Review: Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury #1) by Tracy Banghart

 

Grace and Fury
(Grace and Fury #1)

by Tracy Banghart

July 24, 2018
320 pages

Goodreads      Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace–someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir’s eye, it’s Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

Review

Grace and Fury is a book I had high hopes of loving. Normally I'm not big on bringing books on vacations (limited luggage space) so I don't take many with me but I knew I had to bring Grace and Fury. The story was fast-paced and unputdownable. I read almost the whole thing on the plane and had to tell myself to slow down so I could savour every part of the story.

Grace and Fury is composed of two stories running on a parallel timeline. Each narrated by one sister the chapters alternated between their POVS. I love the writing style. Both POVs had my adrenaline pumping. The story built upon itself until it climaxed with a huge twist. Although I wasn't blindsided by it I thought the events leading up to the reveal and the reveal itself were done really well. Smoothly. By the end of the book we're at a converging point and I can't wait to see the two sides intertwine. I'm also curious as to how the romances will develop. The sisters both have love arcs and even though they're not a big part of the storyline I think they're important to the characters' developments.

Nomi and Serina are so very different. In the beginning I found myself siding with Nomi's ideals because I didn't like how Serina resigned herself to her fate. A glorified statue was not a way to live. However, as the story progressed we saw how easily Nomi was lured by pretty words. "No one should be made to feel broken or powerless. Not you, not me. Not anyone." (p. 160). I felt how young she truly was with the mistake after mistake she made. Serina, on the other hand, got a huge wake up call when she covered for her sister. There was significant character growth on her part. The way she fought and stood up for the women and their rights was amazing. I cheered hard for her by the end of the book. The irony of what became of the two sisters was not lost on me- the headstrong and resistant girl becomes subdued (broken?) whereas the obedient and accepting one turns into a rebel leader. What other changes will we see in them?

My favourite thing about Grace and Fury is the sibling solidarity. Nomi, Serina and their brother Renzo always looked out for each other and their family. There is resentment and guilt but their love for each other triumphed all. Any negative feelings only served to amplify how tight these siblings are. I can't wait to see them keep defending one another.

Apparently if you've read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard then you will have seen this twist coming from a mile away. I haven't yet but I had a hunch about the brothers. Malachi was quiet and observant whereas Asa was opinionated and passionate. Both had their allures. Something about Asa in particular made me very wary of him. His eagerness to help had warning bells going off in my head. I reserved my judgment until the end of the book but it was still satisfying to know I was right to be cautious.

I loved Grace and Fury with its dynamic characters and politically intriguing storyline. The only thing I didn't love was the huge cliffhanger ending. I really thought this was a standalone so the ending took me by surprise. Can I please have the next book asap?

 

*I received a finished copy of this book from a subscription box I purchased. I also received an Advance Reading Copy and a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the finished copies.