I really wanted to get into "Lady Hotspur." Henry IV and V are some of my favorite Shakespeare plays and I was excited when I saw this title. But even though it's gay and Shakespearean, I couldn't stay hooked. The multiple perspectives didn't bother me, but the multiple flashbacks did, as it used these to provide exposition rather than just going forward and explaining in the present. I also was confused about where the relationships were going. Who was pursuing whom? Was this a poly situation? I literally have no idea, and sadly I didn't feel the need to find out.

<b>LIFE'S TOO SHORT FOR BOOKS LIKE THIS</b>

<b>DNF at 15%</b>

I was attracted to the idea of a feminist epic fantasy. However, the reality fell WAY short of my expectation. I was turned off almost from the beginning and just kept thinking 'when is it acceptable for me to throw this out?'

<b>👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎</b>

<u>Incoherent</u>: Perhaps this is because I have never read another of Gratton's books, but I found the beginning so confusing and incoherent with way too many people and places being strewn around that I couldn't get into it at all...

<u>Plot</u>: Yes, I only read 15% of this book, but if the plot hadn't made itself known after almost 100 pages, isn't it safe to say, that there isn't really any plot?

<u>Insta-love/lust</u>: I love the idea of a queer romance in epic fantasy. But honestly, this felt like the queerness was the entire purpose of this book. They were attracted to each other so fast and without any known reason, as neither had any real personality or knowledge of the other. When nothing more has happened in the first 15% than repeated queerness being established over and over again, I dare to venture that it is the only point of the book. Which is perhaps fine for some people, but I need more in epic fantasy.

<u>Pace</u>: This should come to no surprise, but I found the pace of this book <i>torturously</i> slow!

I had difficulty with the writing style and focus of this book. I found it focused to much on the internal monologue for my tastes, and I did not end up finishing this book. So, I would not be giving a public review at this time. But from the portion I read I would give the book 2 stars.

DNF at 32%

This is a really dense fantasy novel. The writing is lyrical and gives Lady Hotspur a very other-worldly feeling to it.

It’s worth mentioning that I have no experience with Shakespeare’s Henry VI so I can’t speak to how well this adapts that source material.

Lady Hotspur uses numerous POVs, which felt like it was slowing down the pace of the story. There are tons of characters with very similar names and I had a hard time keeping track of who held what position and why we should care about them.

I love the sheer number of dynamic female characters in this book but it wasn’t enough to make up for the slow pace of the plot. It will definitely appeal to people who are a bit more patient readers and love rich writing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like others, I requested this book based on the cover and the fact that I read the author's Innis Lear some time ago. Unfortunately, this book is not for me. The book summary also says this is a loose retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. This book is long at almost 600 pages and the pacing constantly threw me off. It would be slow (the beginning) and then I’d be interested in a character, but then the perspective would change, then I’d lose interested again, and I’d put it down. This book wasn’t for me, there were parts I enjoyed, especially when the story was set in Innis Lear. The world building of Innis Lear is amazing, it’s what kept me reading the story and makes me consider reading The Queens of Innis Lear.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me way longer than I had anticipated to get into this book. I really expected to be drawn in from page one, but it took me several chapters to really get into the story. Once I got past the first few chapters, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down.

I especially loved the world building the author did! It was so intricate. The magic system was sooo well thought out. You can tell the author really understood what she was trying to establish on the page.

One thing I didn’t like was the amount of characters that were in the book. It was a lot of people to keep up with and to keep track of. It almost felt like there were too many main characters. I feel you definitely need to read the prequel before you dive into this one. It will help you get your bearings before jumping in.

This is a very female dominant story, and those are usually my favorite. Overall, a good read! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley, all opinions are my own

I'm still not sure about the rating, maybe 3.5 or 3.75
I'm gonna be honest I struggled to read this in the beginning, it just wasn't clicking for me, you know? But once I focused and read couple of chapters, I couldn't stop! So I think, it's just that kind of book, that requires your full attention.
One thing I loved the most is the world building and magic system! It's very detailed and so immersive!! It feels like I'm actually there, like this is a true story! I love when books I like that.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of and I think that was one of the reasons that it took me a while to get into it. I kept forgetting who is who (besides the main characters) and there are a lot of places, and different courts, so once again, it takes time to get used it and learn all the places and names.
We have our three main characters Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora. They are incredibly strong (both physically and mentally) characters. Banna Mora was my favorite of the three, I think she was the most interesting out of them. Hotspur was honestly a bit annoying at times, don't know why, just didn't connect with her.
We also follow Rowan and Connelly, from Innis Lear, a land full of magic!
By the way I don't think you need to read The Queens of Innis Lear to understand this book but I think it'd be better if you read Innis Lear story first.
I loved all the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic ones. Tessa writes amazing queer love stories and I'm so here for it!
Yet, despite all the things that I loved, I felt like something was missing from the story. It took me a while to read it and I don't know, hard to explain why but it wasn't catching my full attention. I actually started this book couple of months ago but had to set it aside and then honestly I forgot about it...
Overall, I still enjoyed it and will definitely read more from this author. And if you like badass female warriors, queer characters, magic and detailed world building, you should check it out.

