#YA Historical

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour and ARC Review: By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter

Welcome to my stop on the By Any Other Name book tour with Colored Pages Blog Tours. (This blog tour is also posted on my wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Book info:

TITLE: By Any Other Name AUTHOR: Erin Cotter PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2023 GENRES: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy PAGES: 464 REPRESENTATION: Queer MCs

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Synopsis:

A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era young adult romp perfect for fans of F.T. Lukens and Mackenzi Lee.

London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeare’s stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, he's playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secret—or risk being killed in the bloody queen’s imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family.

But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Will’s plans are hopelessly dashed. What’s worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. And so, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queen’s life, she names him her next spymaster.

Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, which—yes—will secure him the resources to help his family…but at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Will’s new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Will’s skin immediately.

Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queen’s life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.

Author Bio:

Erin Cotter writes young adult fiction. Originally from Buffalo, New York, she currently calls Austin home. When not writing she spends time with her partner and pets, eating tacos, and searching for Golden-cheeked Warblers in the Texas Hill Country.

Author Links:

Goodreads WebsiteInstagram

My Rating: ★★★★

*My Review, Favorite Quotes, and Tour Schedule below the cut.

My Review:

I can’t give this five stars because I didn’t love it and I definitely wouldn’t read it again, but it absolutely deserves four for how very much I didn’t love the setting - purely a case of personal preference - and at the same time how much I loved the characters. It takes skill to pull such a visceral response of dislike from me and at the same time endear the characters to me so strongly.

The thing I like least about this book, and the thing that makes me admire the skill of the author the most, is the rawness of life in this medieval world. These characters live in filth. They are accustomed to it. Humanity here, from the aristocrats to the peasants, is only a step away from animals. Life is unpredictable, brutal, full of disease and filth and crassness and betrayal. And no one bats an eye.

It reminds me of Catherine Called Birdy (a book I still vividly remember viscerally hating when I had to read it for school all those years ago) in the way it portrays a world of casual brutality and scrabbling in the mud for a life. Honestly it’s probably at least in part a bit of germaphobia that makes me hate this world so.

Will and his friends go through so much over the course of the novel, and there are so many plot twists, that I was constantly surprised by events and by their tenacity and determination to survive. I never saw a single thing coming in the course of the assassination and murder investigation. I could see, after each piece had fallen into place, exactly how it fit, but not how it got there.

The characters and events were melodramatic and sometimes strained credulity, but it all fits with the underlying theme of plays and players. Shakespeare and Marlowe are even characters. Will begins as an actor playing girls on stage in Marlowe's plays, and he keeps all of those actor characteristics to his personality throughout the story.

Will is likable no matter his selfishness and many faults, and i found myself continually rooting for him and his star-crossed love. And I came away loathing the nobility, especially Elizabeth. Her court was rotten and she was the worst of them all.

The way the story played out was very satisfying and wrenched a lot of feelings from me. Not least of which was the conviction that I absolutely positively never want to visit this world.

Seriously though, James' sister Catherine deserved so much better. Her part of the story is the one thing that really disappointed me.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Colored Pages Blog Tours, and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

Goddamn it. I’ve been trying not to let these two become my friends, but they became my friends anyway.

---

Whatever lack of experience Bloomsbury claims he has, his inspired performance as the most vexing person I’ve ever met is certainly coming from somewhere.

---

To hell with Marlowe and Bloomsbury and all the other people who tug me into their dark intrigues and give me no lantern to light my way. I am tired of being left in the dark.

---

“We don’t need your coin!” Maggie snarls. “’Tis coin. We always need coin,” Inigo amends in a small voice.

---

Should I fail, the stakes are dire; impersonating a man of the noble class is a crime punishable by death. Though to be fair, most of the crimes in England are punishable by death.

---

’Tis a brave and dangerous thing to go about this world having dreams. A dream is even more fickle and fleeting than a life.

---

“So we’re not here to have fun?” I say, to be cetain I’m understanding Foxwell correctly. Because it very much appears as though we’re in the midst of fun.

---

’Tis Reamonn, the swashbuckling pirate lad. He prickles with knives like an adorable, bloodthirsty hedgehog.

