4 out of 5 stars

So, when does the next book come out?

I was actually quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Grace and Fury takes place in a sort of medieval version of Italy, where women have no right whatsoever. There only choices in life are to work in factories, or find a husband. And for a select few, become a Grace to the Superior, which is nothing but a fancy concubine.

Our two main leads, sisters Serina and Nomi are thrust into this world, when Serina is chosen to become one of the Superior's sons first Graces. Training to be a Grace has been something that Serina has been doing as long as she can remember, because she knows that is she were to become one, it would bring fortune to her family. On the other hand, her younger sister, Nomi, hates the idea of her sister becoming a Grace. She sees the position for what it is, nothing but a pretty possession for those in charge, and she longs for a world where women can choose. Thus, why Nomi learned to read and write as a child, an offense that leads the girls into a heap of trouble.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Nomi is chosen to be the Heir, Malachi's, new Grace, while Serina is sent off to Mount Ruin, a prison island for women who break the law. Thrust into roles they never expected to be in, the two sisters are forced to become stronger, and begin to realize that maybe it is time that women rose up against the men who are determined to keep them shackled.

Over all, the plot of this book, while it started a bit slow because there was a lot of info that needed to be explained, afterwards, everything was smooth sailing from there. And the twist towards the end of the book left me cringing at the unfairness of it all. All I will say is that these two sisters do not have it easy.

From a topical perspective, I liked how the setting of this book, while it did take place in a fantasy world, has enough historical notes in it that it left me feeling empowered after I finished reading it. After all, there was a time in history where women were not allowed to go to school, or marry who they wanted, or just make their own choices, so it really makes you feel for the women in this story who are starting to realize that they do have the right to choose what happens to them.

All in all, this is a great start to what I'm hoping will be an even better sequel. I can not wait to see what happens next, because this book ends on a sort of cliffhanger that just has me pining for more.

Ahhh, how is this book already over? I need to the sequel now. Grace and Fury is a strong and enthralling tale, that despite a few tropes, is well worthy of adoration. Any time I stepped away from this book, the protagonists consumed my thoughts. I could not get this book out of my head.

Grace and Fury follows the perspectives of sisters Nomi and Serina. Serina has trained her whole life to be a Grace, one of many women who are essentially mistresses to the Superior and now his heir. Nomi’s plan was to always stay by her sister’s side as a handmaiden, but when Nomi is chosen as a Grace instead of Serina and shortly after Serina takes the fall for an illegal act that Nomi commits, the sisters find themselves separated. Now, with Nomi caged in the palace and Serina struggling to survive on a prison island, they must find a way to save and reunite with one another.

One of my favorite part of this novel is the strong sister relationship. Despite all the trials and tribulations Nomi and Serina undergo, they never lose sight of trying to return to each other. They continuously pop up in each other’s thoughts and they frequently dedicate their actions to one another. I loved this relationship in the novel. We need more books with strong sister (or any sibling really) bonds!

In addition to that, I loved how Nomi and Serina mirror each other. Nomi is a rebellious, headstrong woman who must learn how to be a pleasing and obedient Grace. Serina is a polished and submissive woman who must break all expectations for women in order to survive the island. This is a great parallel in which each sister is fighting their own type of battle. This aspect really increased my love for the characters.

Another one of my favorite things about this book was simply how addicting it was. As I mentioned above: this book consumed me and I had trouble putting it down. Written in alternating perspective chapters where each sister has their own equally interesting struggles and mini cliffhangers at the end of the chapters, I found myself flying through the pages.

I will say that despite all these wonderful qualities, I was disappointed there was a very cliché plot twist at the end that I saw coming a mile away. It actually reminded me a lot of the ending of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. This was really irritating and there were so many times I wanted to go into the book and shake Nomi by the shoulders to knock some sense into her.

