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Sisters of Sword and Shadow
What if the Knights of the Round Table had been women?
This afternoon Cass's older sister will be married. Soon she will be too. Gone will be days of running through fields and feeling the earth between her toes. So when a beautiful leather-clad woman rides up and offers to take her away, Cass doesn't hesitate to join her.
Cass is introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights - a group of women training to fight and working to right the wrongs of men. Cass is drawn into a world of ancient feuds, glorious battles, and deadly intrigue, where soon discovers she holds a power that could change the destiny of her sisterhood.
'An interesting thing happens, when a man is defeated in combat by a woman.'
'He tells nobody.'
This afternoon Cass's older sister will be married. Soon she will be too. Gone will be days of running through fields and feeling the earth between her toes. So when a beautiful leather-clad woman rides up and offers to take her away, Cass doesn't hesitate to join her.
Cass is introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights - a group of women training to fight and working to right the wrongs of men. Cass is drawn into a world of ancient feuds, glorious battles, and deadly intrigue, where soon discovers she holds a power that could change the destiny of her sisterhood.
'An interesting thing happens, when a man is defeated in combat by a woman.'
'He tells nobody.'
400 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2023
129 people are currently reading
4397 people want to read
About the author
Laura Bates
18 books2,115 followersLaura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 100,000 testimonies of gender inequality, with branches in 25 countries worldwide. She works closely with politicians, businesses, schools, police forces and organisations from the Council of Europe to the United Nations to tackle gender inequality. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to gender equality in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2015 and has been named a woman of the year by Cosmopolitan, Red Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
October 12, 2023
'What if the Knights of the Round Table had a female counterpart?' Bro I wish I knew, because whatever this book is about, that sure ain't it.
I feel bad about not liking this book. I really wanted to; a feminist Arthurian reimagining is basically my catnip, and it's clear this book is the author's passion project. It's also equally clear, unfortunately, that being a bestselling author of feminist nonfiction does not mean you're going to have the chops to write a fantasy YA title that doesn't come across as a directionless, derivative mess. I knew we were in trouble when I reached the 35% mark and it hit me: what is this book about? We've had a sequence of events, but no plot. Hints of some sort of 'chosen one' destiny, but no hints of a character arc. And the closest we've come to a cogent theme is 'women deserve to be as badass as men', which was a relevant theme in YA....when Tamora Pierce wrote the Alanna books forty years ago.
It actually feels like the author really isn't familiar with what modern YA fantasy looks like, and has written a book that reflects what *she* feels the relevant themes and narrative structures are without looking any further. But it means that nothing fits what the genre landscape is now: the prose, while lovely, is very distant. There's no sense of a coherent plot, stakes, or rising tension. There's a lot of top-down 'summarising' narration, even at the emotional climax. The characters with the most agency are the adults, not the teens. And most egregiously, the heroine is the least interesting character out of the whole cast.
I actually think this is where a lot of the fundamental problems with the book lie: with Cass, the (supposed) protagonist. What does she even want? Well, not to have to get arranged-married, but that problem is solved on approximately page one when she's swept off to the Secret Women with Swords Society. Theoretically the tension comes from leaving her family--and beloved sister--behind without a word on her sister's wedding day, but it never feels like it's actually an issue. It's made obvious very VERY quickly that this new life is 'where she belongs'; she never feels much angst over it; and we never saw her actually in her normal life, with her sister (except in the years-ago prologue) so there's no sense of loss for the reader. And (spoilers from this point onwards:) when we DO see her sister onscreen at about the 75% mark, even the single bit of character tension that could have brought up is squandered. She's happy for Cass, agrees it's the best life for her, and agrees to keep her secrets. INSTANTLY.
This might be less of a problem if Cass had other drivers to her character arc, but she doesn't. She feels some minor angst over some of the things she has to be okay or not with, but there's no character arc or even a personality there to speak of. Despite having spent 400 pages with her I couldn't tell you the first thing about what she wants or needs, other than I guess to swing a sword around and have hashtag freedom?? But she GOT THOSE, immediately, and there's no plot for her to propel forwards, so really, I have to ask: why is she even the protagonist? Every one of the supporting cast was more interesting, and had far more interesting and complex motivations. Even at her 'big fall' moment, it wasn't a flaw of hers that caused the fuck-up, it was the *mysterious power* within her that literally forced her hand. Why is this *her* story? More importantly, what even is the story??? A sequence of training montages and tournaments and the neighbour turning up every so often being all Evil isn't a plot! I still, STILL couldn't tell you what the narrative throughline of the book is. Things just Happen, until the villain (you can tell he's going to be the villain because he cheats at jousting) does something so bad that the Women with Swords Society decide they need to go kill him and his household, which they do. And then the book ends with a last page reveal that manages to both come out of nowhere and be extremely predictable at the same time.
