Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.


Sadly this book failed to grab my attention and it'll be a DNF. The pacing was slow for me and I couldn't fully pull myself into the story to continue.

Wench by Maxine Kaplan is a fun younger YA feminist fantasy that follows a character type that we rarely ever get to see lead their own story in the genre. Tanya is a tavern wench. She may not be the chosen one, a princess, an assassin, or a thief, but she is very good at what she does and finds herself on an unexpected adventure to see the queen anyway when her guardian, the tavern's proprietor, dies without a will and without naming a successor (which deserves to be Tanya herself) to get the deed the business put in her name. While the book is uneven in terms of pacing, Tanya herself really makes the story work. Like I said, she's very good at what she does, is a hard worker, and has a sharp sense of humor all of which I greatly appreciated. In the long run, though, the novel doesn't work out as well as I would have hoped and as much as it should have. The pacing is all over the place and the story itself is inconsistent in places. Plus, the world-building is a little too thin for my tastes as well. Overall, I don't feel like I have a broad enough of a view of characters and the world they inhabit to really become invested in them. Maxine Kaplan's Wench never quite hits the mark that it's aiming for but it still manages to be a fun ride.

This is the first book I've read by Maxine Kaplan and won't be my last. Loved this story so much. Strong women, fantasy, magic, and so much more. Tanya is the strong heroine protagonist in this story and she is determined to get what is hers. Along the way we meet many characters that will both help and try to hurt her. The story moved along and I was swept into the fantasy. Truly enjoyed this book.

I was excited about the premise of this book, being an avid fantasy reader and always curious about the backstory of those tavern wenches, who are always relegated to the background. The story started off strong, but the pacing felt really slow and the plot seemed bogged down by this. In such a crowded YA fantasy market, this one just didn't stand out, as much as I wanted to love it. I do appreciate the chance to read and review it early though, and I'm sure there will be readers with more patience than me!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much promise. A feminist tavern wench on a quest to save her beloved inn sounded like just the adventure I needed while stuck in quarantine.

This was originally a DNF for me, but I actually went back and finished just to see how it all turned out.

If not for the main character, Tanya, I probably would not have made it as far as I did. She’s funny, smart, quick-witted and confident in her skills. I love seeing a take-charge lady be the main character. I relate to Tanya in many ways, and that’s what made her such an enjoyable character for me. She gets the damn job done and it was a joy to follow her journey.

Someone in another review commented that Tanya seems like the main player in a game and that all the side-characters are NPC’s who only exist to further the plot. That’s exactly what it felt like. By chapter eight, Tanya had met so many different people and faced so many hiccups that I couldn’t believe I was less than ten chapters in. I think this story could have perhaps been two books instead of one, that way things could be more fleshed out and take their time.

Edited to add: Upon finishing, this was an enjoyable story, it just felt LONG. So much happened and we went to many places, but the second half of the book was much more enjoyable for me. Things fell into a better rhythm in the second half. It still felt a little all over the place, but once you get through it, it's a cute story.

First I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for providing me with an eARC! I was really excited to read this one, but unfortunately I had to DNF. After trying multiple times to read past 25 percent, I decided to call it quits. The writing style didn’t mesh with me and because of that, I couldn’t get invested in the story or characters. I am incredibly sad that this book didn’t work out for me.

There have been so many times that I’ve wanted to read a fantasy book, but just didn’t have the time or patience to devote to an entire series, and finding a stand alone fantasy book can be difficult. I was so excited when I saw this one listed on Netgalley as a stand alone fantasy book!

I feel like this is a good way to dip your toes into fantasy, without committing to a full force series. Tanya is a self-reliant, intelligent, and funny tavern wench. I loved having her as our main character because it was just so easy to like her! She took no bull from anyone, and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when need be. I could have done without so much explanation of the magic. It was a little convoluted, and while I mostly followed along, I did find myself glossing over most of that.

What I liked the best though, was the ending! Usually with stand alones, the ending tends to get tied up in a pretty little bow just in time. While the ending did tie up some loose ends, I liked that it also wasn’t a traditional happy ending, and kept some things open.

3.5 stars. This was a thoroughly decent book - engaging, interesting magicking, good group of characters, LGBTQIA characters, strong women all over the place. It hits on an "epic fantasy" adventure pretty squarely, as we begin one place, then trek so so SO much to get to another place, we meet danger and new required tasks along the way, and we meet many new characters, mostly nefarious and not at all well meaning.

