Did not finish.

I started this book but it became apparently very quickly that it wasn't quite my cup of tea. I gave it a good shot, but decided to DNF after a few chapters.

Felt like this had too much going on, and there wasn't enough attention given to either sister's storyline and setting because the two were so wildly different.

I got Grace & Fury by Tracy Banghart in a Fairyloot box years ago, and for Reasons (yeah, idk either) I didn't pick it up. Even though it sounds right up my street and I've recommended it to people.

When my original read for Medievalathon's duology prompt fell through, Grace & Fury is what I turned to. And wow. It blew me away.

***

5 Word Review: Family, loyalty, survival, manipulation, rebellion.

Content warnings: Gore, violence, threat of sexual assault.

I have no idea why I waited so long to pick up Grace & Fury, but now I'm pretty furious at myself. Because it was absolutely excellent. And I can't believe it took Medievalathon for me to pick up.

From the very first lines, I was addicted to this book. I couldn't put it down. I sat and read all day, I needed to know what was going to happen.

When it comes to the characters, I am very much team Serina. She is an EXCELLENT example of how strength is not always physical. She is smart, and calculating, and although she has been trained her whole life to submit to men and authority and the perfect Grace, she had a backbone of steel. She was absolutely my favourite character, and it hurt to see her life shattered.

Nomi? Well. She's selfish and dangerous. She doesn't think about the wider picture, or what the consequences of her actions would be. She is so frustrating. And even at the end, when she starts to wake up properly to reality, I'm still not a fan. For all that Serina thinks that Nomi is smart and tough, she really isn't. That award goes to Serina, who thinks so little of herself.

I loved the exploration of society through fashion and customs. It was subtle, but it helped build the world so well. I loved the descriptions of clothing, from gowns to rags. Everything felt so much more real.

There is some excellent court intrigue and all sorts of plotting. I loved the hope in the story, how Serina and Nomi kept fighting because of that shred of hope, a distant what if.

I just... This book. It's amazing and I loved it, even if I didn't like all of the characters. If anything, I loved it more for that.

The premise of this book sounded really interested and I was intrigued to read it. I think when I read it though my opinions fell alongside those of alot of other people. I liked the idea, I liked the two protagonists (mainly because they were sisters and I really loved their relationship), and I liked the author's aim at presenting a feminist viewpoint. However, I felt the impact was kind of lost behind the typical tropes of the genre. By the end it felt kind of lacklustre for me. It was an okay read, quick and easy with really good characters.

Wow, this story was incredible, at the beginning I thought it was just going to be a regular fantasy where the girl and boy fall in love, but this is something else! I loved the twists. I adore the women on the island and I want to know what happens next for them. I need the next book!

I have pretty mixed feelings about this book - I think it was trying to do something quite special in terms of demonstrating feminist values, but it just kind of ended up being a fairly standard YA fantasy with a lot of the tropes of the genre. It tells the story of sisters Serina and Nomi, one of whom has been trained to be a Grace and the other who is set to be her handmaiden, but when the heir chooses Nomi over Serina as his Grace, the sisters find themselves separated and thrust into the power politics of the court. There were some aspects that just had me tearing my hair out because they were so obvious and stereotypical. There were however, enough other aspects to the narrative to keep my interest - particularly Serina's narrative, which I found quite enjoyable. All in all, there is plenty to enjoy here as long as you go in knowing that the narrative does hit a lot of the YA tropes.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Although another typical YA fantasy I did really enjoy it, i liked both sisters perspectives although did prefer one over the other.
With some popular yet interesting tropes this was a good solid read with a brilliantly compelling world.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I had forgotten I pre ordered this one so wound up with a finished Kindle copy as well. The premise of this YA fantasy sounded interesting enough, two different sisters have spent their lives prepping for a certain roles and something happens and their positions get switched over.