Though it did add to my accelerated interest in the book, another thing that bugged me was the rushed beginning. Readers are instantly thrust into the scene where Serina is selected to represent her city as a potential Grace for the heir and then in the next scene Nomi & Serina are traveling to the palace. The readers never get a chance to experience their “ordinary life”. Sure, the protagonists reflected on their life before from time to time, but personally I prefer to be shown, not told.

Another quality that didn’t sit well me was Nomi’s beliefs. Right away from the beginning, you can tell she’s a hardcore feminist—which is great—but there’s no explanation for it. In a world where women are raised as submissive, lower human beings, Nomi had no one in her life to show her that women should have equal rights. So where did these beliefs come from? There’s no expectations or growth in her opinions; they’re stubbornly present right from the beginning. Maybe it’s just me being picky, but this felt unrealistic?

Alongside with these complaints, there were events/plots & a romance towards the end that seemed to come about too easily and that really tested my suspense of disbelief. I also wish that Malachi’s (the heir) character had been developed more (fingers crossed this will be more prevalent in the sequel).

So I know I listed a bunch of flaws for this book, so you’re probably wondering why I still gave this book a 4 star rating. Well, despite my multitude of picky complaints, they did little to take away from how immensely I enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to YA fantasy readers or anyone at all intrigued by the synopsis. Now, did I mention how hype I already am for the sequel? With a title like Queen of Ruin, July 11th, 2019 can’t come fast enough.

Grace and Fury is a well developed story about two sisters on opposite sides of fate in a world where women are inferior to men. A world where women have zero rights and it's illegal for them to learn to read and write.

What I loved about this book is that although it a Young Adult Fantasy, the story is believable. It was such a breath of fresh air to read something that has just enough realism to make you believe in the world Tracy Banghart created here. The sisters, Nomi and Serina, are crafted so elegantly that after the first couple of chapters I found myself scurrying to finish the book into the wee hours of morning. Sleep? Who needs sleep?

That said, the plot was a tad predictable and I was not much surprised in the end. However, this isn't a thriller and I didn't go into it expecting to have a wtf? reaction. I am so incredibly glad to have given this book a chance and I can not wait to get my hands on the second book. There will be a second book, right?! I encourage you to grab a copy and immerse yourself in a world of Italian court, a bit of feminist power and a brilliant cast of characters.

Netgalley and little brown books provided me a copy of Grace and Fury in exchange for my honest review.

A intriguing plot and a well written young adult novel. I am glad that picked this one up. I would recommend this one to people who enjoy reading YA.

The Quick Cut: Two sisters end up in way over their heads when the ungroomed one is selected as a Grace and the groomed sister is sent to a prison island. Chaos and emotions fly as they each do everything they can in order to get back to one another and topple the women oppressed regime.

A Real Review:

This is a book that I absolutely could not put down from the moment I picked it up! From page one to book's end, this story continues to keep you wrapped up in the drama and dying to see what is going to happen next. Unlike many of the fantasy based books coming out recently, this one manages to keep the details easy to follow and also keeps the attractions down to kisses (in a time where far too many books have explicit sex scenes).

Serina and Nomi are two sisters who live in a world where women have almost no rights. They do not read, write, vote, and exist to be subservient to the men who do all of the working and thinking for the country. In this world, the country is run by a Majesty - who instead of having a Queen has what is known as Graces. Graces are women who are meant to be the perfect example of everything they expect a woman to be: beautiful, quiet, and only speaks when spoken to.

When the current Majesty health begins to deteriorate, the Heir to the throne, Malachi, begins to prepare by picking his first three Graces. This is where our sisters come into play - Serina was raised and trained to become a Grace. Spending all her formative years learning how to dance, sew, and present herself. Meanwhile, Nomi spent her time helping Serina be the perfect shining example of a Grace while she looked thin, learned to read in secret, and continued to hold onto her rebellious nature. Nomi goes with Serina to the Grace choosing party as a Handmaid to Serina, but while there - Nomi manages to make an impression on the Heir Malachi and ends up being chosen as a Grace instead of Serina!