I also can't in good conscience go past commenting on the thematic material. I have no idea what Laura Bates' nonfiction work is like, but I have to believe it's more complex and nuanced than the extremely flat, heavyhanded kind of 'feminism' we got in this book. Wow, women are OPPRESSED by their ROLES in SOCIETY?? Wow, MEN are BAD?? Omg, Arthur's knights are actually BULLIES and RAPISTS???? It was honestly comical that I could immediately ID the love interest because he was the only on-screen man not to instantly act like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. Like come ON, we have moved SO FAR PAST this style of 'feminist' narrative in YA--teenagers aren't idiots; they can handle nuance and a deeper exploration of just how and why patriarchal structures fuck women up and the ways in which women can fight back. Also, the empowerment the women found in this book wasn't even: the marketing describes the society as 'a group of female knights training to fight, protect their community and right the wrongs of men' but actually the most heroic thing they do (until the final massacre, which we know is heroic because--and I wish I was making this up--the Evil Lord doesn't have a wife so most of is household is male and therefore also evil) is bullying some dudes into returning some peasants' pigs. The primary concern of Sword Society is always, always not being found out; they don't do adventuring or heroics, they huddle in their castle hoping nobody knocks on the door and asks why the man of the house is never home. For christ's sake, we even had the tired old trope of the protagonist being rescued from an attempted SA situation BY THE MALE LOVE INTEREST. Later there's a talking-to-camera moment about how that doesn't count as chivalrous and she'd have surely been able to save herself, but for a book that's supposedly all about female empowerment there's very very little of it actually on screen. Even when Cass is unmasked, it comes down once again to A MAN to preserve her secret!! (Who does, btw, because he's the love interest aka the Not All Men.) There are so so many current YA titles exploring themes of gender and power in ways that are so much richer and more complex and I am begging Laura Bates to read them before assuming she can write one too just because of a (distinguished!!) background in feminist activism.
And speaking of gender: I also cannot in the year of our lord twenty twenty three take seriously a 'girl in boy's clothing' narrative played straight, without any sort of exploration or even mention of genderqueerness or that particular cluster of gender politics. For such a man-hating book it was actually disappointingly heterosexual; we had one sapphic romance but the very obvious, very high-chemisty, very narratively rich potential for a romance between Cass and her best friend was squandered in favour of--sigh--mister Not All Men.
In summary, I came into this book expecting a great time and finished it extremely disappointed, bored, and wondering how the manuscript made it through developmental edits looking like it does. Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review; I really wish my honest opinion could have been a better one.
I feel bad about not liking this book. I really wanted to; a feminist Arthurian reimagining is basically my catnip, and it's clear this book is the author's passion project. It's also equally clear, unfortunately, that being a bestselling author of feminist nonfiction does not mean you're going to have the chops to write a fantasy YA title that doesn't come across as a directionless, derivative mess. I knew we were in trouble when I reached the 35% mark and it hit me: what is this book about? We've had a sequence of events, but no plot. Hints of some sort of 'chosen one' destiny, but no hints of a character arc. And the closest we've come to a cogent theme is 'women deserve to be as badass as men', which was a relevant theme in YA....when Tamora Pierce wrote the Alanna books forty years ago.
It actually feels like the author really isn't familiar with what modern YA fantasy looks like, and has written a book that reflects what *she* feels the relevant themes and narrative structures are without looking any further. But it means that nothing fits what the genre landscape is now: the prose, while lovely, is very distant. There's no sense of a coherent plot, stakes, or rising tension. There's a lot of top-down 'summarising' narration, even at the emotional climax. The characters with the most agency are the adults, not the teens. And most egregiously, the heroine is the least interesting character out of the whole cast.
I actually think this is where a lot of the fundamental problems with the book lie: with Cass, the (supposed) protagonist. What does she even want? Well, not to have to get arranged-married, but that problem is solved on approximately page one when she's swept off to the Secret Women with Swords Society. Theoretically the tension comes from leaving her family--and beloved sister--behind without a word on her sister's wedding day, but it never feels like it's actually an issue. It's made obvious very VERY quickly that this new life is 'where she belongs'; she never feels much angst over it; and we never saw her actually in her normal life, with her sister (except in the years-ago prologue) so there's no sense of loss for the reader. And (spoilers from this point onwards:) when we DO see her sister onscreen at about the 75% mark, even the single bit of character tension that could have brought up is squandered. She's happy for Cass, agrees it's the best life for her, and agrees to keep her secrets. INSTANTLY.
This might be less of a problem if Cass had other drivers to her character arc, but she doesn't. She feels some minor angst over some of the things she has to be okay or not with, but there's no character arc or even a personality there to speak of. Despite having spent 400 pages with her I couldn't tell you the first thing about what she wants or needs, other than I guess to swing a sword around and have hashtag freedom?? But she GOT THOSE, immediately, and there's no plot for her to propel forwards, so really, I have to ask: why is she even the protagonist? Every one of the supporting cast was more interesting, and had far more interesting and complex motivations. Even at her 'big fall' moment, it wasn't a flaw of hers that caused the fuck-up, it was the *mysterious power* within her that literally forced her hand. Why is this *her* story? More importantly, what even is the story??? A sequence of training montages and tournaments and the neighbour turning up every so often being all Evil isn't a plot! I still, STILL couldn't tell you what the narrative throughline of the book is. Things just Happen, until the villain (you can tell he's going to be the villain because he cheats at jousting) does something so bad that the Women with Swords Society decide they need to go kill him and his household, which they do. And then the book ends with a last page reveal that manages to both come out of nowhere and be extremely predictable at the same time.
