development. While I did see the twist coming for Nomi, I wasn't sure where it would lead, so it definitely kept the pages turning. I will say though that I wasn't aware that this was going to be part of a series and the cliffhanger ending left me out of sorts (but I guess that is a good thing and what Banghart was striving for).

My Rating: If you like seeing the ladies making a stand against oppression, definitely pick this one up. I completely consumed this book in only a couple of sittings, it was so hard to put down. It is a fast read with an interesting world and some really great character development. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

Serina and Nomi are sisters living in a world where women have no rights. Serina is being groomed to be a Grace, basically a concubine to the king. In this case, the heir to the throne is selecting his first Grace. Nomi is serving as Serina's handmaid. With a twist of fate, Nomi catches the heir's eye. A dangerous secret is revealed, and Serina takes the fall.

Serina is charming and beautiful. Nomi is bold and headstrong. They couldn't be more different. They desire completely different things in life. Due to unforeseen circumstances, both end up in very different positions than they ever imagined.

The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Serina and Nomi. They face challenges that take them completely out of their elements. However, they are both strong females in a world where women are oppressed.

This looks to be an exciting new YA fantasy series. Twists and turns make for a fast-paced and fun read. Interesting characters in a challenging world.

[Review will be published on Reader Voracious Blog on 7/17/18.]

"For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet...and has stood up anyway."

Yes this quote is from the dedication, but it really sums up what this book is all about in 18 words. This was one of my top anticipated releases for July because we all know that I love strong female characters and political intrigue, but unfortunately this book missed the mark for me.

Grace and Fury is told in the alternating perspectives of two sisters: Serina and Nomi from Lanos.
--> Serina is 19, classically beautiful, trained in dancing, music lessons, etiquette; think aristocracy leading up to a girl's debut to society kind of training. She has been told all her life that the way to help her family is to become a Grace for the Heir.
--> Nomi is 17 and has been trained to essentially her her family's maid. Because she doesn't share her sister's good looks, she was raised to become her sister's Handmaiden. She has a fiery temper, a love of reading that is forbidden in Viridia, and all she wants is freedom from the oppression women are subjected to in this world.

We are introduced to them during the announcement of the town's candidate for Grace consideration, and they embark on a journey on a journey that one sees as a choice and the other sees as a sentence.

"Nothing should be beyond our reach. That's my whole point."

I wish that the book had opened up with more of home life for Serina and her family in Lanos, what it means to be a Grace, and the selection process to send candidates because I had trouble connecting with Serina and the story. I think this would have provided more background on the world and would likely have built the characters up a bit, because I feel like other than the feminism dialog between Serina and Nomi there isn't much else there about them.

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

This is a fast paced read, but I had a lot of questions about the world! It isn't a secret that I love reading fantasy because I enjoy being brought into new and fantastical worlds; worldbuilding is a crucial component for my enjoyment, and I wanted a lot more about Viridia. It was halfway through the book before we learned more about the history of Viridia, but I think that revelation would have been more impactful had we known more about the world previously. Things started to pick up for me around this point and the whole 'who do I trust' aspect was interesting, if not easily guessed for me.

The messages of this book - feminism, oppression, choice - are important ones, but I found the execution lacking. Instead of being told about oppression through thoughts and dialog, I wanted to be shown examples through storytelling and the biases of the characters. To the author's credit, I think that Banghart tried to do this with Serina's character arc; however, the narration style of telling rather than showing missed the mark for me.

I really wanted to love this book of strong women fighting for themselves and a better tomorrow, but for me it fell short. This felt like a book about feminism and oppression... and everything hinges on that. Unfortunately this results in heavy handed feminist narrative with one dimensional characters in a story that is likely meant to be character driven and worldbuilding that left me wanting much more than provided. As this is intended to be a duology, it is possible that things could be expanded on in the next installment, and HOW DO YOU END A BOOK LIKE THIS. I think in the right hands this book will be coveted, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Little Young Books, for giving me an advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Serina and Nomi were like any other daughters in the cold, industrial town of Lanos. But Serina had her beauty. And Nomi had her secret.”

I didn’t know much about this book going in. I didn’t even read the synopsis. I only requested from NetGalley because a few of my best friends wanted to buddy read it with me. But I went into this story expecting nothing. And as I began reading, I was enjoying, but I wasn’t expecting anything great, but the end of chapter three was such an unexpected twist. I never would have seen it coming. And it was when I knew I was going to enjoy this book.

Grace and Fury is a story about two sisters who feel like they are on the path toward the only future they can somewhat control. Yet that path gets so twisted and manipulated, so very quickly, right before their very eyes.

➽ Serina has been taught her entire life how to be the most beautiful girl in the room. From music lessons, to dancing, to being the perfect, and quiet, girl. Her family has instilled in her that the only way she can have a good life is to use her looks to ensure a spot being a Grace for the royal heir.
➽ Nomi has been taught how to be her sister’s handmaiden to help her win and keep that spot. But she has never wanted to live her life serving her sister as a royal, all she’s ever wanted is to be treated equally.

“It isn’t a choice when you don’t have the freedom to say no. A yes doesn’t mean the same thing when it’s the only answer you’re allowed!”

In this world, it is almost like a modern The Handmaid's Tale, but both serve to prove that oppression wasn’t as long ago in history as people like to believe. In this world, women aren’t allowed any choices, and are forbidden to even learn to read and write. When Serina becomes a Grace, she will literally be sharing one man with many girls, and her time will be spent however he deems fit. Girls in this world who aren’t as fortunate to even begin to compete to become a Grace, are sold away to become wives of other men, with their sole purpose being to birth children. Or they can become servants and/or factory workers.