As if that's not enough of a role switching drama, Nomi also stole a book while at the party and Serina ends up getting caught with the book. Quickly, she ends up declared guilty and sent off to Mount Ruin - a women's prison island that no one escapes from and everyone must fight to survive. Each sister is left in an entirely uncomfortable environment without one another for help, having to adjust and adapt to survive without knowing who they can truly trust. Nomi leans on Asa, Malachi's brother and continuous presence around the Graces during training. Serina leans on Val - a guard at the prison who develops feelings for Serina while also following his own agenda.

In the beginning, I really didn't like Nomi. She continuously complains about her current life, causes issues, and then gets her sister locked away for a crime she didn't commit in the worst prison possible. However, the more the story goes on, the more I started to like both sisters - especially seeing how much they went from fighting with each other to appreciating one another's presence during their younger years and earlier times. Serina learns from Nomi's rebellious side and utilizes it to fight on Mount Ruin while also holding onto her morals. She refuses to kill the other women and it causes a whole other set of issues. The development of each sister from a rigid one sided person into a fully developed, evolved character who has learned so much more about the world around her. Its so much fun seeing them do it in the process.

An addictive, fast paced read, this book is everything you could want in a fantasy novel. WIth two sisters who take on a sexist government, they learn from one another and stand up for each other while attempting to survive their own nightmare scenarios.

Rating: 4.7/10
Would I Recommend: Yes

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

The story of the two sisters, Serina and Nomi, one to be a Grace, the other to be her handmaiden, in a world where women have no rights, is told in alternating chapters which I personally really like. The book was easy to read.

However, I didn't particularly like either of the sisters nor any other side character. No one stood out and maybe I would've needed more to get to know them better.

While Serina and Nomi are together in the beginning, we follow two different plot lines as soon as the sisters are separated. I preferred Serina's side of the story here. Nomi, who was the rebellious one from the start, looses a bit of her appeal, whereas Serina goes through a character development which made her, to me at least, more likeable.

The same goes for the romantic plot lines. They are not the focus of the story, which I think is great, but Serina's was a bit more believable than Nomi's (she really lost some sympathy points here for me).

The world wasn't really explored that much, but it was enough to put everything in one picture, if you get what I mean. Everything mainly plays out in only two different locations. Hence the references to The Selection (haven't read it yet) and The Hunger Games other reviewers already mentioned.

Towards the end the story gained speed and got really exciting and by then I couldn't put it down.
And after that cliffhanger ending, I really want to get my hands on the next book.
All in all, I'm all for empowering women and there are important messages to be found here. Let's see where the author takes the story next.

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Due to travelling for over three weeks it took me so long to finish the book and write a review. Sorry!

#GraceandFury #NetGalley #MustRead2018YAbooks
Grace and Fury is one of the better books, I have read in the fantasy area recently. I loved the female empowerment, family, and the sisters ability to handle their circumstances. It is nice to read a book where the main characters are smart, savy, and fierce without men.

I loved the book! I wish it had a more complete ending, I realize it’s left open for the next book, it’s just my personal preference. I really enjoyed the world that the author created in this story. It had some awesome twists and turns and it has now left me anxiously awaiting the next book!!

This book follows two sisters who unfortunately live in a repressed patriarchal society where women have no rights. You are either a wife, concubine or hard laborer. You are denied an education and it’s even illegal to read. I really enjoyed the relationship the sisters had. They are complete opposites in every way Nomi is the feminist one who taught herself to read and rebels against society’s ideals and has trained to become her sister’s handmaiden. Her sister Serina on the other hand is very meek and has trained her life to become a Grace and by chance they end up in completely different situations than they had seen themselves be. Serina after taking the fall for Nomi ends up going to a volcanic island that houses a prison here you must fight other inmates for food and Nomi ends up becoming the Grace her sister had trained for. It was very interesting to see these to handle their circumstances Nomi decides to save her sister she must play the palace game of treachery and Serina decides she must save all the women on the island their grit and determination as admirable. They are both endearing characters even in the beginning when you head is shaking at their decisions. I believe the author did a phenomenal job with the world building I felt rage a few times at the descriptions. Overall this was a surprising feminist fantasy/dystopian like world that not only focuses on women’s oppression but shows a great sibling relationship.