I also can't in good conscience go past commenting on the thematic material. I have no idea what Laura Bates' nonfiction work is like, but I have to believe it's more complex and nuanced than the extremely flat, heavyhanded kind of 'feminism' we got in this book. Wow, women are OPPRESSED by their ROLES in SOCIETY?? Wow, MEN are BAD?? Omg, Arthur's knights are actually BULLIES and RAPISTS???? It was honestly comical that I could immediately ID the love interest because he was the only on-screen man not to instantly act like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. Like come ON, we have moved SO FAR PAST this style of 'feminist' narrative in YA--teenagers aren't idiots; they can handle nuance and a deeper exploration of just how and why patriarchal structures fuck women up and the ways in which women can fight back. Also, the empowerment the women found in this book wasn't even: the marketing describes the society as 'a group of female knights training to fight, protect their community and right the wrongs of men' but actually the most heroic thing they do (until the final massacre, which we know is heroic because--and I wish I was making this up--the Evil Lord doesn't have a wife so most of is household is male and therefore also evil) is bullying some dudes into returning some peasants' pigs. The primary concern of Sword Society is always, always not being found out; they don't do adventuring or heroics, they huddle in their castle hoping nobody knocks on the door and asks why the man of the house is never home. For christ's sake, we even had the tired old trope of the protagonist being rescued from an attempted SA situation BY THE MALE LOVE INTEREST. Later there's a talking-to-camera moment about how that doesn't count as chivalrous and she'd have surely been able to save herself, but for a book that's supposedly all about female empowerment there's very very little of it actually on screen. Even when Cass is unmasked, it comes down once again to A MAN to preserve her secret!! (Who does, btw, because he's the love interest aka the Not All Men.) There are so so many current YA titles exploring themes of gender and power in ways that are so much richer and more complex and I am begging Laura Bates to read them before assuming she can write one too just because of a (distinguished!!) background in feminist activism.
And speaking of gender: I also cannot in the year of our lord twenty twenty three take seriously a 'girl in boy's clothing' narrative played straight, without any sort of exploration or even mention of genderqueerness or that particular cluster of gender politics. For such a man-hating book it was actually disappointingly heterosexual; we had one sapphic romance but the very obvious, very high-chemisty, very narratively rich potential for a romance between Cass and her best friend was squandered in favour of--sigh--mister Not All Men.
In summary, I came into this book expecting a great time and finished it extremely disappointed, bored, and wondering how the manuscript made it through developmental edits looking like it does. Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review; I really wish my honest opinion could have been a better one.
December 15, 2023
When I tell you I devoured this in one day would you believe me? Well, if you know me you probably would, but despite me logging this as a current read I didn't have time to start it until today and then it gripped me, I kept thinking about it during reading breaks, it occupied my every thought until I could go back and finish it.
I did not expect to be so sucked in, but in a way I also did, because the way to my heart is Arthurian stories/retellings.
The writing is very dreamy at the start, we follow Cass who takes charge of her own destiny, and as we accompany her on her quest to freedom, the dreamy-ness melts into breathtaking tension with each enemy encounter she and the sisterhood face.
I swear I wasn't breathing during any battle scenes, but especially at the end, I didn't want anything bad to happen to Cass. I was also worried about the rest of the girls/women, how they would fare and how the story would conclude because it just didn't seem like there were enough pages left.
LUCKILY, this seems to be a duology, but I didn't know that until I finished it. My breath of relief was probably heard far and wide because I have not had enough of this story.
The build up was so strong, the characters too. I fell in love with them instantly and hated seeing any of them get hurt, Lily most of all. She was my favourite, alongside Cass and Sir Gamelin.
Speaking of Sir Gamelin, I shipped him and Cass from their first meeting. Originally I thought this would be a sapphic story with Lily as the love interest, but it kind of became obvious when Gamelin was introduced that it wouldn't be. We still have a sapphic couple among the main characters though.
In terms of plot not thaaat much happened, basically Cass ran away from home, trained, went to some tournaments and discovered a few things about her past along the way, but this didn't bother me. I really enjoyed reading about her journey, and I'm anticipating I'll be enjoying the sequel just as much because of all the answers we'll get.
If you like stories about strong women, then I recommend this book. I can't wait to get a physical copy to add to my collection while I wait in quiet suffering for the next one.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I did not expect to be so sucked in, but in a way I also did, because the way to my heart is Arthurian stories/retellings.
The writing is very dreamy at the start, we follow Cass who takes charge of her own destiny, and as we accompany her on her quest to freedom, the dreamy-ness melts into breathtaking tension with each enemy encounter she and the sisterhood face.
I swear I wasn't breathing during any battle scenes, but especially at the end, I didn't want anything bad to happen to Cass. I was also worried about the rest of the girls/women, how they would fare and how the story would conclude because it just didn't seem like there were enough pages left.
LUCKILY, this seems to be a duology, but I didn't know that until I finished it. My breath of relief was probably heard far and wide because I have not had enough of this story.
The build up was so strong, the characters too. I fell in love with them instantly and hated seeing any of them get hurt, Lily most of all. She was my favourite, alongside Cass and Sir Gamelin.
Speaking of Sir Gamelin, I shipped him and Cass from their first meeting. Originally I thought this would be a sapphic story with Lily as the love interest, but it kind of became obvious when Gamelin was introduced that it wouldn't be. We still have a sapphic couple among the main characters though.
In terms of plot not thaaat much happened, basically Cass ran away from home, trained, went to some tournaments and discovered a few things about her past along the way, but this didn't bother me. I really enjoyed reading about her journey, and I'm anticipating I'll be enjoying the sequel just as much because of all the answers we'll get.
If you like stories about strong women, then I recommend this book. I can't wait to get a physical copy to add to my collection while I wait in quiet suffering for the next one.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
November 11, 2024
Artus-Saga, aber feministisch? Ja bitte!!
Anfangs war ich mir nicht sicher, ob ich mit dem Schreibstil und der ruhigen, etwas monotonen Sprecherin klarkomme, aber am Ende war ich richtig enttäuscht, dass es schon vorbei war und hatte mich auch total an die Stimme gewöhnt😄
Der Schreibstil ist sehr clean. Es gibt zwar Beschreibungen, aber nicht übermäßig. Trotzdem konnte ich das Setting spüren.