“Women were forbidden to read. Women were forbidden to choose their husbands, their jobs, their futures. Forbidden to dive for pearls or sell goods at market to help their families. Forbidden to cut their hair unless a man told them to. Forbidden to think for themselves. Forbidden to choose.”

And any woman or girl who speaks out, or does anything that is deemed only acceptable to men, will find themselves on a volcanic island prison that has been abandoned by the outside (besides to bring food and more women there) since the last eruption. And on Mount Ruin, the prison guards rule. They force the women into different clans and make them fight to the death for the food that should be equally distributed.

Trigger and content warnings for captivity, a lot of physical abuse, graphic violence, murder, death, hinting of past rape/sexual assaults, brief implied attempted rape, animal abuse and talk of past animal abuse.

This story is told from alternating points of view between the two sisters that end up going down very different paths than they ever expected. We get to see both girls explore their grace and their fury, and they soon realize that both can coexist simultaneously. When I first started reading this, Nomi was easily my favorite sister. But the more and more I read, Serina is, without a doubt, my favorite.

And I truly did enjoy it, and I loved that first twist so very much, but I feel like the second “reveal” was so painfully obvious that it started to really hinder my reading experience. I still believe that Tracy Banghart created a beautiful set up for what is probably going to be a magnificent series. Yet, I feel like if the second “twist” could have been more secretly woven (like the first), I would have ended up five starring this story.

My favorite aspect of this story was definitely the sisterhood. Together or apart, Nomi and Serina always think about the other one, and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the other’s wellbeing. Even when things do not go as planned, and even when they are honest about their hurt and their anger, the unconditional love they have for one another always shines through.

Overall, I really did enjoy this. The first half was easily five star worthy. I might not have loved one of the sister’s point of view for the other half, but I still think this was a wonderful twist on the “princess locked away in the castle” kind of trope. And I can’t wait to see where the author takes this beautiful, feminist, story next.

Wow! I really enjoyed the world this author created and the smart women doing badass things in it. (Longer review to come!)

I did not like this one. It tries waaaay to hard to be more than it is. I’m taking a stab here and assuming it’s supposed to hit some feminist lit category? …It missed the mark in my opinion, but I might not be the best at assessing this as I have never identified as feminist. (Don’t shoot me, I only mean that I’ve never made achieving total equality apart of my personal agenda….that’s really a discussion for another time sooo SAVE IT lest this BOOK REVIEW be hijacked by social issues!) To me it seems more like rough draft Banghart needs to add to and clean up. She’s got an interesting premise going – I mean that’s why I requested it on NetGalley – but that’s all she’s got going here. There’s nothing solid but an outline of a story.

Let’s start with world building. Small spoiler; it was shallow and it sucked. Some how the world our characters live in finds itself with an established way of life where the rulers select common women as “graces”. Which to me basically translated to consort, concubine, or sex slave. You take your pick on what term you want to apply here but it’s all basically the same – a woman of lesser status in the service of a ruler that’s more property than person. As I’m reading about this “tradition” (Banghart’s term not mine) I find myself wondering how the heck this world came to be like this. How the heck does a ruler decide he needs 40+ partners to schmooze and bed??? I mean is there a fertility scare? Is he eventually going to pick one and dismiss the others? (That answer is no by the way…apparently he just keeps them and chooses who and when based on a whim???…. before you even say it; that’s not really a spoiler as the synopsis basically said as much.) I get that these women don’t have a choice if they are selected and that they live in society that severely limits what they are able to do, but whhyyyyy does this world work this way? There’s nothing to explain it and I found that annoying.

The story is structured with alternating points of view for Nomi and Serina. This I liked, but there were so many other issues that that barely improved my opinion. The plot left a LOOOOT to be desired. It’s probably one of the worst plots I’ve read this year. There are some good moments (for example, Serina ending up in prison for something Nomi was responsible for) but much of the book felt forced and unlikely. Ultimately resulting in an improbable plot with characters that equally disappointed me. Also, I saw the twist coming from miles away...and it was sooo cliche.

Ahh characters. Can you say “one-dimensional”? I was expecting a fierce, defiant, relatable character in Nomi and was given a character that was actually compliant with only flickers of “fury” and backbone. Frankly, if I lived in this world I’d either be dead or imprisoned; there ain’t no way I’d allow myself to be a “grace” let alone forego my I-do-what-I-want mentality. But Nomi, “rebellious” Nomi, actually seems cowed by the simple threat of death or imprisonment. Serina…I don’t even know how to articulate what disappointed me about her. She just wasn’t a well developed character. She started out as a compliant and malleable character and never improved from there despite repeatedly telling herself she needed to be more like Nomi. Serina’s chapters annoyed me because they never seemed to go anywhere. At least with Nomi’s there were a few fleeting moments of fight and defiance to be found in her.

I think the most painful part of this whole book was the writing. Truly cringe worthy lines and poorly introduced ideas at weird intervals. And although I’m not wholly sure of how to even address this, I was not a fan of the “Your Eminence” title that was used to address “The Superior” and his “Heir”. I realize that Banghart screwed herself by using the term “grace” for the concubines, but Your Eminence? That’s what you’re going to have other characters call the ruler(s)? Nooo. I'm out on that.

Bottom line? I didn’t hate everything about this book, but I’m not recommending Grace and Fury to anyone and I will not be picking up the next book in the series.