This book was probably a 3.5 for me. It reads fairly fast and has some entertaining moments. The world-building is slightly clunky and it's hard to know how much technology these people have. It reads like it's almost medieval but then suddenly women are in bathing suits or riding a steam powered boat. The women have few if little rights, so there's lots of "girl power" type moments in the book. Unfortunately though, it was extremely predictable and the love interest stories (yes, there's a love triangle) were almost exactly the same as several other YA books I've read in the last few years. I did like that it was built around the relationship of sisters, I just wish they didn't fall into the same old tired tropes.

This has been my first 5 star read in a while! THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH!
I loved everything about it. Serina and Nomi were such strong characters. I really liked how their personalities kind of switched. Serina was the obedient one and had to force herself to learn to be strong and Nomi was the rebel and had to force herself to learn to be obedient. Through this, they always kept their personal spark.
I loved both character's growth, but especially Serina's. She was the one who always obeyed the rules and thought being a Grace, belonging to someone and having to do anything for them, was how life should be. It was so satisfying to see her break out of that and become such a strong person.
Having 2 point of views (Serina and Nomi) was the perfect way to go with this book. Even though they started together, they ended up apart and had such different stories to tell. I had no trouble differentiating the two. Both storylines were so action packed and always ended on their own tiny cliffhanger so you couldn't wait to get to the next chapter in their point of view.
Some of the twists and turns I didn't even guess until a page before it happened and some I didn't even guess at all. All of the twists were just perfect and so believable.
This is a book where you never know who to trust until they have betrayed one of the characters or kept their word and that just makes it so much fun. How am I going to wait until the next book?

I was given Grace and Fury as an ebook ARC, I read it on my kindle and I was super excited to have the chance to read and review this book. The cover really enticed me from the start and I wanted to get into this book as soon as possible. The synopsis of the story also really got me. I love reading fantasy books and being honest the first few chapters in reminded me of the Selection Series and I am in love with that series. So I went all in on this book!

SPOILERS AHEAD

So as I said above within a few chapters I was getting Selection Series vibes. Which is one of my favorite series of all time. I can read it again and again and it never gets old. Grace and Fury reminds me of the series but in a different time with the rules changed a bit. So in this story, there are two girls one named Serina and one named Nomi. These two girls just like all the other women in this society have no rights. Serina has been taught her entire life to become a Grace which is someone who basically spends their life standing beside the heir to the throne and looking pretty and like the perfect woman. In the start of the book, Serina is selected to go and be in the running to be a Grace for the heir. However, Nomi is the one who catches the eye of the heir instead. Which is not what the family has planned for and Nomi has one very large secret. That Serina must now deal with for Nomi. I do not want to give away the secret for those of you wishing to read this book when it comes out but the secret is revealed early on and to be honest I did not notice at first then I thought about it and was really surprised and kind of intrigued as to how they were going to pull this off.

This book was really good and held my attention the entire time I was reading it. I read it in three sittings mostly because I had obligations whenever I would pick this up so I had to put it down. However, it is a really good dystopian fantasy that fans of the Handmaidens Tale or the Selection Series should totally check out. P.S. just started reading and watching the Handmaidens Tale and loving it! I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads! Grace and Fury comes out on July 31st!