Die Gedankenwelt der Protagonistin Cass bleibt relativ blass, die Gedanken und Gefühle der anderen Charaktere können wir nur erahnen. Es ist ein bisschen als würde man von außen zusehen und zu Beginn war das sehr schwierig, da ich die Entscheidungen von Cass zwar nachvollziehen konnte, mir jedoch einfach mehr Erklärungen gefehlt haben, um eben sie zu untermauern.Trotzdem schafft es die Autorin im Laufe des Buches, die Gefühle zu transportieren und dann hat es mich richtig mitgerissen.
Es gibt sowas ähnliches wie eine Romanze, die man halt kaum bis gar nicht fühlen kann, ABER da das Leben in diesem Buch hart und schroff ist, besonders zu Frauen, die einfach was anderes zu tun haben, als verträumt von ihrem Crush zu schwärmen, passt es irgendwie😅
Es gibt außerdem auch ein queeres Liebespaar (sonst wäre ich bei der Prämisse aber auch enttäuscht gewesen).
Es bleiben einige Fragen offen, daher hoffe ich auf einen sehr baldigen zweiten Band als Hörbuch 🥰
Anfangs war ich mir nicht sicher, ob ich mit dem Schreibstil und der ruhigen, etwas monotonen Sprecherin klarkomme, aber am Ende war ich richtig enttäuscht, dass es schon vorbei war und hatte mich auch total an die Stimme gewöhnt😄
Der Schreibstil ist sehr clean. Es gibt zwar Beschreibungen, aber nicht übermäßig. Trotzdem konnte ich das Setting spüren.
Die Gedankenwelt der Protagonistin Cass bleibt relativ blass, die Gedanken und Gefühle der anderen Charaktere können wir nur erahnen. Es ist ein bisschen als würde man von außen zusehen und zu Beginn war das sehr schwierig, da ich die Entscheidungen von Cass zwar nachvollziehen konnte, mir jedoch einfach mehr Erklärungen gefehlt haben, um eben sie zu untermauern.Trotzdem schafft es die Autorin im Laufe des Buches, die Gefühle zu transportieren und dann hat es mich richtig mitgerissen.
Es gibt sowas ähnliches wie eine Romanze, die man halt kaum bis gar nicht fühlen kann, ABER da das Leben in diesem Buch hart und schroff ist, besonders zu Frauen, die einfach was anderes zu tun haben, als verträumt von ihrem Crush zu schwärmen, passt es irgendwie😅
Es gibt außerdem auch ein queeres Liebespaar (sonst wäre ich bei der Prämisse aber auch enttäuscht gewesen).
Es bleiben einige Fragen offen, daher hoffe ich auf einen sehr baldigen zweiten Band als Hörbuch 🥰
November 7, 2023
Laura Bates' "Sisters of Sword and Shadow" is a fun and engaging story that offers a unique take on the legend of the Knights of the Round Table. While it's categorized as a fantasy saga, it reads more like a historical novel, portraying a group of remarkable women warriors who are contemporaries of Arthur's Knights.
The story centers around Cass, a young woman who feels stifled by the prospect of a life devoted to marriage and children, which appears to be the only available option for her. When a mysterious leather-clad woman on horseback extends an alternative path, Cass feels compelled to seize the opportunity.
As a result of her decision, Cass is thrust into a community of women committed to protecting the vulnerable and rectifying the wrongs perpetrated by men. While this new job comes with its own set of challenges, it's a far better option than the limited future Cass was facing not long ago.
The book is an easy and enjoyable read, although at times, it bears traces of Laura Bates' extensive non-fiction writing. The pacing of the story could benefit from some improvements, particularly in the final segments of the book, where things become decidedly hectic.
The conclusion hints at the possibility of a sequel, and I, for one, look forward to it. A continuation could offer a stronger character development arc. While traditional Arthurian purists might object to this unconventional version of Camelot, it is precisely the departure from tradition that adds to the story's appeal. "Sisters of Sword and Shadow" is an enjoyable and engrossing tale that is sure to resonate with a wide range of readers.
The story centers around Cass, a young woman who feels stifled by the prospect of a life devoted to marriage and children, which appears to be the only available option for her. When a mysterious leather-clad woman on horseback extends an alternative path, Cass feels compelled to seize the opportunity.
As a result of her decision, Cass is thrust into a community of women committed to protecting the vulnerable and rectifying the wrongs perpetrated by men. While this new job comes with its own set of challenges, it's a far better option than the limited future Cass was facing not long ago.
The book is an easy and enjoyable read, although at times, it bears traces of Laura Bates' extensive non-fiction writing. The pacing of the story could benefit from some improvements, particularly in the final segments of the book, where things become decidedly hectic.
The conclusion hints at the possibility of a sequel, and I, for one, look forward to it. A continuation could offer a stronger character development arc. While traditional Arthurian purists might object to this unconventional version of Camelot, it is precisely the departure from tradition that adds to the story's appeal. "Sisters of Sword and Shadow" is an enjoyable and engrossing tale that is sure to resonate with a wide range of readers.
February 22, 2024
This was such a strong story for the majority of book, I easily assumed that at the end I would be rating this 5 stars and adding this to my best of 2024 list. Unfortunately, the exit of two major characters at the end of the story not only ruined it for me, but really annoyed me as well.
The parts I did like had a bit of a feminist Knight's Tale vibe, as Cass joined a hidden community of female Knights, who take in lost girls and train them in secret, keeping their identities hidden during tournaments. I loved the scenes hanging around the castle with Cass and Lily, the simple, day to day life being the book's strongest moments.