I’m torn on this one because the story itself was interesting enough to want to know what was going to happen but everything felt very flat and under developed. In this fantasy world women have no rights. They’re not allowed even allowed to read, or study – they’re there to either marry and raise a family or work without questions in dull factories. The most coveted role for a woman is a Grace – the perfect example of the demure subservient woman.

Perspective Graces are chosen and get to live a life of luxury at the palace to be of service to the King and his Heir as and when called for. Serina has been prepping her whole life to be a Grace, her younger more rebellious sister Nomi is going to be her Handmaiden. At least that way they will be together. A Grace’s family is looked after and lives a life of wealth as well. Serina is all light and fluff. Nomi is the more serious twin. She wants to be able to make her own choices, her own decisions without the approval of a man. She’s already rebelled in her own way and learned something she shouldn’t be able to do.

Yet when the girls get to the palace, it’s Nomi who’s chosen as a Grace, and has no idea how to handle it. She’s never been interested in learning things like dancing and needlepoint. She has also caught the attention of the king’s Heir, Malachi, who’s supposed to be cold and mean. And dangerous.

At the start of this I had the feeling that the reader is supposed to be rooting for Nomi because she doesn’t want to conform to the role set out for her. However, I found Nomi to be an idiot. She makes a major error and Serina pays for it to protect her sister. Nomi is floundered by being a Grace, and now has to do it without Serina’s help.

She also manages to catch the eye of the Heir’s brother Asa, who’s very handsome and charming (and much nicer than Malachi). He’s kind and helpful. I found Nomi to be utterly annoying and eye rollingly stupid in some of her actions while she gets to know Asa and starts falling head over heels for him. Graces are not permitted to take lovers. They are for the Heir only.

Serina’s story, meanwhile, took a really unexpected turn. She’s forced into a tough situation where she has to rely on her strength and self preservation to survive, it’s a massive shock to her system and it’s utterly captivating. Quite horrific as well and brutal as Serina navigates her new word. Serina turned out for me to be the much stronger sister, and she was the one who drove the story forward to keep me interested in reading.

Nomi’s chapters made me want to throw things.

While the story was fairly fast paced, there was something…lacking from the story as a whole. The characters weren’t really fleshed out much, Serina was the only one in my opinion who showed some major growth. And if the novel was all about her, then I probably would have rated it higher. She’s the reason I want to read the next book.

One thing I did really like was the sense of family and belonging to each other the girls have, they would do anything for each other. Their older brother Renzo has a part to play in the story too and he’s part of that close-knit family unity. The end picked up a bit, there was a twist which is one of those I should have seen that coming from a mile away (but didn’t) things. While this is never going to be a favourite fantasy, it certainly had potential and I’m interested to see where the story will go next.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Children’s Group for the review copy.

Sisters Serina and Nomi live in a land where women have no rights.
The two of them are very different - composed and graceful, Serina has spent her life training to become a Grace, hoping to be chosen by the Heir for a life in the palace where she might become the mother of the next Heir. Stubborn and headstrong, Nomi will be Serina's handmaiden.
But Nomi has a secret. One that might change the sisters' lives forever if it is discovered.

My favourite part of Grace and Fury was definitely the two protagonists, Serina and Nomi. They were very different but they loved each other a lot. It was interesting to read as they were put in situations that were outside their comfort zones and to see how they reacted.
The plot was pretty predictable but the setting was interesting. It was scary to imagine a world where women had no power and weren't even allowed to read.
The writing style was easy to follow.
At the moment I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel but I am interested to see what happens in the sequel.
I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the blurb really intrigued me.

Overall this was an enjoyable, but predictable read.

A surprisingly generic read. YA fantasy but without magic, this was The Selection meets Red Queen. The author is trying very hard to make this a feminist book, which I appreciate for the effort involved, but too many tropes are used for it to feel fresh. The alternating chapters fall into the trap of one being more interesting than the other. It took me a long time to read despite it's short length.