The pacing is a bit unbalanced, in my opinion. I read the first half somewhat slowly, as things don't quite force us to move. I found myself annoyed by Tanya's constant missteps and inability to just figure her way out of all these nutty scenarios. How can one person be kidnapped so many times but have nothing really bad happen? Why can't Tanya be more clever and confident in her people-dealing so that she doesn't come off so helpless? This is where ratings were lost for me.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised when after the 50% mark the plot really picked up and turned SUPER interesting. Once we get to the castle and the Queen, we suddenly experience a world-learning explosion, and the Queen herself is pretty fascinating and holds the strength and sharpness that I ultimately felt Tanya should have. Bloodstone was also quite an interesting place, and that element of the plot was fascinating as well.

So, points off for a slow start, and I'm afraid many won't get beyond the slow start to get to where things really get interesting.

Way too slow paced. I think I could give it to a Harry Potter kid though and they'd like it. I couldn't get into it, though

A Supper cute heroine, she makes cleaning and cooking a supper power since men are useless and lazy. Loved this unique heroine and her crazy strength.

Wench was a promising title that ultimately fell short for me. I loved the idea of following a tavern wench as she tried to get back her tavern was really interesting. I was also pleasantly surprised by the role magic played in the story. However, the book ultimately failed to please me. Tanya was the only character who had a real arc. Other characters felt unimportant and under-developed. They had very little backstory and served no purpose beyond helping Tanya. They didn’t feel like real people. Relationships also suffered. Most of the relationships Tanya has by the end of the book seem unreal because they were never actively built up through the novel. Her romantic relationships are never given the time to form. She just suddenly has feelings for the characters. They just don’t seem like reality. By the end of the book, I had trouble believing that Tanya had built any real relationships through the novel because they felt poorly executed.
The plot was also wildly unpredictable. I liked what I read from the synopsis, but the more I read, the more I wondered “how did I get here?” It felt like the book took sudden and unexpected turns. This isn’t bad in theory because being too predictable can bore readers, but it isn’t done right in Wench. I had trouble believing in everything that was happening. It took turns that didn’t seem logical.
Despite my ideas about the characters and plot, the book was really fun to read. While I was disappointed that it didn’t live up to my expectation, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The book was interesting and easily held my attention. I’d be eager to see other stories told in the same universe as Wench because I think it’s very promising.

Tanya the Tavern Wench has always known where life would take her.

Her guardian has been training her from the moment she was informally adopted to taking over the tavern.

And honestly? She's loved it.

There's nothing more satisfying than a well-ran tavern - the food served hot an' fresh, the ale cool an' delicious, the barfights entertaining but nondamaging...she could go on (and on) (and on).

But when her guardian unexpectedly dies...Tanya finds herself unexpectedly out of a tavern.

She was never formally named the tavern's heir and by queen's law, she has no claim to her home.

Well...that just won't do.

So Tanya hikes up her skirts and starts walking. If the Queen is the only one who can save her tavern then that that's exactly where Tanya will go!

Overall - I felt like this one worked really well.

I loved Tanya as a main character - she felt so relatable and down-to-earth. She was such a cool person to follow around for this story.

Her banter with the other characters was spot on and would completely make every scene.

The plot itself was pretty wild. When I picked this one up, I thought we were just going on an adventure.

But the book deviates into magical thieves, magic, feathery quills, Queenly assistants, dark-and-infectious magic and so much more. It was a bit much at times but never overwhelming.

I can honestly say I had no idea where the plot was going next but I was excited for that.

All in all, this was an amazing book!

// I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. //

The premise for this book was so promising. I love books with unorthodox protagonists and the idea of following a tavern wench on an adventure sounded like a thrilling Dungeons & Dragon-esque story that would absolutely delight me. In some ways it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Tanya was fiery and fierce without every shedding her femininity or “bettering” herself from her career as a wench. Tanya knew who she was and what she wanted through the tale.

The magic system is unique, and while not wholly realized, it’s definitely interesting. The concept of junkoff is really fun and I love the way Tanya “organizes” the world after discovering her own powers. The magic Tanya uses is both wondrous and horrific. There were moments in this book, despite it definitely skewing younger, that turned my stomach a little. Magic has clear consequences in this world.

I adored the flickers of romance and Tanya’s unapologetic bisexuality. Both romantic interests were thrilling…though we didn’t really get much time to expand upon either. Which sort of ties into my main issue with the story. Tanya feels like a player character surrounded by NPCs.

Tanya flits from place to place in the story solving her problems while meeting countless new characters. None of them feel important or fleshed out. Not Jana and Greer. Not Rees. Not the Queen. Not Lord Rollo. In fact, I would argue that other than Tanya the most fleshed-out character is horse, and she’s just a horse. Part of the issue is that, as a reader, I felt really trapped inside Tanya’s head for the whole story. Everything felt told to me and there was very little showing.

