The story was fantastic and I have already started encouraging customers to buy it. The audiobook was fantastic too, the narrator did a wonderful job.

DNF at 55%. This wasn’t for me. I like the concept of Shakespeare England with POC and Queer rep with magic and Fae. I liked the mythology and the lore of their magic. I enjoyed the accuracy bit of the sibling dynamic. So right away it ticked off a lot of boxes. However this feels like the is was written for a tv show or movie and honestly I would rather watch this tv show then read it.

I have so many questions…

Why both modern slang and also Shakespearean times vocabulary?

Do other humans have magic like our FMC? Their family and the Fae seem to be the only ones with magic in London but how does that make any sense. And if her uncle or whoever couldn’t resign the treaty wouldn’t it go to the parents to sign not their child? And why Joan? That wasn’t fully explained why the parents couldn’t.

There’s some confusion regarding the Fae.. So no one knows about the Fae, or do they? It’s written like it’s supposed to be a secret. But they are all over the place living out lives and such. It appears only a small population know of the Fae, and it’s the more wealthy people? There’s also supposed to be a treaty between the humans and the Fae? But it’s also unclear if it’s supposed to be a secret too, because some know about it and some do not? As for the different kinds of Fae, there’s no explanation or a too short explanation of the different kinds as they encounter them.

Why the miscommunication trope with her parents even though they are in the know about everything magic and the Fae?

Why do Joan’s parents just dismiss the fact she killed someone/thing… oh you did the right thing killing that bad thing, you’re fine.. and send her off on her way. Completely disregarding the fact Joan is in shock, and can’t get over it. As if they kill people everyday, it’s normal, you’re fine.

Why so many side characters? The whole time I’m trying to decipher if they are relevant to the story or not.

The interludes breaking up the pacing right in the middle of something going on made it feel disjointed.

I ended up looking up the author, I wanted to see what else they have written, turns out she is an actress. Which now knowing this information it makes sense as to how this was written and unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I found story to be sort of on the boring side and there were too many questions and not enough answers for me to stick it out. It didn’t leave me wanting more, it left me feeling more frustrated than anything else. Probably won’t be continuing with the series.

Thank you so much for letting me listen to this audiobook. This was very good. I really enjoyed my time listening to this story. It made me realize, I really like stories that have Shakespeare and magic in them.

It was a DNF for me.

The narrator did a phenomenal job but I had to restart the book multiple times with the last attempt getting a third of the way through the book through it and realizing that I honestly wasn’t following the story because there was no desire to care for the characters.

The world building is low/urban fantasy set in London failed to bring the Orisha blessed magic and Fae presence to life in a way that held interest.

Its Avatar: The Last Airbender, Six of Crows, and Shakespearean drama rolled into one awesome sword swinging tale! From the cover alone I knew this book was going to go hard, and the author did not disappoint!

This had such potential to be amazing. I loved the premise, the characters, the fact that it took place around William Shakespeare and the Globe. BUT NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK. I got 52% of the way through and I just couldn’t do it anymore. The characters did a play, then there was a fight with the fae, then they did a play, then another fight, then a play, then another fight, etc. Apart from one or two small things at the beginning of the book, it never seemed like the plot was moving forward, and after 50% of the way through, I still had no idea what the book or the characters were moving towards.

Do you love Shakespeare? Is A Midsummer Night's Dream your favorite play? Do you loathe Othello? Do you need bisexual rep IN THE MAIN CHARACTER? Then do I have a book for you! Joan Sands is a bladesmith, making stage blades for Shakespeare's acting company The King's Men. But soon she learns that Shakespeare's characters are more than just fiction, and worse than that they're deadly.

I freaking loved this! Maybe it's because I'm a diehard Shakespeare fan and Midsummer is my favorite comedy. Regardless, this is a solid debut. I really enjoyed Joan and James. The story was a lot of fun and horrifying at times. I really loved Shakespeare as a character. I can't say enough good things about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Patricia Allison was a fantastic narrator. I definitely recommend this book!

Mixing history, fantasy, and mythology with just a dash of romance, THAT SELF-SAME METAL is a fun romp in Shakespearean England with sword-fighting and vicious fae. As a whole, I found it fairly interesting if not as tightly following the story arc as I would have liked (there were moments where I felt overall confused, to some degree because of the pacing, but all turned out alright in the end), but still worth the read, or in this case listen.