Tour Schedule:

October 4th

@monikasbookblog - Review + Favorite Quotes

raavenreads - Review Post

October 5th

Yourlocalbookreader - Review + Reel

@monarchsandmyths - Review + Favorite Quotes

October 6th

_perpetualpages_ - Review Post

Whimsical Dragonette - Review + Favorite Quotes

October 7th

ofpagesandprint - Review + Reel

@moyashi_girl - Review Post

October 8th

@poatic.library - Review + Reel

@gingerly_reading - Review Post

October 9th

Readreviewcoffee - Review + Favorite Quotes

Spacey Ghost - Review Post

October 10th

​​@rubyraereads - Review Post

Bangalimeyreads - Review + Reel

[lisabythebook]

Divine Rivals

Title: Divine Rivals Author: Rebecca Ross Genre: YA Romance Subgenre(s): Fantasy, Historical Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Review: The logline is a tad misleading. This is first and foremost an epic rivals to lovers Romance, set during a magical war between Gods. There is a brief mention of the lore and history of the war but the magical elements aren't really the focus and the war is a catalyst for Iris and Roman's Romance.

While I went in expecting this to be more of an Epic Fantasy with a side of Romance, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this more. Iris is a strong lead and the banter between her and Roman was both hilarious and endearing. The book had a lot of cute and strong moments for a story that is set in the backdrop of a war. Even if you aren't a Fantasy fan, Romance lovers will definitely enjoy this book.

⭒⭒⭒ MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD ⭒⭒⭒

Full Synopsis: I am mainly writing this because there is a good chance I will completely forget the plot before the sequel comes out (Yes, unfortunately, this ends on a cliff hanger.) Please AVOID reading any further if you don't want the entire plot spoiled.

Iris and Roman are two journalists competing for a columnist position at their town's more prestigious newspaper. While both talented, Iris is a shoo-in for the position, except her home life hinders her. Her older brother has left to fight in the war - a war between two Gods who have recently awoken.

Dacre was a God who lived underground - similar to Hades, while Enva was a sky God. Bored one day, Dacre was enamored by Enva's musical talents / beauty and basically forced her into going underground with him. One day, Enva realized that if she sung lullabies, she could put Dacre and his subjects into a slumber. She used this as an opportunity to escape. She went back and played her lullabies for so long that they believe it put Dacre and all the other Gods into a long slumber. It was believed that Enva was also asleep and that all the Gods were defeated by humans but Iris suspects Enva had been awake the whole time. Iris' brother goes to fight on Enva's side.

Iris' mother is an alcoholic and lost her job after Forest left to fight in the war. She is accidentally killed one day. One night, Iris decides to type a letter to Forest on her grandmother's old typewriter. Little does she know, when she places it in the wardrobe, it is sent to Roman. Iris loses the Columnist position to Roman due to her grief over her mother's death and decides to sign up to be a war correspondent with a competing paper. She wants a chance to look for Forest as he never wrote to her like promised. Roman and Iris had been communicating via their magical typewriters, which belonged to their grandmothers and were specially made with magical abilities to be able to communicate with the other typewriter. Roman doesn't tell Iris who he is and instead goes by his middle name, Carver. Iris tells him she is leaving and he realizes she is headed towards war. Roman also finds out he is betrothed to a girl whose family builds bombs/weapons for Dacre. His family owns the railroads.

In the new town, Iris meets a woman (Marisol) who owns a B&B and another war correspondent (Attie) from her hometown. Marisol's wife (Keegan) is also fighting in the war. Marisol warns them that there are 3 alarms, one during the day that means flying Eithrals would drop bombs on any moving thing below; one at night which meant the hounds were out; and one that meant they had to evac because the town before theirs was being overtaken.

Roman ditches the job and his family and arrives in Avalon Bluff as an eithral alarm was going off and Iris saves him. They volunteer to go to the front lines to observe and report. However, Iris almost gets killed and Roman saves her but his leg gets badly damaged. Iris loses her mother's locket in the chaos. Roman reveals to Iris that he is Carver and they reconcile and Roman proposes. That same day, the evac alarm goes off and Iris gets word that her brother is still alive and fighting close by. She decides to stay with Marisol, Attie, and Keegan. Roman stays with her. That night, the gang plans a wedding for Roman and Iris and they get married.

The next morning, the town is attacked with tear gas and everyone gets separated. Attie and Iris were supposed to bring Roman and Marisol to a lorry and drive Marisol to her family near Oath (Iris' hometown). Iris sees Attie and Marisol headed towards the lorry while she is pulled by who she thinks is Roman in a gas mask. She is dragged away from the lorry and she realizes that it isn't Roman, but her brother, Forest. She sees Roman struggling behind her in the gas cloud but can't get to him.

