Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review. Thanks so much.

For those history fans who know of the Reign of Terror, strap yourselves in because only sadness awaits. If you're not acquainted, you're about to be as this story recounts Marie Antoinette's remaining years during a horrific time. The entire story is told from Marie Antoinette's POV. We see her struggle, her sadness, but also her strength as even as violence and mockery surround her, she does not give in. We know the end of the story that awaits her but seeing her fight inwardly through it all and forgive those who have wronged her is special. When I was reading this, it reminded me of the style of Dante's Inferno. If you are a history buff or want to see a story from Marie Antoinette's viewpoint, I recommend it.

Panico! by Azzurra Nox from Rainbow Books is a uniquely creative book set in verse that tells that tale of Marie Antoinette's fate. Each poem is very organized and follows a similar structure to Dante's Inferno. Nox also includes a list of related works to complement her poetry. I liked that the poems delve into the end of Antoinette's life. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

Publishing date: 06.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rainbow Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Odd read for me. I do really enjoy poetry, but this felt less like poetry and more like a flowery short story. Just the way it was written.

This follows the downfall of Marie Antoinette and her family from capture to, well spoilers if you didn't know, their deaths. We get to see how Marie was treated, held captive, and how rapidly she declines. It isn't graphic per se, but I could vividly imagine her cell, the smell, her disdain and grief, and almost everything else. That is what this book does best I believe, putting us into her shoes.

Giving this 3 stars. My feelings for it are a little mixed, but it is okay for what it is.

This was so well done! I'm not usually drawn to poetry, but I do enjoy it in a narrative form. This book follows the downfall of the French Monarchy during the French Revolution from Marie Antoinettes perspective. It provides insight into how she may have been feeling during this time leading up to her inevitable death. It may be the first time I've ever read from her perspective and have a less screwed view of what she was like. It's such a beautifully told tragedy.

Nox offers a unique perspective on Marie Antoinette's final days during the Reign of Terror in Panico! She weaves a compelling narrative that's historically grounded and emotionally resonant. If you're interested in historical fiction, poetry, or the life of Marie Antoinette, "Panico!" might be worth exploring.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.

The way the author puts herself into Antionette’s shoes to write such a novel filled with regret and pain as the queen contemplates her whole royal life captures everything needed to break your heart. Perfect for history lovers!

In 1789, Marie Antoinette was ousted from Versailles and for the following four years she lived in fear. She was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793. The Reign of Terror would claim the life of this Hapsburg princess whose compassion for the plight of the populace was too little, too late.

Written in verse, this novella length read, of historical fiction with romantic overlay, highlights Marie Antoinette’s deep feelings for Hans Axel, Count von Fersen, the son of a Swedish politician. His attempts to help her escape the clutches of the revolutionists were thwarted. The novel’s cantos need to be read in order to maintain the flow of Marie’s physical and soul searching journey.

Here is a sampling of her imagined thoughts:

”It’s loud like thunder…terrifying…they’re coming for me. Pitchforks and knives in hand…I am the reason for their discontent…why they are hungry. But I cannot understand their needs…thousands of women…despair finally has a mask and every woman wears it.”

“There is hysteria in the palace…It’s my head they want on a pike…They shout my name. I am a Hapsburg…I must be brave…They’re taking us to Paris…A rising star must also fall…And my crash is all consuming…”.

“I was never their Queen…They only ever saw me as the Austrian. I gambled my life away for luxury and fun…A loveless marriage…Hope has abandoned me. I can’t tether my delusions any longer…I am scared…terrified…Because Marie Antoinette is gone. No one cares for Madame Capet. At night is when my thoughts scream.”

“...my Fersen keeps the horses blazing through these forgotten roads…I am dressed in pauper clothing, nothing about us must scream royalty…Six thousand Guardsmen and armed townspeople took us back to Paris… A prisoner yet again.”

“I press my quill to the paper…my only means of solace. Maybe I simply cannot change my destiny. Some people can atone for their mistakes. Find redemption…It’s impossible to right my wrongs…”.

“I cannot unsee the horror…Laughter for the madmen…can only mean one thing. Bloodshed…How could we know that people were freezing in the streets of Paris…Such a hapless mistake for our myopic flippant attitudes…My life has been reduced to the tiny pebbles of an hourglass. I turn to religion for answers…I’m not precious cargo…(I am) an inconvenience…A cockroach that must be crushed.”

Prior knowledge of the Reign of Terror might be helpful for younger readers who lack familiarity with the time period. Recommended!

Thank you Black Rainbow Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a harrowing story told in verse, one that I found quite emotional at times. I love books told in verse and this was no exception, but I will say at times the grammar felt a bit off.

That said, it was still very impactful and something I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a very emotional retelling of what happened to the French queen Marie Antoinette. It is a brief story but one that puts the reader right in the action of the rebellion, told from Marie's POV, and draws upon this to create a devastating read.

It's a harrowing story, one that we know already, told in prose and I would recommend it.

My thanks go out to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ebook copy.

ೃ⁀➷ ". . . France will learn to laugh again, My blood and bones—Their joy."
「 ✦ 3.5 stars ✦ 」

wow, this was such a wholehearted read. I don't normally enjoy poetry (unless its from kai azer 😏), but I really like when it's carefully woven into a narrative. ᥫ᭡.
The story traces the collapse of the French Monarchy during the Revolution, told through Marie Antoinette’s eyes. It offers a rare glimpse into a controversial queen's emotions and thoughts during those tumultuous times leading up to her fate ( For those who don't know she was executed due to many accused crimes. The execution was a public spectacle, with the queen dressed in a plain white gown and her hands bound, facing jeers and insults from the crowd). Azzurra makes Marie Antoinette feel real and complex, she adds layers and depth to the character of Marie which is what i mostly LOVE about this read ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