The world of Viridia is not a pleasant one for women or girls.  They are forbidden to read or go to school, and their only choices are to work in factories or as servants, be wives/mothers or serve as Graces for the Superiors or Heirs.  (Basically concubines if you will.)  Serina has been in training her entire life to become a Grace if she is chosen, and her sister Nomi will serve as her handmaiden.   Well, at least that's the plan, but as we all know, there wouldn't be much of a story if that's the way it actually goes.  Both girls are shocked when the Heir chooses Nomi instead, and Serina is forced to act as her sister's handmaiden...that is until she is caught ostensibly breaking one of the kingdom's greatest rules.  Serina is banished to Mount Ruin, a volcanic island prison where women are forced to fight each other for food and survival.

From there the story is a wild ride told in chapters alternating between the two sisters.  This type of storytelling doesn't always work for me; as I mentioned in a review of a previous book, I usually end up just wanting to read them in halves and not alternate.  But it really, really worked in F&G and I found myself reading faster so I could get to the next chapter sooner because I wanted to know what was going to happen!  And that is a big thing in this book because I didn't see some of the surprises coming, especially what I consider the biggest...but I'm not going to spoil that for you here!!  (NO hints!)

I will say that the storyline is not wrapped up in the one book so I'm now frustrated that I have to wait to find out what happens next!  (With no idea how long we're going to have to wait for the next book...)  For those that don't like cliffhanger endings, I believe this will end up being a two book series so you might want to wait until you can read both back to back.  But if you like fantasy YA with a feminist theme, this is definitely the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for making this available to R&R!

5 stars - A perfect blend of YA fantasy and court intrigue!

"A fierce, feminist fantasy for fans of Caraval and The Handmaid’s Tale” indeed. 'Grace and Fury' is a captivating page-turner; though it is a clean YA Fantasy novel, the characters do endure hardships and sexism is thoroughly woven into the culture our two narrators are born into.

Can't recommend this book enough!

The premise of Grace and Fury is really intriguing and I was excited to finally read it. However, as much as I wanted to love this, I just didn't end up connecting with the story. There were a lot of elements about it that I liked, but in the end there was just something missing for me to really love it. 

The story follows the journeys of sisters Serina and Nomi. The chapters alternate between each of their POVs which helps lend a unique voice to each girl. Serina begins the book as a quiet, demure young women who has spent her entire life relying on her beauty and training to become a Grace. Her younger sister, Nomi, on the other hand, starts the novel as headstrong, brash, careless, and a bit selfish. I was looking forward to following both sisters' stories as they are thrust into roles neither are prepared for. Unfortunately, I only found myself enjoying Serina's POV, and couldn't really care about or connect with Nomi. Both Serina and Nomi start out naive, but Serina was the only one whose character had any growth as the story progressed. As Serina adapted to her surroundings and developed traits that made her stronger, Nomi remained naive and brash, which resulted in landing her in a whole heap of trouble by the end of the book - unsurprisingly.

There was a lot of positive girl power themes present, which is always a nice thing to see! There was also good representation of sibling relationships between Nomi and Serina; neither of them understand their sister, but it's obvious how much they care about one another and the lengths each of them are willing to go to save each other. There is some romance, but it's hardly present and to be honest I felt pretty meh about both. 

Grace and Fury has an interesting premise and a lot of potential, but I just couldn't connect to the story or characters as much as I wanted to. The story has a The Selection meets Red Queen vibe for those who enjoyed those books!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this title.


This story was so addicting. Not only was the world inspired by Italy (where I currently live) but the characters themselves reeled me in. I was so thankful that there wasn't magic in this fantasy, as with most YA's nowadays. Even though this is a fantasy there are some underlying tones to situations in the world right now. The feminism is strong with this one.


Two sisters, Nomi and Serina grow up in a world where women are suppressed. Serina vies for a chance to become a "Grace" which is basically a courtesan to the king and future kings. As fate and misunderstanding have it that Nomi, the defiant of the two, is chosen and Serina is spirited away to an island prison. Nomi, who has learned how to read, which is against the law, and Serina, who has trained all her life to become a servant to the future king, find themselves at odds with the worlds around them and take on roles neither had ever dreamed of choosing.

