n her debut novel, Brittany N. Williams combines Shakespearean literature and Yoruba religion into a stunning YA adventure!

There was so much to love about this book from its diverse cast to inclusive romance. Joan, our protagonist, faces malevolent fae as they toy with her life and the lives of her fellow thespians. She must also face the reality of being a young, black woman in Shakespearean London while trying to save the lives of those she loves. Williams’s ability to intertwine elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello shows a lot of promise for the rest of this series. I really enjoyed her take on the Orisha, how they interact with their children, and their gifts. I hope to see more development of the magic system and character arcs in the next installment!

There were a few aspects of the story that I felt held it back from its full potential. The love triangle seemed a bit “instalove-esque” to me. Due to the rapid pacing of the book, there wasn’t much room left for the development of these relationships. The writing was occasionally choppy, which one might from a debut novel, and the plot did get a bit drowned out at times. It was just a lot of information all at once combined with a story that moved quite quickly.

*I find it important to recommend that you check out the TW as there is content you may want to avoid.*

Thank you to @TLCbooks and NetGalley for providing me a free audio arc of this book!

While the description says it is perfect for fans of Holly Black, who is known for her dark faerie tales, I still found the book surprisingly gory. Other than severed limbs everywhere, I enjoyed the book. I love how Shakespeare and the plays he wrote are featured in a way to be art mimicking life and vice versa. It is a good read especially in finding an acceptance of self even if it is not as easy to do because of what makes you different or in this case has you sharing yourself with a god. I also really liked the narration. I am a big fan of audiobooks and do believe this narrator does a great job.

3.5. A debut that mostly delivers on its fun & fresh premise with gruesome fae, exciting swordfights, and an endearingly loyal troupe of actors. I LOVED the clash of Yoruba gods and English Faeries, and Joan was a spunky protagonist easy to read about and easy to root for. That Self-Same Metal is at its best when it lingers in the theater, where the author's heart and passion really shine.

I unfortunately found too many elements lacking in execution to quiite justify rounding this up rather than down. The romance is very insta-love, but beyond that it's also just executed in a way that feels really oddly shoehorned in and abrupt. It actually kind of made me uncomfortable? Williams seems to be setting up polyamory as the endgame, which I don't object to at all, but the suggestion is inserted very clunkily into the plot in a way that felt jarring and inorganic (they barely know each other! What a weird, audacious thing to suggest? Don't get me started on the inappropriately timed kiss.) Neither love interest feels fleshed out at all, and I had no attachment to them.

The promised Faerie and mortal politics were also ultimately a bit underwhelming, but maybe that's my fault for wanting this to be a political fantasy when it's action-adventure YA.

Overall I would recommend this to anyone interested in magical adventures in mostly-historically accurate Shakespearean London with a queer, Black main character and a lovely supporting cast.

Thank you OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. I really liked the book’s premise and description, however, it was somewhat confusing in some places for me. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting story and I would very likely pick up the next volume to see what happens next. 3.5⭐️

Very engaging, what a unique story for the setting and the main character is so unique, strong and fantastic!
I listened to an ALC from NetGalley and absolutely loved the narrator, which made it all the better.

This is an impressive debut that starts in on the action right away. Joan’s a young Black girl in England who works with a theatre group where she’s adept at crafting swords and sword fighting. What plays you ask? Why Shakespeare, of course, and the man himself is a part of the action. Joan also has a special secret: as a child of the Orisha she can command iron at her will. Joan finds herself in the middle of a political war amongst the fae that spills over into the real world. Her special gift puts her and her family at the crosshairs of both fae and human politics. Everyone’s trying to manipulate her.

This was a lot of fun to listen to, though I did get a little lost at times because a lot is happening. There’s no real gap between the action, and as soon as one crisis is averted, another pops up. I was pleasantly surprised by the queer aspect in that Joan starts to realize her bisexuality, and it’s done so sweetly. You’re reminded of how it feels to have your first crush. And most delightful is Shakespeare himself being in on the intrigue.

I definitely enjoyed this because it was different, and Allison is a magnificent narrator capturing Joan’s teenage crushes, grit, and anguish over her treatment as an exotic pet because she’s of color. The latter were incredibly cringey moments. Her color isn’t ignored and it’s demonstrated several times how it affects her assimilation into society.

I’d like to read the book to revisit details to understand them better, but overall this was a fun listen. A clever and unique story which I recommend if you’re a fantasy fan. I’m eager to see how the saga continues!

Thank you to @netgalley & @OrangeSkyAudio for my ALC.