Brittany N. Williams has created a fascinating and unique world within a historical setting, interweaving fact and fiction (no matter how unfortunate the fact may be). I appreciate how she created real people that felt relatable despite the world, and the relationships that developed out of that. For one, this is probably one of the better handlings of a love triangle that I’ve seen, and you know I’m a sucker for a queer love triangle! However, I was never fully invested in the book, and I’ll have to see what’s planned for the sequel before I decide if I’ll prioritize reading it (and honestly I think this can be read as a standalone which is appreciated).

Patricia Allison did a wonderful job narrating this story and really brought Joan to life in my mind, crafting unique character voices while also keeping Joan’s narration steady. I struggle to read fantasy via audiobook, but this one was certainly on the easier to digest side.

Overall, if historical fantasy is your thing, I think that this book could be worth picking up, and I hope that the Forge & Fracture Saga can continue to develop and grow in the future!

4.5 ⭐️

Just by looking at the cover, I knew I’d love this book!! Full of twists and turns, Fae, a little romance, and history! And I absolutely loved reading about a strong female poc.

I really enjoyed this black ya fantasy. There was a lot of action, romance, and political intrigue and it kept me interested in what would happen next.

Things I liked:
- The fae were scary, and I was not expecting the stakes to be that high.
- Joan like who she liked, and gender was not a factor.

This book really make me wish I read more Shakespeare plays. I think a lot of the plot would have clicked more initially if I did. I didn't diminish my experience, but I could tell that the story lines were eluding to things I wasn't as privy to.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was such a great book!! Really loved reading it and looking forward to reading more of this series!!

I was genuinely just bored while reading this. I was 75% of the way done with this, and I was still debating DNFing it.

The message is great. It's wonderful, even, but I don't think that it's my cup of tea.

By all means, keep writing. I just don't think this is my kind of fantasy.

I really loved this story that involved inclusivity in Shakespearean London, magic centered around metal (mistborn-fangirl here.) Sometimes the pacing was a little weird but I was so easily drawn in by Joan and her brother James & the rag-tag theater group that comprised their friends - it was hard not to love them all. However the real shining star is the potential for Joan to be queen AND polyamorous.. It was simply teased in this first installment but this is only book one of The Forge & Fracture Saga so I am ravenously hopeful that book 2 expands the world, magic system, political intrigue, and relationships between the fae, humans, and demons. African belief systems, including the Orisha feature prominently in this book and seeing that in a non-African setting was something I had not experienced before and to see an author stretch the bounds of what readers may be familiar with (and what they should be excited to be familiar with now) is so exciting. The writing and characterization are all more than enough to have me stick around for this series. PLUS author Brittany N. Williams had our queen Tracy Deonn as one of her early readers, work-shoppers, and champions so you KNOW there is so much potential for where this author and her story will go.

Audiobook note: THE NARRATOR WAS PHENOMENAL

I replay enjoyed how fun and adventurous this book was. Joan’s relationship with her brother was the core of the story and felt very realistic. I loved the twists and asides of the fairies, and how tricky they were. I wish we could have learned more about Joan’s love interests as characters, their backstories and motivations, and hope that is focused on more in the next book(s). The final chapter of the book going over the history and cultures used in the book, how they were changed or interpreted, really added something special to it for me. The inclusion of real world events and people mixed with the fantastical made the book feel silly and incredulous, and I think that’s to its advantage.

I love strong confident black female leads and this book did not disappoint. Gave me avatar vibes with the metal bending. I also love the African mythology as well. A all around great debut fantasy read.

I received the audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

So I would say this book is a 3.5⭐️ read for me. While narration is a 5⭐️.

I would label this as Queer Young Adult Historical Fantasy with a little gore sprinkled in. I enjoyed this read. I did get confused many times and felt I couldn’t keep up.
What I enjoyed most was the sibling relationship James and Joan had. I love how they have that twin connection, just warmed my heart.

The romance fell a bit flat for me. There are two players in question for Joan. Nick is the friends to lover option. And Rose is very much instalust. I wish we had more “get to know each other” time with Rose and Joan. There is a love triangle/why choose situation brewing here. And an inappropriate timed kiss imo. 🙈

But very interesting to read Shakespearean era with deadly fae and metal wielding magic. Lots happening here. But with the era comes a lot of ick that can be hard to read sometimes.

I would recommend to YA fantasy readers.