It was so funt o see each character grow and fight against the world around them. Serina, having always been the docile one is forced to overcome her fears and finally understand where Nomi was coming from when she questioned the roles of women in their country. Circumstance also changes Nomi when she is forced to play the role of Grace, a role she abhors with all her heart. Both of fighting different battles. They realize the choices they make not only affect themselves but the future of women everywhere.


I recommend this book. Highly. It has fist pumping feminism and high stakes and also some love, but not quite the way you think. If you're looking for a YA fantasy that will hook and captivate you, this is the one. Also, if you're sick of magic, give this one a try. It was a breath of fresh air for me.

This YA novel tells the story of two teenage sisters in a world where women are nothing more than objects and can be sent to prison for the major crime of knowing how to read. The elder sister has trained all her life to become a Grace, basically a member of the ruler’s harem. Being chosen is the highest honor any woman in this society can hope to achieve. Through a series of missteps, her younger sister is chosen to become a Grace instead and she ends up on the island prison of Mount Ruin.

The book is told in alternating chapters from each sister’s point of view as they each try to adapt to their new life. The writing started sharp and fast paced but, about halfway through began to falter. Added to a storyline that became rather juvenile and predictable, were characters that unfortunately seemed rather stock. An abrupt, cliffhanger ending didn’t help. I think this book might appeal to the younger YA reader.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is a fierce combination of part Hunger Games, part Divergent, a good chunk of the Red Queen series, and a tiny part of the Selection Series. The characters are beautifully written, the story line engaging, and the overall tone of the novel is empowering. I'm only giving it four stars because I sometimes felt that it was .. missing something. A little oomph perhaps? There were certain parts of the book that just seemed to be skimming the surface. I would still highly recommend this book to others and I truly can't wait to add this to my shelves!

Falling Kingdoms has ended. Throne of Glass is ending this year. I was worried I wouldn't have a fantasy series to obsess over anymore but then I read Grace and Fury.

Grace and Fury is set in a fantasy world where women have no rights. They can't make their own choices or even learn how to read. The main characters are two sisters seperated by circumstance and are each just trying to survive another day.

The book isn't even officially released yet but I need the sequel. I also can't wait for release day so I can have my own gorgous hardback copy.

The only critique I have is that in the next book, I hope the side and supporting characters are a little more fleshed out.

Add Grace and Fury to your tbr.

The words ‘high fantasy’ and ‘powerful women’ are two terms that when brought together are going to immediately get my attention. Those two terms are both apt descriptors of Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart.

The novel is about two sisters, Serina and Nomi. Serina is the nice one, always obeying the rules. Nomi is the rebel, not satisfied with the way things are. But their roles are reversed when Nomi is chosen by the prince, and Serina takes the fall for a crime Nomi committed. Suddenly Nomi has to be prim and proper, and Serina has to fight for her life. I loved seeing how these young women dealt with their problems. I found that I related to both of them in different ways. In a lot of ways, they are two sides of the same coin, only they can’t see it.

Because Nomi and Serina get separated early on, there are two concurrent plot-lines. Nomi in the palace and Serina on the island. I felt that Serina’s plot was highly original. I haven’t seen something quite like that before. On the other hand, Nomi’s plot was very similar to a lot of other YA fantasies. I can’t complain too much though, because it’s a plot that I absolutely adore. It meant that I could predict what would happen with her early on, but that wasn’t too bad since I didn’t know what would happen with Serina.

Grace and Fury screams girl power. In a world where women are repressed at every turn, it is about two young women rising up and challenging the system. While the problems these women face are an exaggeration of what women face in the real world, I could definitely see the similarities.

I would highly recommend Grace and Fury if you’ve enjoyed books such as Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I absolutely loved Grace and Fury and can’t wait for the next one!