. So a fun fact about this book is that when I was at a Leigh Bardugo book signing early this year, she recommended this book to the people there. So naturally, I requested it on NetGalley once I saw the audiobook, despite it being a form of reading I am not yet accustomed to. However, despite it taking me a lot longer to read than a book typically takes, it was a great book. I loved reading about all of the characters, and I am very glad that this book did not fully fall into the all-to-common trope of making William Shakespeare himself a fraud, although the character is definitely a real person. The book also does a good job of acknowledging the racism of the times and condemns it without holding these characters to today’s morals in the way that a lot of books do. Also there is a queerness and not just for the fae, for everyone, as I have a personal hatred for when the fae are queer in a way that seems as if they are queer to distinguish them as something other than human, as opposed to showing queerness as a human trait. I mean, the fae are still equally queer which is also good, but it's everyone this time.

An amazing exploration of black people in renaissance europe, giving the characters agency and purpose of their own. A successful family are granted powers from the Orisha, and are able to help the world around them. Their son and daughter both work for Shakespeare, and the daughter in particular revels in her job despite the limitations placed on her by society as both a girl and a black one at that.

She soon becomes embroiled in the politics above her pay-grade when the new King James thinks the treaty with fairies is hogwash and doesn't sign the expiring treaty. As a result, fae start pouring into the human world to wreck havoc, and its not a good time. Joan sees her uncle kidnapped and finds herself being saddled with the responsibility of fixing the mistakes the adults continually make. She finds romance along the way, challenging what she thought she wanted, while also promising the possibility of getting everything she wanted.

There's also the way Williams never shies away from the fact that while black people had lives in this time, there was not an easy life. The racism and sexism Joan faces constantly is weaved so intricately into the plot, scenes are only possible because of Joan's identity.The reader is thrown head first into the reality of this world, while also facing large overbloated creatures of fantasy.

An overall great time, and a world I can't wait to return to.

I enjoyed this genre-defying YA historical fantasy/romance debut so, so much!! Set in Shakespearean London, Joan is the daughter of a Blacksmith who manages the swords for a theatre company and has the magical ability to control metal. She's also part of a Black family that can see the Fae who walk among humans in disguise.

When trying to save her brother, she accidentally kills the leader of the Fae and gets caught up in an uprising. Full of intrigue, action, romance and so much more. I devoured this and loved it on audio narrated by Patricia Allison. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and highly recommend the book for fans of authors like Sarah Raughley or Liselle Sambury.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly, Williams had me sold just on the synopsis of THAT SELF-SAME METAL... Shakespearean London with a diverse cast, centered around The Globe and its acting company with some magic and Fae mixed in is all right up my alley. It is clear that Williams knows Shakespeare (both his works and the time period he lived in), and honestly I think this might be my favorite version of who Shakespeare the man was. It's SO nice to see Shakespearean London full of people of all skin tones and Williams does a great job at addressing the class structures and racism of the time period. As a theatre kid myself, I LOVED that part of the narrative focused on the plays being performed. Much like Hamlet's play-within-a-play, the action becomes layered and nuanced depending on the eyes that are viewing the events unfolding.

Joan's magical ability to control metal was super interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing more Fae characters along with exploring the magical powers gifted to the Sands family by Orisha... and what the cost of those abilities will be (all magic has a cost). There are some kinks to work out in this series, but overall this is a solid debut and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Forge & Fracture Saga!

Patricia Allison does a great job with the audiobook narration. THAT SELF-SAME METAL is a fun read now matter what medium you choose.

I received a physical ARC but decided to finish the last 30% by listening to the audiobook so I could comment on both mediums. Thank you to Pique Beyond and Abrams Books for a physical ARC. Audiobook provided by NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio in exchange for an honest review.

There's so much here to love! Never before have I read a young adult story about the Globe Theatre and William Shakespeare's players. The time period isn't a common one to be featured, and adding both Fae and West African mythology on top is just amazing. The creativity and uniqueness of this entire story is a delight!

The writing is a little uneven, though not in an unexpected way for a debut. Sometimes the Shakespearean time period comes across vibrantly, and sometimes the language and setting feel indistinguishable from a more modern story. The plot and action are fast paced and engaging, though I got left behind more than once by vague descriptions and scene jumps. These are things I have no doubt will be improved by stronger editing and more experienced writing, and I'm very much looking forward to book two in the series.

One interesting feature of this storytelling is short stories labeled as "interludes" sprinkled throughout the book. They introduce often one-off characters to fill in depth and background, sometimes becoming significant to the main plot and other times only crafting color. The interludes on paper seem like a thing I would hate, but they flow beautifully and round out the storyline in a wonderful way.