What really got to me about the character exits was that the author loudly proclaims herself a feminist, and then uses a trope that has been discussed heavily for years, that people hate. And then on top of that, another character's exit after an unresolved betrayal felt so pointless, and they were such a necessary part of the story.
The parts I did like had a bit of a feminist Knight's Tale vibe, as Cass joined a hidden community of female Knights, who take in lost girls and train them in secret, keeping their identities hidden during tournaments. I loved the scenes hanging around the castle with Cass and Lily, the simple, day to day life being the book's strongest moments.
What really got to me about the character exits was that the author loudly proclaims herself a feminist, and then uses a trope that has been discussed heavily for years, that people hate. And then on top of that, another character's exit after an unresolved betrayal felt so pointless, and they were such a necessary part of the story.
November 15, 2023
2.5 stars, rounded UP because female knights!
This book had a lot of potential, but didn't eventually deliver. My sense is, there is no single plot, just things happening one after the other. Which wouldn't be so bad except that the pace falls off so much in the middle that I was tempted to DNF. Also, while I'm all for a feminist take on the Knights of the Round Table, this was seemed way too simplistic—far more MG than YA (not that MG fiction cannot have age-appropriate subtlety either). Perhaps this was a deliberate tactic of the author, but this could have been a 5-star book with a little more depth.
I'd still be interested if there's a sequel.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
This book had a lot of potential, but didn't eventually deliver. My sense is, there is no single plot, just things happening one after the other. Which wouldn't be so bad except that the pace falls off so much in the middle that I was tempted to DNF. Also, while I'm all for a feminist take on the Knights of the Round Table, this was seemed way too simplistic—far more MG than YA (not that MG fiction cannot have age-appropriate subtlety either). Perhaps this was a deliberate tactic of the author, but this could have been a 5-star book with a little more depth.
I'd still be interested if there's a sequel.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
April 28, 2024
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
I love Arthurian retellings so I was looking forward to this but I'm afraid it's a DNF for me.
📚 This is marketed as what if the knights of the round table were women. Honestly I wish I knew but that's not what this book is. It's set in a world where king Arthur exists and there are nods to the legends but it's not a retelling and they aren't the knights of the round table. They are a group of women hiding out in a mansion that have formed their own sisterhood and go to jousting events.
📖 Review:
I wish I could tell you the plot of this book but I don't know what it is. Our protagonist starts the book feeling trapped because one day she'll have to marry and then a guy steals her necklace out of her outstretched hand and a knight comes along who's actually a woman and asks if she would like to come with her to get her necklace back. She randomly jumps on the back of her horse - they get the necklace and she decides to stay with them instead of going home. All her problems are solved in chapter one.
And then it's just them riding around, training and going to jousting events. But there doesn't really seem to be a narrative. Our protagonist is just existing I don't understand why she's our protagonist. There is no plan or goal. 60% in and I still don't know what this is about. It's more of a day in the life but there doesn't seem to be a story being told.
This is also meant to be fantasy but no fantasy elements have been shown so far.
This is obviously researched the author knows her stuff about jousting but it's almost to well researched like she forgot to tell a story.
Maybe something happens in the last 30% but at this point I'm bored and have no desire to find out.
I love Arthurian retellings so I was looking forward to this but I'm afraid it's a DNF for me.
📚 This is marketed as what if the knights of the round table were women. Honestly I wish I knew but that's not what this book is. It's set in a world where king Arthur exists and there are nods to the legends but it's not a retelling and they aren't the knights of the round table. They are a group of women hiding out in a mansion that have formed their own sisterhood and go to jousting events.
📖 Review:
I wish I could tell you the plot of this book but I don't know what it is. Our protagonist starts the book feeling trapped because one day she'll have to marry and then a guy steals her necklace out of her outstretched hand and a knight comes along who's actually a woman and asks if she would like to come with her to get her necklace back. She randomly jumps on the back of her horse - they get the necklace and she decides to stay with them instead of going home. All her problems are solved in chapter one.
And then it's just them riding around, training and going to jousting events. But there doesn't really seem to be a narrative. Our protagonist is just existing I don't understand why she's our protagonist. There is no plan or goal. 60% in and I still don't know what this is about. It's more of a day in the life but there doesn't seem to be a story being told.
This is also meant to be fantasy but no fantasy elements have been shown so far.
This is obviously researched the author knows her stuff about jousting but it's almost to well researched like she forgot to tell a story.
Maybe something happens in the last 30% but at this point I'm bored and have no desire to find out.
December 12, 2023
I want it to be clear that I really tried to like this book. I got 3/4 of the way through thinking to myself that it had to get better, that it had to be going somewhere.
It didn't, as it turns out.
The main character was dull and lifeless. I think I might've got queerbaited by a book, which is certainly a first. The plot is nonexistent. A book about feminist empowerment had a man save the female main character. TWICE. That's what makes him the love interest apparently, even though they barely shared a word with each other. There was no emotion to it, instead all just this bland narrative with no voice behind it. Even the fight scenes were boring.
Also, I have never read a book with so many continuity errors in scenes. Characters were suddenly holding things they hadn't been, were in positions they weren't a few sentences earlier. I don't necessarily mind if the scene isn't an important one and I wouldn't usually notice, but it happened so often and was so jarring!
I really, really wanted to like this. I'm really disappointed, and it's part of the reason I didn't DNF it.
Onwards and upwards I guess.
It didn't, as it turns out.