Forest drags her away to safety. She finds out Forest has the locket she dropped when Dacre's forces were advancing on them at the front lines and realized he was fighting for Dacre. Apparently when he was mortally wounded fighting for Enva, Dacre healed him but forces him to fight for his side. He was pulled out of it when he saw the locket on the ground and knew Iris was fighting nearby. When they went back to look for Roman, Forest noticed a circle on the grass where they left him and knew that Dacre had taken Roman underground. Iris and Forest make it back to Oath/their home, while Dacre finds Roman and chooses to revive him. He does not set fire to Avalon because he has plans for it

[echosofbooks]

RELEASE DAY BLITZ - MAGDA, STANDING by Christine Fallert Kessides

Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides is out now! Check out the gorgeous story of a girl’s struggle for self-determination as the country perches on the edge of war and pandemic, out now! Title: Magda, Standing Author: Christine Fallert Kessides Genre: YA Historical About Magda, Standing: When her father pulls her out of high school to care for her invalid mother and little brother,…

[flaviathebibliophile]

Queen Bee by Amelie Howard (Review)

Title: Queen Bee Author: Amalie Howard Type: Fiction Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance Publisher: Joy Revolution (Penguin Random House Canada) Date published: April 4, 2023 A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the Penguin Reads program bu Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever…

[royaltea000]

I don’t think your rizz is working my man :/

[bansheebooks]

A few hours at home and the Telegraph Club seemed more like a fantasy than a real thing. This troubled her. It felt as if someone had taken an eraser to her memory - to her very self - and rubbed at it, then blown away the remains. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

[thesleeptokenarchive]

Historical Imagery 2017

'Hey Ya' promotional photographic imagery by Scott Chalmers [FB]

[bookishlyvintage]

Green & Gold 🍀

[oracleofmadness]

This was such a delight! Gwen is a princess at Camelot, years after Arthur Pendragon has turned to myth. Arthur is her betrothed. However, neither is looking forward to their future together because both are queer.

Gwen has spent years falling for the one and only female knight that takes part in the tournament every summer while Art is falling for Gwen's brother. This story is not only romantic but is full of meaningful moments. The dialogues, the banter, is so funny and enjoyable.

The ending completely surprised me. I thought this would never get too serious, but the ending is intense!

Out November 28, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

[traeumenvonbuechern]

Historical Romances by Black Authors

Aphrodite wishes to escape the marriage mart but will a second chance with the elusive Duke of Everely change her mind? Aphrodite Du Bell is a diamond of the first water and a favourite of the queen. But her renowned loveliness didn't stop the love of her life, Evander Eagleman, from jilting her and marrying another woman four years ago. Aphrodite has been in self-imposed exile ever since. However, when her formidable mother summons her back to London Aphrodite has no choice but to acquiesce. Upon her return, Aphrodite learns that the newly widowed Evander is in town and, despite her best efforts, the grand society events of the season repeatedly push them together. With each encounter, Aphrodite's traitorous feelings make it perfectly clear that the Duke still holds court over her heart. Why did Evander cast Aphrodite aside all those years ago, and now that they have a second chance, can the couple make strides to mend past hurts?

Ailsa Connery has waited three long years to finally escape her enslavement at Stirling Castle and reunite with her clan. But her carefully laid plans are completely destroyed by the arrival of the infamous Highland warrior known as Dubh Mahoun, the Black Devil…who has plans of his own. Kallum MacNeill's fearsome reputation has long allowed him to keep hidden his secret double life of freeing enslaved captives across the land. It's only when he kidnaps a servant lass—quite by accident—that he finds himself facing a wee predicament. He must accompany the lass home or risk her exposing his true identity. It'd be easy enough…if the feisty hellion didn't fight him at every turn. As they make their way to the Highlands, the perils the two must face are surpassed only by their constant sparring. Soon, their heated sniping sparks heat of a totally different kind. The kind that ignites a hunger that could consume them both. Yet the difficult journey is no match for the dangerous secrets they're about to uncover.

The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins’s compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War . . . Valinda Lacy’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq. As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

A fun and feminist Regency romp from a master of the genre hailed as "a delight" by Bridgerton author Julia Quinn. Nothing happens in London without Graham Wynchester knowing. His massive collection of intelligence is invaluable to his family’s mission of aiding those most in need. So when he deciphers a series of coded messages in the scandal sheets, Graham’s convinced he must come to a royal’s rescue. But his quarry turns out not to be a princess at all… The captivating Kunigunde de Heusch is anything but a damsel in distress, and the last thing she wants is Graham’s help. All her life, Kuni trained alongside the fiercest Royal Guardsmen in her family, secretly planning to become her country’s first Royal Guardswoman. This mission in London is a chance to prove herself worthy without help from a man, not even one as devilishly handsome as Graham. To her surprise, Graham believes in her dream as much as she does, which makes it harder to resist kissing him…and falling in love. But how can she risk her heart if her future lies an ocean away? 