I received Grace and Fury in a Fairyloot box a few months ago. Right around the same time I got accepted on Netgalley for an eARC. I had been really looking forward to this book, but as a mood reader, I just couldn’t bring myself to pick it up.

Earlier this month (August) that changed. I suddenly wanted to read it. It’s a short book so I flew through it in a couple of days.

At first glance I thought I would love Nomi and hate Serina. I was wrong. So wrong. Nomi adapts to a sudden change of her world, and plans for the future, quickly. But in my opinion she seems to take a backstep. Of course if she didn’t all hell would probably break loose sooner than it did. Serina on the other hand grows so much. I loved that she was this squishy, has never done much except get pampered and she becomes this fierce force of nature.

Of course much like other books of this style there are two princes. I saw the twist regarding these two coming but it was written pretty well, so I didn’t mind.

I loved that there was a wide variation of secondary characters, some I could see myself being friends with.

I usually prefer fictional politics when reading books like this, however on this occasion I much preferred reading about the Island. The way the women run the place fascinated me.

The plot was fairly generic in some places and so I didn’t love it, but I did still enjoy the book. The writing style had a nice flow and you could hear each character in their point of views.

I give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I loved the sound of Grace & Fury by Tracy Banghart when I first heard about it - a world where women have no rights, with two sisters who have very different fates, one in a the palace, the other in a prison. It sounded so intriguing! I wasn't expecting it to be quite as good as it was, though!

In a world where women have no rights, where women don't get to choose their jobs, who they marry, and are forbidden from reading or standing up to men in any way, two sisters' lives are chosen for them. Serina has spent her whole life training to be a Grace - a wife to the Heir to the throne, to provide children, and be an example to the world of the perfect woman; submissive, docile, and eager to please. As a Grace, enough money would be sent home for her old, tired mother to give u[ work as a seamstress in a factory, and for her brother to be able to pay for a wife. Her younger sister, Nomi, however, is the complete opposite of Serina. Nomi has spirit and fire in her belly, and doesn't believe it's right that women have no choices. She's rebellious and rash, acting or speaking without thinking, and getting herself into trouble. Her rebelliousness has led to a secret - one that could ruin everything for herself, her sister, and her family. When Serina arrives at the palace to join the other prospective Graces, with Nomi in tow as her handmaid, Serina believes the perfect life of parties and glamour could be in her future, with a job secured for Nomi, too, where she wouldn't have to work herself to death, or be chained to a man she cannot choose. But when Nomi is unable to hold her tongue, behave well, and keep her secret under wraps, the two are separated - one a Grace, the other sent to an island prison where it's fully expected she will die...

Oh my god, I can't tell you just how much I loved this book! There's so much I want to say, but things get moving very quickly from the very start, and saying too much would spoil things. What I can say is that it's when the two get separated that each sister is really tested. Life at the palace isn't everything Serina thought it would be, and life on a island prison isn't what anyone would expect either. Women there are separated into crews, and each time new prisoners arrive, a woman from each crew is chosen to fight the others - to the death. The guards place bets, and rule with an iron fist. Life on the island reminded me very much of the life of a gladiator; days on end of training, leading to a fight to the death. While life at the palace is full of parties and glamour, it's also full of competition, scheming and plots, and the expectation that the Graces will do whatever the Heir desires - whether they want to or not.

The story is dual narrated by both Serina and Nomi, and I loved them both! Nomi has such a spark and fire to her, and she's so strong in her convictions, her beliefs that women should have and deserve more. That women should have choice in their lives, be allowed to read, and allowed to speak their mind. She's just brilliant, and it's wonderful to see a character like her in this world where women keep their faces down. It's such a terrible world that they live in, and it's so awesome to have a character who is against it from before the story even starts, rather than just accepting it, and waking up to the injustice as the story goes on. Which is what Serina does. She doesn't think there's anything to be done, so she's decided to make the best of the life she has, and go for the better of the few options available to her. Both girls grow throughout the novel; Nomi discovering a softer side to herself, and Serina realising how wrong their world is - how it's not acceptable, and shouldn't be accepted, and discovers some iron in her blood. Both girls fight in their own ways, and it's wonderful seeing them both trying to make change.