The main character was dull and lifeless. I think I might've got queerbaited by a book, which is certainly a first. The plot is nonexistent. A book about feminist empowerment had a man save the female main character. TWICE. That's what makes him the love interest apparently, even though they barely shared a word with each other. There was no emotion to it, instead all just this bland narrative with no voice behind it. Even the fight scenes were boring.
Also, I have never read a book with so many continuity errors in scenes. Characters were suddenly holding things they hadn't been, were in positions they weren't a few sentences earlier. I don't necessarily mind if the scene isn't an important one and I wouldn't usually notice, but it happened so often and was so jarring!
I really, really wanted to like this. I'm really disappointed, and it's part of the reason I didn't DNF it.
Onwards and upwards I guess.
May 29, 2025
I met this author Laura Bates at the hay in wye book festival, and I got both of her books in this series signed. I started reading the first book straight away, as I found the plot line and the way she described her reasoning for making this book very interesting. This is a knights of the round table retelling, but with all female characters, following our main character Cass and her journey with these female womanhood knights. I loved her writing style as well as the topics she battles in this book, such as sexism, and unjust practices. Would defo recommend!
December 18, 2023
3.5 stars
I was very happy to stumble upon a book with a feminist arthurian story, but I'm a bit disappointed. I understand the author usually writes non-fiction, and I could see fiction is not her forte. I think the idea behind the story was interesting, but the execution could be better. A majority of the book is spent in training and waiting for something to happen, and the last 15-20% felt very rushed, packed with action. I do not understand the appearance or role of some characters, and I would not really consider this fantasy, but historical fiction. We get no answers as to what the prologue was about or even the pond scene. I'm a bit frustrated. I can see this getting a second book, but I think some things still needed to be explained or resolved in this first book. It was still an entertaining read.
I was very happy to stumble upon a book with a feminist arthurian story, but I'm a bit disappointed. I understand the author usually writes non-fiction, and I could see fiction is not her forte. I think the idea behind the story was interesting, but the execution could be better. A majority of the book is spent in training and waiting for something to happen, and the last 15-20% felt very rushed, packed with action. I do not understand the appearance or role of some characters, and I would not really consider this fantasy, but historical fiction. We get no answers as to what the prologue was about or even the pond scene. I'm a bit frustrated. I can see this getting a second book, but I think some things still needed to be explained or resolved in this first book. It was still an entertaining read.
May 14, 2024
SQUANDERED POTENTIAL IN EVERY WAY
YOU'RE TELLING ME ALL THAT ROMANTIC TENSION BETWEEN HER AND HER BEST FRIEND WAS FOR NOUGHT AND SHE KISSED A MAN SHE TALKED TO ONCE????
Justice for Lily she deserved so much better
YOU'RE TELLING ME ALL THAT ROMANTIC TENSION BETWEEN HER AND HER BEST FRIEND WAS FOR NOUGHT AND SHE KISSED A MAN SHE TALKED TO ONCE????
Justice for Lily she deserved so much better
October 12, 2023
Buddy read with Emily @ ashortbooklover!
I enjoyed this for what it is, but I was expecting more.
From the comp titles to the descriptive language used in the blurb, I believe I was going to be thrust in to a fast paced plot, with a ton of action. Instead Sisters of Sword and Shadow moved quite slowly through its motions, taking its time to get from point A to B to C and so on. YA is also not bad (it is one of my favourite and most read categories) but I did not expect the story to be aimed at a younger audience. Again, maybe it’s me getting the wrong end of the stick, but I genuinely thought this was an adult historical fantasy.
I also did not expect this to be as much of an early “origin” story as it was. We had lots of hints and teases to Cass’ true identity throughout the book, but the way in which it was revealed was a let down. I think the sequel is going to be what I expected this book to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this. I liked the quiet moments, and how this book followed Cass as she began to grow. I think there was a lot of timely social and political commentary going on, especially in regards to gender roles and female autonomy. I felt the feminine rage!
Bates had moments of excellent writing. There were some scenes where I genuinely felt myself tense up in a nervous anticipation for what was about to happen — and that’s storytelling!
Overall I liked this but I think I was misled and therefore let down by my own expectations.
I enjoyed this for what it is, but I was expecting more.
From the comp titles to the descriptive language used in the blurb, I believe I was going to be thrust in to a fast paced plot, with a ton of action. Instead Sisters of Sword and Shadow moved quite slowly through its motions, taking its time to get from point A to B to C and so on. YA is also not bad (it is one of my favourite and most read categories) but I did not expect the story to be aimed at a younger audience. Again, maybe it’s me getting the wrong end of the stick, but I genuinely thought this was an adult historical fantasy.
I also did not expect this to be as much of an early “origin” story as it was. We had lots of hints and teases to Cass’ true identity throughout the book, but the way in which it was revealed was a let down. I think the sequel is going to be what I expected this book to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this. I liked the quiet moments, and how this book followed Cass as she began to grow. I think there was a lot of timely social and political commentary going on, especially in regards to gender roles and female autonomy. I felt the feminine rage!
Bates had moments of excellent writing. There were some scenes where I genuinely felt myself tense up in a nervous anticipation for what was about to happen — and that’s storytelling!
Overall I liked this but I think I was misled and therefore let down by my own expectations.
February 29, 2024
3.5* I enjoyed this book but think I was expecting it to be a bit darker. It felt more like a children’s book for large parts of it.
January 10, 2024
3.5*
Laura Bates debut fantasy Sisters of Sword and Shadow is a feminist reimagining of Arthurian literature. A theme close to my heart I was eager to see how this would translate and found it to be a perfect YA for young female readers. Laura has written non-fiction feminist novels and her passion is clearly evident in this historical fantasy.