Despite Tanya knowing her goals she does feel a lot like a leaf on the wind through most of the story. Moving from prisoner in one place to prisoner in the next and doesn’t really find her true power and place until near the end. This didn’t have to be a negative thing but it leaves Tanya feeling like she has little agency in a story where she’s the only character who got any development at all.

The book spread itself too thin over too many characters and too many events. The plot is fast but messily stitched together. None of the side characters feel compelling or detailed. It would have been much more satisfying if Tanya had a more steady cast of allies instead of characters appearing for fifty pages then disappearing for most of the book and reappearing as though they had never left.

There’s also far too little closure. Very little is tied up at the end of the book. Tanya is in a worse place than she started and it’s heavily implied she’s living on borrowed time until she’s hunted down. The mystery of the Queen is never fully explored nor that of where the demon came from in the first place. So much is left hanging that it feels like there should be a sequel…but there presently isn’t. There was a lot of potential here but in the end Wench fell flat.

Wench is incredibly cute! An incredibly fun story with good world building. Unique and driven characters that are full fleshed out and have wonderful interactions. I really loved the main character of Wench and her drive throughout the story.

Thanks to Net Galley and ABRAMS Kids for this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at about 30%. I really didn't like the writing and the book confused me. I didn't understand the magic system and how it related to the story and didn't even really understand what was happening while I was reading. I felt bored and confused the whole time. This book wasn't for me but the plot still might intrigue other readers.

This story started out strong. The main character Tanya is sarcastic, strong, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. What started as a potentially fun story about a barkeep trying to get her bar back after it is seized by the Queen, turns into a weird quest revolving around a magical quill.

The supporting characters were forgetful, the plot pulled along at a slug's pace, and I just lost interest once she got to the Queen.

This had SUCH potential, but was bogged down by a plot with simply Too Many Things Happening. By the middle of the book, the main character had already escaped various villains three times (!!!), met the queen, figured out the queen was a bit wacky, and there was still more to come? The idea of this serving wench going on a quest is adorable, and the humor was there in the beginning, but everything unraveled the more she traveled across the land. If this were *heavily* edited, I think it would be much more appealing.

I can’t get over how much I loved Tanya, our lovable, badass protagonist. Here is a girl who does not apologize for who she is. Who is smart as a whip and who is NO damsel in distress. She will save herself thank you very much.

If you love comic one liners that will have you cracking up, a main character that you never stop cheering for, and a crazy fun fantasy adventure, then I highly recommend Wench for you!

Thank you Amulet Books and NetGalley for an eARC of Wench by Maxine Kaplan. All opinions are my own, as usual.

Full disclosure: I was getting over a reading slump while finishing this so I was probably more likely to DNF this than if I wasn't in a slump.

DNF at 30%

Wench started off as a feminist fantasy with an interesting magic system. The main reasons I DNFed the book was the pacing and plot. This part of the review might be kind of a spoiler so be aware!

Tanya's tavern she has worked at all her life is closing since the owner died. She wants to get the place back by talking to the queen. The only way she thinks to do this is to go along with the commander's troop and deliver this magical feather she found in hopes of the queen speaking with her. My problem is that this is such a far fetched idea and the pacing didn't help. Tanya goes with the commander and then another group but isn't working very hard to get to the capitol.

Overall, I think people would still like this, it just wasn't for me.

This book has a fascinating premise and I love the idea and story of it. Unfortunately it ended up being a bit of a miss for me. There were some things that I loved though, so I want to break those down in a bit more detail.

First off, I loved the strength of Tanya, the protagonist lead. She is such a strong willed and self sufficient character and I was completely there for her feminist approach to life in this medieval book. She's a wench, sure, but she breaks up fights, mends clothes and handles things on her own terms. She is not afraid to back down from danger and she's the kind of strong female lead that I love to see in a book.

Next I really enjoyed the pace of this book. Sometimes I sit down with a book and it feels like it can take 3/4 of the book to get to any action. This happened to me with another book of a very well known author recently, so I greatly appreciated having such a fast paced book. Right from the first chapter and the death of her "mentor" there is action and intrigue and unknowns and I loved that.

For me, the thing that fell flat was the story in general. Even though I adored the protagonist and the speed of the book the story almost felt forced I didn't feel a good reading flow when I sat down with this book. Most likely this is because it's a book that didn't click for me and that's okay, not every book is for everyone.

I would recommend this book if you like medieval tales that have a twist to them or if you love strong female characters this is a must too. Again, even though this book wasn't for me doesn't mean someone else out there won't absolutely love it.