There's also such a strong theme of sisterhood throughout the novel - but not just between Serina and Nomi, although their relationship is beautiful! They are so different, and they are often on the opposite sides of an argument, but they genuinely care about each other, and the other is the driving force behind everything they do. But there are also so many other women in this novel, who are brilliant, caring women doing all they can to survive, but looking after their own at the same time. Women are forced to compete in so many ways, for so little, but there are times when they really stand together and fight for each other, and it's so beautiful to see!

I did find Serina's story a little more interesting that Nomi's, because I didn't know entirely how her story would turn out - I had an idea, but nothing concrete. With Nomi's story, however, I had my theories right from the off. However, while it turned out I was right, it was more gut instinct than anything that was overtly obvious, so I was never completely sure if I was right, though I did have very strong suspicions.

I also loved how it was written. As it's dual narrated, Serina and Nomi have alternate chapters, and almost every chapter ended on it's own mini cliff-hanger, so you'll be dying to read Nomi's next chapter when Serina's starts, but by the end of Serina's chapter, you're desperate to know what happens next for her, too. I really think it takes such skill to keep the tension flowing throughout a story like that, to have so many moments where you catch your breath at how a chapter ended for each an every chapter. It's just brilliant!

And the ending! Oh my god, I loved the ending! The two endings, for each sister! I can't say anything, but things are going to be very interesting in the sequel! I was vindicated in one respect, amazed and overwhelmed in another, and kind of hopeful with a side dish of apprehension overall. Such an incredible story, and a fantastic debut! Really can't wait for the next book in the series, and to be back with these two incredible sisters again!

Thank you to Hodder Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

I love some feminist YA fantasy, so was pleased to get approved for this ARC (as well as receive a gorgeous hardback of the UK edition in the June 2018 FairyLoot!). GRACE & FURY wasn’t the most unique YA fantasy/dystopian novel that I’ve read, but as we’ve seen with novels such as ASH PRINCESS, that doesn’t always matter.

GRACE & FURY takes place in a world where women have basically no rights – they’re not allowed to write or read, and one of the best things a woman can be is a Grace, which is basically a glorified concubine or handmaiden to the Superior (their leader). The book is split between two characters – Nomi and Serina – who are sisters, and they’re different in pretty much every way. Serina has been training for years to become a Grace, and is content being pretty and perfect and submissive, whereas Nomi has learned to read in secret, and resents being seen as an object. But when the girls are caught in a dangerous misunderstanding, their plans go out of the window as Serina is carted off to a deadly island where women must fight to the death, and Nomi takes her sister’s place as a Grace…

Sisterhood is a strong theme of the novel, especially apparent when Serina takes the fall for her sister, and Nomi decides to submit to her role as a Grace in order to try and get Serina freed. Both sisters are thrown into roles they aren’t prepared for – Nomi as a Grace, Serina as a fighter – and are both driven by their love for each other, and determination to see each other again.

The romance in this book was so-so – a similar issue I had with ASH PRINCESS – but it was fine, and didn’t derail the plot, so I didn’t mind it. I absolutely loved the idea of the prison island where Serina is sent – women form tribes which fight each other to the death for scraps because there isn’t enough food to go round. While this sounds horrendous, it was very cool to see lots of characters who were older, battle-scarred and weary women, some driven practically savage by their time on the island. Some were fragile, some were deadly, and all were great to read about.

Even though I’d put this book in the fantasy section, there’s not really any magic – it’s more of an Italian-inspired fictional dystopia. There are some great plot twists and a killer ending, and I can’t wait for the second instalment!

Grace and Fury was a refreshing YA fantasy with excellent world-building and engaging characters. The story is almost as if you combined The Handmaid's Tale and The Selection or Red Queen. It's a brutal blend, but beautifully done. The characters are well-developed and impossible not to root for. Recommended to readers who enjoy books similar to The Selection, The Belles, Caraval, or The Winner's Curse.