This is a unique take on the legend of the Knights of the Round Table. Fun, engaging, young adult feminist retelling of what I would consider historical fiction rather than straight fantasy. It showed potential but needed writing that invested readers more in the main characters.
This seems to be a duology hinting at a follow up and I am hoping that a second book will bring promised revelations to the fore. Overall, powerful tale of collective sisterhood.
‘You’ll find you are capable of things you never dreamed of, if you give yourself a chance to stretch beyond the idea of yourself that you’ve always known,’
Laura Bates debut fantasy Sisters of Sword and Shadow is a feminist reimagining of Arthurian literature. A theme close to my heart I was eager to see how this would translate and found it to be a perfect YA for young female readers. Laura has written non-fiction feminist novels and her passion is clearly evident in this historical fantasy.
This is a unique take on the legend of the Knights of the Round Table. Fun, engaging, young adult feminist retelling of what I would consider historical fiction rather than straight fantasy. It showed potential but needed writing that invested readers more in the main characters.
This seems to be a duology hinting at a follow up and I am hoping that a second book will bring promised revelations to the fore. Overall, powerful tale of collective sisterhood.
‘You’ll find you are capable of things you never dreamed of, if you give yourself a chance to stretch beyond the idea of yourself that you’ve always known,’
May 13, 2024
Devoured this! Loved it.
December 31, 2023
Guys im not gonna lie i read this so quickly because i loved it So Much. Arthurian fantasy with female protagonists and lesbian knights, truly what more could one want in a book.
January 18, 2024
“An interesting thing happens, when a man is defeated in combat by a woman…He tells nobody”
I really love Laura’s non fiction and I’ve enjoyed her contemporary fiction books so I was looking forward to reading this fantasy inspired by King Arthur but the knights are women.
Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me. There wasn’t much of a plot or much character development. Everything felt shallow even though the idea was great, I just felt it wasn’t executed well.
The feminism was very white and a version that felt like it was from a decade ago. The feminism was very heavy handed with lots of saying that the women are empowered but not actually showing it.
And honestly it didn’t seem like they were truly empowered because the women had to hide in a castle and stay there to be safe and cut off everyone else in their life before.
The feminism was very “we are empowered because we can fight like men” and while they learnt to use swords and duel they didn’t really use that skill to actually implement any real change for themselves or the people living there.
The leader had to sleep with a man who happened to turn up unexpectedly to the castle to keep him from telling others that it was just women that lived there.
There was a heavy emphasis on marriage & having kids is the worst thing a woman can do but I thought we were past that either or brand of feminism and it just had no nuance.
It also showed all men as horrible people. Which, again, I thought we were past this brand of feminism, except for the love interest who was single man who was not an awful person.
I feel like this would have been a great book had it been released a decade ago but now it just wasn’t.
I felt like the way the feminist views were so focused on took away from there being an actual plot because we get hints of a prophecy and yet we don’t get any real arc on this with a proper conclusion. Or how that will impact the MC.
None of the characters were truly developed so it was hard to understand why they did the things they did except that they were feminists. I wanted to know more about all the characters and it made it hard to feel invested in the story. The ending was also not very satisfying for me because there’s a battle and then it just…ends.
Anyways I was so disappointed with this though I still recommend her non fiction books.
I really love Laura’s non fiction and I’ve enjoyed her contemporary fiction books so I was looking forward to reading this fantasy inspired by King Arthur but the knights are women.
Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me. There wasn’t much of a plot or much character development. Everything felt shallow even though the idea was great, I just felt it wasn’t executed well.
The feminism was very white and a version that felt like it was from a decade ago. The feminism was very heavy handed with lots of saying that the women are empowered but not actually showing it.
And honestly it didn’t seem like they were truly empowered because the women had to hide in a castle and stay there to be safe and cut off everyone else in their life before.
The feminism was very “we are empowered because we can fight like men” and while they learnt to use swords and duel they didn’t really use that skill to actually implement any real change for themselves or the people living there.
The leader had to sleep with a man who happened to turn up unexpectedly to the castle to keep him from telling others that it was just women that lived there.
There was a heavy emphasis on marriage & having kids is the worst thing a woman can do but I thought we were past that either or brand of feminism and it just had no nuance.
It also showed all men as horrible people. Which, again, I thought we were past this brand of feminism, except for the love interest who was single man who was not an awful person.
I feel like this would have been a great book had it been released a decade ago but now it just wasn’t.
I felt like the way the feminist views were so focused on took away from there being an actual plot because we get hints of a prophecy and yet we don’t get any real arc on this with a proper conclusion. Or how that will impact the MC.
None of the characters were truly developed so it was hard to understand why they did the things they did except that they were feminists. I wanted to know more about all the characters and it made it hard to feel invested in the story. The ending was also not very satisfying for me because there’s a battle and then it just…ends.
Anyways I was so disappointed with this though I still recommend her non fiction books.
October 17, 2023
✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Sister of Sword & Shadow
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Laura Bates
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75/5
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳?”
🤍 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮���� 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆
🌸 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲
🤍 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
🌸 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
This is Laura Bates debut into fantasy. She is typically an author that pens non-fiction feminist novels (I have a few on my TBR to read) and I think that her passion for feminism flows nicely into this historical fantasy.
Sisters of Sword and Shadow is a reimagining of the Knights of the Round Table. It was fast-paced with short chapters and a climactic ending. I definitely enjoyed reading it.
However, I wanted more. I think this book could benefit from the character arc of Cass being given more clarity—her power in particular—and it would have felt more grounded if there was more conflict between the women. There is such a deep exploration of sisterhood in this novel, but none of Cass herself. I adore a sisterhood but realistically, as people with all different experiences, personality, values, and morals, there should be some clashing.