Main character Joan is a young Black woman in the past, so racism and sexism naturally figure into the plot. Sword-fighting both on and off stage lands her in some dangerous situations, and there are bloody injuries and more than one murder. Hints at a polyamorous relationship have me stoked for the future, even if the insta-lust beginnings had me giving strong side eye.

The audio version narrated by Patricia Allison is an excellent way to experience this book! Her range of accents and expression makes listening a delight.

This book was one that I had been looking forward to reading and I am not disappointed at all. I adored Joan and all the rest wonderful characters that populate this story. The idea of the Fae being an integral part of life fits so well especially when Ms. Williams let’s you know that William Shakespeare, who is part of the same theater troupe, is also Orisha-blessed. Good thing too, because London is having a serious problem with Far attacks since the human-fae pact was broken. It’s definitely worth checking this book out 🥰

That Self-Same Metal is a YA debut novel. It's a fae fantasy and a queer romance set in Shakespeare's London. I really enjoyed many of the vivid scenes and felt at times like I could picture the town and townsfolk. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the politics between the fae and human.
I do feel like there was a lot of information given and I unfortunately wasn't able to connect with the main character. I feel like Joan is great at her craft and I enjoyed the sword fighting as well. It was such a treat to listen to the narrator as she brought those scenes to life.
The narrator, Patricia Allison has a pleasant voice and I very much enjoyed listening to her British accent. It was great for the timeline of the story and helped elevate the story as well.

Story: 3.5
Narration: 4

A very special thanks to Abrams Books for the gifted book, and OrangeSky Audio for the ALC.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an ALC of this one!!

So many things I loved about this book:
The MC and her brother both excellent characters
Rose 🌹
Fae
Metal Bending!!!!
Theater
Shakespeare references
Elizabethan England but like taken over by faeries.
Why chose??? Like please. Please.

I can't wait to read the sequel!


CW: death, blood

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams was fantastic! It is written in third person and has an amazing maincharacter with wit and courage! There are Fae and people with magic and William Shakespeare is a character in this story!
One of the best YA debuts I have read in a while.
The maincharacter Joan is sixteen years old, queer and of color. She has the magic ability of controlling metal which her Head Orisha, Ogun had gifted her.
The Fae are depicted as dangerous creatures and seeing as Joan's whole family is Orisha-blessed they have been keeping an eye out for Fae around the city.
The book is very fast paced and many things are happening all at once. There are a few pov changes but we mostly focus on that of Joan. I really liked her as a maincharacter and I am really glad that girls all over the world will see themselves in Joan. Thank you Brittany for this beautiful powerful written woman!

Thank you so much NetGally for providing an early copy of the beautiful audiobook!

Content warnings: Racism, Sexcism

After seeing Tracy Deonn share about this book, I was very curious to check it out. Unfortunately, while the concept was intriguing, the execution felt lacking in my opinion and I didn’t end up enjoying this book as much as I hoped.

Set in Shakespearean London, featuring Shakespeare himself as a character, we follow a black family blessed by theirs gods with powerful magic. When the king fails to renew a pact between humans and the fae, the once harmless fae become a dangerous threat to all of London.

I was really excited to jump into this historical fantasy story. We have a strong female main character, topics of race and female autonomy in a historical setting, a unique magic system, and unique theatrical themes. Unfortunately, somehow the things I was most interested in got overshadowed.

While I do think a lot of readers would enjoy the heavy themes of romance and politics in this book, it wasn’t what I was hoping for from the story. Unfortunately, I found myself speeding through just to get to the end. I do hope that this book finds its way to the correct readers!

The narration of the audiobook was very well done and easy to listen to.

I was sold on the premise of this book- a sword-wielding Black girl fighting a fae uprising in Shakespearean London. Yes, sounds fantastic. And I think That Self-Same Metal delivers on the premise. While it does kind of read like a debut, there is a lot that I like about this - hello bisexual love triangle with the possibility of polyamory!

And as a fan of Shakespeare, this does a good job of integrating A Midsummer Nights Dream (obviously) and Othello in cool ways. It's clear that the author is well-versed in both Shakespeare and this historical time period (including the treatment of Black people living in London at the time), and does a great job of making that fit into this fantasy novel in a way that makes it accessible for younger readers. It deals with the racism and sexism of the time, while having a great heroine trying to make the life that she wants for herself within the social constraints she is dealing with. Oh, and also navigating the power over iron gifted to her by an Orisha who occasionally possesses her body. No big deal, right? And of course there are lots of dangerous fae about, especially since a magical treaty has recently expired and they can now threaten humans.

Overall I thought this was a fun and action-packed story that does a pretty good job of blending elements, though there are times the writing is choppy. I look forward to more from this author in the future! The audio narration is also well done. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.