"She felt a spark inside herself, a pressure, a heat, familiar but faint. It ignited deep in her chest. She wouldn't die here. She refused."⠀
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Brittany N Williams, That Self-Same Metal⠀
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That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams is a fabulous mix of Historical Fiction and Fae Fantasy that had me on the edge of my seat from page 1. ⠀
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Joan Sands is a fierce female MC with the magic of Orishas in her blood. She can manipulate iron and uses this gift to help her family of blacksmiths and playwrights. When a spell is broken that keeps the fae away, terrible creatures start popping up in the Edwardian court and causing a menace. Joan saves in contemptuous Lord of the court and is forced to use her gifts for his dark purpose. Lord Siesel (spelling may be wrong. I listened to the audio book) is my most hated villain although there are quite a few. Joan's cutting critique of his character, "Men like him only trusted their own knowledge no matter how it may be lacking.", was brilliant !⠀
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Joan and her brother James are my favorite characters with their sarcastic sibling interactions and how deeply they love and support each other. They are both so creative and skilled and I love how their family encourages their gifts and pursuits. ⠀
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I also liked Joans love interests, Nick and Rose. The bisexual love triangle was an interesting twist and I think the romance angle will be fun to keep an eye on any future books in the series. ⠀
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I really enjoyed the troupe of actors and all of the references to Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The fact that the fae had names of the characters in the play was such a unique way to incorporate the Shakespearean history, but make it fresh and interesting. The author gave us bold black characters and didn't shy away from showing the kind of racism and sexism that was prevalent then and still plagues us today. The familiar play storyline caught my attention but the fantasy and mythology elements were what kept it. ⠀
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I'd recommend this book to all readers who love twists on old tales and wanna see more queer, BIPOC, fantasy books! Also the narrator was amazing.
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What a wild ride Brittany N Williams took me on!

I listened to the audio of That Self-Same Metal, narrated beautifully by Patricia Allison, and loved every moment.

That Self-Same Metal takes place in Shakespearean London, and our protagonist is Joan, a 16 year old young Black woman. She and her twin brother, James, are part of The King’s Men, which is William Shakespeare’s acting company - alongside the Bard himself. While James is an actor, it is illegal for Joan to do so, as she’s a woman. She teaches swordplay to the actors, as well as provides the swords. That’s because she has the secret ability to detect and create any type of metal.

This skill comes in handy when a lady between humans and Fae expires…and the Fae are free to do as they wish in London. Spoiler: it ain’t having afternoon tea with the nobility.

That Self-Same Metal is a fun adventure from beginning to end, with likable characters, heart-pounding action, Shakespearean plays and one amazing, badass main character in Joan.

Joan’s experience of racism is upsetting, but it’s an integral part of the story and the character. The same can be said of what she experiences as a woman in her daily life, and the expectations placed upon her because of that. These are conversations and topics that need to be at the forefront of our minds today, and Brittany N Williams portrays Joan’s experiences - and her reactions to these experiences - beautifully.

Oh, and the love interests! Yes, there are two! Nick, an apprentice actor in the company, and Rose, a mysterious woman who needs Joan’s help. But fear not, there’s no real angst. And seeing how this plays out will be so very interesting 😉

The King’s Men are a delightful group of actors, and are Joan’s found family. I fell in love with William Shakespeare and a few of the actors. I also loved how the plays were incorporated into the story, and how the Fae running amok in the city were the true, more evil versions of those in a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

All in all, a great debut by Brittany N Williams. I highly recommend That Self-Same Metal, and am looking forward to Book 2.

Thank you NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the combination of Shakespeare literature and fantasy in this YA debut about a sword-fighting bisexual Black girl in historical London. There is a love-triangle of sorts that provides some romance to this read, but I honestly preferred the relationship between Joan (the main character) and her twin brother. Overall, this was a great debut and I look forward to the continuation of the series!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Anything involving Fae and a black main character sign me up! I was excited to be able to get this story as an audio early but felt like it was a disservice to me to not have the physical copy as well. When this released I picked up the eBook and enjoyed the story so much more.

This story follows the main character Joan on her journey however there are many side characters that made the audio hard to follow. There were many times I had to rewind to figure out what was going on. It is set My favorite part of the story was Joan and James' sibling relationship. There's was the most developed.

Overall, I will say this story interested me enough to check out book two when it releases. I think many reader will enjoy this story.