I am truly sad to say I read approximately fifty percent of this book and stopped. Perhaps if I'd read books before this about Innis Lear but honestly I'm really not sure. I can say the three females who dominate this story are interesting but i just sadly didn't feel pulled in or engaged enough to continue at this time. I absolutely hate stopping a book before the completion so perhaps will revisit when time is not so pressured. Its well written and has a unique slant so definitely very interesting.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I really wanted to love Lady Hotspur, but unfortunately it was just an okay read for me. I loved the premise - a gender bent retelling of Shakespeare's Henry IV, but ultimately had trouble connecting with the characters and getting past all of the info-dumping, which just isn't my preferred way of worldbuilding. Although I struggled with it a bit because of those two reasons, I think it was more a 'me' issue than an issue with the story itself. I still think most fans of The Queens of Innis Lear will enjoy this sequel,.

Maybe I went into Lady Hotspur, by Tessa Gratton, with too many expectations. I LOVED Gratton's contribution to His Hideous Heart. Next to Tiffany Jackson's, it was easily one of my favorites. Bring me Shakespeare, political intrigue, representation and an author that I'm just getting to know but am loving? Lady Hotspur had all the ingredients to make it one of my most anticipated January reads. And then it just fell flat. I couldn't get into the characters.

And then it just fell flat. I couldn't get into the characters. I cannot speak directly for the LBGT+ community. I do know what I hear in terms of feedback and just general conversation with what they are looking for. And they want more than just the struggle. Yes, struggle is important because IT IS reality. Please see the Trevor Project for more specific information and general support in this area.

BUT that isn't all they want to see. Because that isn't the only reality, and more importantly, even if it was (which again, it isn't) They want to see what can be when characters are strong in who they are, characters that don't just survive but thrive. And this? This was not it. That in itself kept pulling me out of the story.

The political intrigue? It wasn't intriguing. It never sucked me in enough to really care. The pace was incredibly slow. I kept waiting for it to kick into gear but it never did. Could the incredible writing style that I fell in love with, when I read Gratton's short story in His Hideous Heart, just not work in a full length novel (or this kind of full length novel)? Most definitely.

Lastly, admittedly, this is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and maybe *I* tried too hard. Looking for the easter eggs, looking for how Gratton twisted it into her own. That too, pulled me out of just enjoying the story. I couldn't find how X in the original worked into Gratton's work. That, admittedly, is on me.

Having said that, I wouldn't say that there isn't an audience for Lady Hotspur. RMMV may vary, as some flaws that I found, I feel *are* universal, while some might be a case of *it is me and not e the book.

Plus, having enjoyed Gratton's work in the past, I would definitely read other short stories, and even other full length works, from Gratton in the future.

I wanted to love this, but even knowing Henry IV as well as I do this was convoluted and simply odd. I couldn't keep the characters straight as they were names alone, but no real effort or build to them other than the words they were sprouting. I didn't finish this book, so won't be reviewing it formally on my blog.

The novel features an interesting premise but I couldn’t get into the writing style. I was expecting more of a sweeping feel, but the simpler styler made it hard to get into. I could never quite connect with the characters as deeply as I wanted to. Thank you for the chance to review.

**Review will be posted on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on December 7, 2019**

**2.5 Stars**

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Did I request this book based on the cover? Uh, definite yes. I love the cover and the book blurb caught my interest too. Now, this is a companion novel to Tessa Gratton’s book, The Queens of Innis Lear which I never read. The book summary also says this is a loose retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, which I never read also.

It took me a week to read this book. A week! Each time I read it, I was like, I’m only at 10%? Are you kidding me? So when I searched the title on Goodreads and saw it was a 592 page book, it made sense why I felt like I was getting nowhere in this story.

The story is told through three main perspectives: Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora. These three were a tight crew of Lady Knights who fought under King Rovassos until they rebelled and helped put Hal’s mother, the kings niece, on the throne. The first half of this story is set in Aremoria. The second half of this story takes place in Innis Lear and there we have a chapters from Rowan and Connelly. Later on we get a few other chapter perspectives from Charm.

This is a gender bent story where Dukes, Earls, Princes, and Kings are female. The story is centered around Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora as they try to decide who is the true ruler of Aremoria and if the prophecies about these three women will come true.

What I Liked:

*The gender bending aspect is awesome. Kings in Aremoria can be female. The women in Aremoria, especially the Lady Knights are bad ass soldiers, they love to fight, took pride in their leadership (well Hal had some issues) and fighting skills!

*My heart is in Innis Lear. Aremoria felt like a regular kingdom, nothing special, but Innis Lear and it’s magic? I was immersed in that world. I liked when Hal, Hotspur, and Banna Mora who are battle ready soldiers, step into this magical land and start hearing nature all around them. Innis Lear has witches, wizards, prophecies, and ghosts even! The world building was fantastic.

*This book is female infused all around, from the passionate lesbian relationship between Hal and Hotspur and yes there is sex in this book, lots of it actually. Hal and Hotspur’s relationship burns so fast and hard that it’s sad when it falls apart, but Hal had some issues to work through.

*Out of all three women: Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora – Banna Mora’s story kept my attention more maybe because she blossoms on Innis Lear. Hal’s story arc has the most change in it though because she’s the life of the party but she hides behind her charming smile. Hal doesn’t believe in herself and she’s suffering from PTSD and drowns in her misery until she turns things around. As for Hotspur, she is the one in the middle of the two and must make some hard choices.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

*This book is long at almost 600 pages and the pacing constantly threw me off. It would be slow (the beginning) and then I’d be interested in a character, but then the perspective would change, then I’d lose interested again, and I’d put it down. It took me a week to read this! I almost gave up on it. The writing also would be rushed and abrupt and then it would be beautiful especially when it came to describing Innis Lear. I just felt like it didn’t flow well in some parts.

*Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora had to make political marriages…to men. Sigh…so I was all about the lesbian, feminist take of this book and then they had to have sex with men and I was like…🤷🏻‍♀️. REALLY? Banna Mora had Rowan so I mean, go her…but Hal and Hotspur who are so in love had to do their royal duties. 😒 Obviously it’s royal politics and things work out in the end though, but still.

*I wasn’t attached to any character. The trio of Hal, Hotspur and Banna Mora is a great dynamic, two opposing characters and one in the middle who will decide the fate of everyone. But I wasn’t attached to any of them. I was team Banna Mora though if I had to pick a side. But what made them good friends? Because they were knights together? Maybe more backstory of when they were knights together would have been good to set the foundation for their story.

Final Thoughts:

This book wasn’t for me, there were parts I enjoyed, especially when the story was set in Innis Lear. The world building of Innis Lear is amazing, it’s what kept me reading the story and makes me consider reading The Queens of Innis Lear. This book will not be for everyone but it did have some bright spots in it. The story has prophecy, strong women, a lesbian love story and a straight one too. But for me it was all about the magic of Innis Lear, the rest of the story fell flat for me.

First and foremost, great cover art! Second, great read a little spotty on a few of the characters but great read.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the potential to be so good, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver and I found myself frustrated and bored in places. It tells the story of Prince Hal and her lover, Lady Hotspur, in a gender-bent re-telling of the Shakespeare play and that premise alone was enough to make me interested in this book. I also read and really enjoyed The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton, which makes this book a double disappointment. Firstly, it is far too long and at times just feels really self indulgent. I found myself being drawn into the story in certain places and thinking to myself that now things were finally getting going, only to then have another few chapters of repetitive action and questionable dialogue. Secondly, the characters just really didn't have very much depth to them, with the possible exception of Connley, and as a result, it was difficult to get invested in their plight when there wasn't much offered to grab onto. The plot felt meandering for the majority of the book and then really rushed towards the end and although the prose was beautiful in places, for the most part I just found the action dull and uneven. Overall, I was disappointed with this book, but I will give Gratton another chance for future books as I do like her writing in general - this one just didn't work for me unfortunately.

(2/5⭐️) Coming January 7, 2020.