Jane Austen meets The Princess and the Frog For as long as Prairie can remember, living in paradise has been boring. Her days are filled with helping at her family's resort, sewing, daydreaming, and observing fashionable guests from the sidelines. But when a fairytale-Esque opportunity arises, she does something out of character and agrees to marry a man she's never met. Suddenly, she's navigating a new life that is a world and an ocean away from everything she's ever known. Her new husband, Wright, is decidedly Mr. Wrong. If there's a schedule, he'll ignore it. If there is a rule, he'll break it. If there's a risk, he'll take it. Has the girl who has always had a plan finally met her match? If you're a fan of TV shows like 'Vanity Fair', 'Bridgerton' and 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' or enjoy reading comedies of manners, you'll love 'That, My Dear, Is Love.' This is a full-length, standalone novel featuring a diverse ensemble cast, whimsical magic, and hilarious misadventures. This is a clean romance with a HEA. Featuring some of your favorite tropes: Marriage of Convenience Opposites Attract Reformed Rake

The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked. The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to. There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love.

[graynide]

having way too much fun on Twitter again because everyone's getting hyped over the upcoming Dog Man Movie Trailer releasing in a few hours and I have to say, is this what it feels like??

there was so much info being released about it: after all the leaks, the countdown, the early synopsis already displayed!?

like this is Pre-hype going on before the entire fandom SHAKES. I've never been here before whoa

[toasts-httyd-hyperfixation]

So i made this lil transparent worm-on-a-string Hiccup a while back

Im leaving him here for yall to watch while i go do a Thing

Im sure when i get back he wont be in any precarious situations, or unsavory circumstances, or anything of that ilk

Anyways

Have fun

Ill be back

[home-ward]

I’m feeling enchanted today after closing the pages of this book. The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this magical adventure. I highly recommend!

[9musesandanoldmind]

Just had to stop and make some fanart of 'Gwen & Art Are Not in Love' (there’s a short review in my last newsletter). I went for a mix of 'Il Bacio' by Francesco Hayez and 'The Sword in the Stone' (which was possibly my favourite Disney animation as a kid). I want to draw more...

[canisalbus]

I realize this might be a slightly odd ask, but… Out of curiosity, what sort of foods do you think Machete would be fond of? And do you think they’d differ noticeably from when he was young vs once he’d grown older?

He's a fussy eater. He rarely eats for pleasure and dislikes being seen dining in company, but attends formal dinners and banquets if invited, since declining without a very good reason would be at best rude and at worst a devastating faux pas. He prefers fowl dishes over red meat and greatly dislikes sea food (which is just peachy since this is the Mediterranean). Pasta seems to be already a well established part of the cuisine at that point, maybe he's into that. For the most of his life he's eaten rather simple foods so he finds bland soups and broths very safe and comforting. Pomegranates are his fruit of choice, he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but enjoys candied apricots and figs on occasion.

He's exceptionally bad at holding his liquor, and he can't stand the feelings of unpredictability, disorientation, unsafeness and potential loss of control that being intoxicated causes in him. Unfortunately, drinking plain water was very risky and uncommon, it was contaminated and unsanitary more often than not, especially in population centers. Generally the main drinks you'd consume through the day were diluted wine and beer/ale (this was the case for children as well). Machete tends to prefer wine, which he waters down heavily, and sometimes has it flavored with spices, herbs, honey or sugar. Having even a little bit of alcohol in the mix would kill at least a portion of the bacteria (not that the concept was known at the time, people believed many illnesses were caused by tainted air and foul smells, I mean fair enough, if your water is filthy it probably smells bad too).

(Fun fact, apparently Ancient Romans had more or less perfected the art of winemaking but by the Middle Ages a lot of the techniques had been lost. During the Renaissance wine was generally very low quality and the way it was fermented and stored (making the switch from sealed ceramic amphora of the Antiquity to those iconic wooden barrels) meant it would only stay good for a year at best and the taste would start to deteriorate within the first couple of months. Vintage wines weren't a thing, the best stuff was fresh. Apparently European wine was pretty bad for hundreds of years and would only start to improve again around 1800s. Or at least that's what I've gathered, I could be wrong, I'm not a wine expert).

Europe hadn't quite adopted tea yet and he narrowly missed the time coffee began to spread to his corner of the world (I bet he would've loved both of those, with the help of caffeine he could've been twice as much of a jittery sleepless wreck). I've read that people would distill sage and drink the resulting concoction with hot water to create this very tea-like minty drink, that sounds like something he'd like.

[smokefalls]

It was a special thing, to have one’s reflection in harmony with who they were.

Gabe Cole Novoa, Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix