About the Book
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Authors:
- Amie Kaufman
- Meagan Spooner
- Genres:
- Action-Adventure
- Fantasy
- Girl-Girl Romance
Cover Story: Seriously?
BFF Charms: Heck Yes x 2
Talky Talk: Seriously Funny
Bonus Factors: Dragons, Awesome Grown-Ups
Anti-Bonus Factor: Compulsive Heterosexuality
Relationship Status: Accept My Favor
Cover Story: Seriously?
This is a perfect depiction of Isobelle and Gwen, down to the expression of disbelief on Gwen’s face as she looks at Isobelle.
The Deal:
Lady Isobelle of Avington has been ordered by her guardian to marry whichever knight wins this year’s “Dragonslayers’ Tournament”. She’s not thrilled to be their sports trophy, to say the least. At the same time, blacksmith’s daughter Gwen longs to prove that she can wield the armor and weapons she forges as well as any man, and that the legends of chivalry her mother taught her are not entirely baseless. The solution, at least in Isobelle’s mind, is obvious: why can’t Gwen disguise herself as a knight, win the tournament, and forfeit the “prize”, leaving Isobelle happily single?
It’s the perfect plan, except for some minor details. Firstly, for a commoner like Gwen, impersonating a noble is punishable by death. Secondly, Isobelle had no idea until now that girls in armor are her type. And thirdly, “Dragonslayers’ Tournament” is just a name, isn’t it? There hasn’t been a dragon in this county for centuries … right?
BFF Charm: Heck Yes x 2
Isobelle and Gwen are both great heroines with much more to them than society sees. Gwen is a tough, no-nonsense smith, but also secretly a dreamer. Isobelle, while she might look like a typical spoiled rich girl, is both smarter and more vulnerable than she appears. Think Keladry from Protector of the Small meets Elle from Legally Blonde. (Now there’s a fanfiction idea.)
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Isobelle, understandably, needs some time to figure out that not only is she attracted to Gwen, but Gwen has been attracted to her almost since they met. At the same time, Gwen is telling herself that a girl like Isobelle must be straight, even as they’re unlacing each other’s dresses or their friends are daring them to kiss. All this combined with the ever-present threat of getting caught makes for tension so thick you could cut it with a sword.
Talky Talk: Seriously Funny
Kaufman and Spooner hit a gleefully anachronistic note that reminds me of the team behind the Lady Janies novels. Who cares if medieval England didn’t have potatoes? They’re tasty. Tournament shirts are called “T-shirts”. Chapter titles include such gems as “Nobody ever expects a lady to rappel off a balcony.” The best part, though, is that the authors also know how to dial this back when they need to. Sexism and homophobia are historical (and present-day) realities. By hand-waving them away, some writers might give readers a nice break, or even help us imagine a better future, but they also lose the chance to tell important stories. Kaufman and Spooner know better than that.
Bonus Factor: Dragons
The narrators make it fairly obvious from the start that there will be dragons eventually. (“It all looks a bit nerve-rackingly flammable. This, by the way, is what people refer to as foreshadowing.”) That being said, I was not prepared for how truly epic the dragon’s scene would be. These tropes are classics for a reason – because they work.
Bonus Factor: Awesome Grown-Ups
Isobelle’s mysterious maid, Olivia (“She doesn’t really assassinate people … does she?”) and Gwen’s dancing/martial arts teacher, Madame Dupont, are there for the girls whenever they’re needed, whether to alter a dress, cram a lifetime of weapons training into a few weeks, or organize a jailbreak. Even Gwen’s dad Amos, who seems careless and absent-minded at first, has a surprisingly cool part to play.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Compulsive Heterosexuality
Isobelle always assumed that when she fell in love, it would be with a man because that’s all she’s been taught. Falling in love with Gwen throws her for a loop – and worse, the only way she can avoid being married off against her will is to let the girl she loves risk her life in combat. Gwen, for her part, is so used to girlfriends treating her as “practice” for their future husbands that she panics at the idea of kissing Isobelle, even though she really wants to, because she can’t tell whether it means the same thing to them both. Even the male characters are not immune from this; asexual Sir Orson needs a rich wife to save his crumbling estate, whether he wants one or not.
Relationship Status: Accept My Favor
If this book were a knight (of any gender) riding off to joust, I’d be the lady throwing her ribbon.
Literary Matchmaking
The Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce is about another young girl setting out to prove that women can be knights.
The Lady Janies series by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows is another fun, feminist alternate-history fantasy.
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley contains a dragon battle that reminds me very much of this one.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received an ARC from the publisher. I got no compensation for this review.
This sounds delightful!
Oh yes, it’s a keeper for me. 🙂