A slow start, but what a fantastic read. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy...great read.
Nomi and Serina...two wonderful characters who went way beyond what I expected.
Trained for life as a Grace, a concubine, Serina is determined she will become used to her life of privilege. But when she is sent to the castle, things are going on behind the scenes that she can’t begin to imagine.
Her sister takes her role...something she doesn’t want. Serina is sent to prison for nothing obvious. There’s no getting away from this warped set-up...but it works.
Both characters are intriguing, and we really get to see why they act as they do. Deception, plotting and some determined characters...my only complaint is where this got left!

This book has got massive amounts of potential. I can’t actually wait to read the second, I want to know how it’s all going to wrap up. I’ve not read a book recently that reflects the feelings of women in today’s society and this book does it perfectly.

I like Nomi. She was rebellious, determined and had the passion to change the rules. In a world where woman aren’t allowed to do anything, she found her way round things and she made a great character for it.

Serina. I wasn’t sure of her to begin with but by the end of the book she definitely made it clear that she was a different woman. She was tough, determined and definitely had the right train of thought. She stood her ground and become the best woman she could be.

I’m beginning to think that Val is going to be an important character in the second book. As for Malachi, well… We’ll have to see about that but I hope this isn’t the end of his story. I think he can play a huge part in the second book. I felt off with Asa from the beginning, he felt conveniently placed and my suspicions were right in a way.

The writing style of the book was great. Switching between Nomi and Serina each chapter was a clever move. We got to see each of the girls take their own seperate journeys and their role reversals.

What does stand out for me in this book is that Nomi belongs in todays day and age. She wants equality for women, she’s not afraid to stand up and say her piece. I liked the fact that Serina gets there eventually, and she does it in true badass style.

I’m really looking forward to the follow up, whenever it is due for publication (Just found out that it’s due next year). I’ve given this book a 4 out of 5. I think that it has potential, and I hope that carries on.

This felt like a mix of other books and not always in a good way. When i finished this, i thought about what i would rate it, a weak four or a high 3. I felt like the two sisters characters switched places in the middle of the book and that there were moments when you could switch either name and it'd be the same. I probably will pick up the second one as i hope that the weak character issues are solved. There was a slight hint at a potential lesbian relationship and i would've preferred that over instalove that was there.

Grace and Fury shares a lot with titles like The Belles, The Selection, The Glittering Court, and The White Rose: a girl is plucked from obscurity to compete for the title of Princess in a harem that resembles a gilded battery farm. G&F begins exactly as one would expect. The Prince is presented with a cossetted, polished, "accomplished" girl and....chooses her ugly little sister instead. In another book, said sister would charm the snooty court, befriend her most vicious rival and eventually convince the Prince to let her people go. Nomi doesn't quite manage that. While her sister Serina was being trained as a Grace- a process that literally involves "fattening up", so Serina can stand out in her malnourished country- Nomi taught herself to read. She steals a book from the palace library and poor Serina- relegated to Nomi's former position as a maid- is caught holding it whilst telling a story from memory. That looks a lot like reading to the lawmakers, who immediately drag her to "Hotel Misery" to atone for her sins. Serina is suddenly facing starvation; Nomi is left to navigate the court alone. They are both in mortal danger- and that's what makes Grace and Fury so exciting.
Serina and Nomi's relationship reminded me of Game of Thrones' Sansa and Arya Stark. Sansa is often condemned by fans for bowing to her enemies- she publicly denounces her father as a traitor and continues to profess her love for her betrothed, Prince Joffrey, long after her cuts off her father's head. The same fans praise her tomboy sister Arya, who manages to escape the court, live rough as a boy and eventually attend assassin school on the other side of the world. By appearing cowardly, Sansa is able to survive- and retain most of her humanity. Arya would rather die than deny her father- which means she would survived for around thirty seconds in Queen Cersei's court. Sansa might have been able to follow Arya's path, but Arya would NEVER have survived in Sansa's shoes.
The Prince chose Nomi over Serina in a childish display of power. Though she did everything according to the rules, Serina failed- or WAS failed- because the rules can change according to the Prince's whim. She is removed from the only setting where her beauty may have awarded her power and sent to an island where only the tough survive. She toughens up beautifully. Nomi is far less successful- I hope her fortunes will improve in the sequel (which I hope is coming VERY soon!)
I would recommend Grace and Fury to readers who have enjoyed- but perhaps been a little bored by- the fairytale-esque series' described above. There is a lot of physical violence, as well as high-stakes emotional tension- it could act as a 'jumping off point' for younger readers desperate to read (or watch) The Handmaid's Tale.