I was let down by the telling-not-showing writing. DNF at 15%

Lady Hotspur is a retelling of King Henry IV, a classic Shakespeare play. I’m always a sucker for these types of retellings. “Strike fast, love hard, live forever.” The motto of the Lady Knights, a league of knights sworn to serve the ruler of Aremoria. The story largely follows three women: Prince Hal, Mora of the March, and Lady Hotspur.

When a deep betrayal shakes the kingdom of Aremoria, Mora of the March is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she's been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded--or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora's own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights.

I did not finish (DNF) this book. As with all books I decide to abandon, I always read to chapter five, or more, before making my decision. I actually read a little further this time, hoping, longing for redemption. I kept thinking, “Maybe if I read a little further, I’ll find something to hook me.” I found a number of problems with this book. The writing itself was fine, but everything else felt problematic. A few things I liked: the gender bending aspects, though I didn’t feel that they were done well. The majority of the characters are queer, but commonly fighting the issue that they aren’t accepted for who they are, which is a heavy topic that I don’t feel this book did an adequate job portraying.

That being said, the pacing was too slow and detailed, leaving me bored. I found times that I read entire paragraphs only to realize that I’d been thinking about something completely unrelated to the book. What I mean is: I wasn’t engrossed, except with Rowan’s character. I actually found his character and story the only one I was interested in. The chemistry in the scene with him and Connley was perfect. If all the chapters had been like that, I would still be reading it.

The biggest flaw was the telling but not showing aspect of the writing. The reader is plopped into moments where things have just happened—important things like the opening battle scene, the fights during the tournament event, and even a few intimate first kiss moments—and we are told about it.

Excerpt from a tournament fighting scene:

“...Hotspur rolled her shoulders to loosen the tension a bit, and bent her knees. The judge called the match and Hotspur attacked.

It was a good fight, but in the end Banna Mora made sure to lose. Both of them were sweating, their grunts low, neither speaking, and Hotspur did not know which of them would have been fairly victorious. Mora was strong and precise; she herself was fast and determined. Shieldless, their swords served as both offense and defense, along with hips and elbows. But when Mora turned her wrist and nearly disarmed Hotspur, Hotspur was so focused on breaking away she didn’t see Mora plant a foot where Hotspur would trip her. Mora went down, crying out as she landed on her own arm and her sword flew several paces off.”

There are a couple of bits of dialogue after that, but it’s very abrupt, and goes on to say who won what. All in all, we were told all about the tournament, but didn’t feel like we were there living it with the character. It leaves no bonding moments between the character and the reader, creating a huge disconnect.

Ultimately it was this, the lack of character depth, lack of character chemistry, my inability to relate with the characters or get invested with them, and the pacing that ended it for me.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Tor for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me, but I can see how it would appeal to others. For those of you interested, tread carefully before buying...

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I really enjoyed The Queens of Innis Lear and still think the premise of this one is really good, but it's just not working for me.

I've rated based on the quality of the section I read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not read The Queens of Innis Lear yet, however, I do think this book can be read as a companion rather than a sequel.

This is a gender bent Henry IV story, and it was a decent story. I find Tessa Graton to use long winded explanations and random name drops. This pulls me out of the story ever time. In my opinion, if you are going to name drop people we should get a bit of their history included as well.

The writing and dialogue in this book were very lackluster which also kept pulling me out of the story.
I wanted so badly to love this book but sadly I didn't love it. I however did enjoy the majority of it, the characters were decent and the plot kept me somewhat interested.

This was an amazing premise just not the best execution in my opinion.

I sadly didn’t enjoy this book, and gave up about halfway through. It was really sad for me because I enjoyed the last book by this author so much! I still like her writing style but with this book I was missing that connection to the main characters, I simply didn’t care for any of them and that made me not care about the story. I still think this book will probably be good for someone who likes fantasy/retelling type books so if that’s you definitely give it a try.

Two stars from me because this was a struggle all the way through for me. I struggled to read the whole book when what I really wanted to do was put it down for good. I struggled to like any of the characters. I struggled to see how the story had advanced much when I finally finished it. Yes, gender bending, I got that and I was fine with it as something new or different or both but that Shakespeare play isn't a favorite of mine anyway. Yes, a lesbian love story, but that's not exactly earth shaking. Yes, court intrigue all over the place, but not very interesting intrigue. Yes, there are magic elements but written in such a way that it was hard for me to grasp exactly what was happening. Add to those things writing which was overblown and flowery to the point of making me laugh. Even the ending wasn't an ending but a series of let's-peek-into-the-future segments which seemed to go on much too long. Sadly, not a good fit for me. But I loved the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an e-galley of this novel.