In a world where it's illegal for women to read, they are fated to work in factories, bear children or aspire to be a Grace, a woman who is to be near the Heir to the throne as the ideal woman. It has always been Serina Tessino's dream to be a Grace, and her younger sister Nomi railed against the way the world worked. Serina might have been chosen to be sent to the capital to see if she could catch the eye of the Heir, but it's Nomi who actually does. Serina is sent away to fight for her life on a distant island when she's caught with Nomi's book, and she has to learn how to be a Grace and use the position to save Serina. There are dangers lurking in both places, and neither sister is safe.

This is a fascinating book, and my only complaint was that it ended on a cliffhanger! Serina and Nomi are wonderfully fleshed out characters, sniping at each other like sisters, then coming together as a team at the beginning. We see them grow into themselves in ways they never dreamed they could, and there's a bit of the revolutionary in both of them. It was fascinating to see the dynamics on the island, with the different teams jockeying for power, which would get them rations and protection from guards intent on abusing the power they were given. Serina still managed to keep her ideals, a difficult feat even in the best of conditions.

Nomi, for all that she felt unable to do the tasks of a Grace, was far better at it than she thought she could be. The politicking with the other Graces and the royal sons was difficult to read because of their histories and stories; they were all trapped in this society, and few even realize that they are. It leads to a lot of nuance in the characterization, and plot twists until the cliffhanger finale. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, because there absolutely has to be a way to wrap up the story.

What a fantastic story! This book was full of plot twists and had interesting, strong characters. Started off a bit slow but it picked up later on.

I don't like it when I'm able to easily discern how a book is going to end, but I love when I make an assumption that turns out to be right based on the tiniest of details. Grace and Fury was not in any way predictable, but there were certain people that felt off. I feel a little like Sherlock Holmes right now! The revelations at the end of this book were satisfying, but I'm going to pretend like there wasn't a cliffhanger, because ugh.

At the beginning, I didn't like Nomi or Serina. They kept making decisions that benefited themselves, so it wasn't a surprise when their world's came crashing down. However, I have a lot of respect for them both. They were thrown into unfamiliar (and sometimes hostile) environments and thrived. Nomi's situation was a gilded cage, while Serina fought for her next meal. Nomi was supposed to be the rebellious sibling, but she seemed to lose her confidence when it really mattered.

I want to kick so many people in the face! I hated how the women were treated, and what some of their punishments were. They're not allowed to do anything and are required to be sickeningly submissive to men. Some of the girls lived for that life, while others refused to accept their fate.

Nomi and Serina learned a lot from their new roles, and they both became stronger in their own way. Although, I think Serina should have hated her sister a little more, because Nomi didn't suffer nearly as much as she did. Serina was groomed to be a Grace, and she is... but not in the way she expected.

In the end, Grace and Fury was a quick and exciting read that kept me on my toes. It takes a lot for me to enjoy and respect characters that I don't like, but the author does just that. I understand Nomi and Serina's situation, even if I disagree with some of their choices. The story is solid and the world is great, but that cliffhanger was brutal.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? On July 31, 2018.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While it was exciting and kept me reading (I finished the vast majority of it in a single sitting), there were still a few things I didn't love. I've read enough YA fantasy to know this wasn't exactly the most original book out there. It reminded me quite a bit of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. It's pretty much what you'd expect from a dystopian fantasy. It was pretty predictable. I think there was one twist I might not have expected, but the synopsis gives it away. I also don't like when first books in a series ending on huge cliffhangers, and this one definitely does. It kind of forces readers to pick up book two, which isn't out yet.

The world in this book is a weird mix of The Hunger Games and a royal court fantasy. It was definitely creative, but I really wanted more of the history. We get a brief glimpse, and it's not enough. Beyond that, though, the society in this book is like a fancy version of The Handmaid's Tale. The dynamic between men and women honestly made me very uncomfortable, and it took me a good half of this book to stop cringing. I know that fighting against that is the point of this story, but I just wasn't a huge fan of how the society in this book was structured.

I did like the characters, despite them being somewhat predictable. I went in thinking Nomi would be my favorite, but Serena surprised me by upstaging her sister. Nomi's half of the story was a bit more fun to read - maybe because I have a soft spot for outrageously fancy gowns, but I liked Serena better as a character. I can't really discuss the others much without spoilers, but they weren't bad. I want to see more character development, though.

This book was definitely entertaining, and I absolutely flew through it. While I don't think it's anything groundbreaking, it's a good addition to the genre.

Grace and Fury is a Young Adult Fantasy novel that is told in alternating points of view from two sisters. Now, to be honest, I don’t find this book incredibly unique. But I do find it so well done. Gripping from the very first page, it seems this book upped the ante with every chapter ending. Nomi was my favorite sister from the get-go, but it quickly changed to Serina. By the end of the book, I was so invested in both of these sisters goings on that I couldn’t finish each chapter fast enough. I found it interesting that of the two, it was Nomi (who gave the appearance of being more worldly,) who was more naive. Serina, even in harsher circumstances, seemed to adjust better than her sister. She was the one who showed the most character growth, and I’m excited to see what this series has in store for her. There wasn’t a lot of world building in this book, but I don’t feel like there needed to be. This book focused on the oppression of the women in this society, and the premise lent itself to being more character driven that plot driven. There was a lot of deception in this book, and right up until the very end, I wasn’t sure who was a ‘good’ guy and who was a ‘bad’ guy. Especially because the foreshadowing was so prominent that I felt maybe it was leading us in the wrong direction on purpose – but I won’t tell you if it was or wasn’t! I really enjoyed how the entire story was leading up to one event, and that we, as readers, were aware of what that event was. It made me even more eager to reach the end! Each of these girls made mistakes – colossal ones, but these are young women who were extremely sheltered their entire lives – to the point where Serina spent hers training to be the heir’s lover, and essentially, arm candy. The pacing of this book was relentless, for Serina and Nomi as well as the reader. Neither girl has had a chance to take a breath, and I have a feeling that when things catch up to them, it’s going to be ugly.

As I mentioned before, I thought Grace and Fury was so well done. Nothing felt overdone or exaggerated here; just extreme circumstances where you knew the girls were going to be lucky to get out alive. It was such an adventure, and by the time I was done reading, it felt like this book was the YA Fantasy I’ve been waiting for. Grace and Fury was a fantastic start to this series, and I think it goes without saying that I’ll be reading the next installment!

I really enjoyed this story overall. This is more of a dystopian novel where women have no rights and men are in power. We follow two sisters who are very different. Serina has been training her entire life to be a Grace that is chosen by heir and Nomi has always done everything to take care of the family. I will admit that I did figure out some of the plot twist before they happened. However, this book was compulsively readable and I really cared about the characters and was so interested to see where the plot was going. I felt like the setting was very well explained and the characters did feel like real people. The romances were a little typical but I still enjoyed them. Overall, I do recommend this book and I can't wait to see the release date for the next book because the cliff hanger had me interested to where the story was going.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart is the kind of book that draws you in the second you pick it up. The plot is filled with intrigue and feminism, and the main characters are equally enjoyable. The world is also clearly developed, and it is surprisingly easy to picture as our own reality. I definitely enjoyed this one, and I am eager to get my hands on a sequel!

This book tells the story of two sisters, one being treated like royalty and the other being held prisoner on an island. What is interesting is the fact that the sisters’ roles are switched, and the one fighting to survive was actually training to live in a palace her whole life and please the heir. I found the story to be a bit like The Selection and The Handmaid’s Tale with some feminist messages and some surprising twists. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to love this book at first, but once I got into it, I was pleasantly surprised.

Both Nomi and Serina are enjoyable main characters, and I liked getting to read each of their differing perspectives. The sisters are defiant and determined to stand up for their rights in their new roles. I actually enjoyed both of them equally, which is pretty rare for me. I typically have one main character that I connect with more than the other, but I was glad that both girls have their own characteristics and intriguing arcs.

The world of Grace and Fury really intrigued me. The societal norms and cultural expectations are clearly outlined, and the world is logical. The settings like the perilous island and the palace are also developed, and I could clearly visualize them. What I enjoyed about this book is the fact that the oppressive society isn’t so far-fetched, and the lack of women’s rights is shockingly believable. This contributes to the overall feminist message, and it made me reflect on our own world.

Grace and Fury is a powerful novel about two sisters with very different realities. I enjoyed both the main characters’ narrations, and the world is very believable. I would definitely recommend this one, especially to those looking for an empowering read.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Girl Power!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GRACE AND FURY. GRACE. AND. FURY. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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