Breathtaking! An interesting world with interesting characters. The role of women, their strength and the world of feminism done well.

Serina and Nomi are brilliant as sisters and individually. I loved Nomi to begin with, but I ended up enjoying Serina’s chapters the most. I loved reading her growth and her development. It was empowering for me and wholly inspiring.

The plot was brilliant - up until maybe...a certain point. It was good until I had an inkling of where it was going. I think it was just me because I don’t trust certain character types and personalities - not after a certain series *cough cough*. And it reminded me of it, that pretty popular YA series already existing.
Grace & Fury is entirely different and has its own unique quirks, but I was a bit upset at the way things turned out because it felt predictable.

The characters, however, totally made this book. I loved them, found the romance to be interesting (also quite familiar), and was pretty satisfied with their development.

Definitely a book that makes it onto my Top 2018 Reads! Except for that one little plot issue I had, the themes and the characters and the writing were absolutely divine and amazing.

Thanks to Netgalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been hearing a lot about this book in the build-up to its release, but I haven’t actually heard too much about the synopsis. Recently, there’s been a whole spate of YA books about royalty, and as much as I enjoy that, I’m sort of in a bit of a ‘need something refreshing for a while’ mood. But even with my misgivings, Grace and Fury was a pretty enjoyable book.

I liked the concept behind this a lot– a world where women don’t have rights, and they don’t have much of a chance of a future. I thought it was quite a lot of motivation for the characters to know they were either going to spend their lives in a factory or married to a rich man who told them what to do. And obviously, that kind of world sounds absolutely hideous, and I wouldn’t want anyone to actually live there, but the concept grabbed my attention and held me firm throughout the book. There are moments when this message about female empowerment gets a little blurry– I could have done without some of the male characters dominating parts of the plot and seeming to make all the decisions, but at the same time I realize that this is a series and it makes sense that there’s going to be people in this world who either want to maintain the status-quo or who want change but don’t know how to influence it.

Character-wise, Nomi and Serina were okay. They were both reasonably developed, and they both had quite clear talents and flaws. It might have been nice to see a bit more personality coming across– I feel like Nomi was pretty much defined by her rebelliousness and Serina’s character for much of the book was all about her looks and lack of rebelliousness. There wasn’t much in the way of likes and dislikes or other things that make a character come to life. At least that’s how I felt.

The pace of the story is very good. A lot happens, and the switch between protagonists works well in Grace and Fury because it means there’s always something going on, there’s always an excuse to turn the page because even when Nomi is just wandering around the palace, Serina is in imminent danger and vice-versa. It makes for a compelling and tense read all the way through the book. Admittedly, I have seen that plot-twist ending done before, perhaps more successfully, in other YA books, but I don’t mind too much because it was still entertaining, and I imagine it will spin out in a different direction in book two.

Overall, I’m giving Grace and Fury a 7/10 stars. It was a fun read, and the change of protagonists at the start of each chapter made it flow really well. I’m hoping with book two we’ll see some more character-development and some build on the feminist themes, but it’s already quite a gripping read. If you’re a person who likes plot-driven novels, this is a good one to pick up.