I could see how Arthurian purists could struggle with this book but I have no such qualms. I flew through this novel and I cheered on the female characters with every clash of sword, every gentle manipulation, and every moment of retribution.
—Kayleigh🤍
♡ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦
♡ 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Sister of Sword & Shadow
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Laura Bates
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75/5
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳?”
🤍 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮���� 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆
🌸 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲
🤍 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
🌸 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
This is Laura Bates debut into fantasy. She is typically an author that pens non-fiction feminist novels (I have a few on my TBR to read) and I think that her passion for feminism flows nicely into this historical fantasy.
Sisters of Sword and Shadow is a reimagining of the Knights of the Round Table. It was fast-paced with short chapters and a climactic ending. I definitely enjoyed reading it.
However, I wanted more. I think this book could benefit from the character arc of Cass being given more clarity—her power in particular—and it would have felt more grounded if there was more conflict between the women. There is such a deep exploration of sisterhood in this novel, but none of Cass herself. I adore a sisterhood but realistically, as people with all different experiences, personality, values, and morals, there should be some clashing.
I could see how Arthurian purists could struggle with this book but I have no such qualms. I flew through this novel and I cheered on the female characters with every clash of sword, every gentle manipulation, and every moment of retribution.
—Kayleigh🤍
♡ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦
♡ 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
April 13, 2025
"What if the Knights of the Round Table had been women?" I wish I knew, because this book didn't tell me.
The story follows Cass, a 17 years old girl, whose sister will get married soon. The same fate awaits her too, but she doesn't want none of that. So when she gets the opportunity to be taken away by this mysterious woman on horse back, she doesn't decline. She joins this group of women, a sisterhood of knights, who are training to fight and live their secluded life without men.
Honestly, that sounded all great, the premise was there: a sisterhood, female knights, training, fighting, mysterious power, destiny?
Well, I was disappointed.
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it failed to deliver.
The plot wasn't plotting, things happened after each other, but that was it all. No character arcs, a weak mc, stronger side characters who were barely explored(i actually wished i could read about the older knights instead...) and weak story telling.
Not gonna lie, after finishing the book, I still don't know what Cass actually wanted? Not to get married, sure, maybe become a knight, sure and then what? She had a love interest after meeting the guy two times, which is honestly was very awkward. And i couldn't understand the hows.
This book tried to be feminist so hard, and deliver its messages, that it forgot to be a story.
And I have to comment on some of the thematic material. We learned that, women are oppressed, men are pigs, they take and r*pe and bully and all men must die. Oh wait, that's another book. These 'feminist' takes were extremely dull, flat and AWKWARD to read. You could spot the love interest in a second, since he was the only man mentioned, who wasn't an animal.
SPOILER warning ⚠️
And I'll go into spoiler territory, but... Was it necessary to have a sapphic character to bed a man? Just to "save everyone"? After being abused by her husband? Was it necessary to kill the OTHER sapphic character (mind you, these two were a couple)?? What is this, CW show? Then make Lily, Cass' best friend, extremely queer coded and then kill her off TOO?
Spoiler OVER ⚠️
So in summary, I was disappointed and bored.
The story follows Cass, a 17 years old girl, whose sister will get married soon. The same fate awaits her too, but she doesn't want none of that. So when she gets the opportunity to be taken away by this mysterious woman on horse back, she doesn't decline. She joins this group of women, a sisterhood of knights, who are training to fight and live their secluded life without men.
Honestly, that sounded all great, the premise was there: a sisterhood, female knights, training, fighting, mysterious power, destiny?
Well, I was disappointed.
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it failed to deliver.
The plot wasn't plotting, things happened after each other, but that was it all. No character arcs, a weak mc, stronger side characters who were barely explored(i actually wished i could read about the older knights instead...) and weak story telling.
Not gonna lie, after finishing the book, I still don't know what Cass actually wanted? Not to get married, sure, maybe become a knight, sure and then what? She had a love interest after meeting the guy two times, which is honestly was very awkward. And i couldn't understand the hows.
This book tried to be feminist so hard, and deliver its messages, that it forgot to be a story.
And I have to comment on some of the thematic material. We learned that, women are oppressed, men are pigs, they take and r*pe and bully and all men must die. Oh wait, that's another book. These 'feminist' takes were extremely dull, flat and AWKWARD to read. You could spot the love interest in a second, since he was the only man mentioned, who wasn't an animal.
SPOILER warning ⚠️
And I'll go into spoiler territory, but... Was it necessary to have a sapphic character to bed a man? Just to "save everyone"? After being abused by her husband? Was it necessary to kill the OTHER sapphic character (mind you, these two were a couple)?? What is this, CW show? Then make Lily, Cass' best friend, extremely queer coded and then kill her off TOO?
Spoiler OVER ⚠️
So in summary, I was disappointed and bored.
April 17, 2024
“One day you will feel that rage inside you on the battlefield and know it has built the warrior you are. So breathe. Focus. And know that your fury can be a strength, not a weakness, but only if you have the self-control to wield it wisely.”
If you’re looking for a book about female knights being fierce and strong, then look no further because Sisters of Sword and Shadow will provide.
I’m so surprised that more people aren’t talking about this book! It’s a feminist YA reimagining of the Knights of the Round Table. And I found this to be quite a strong debut from this author, one that has made me intrigued to read whatever Laura Bates writes next in fiction.
I wasn’t familiar with this author before I picked this book up from the library, but from looking at her other works, she predominantly a non-fiction writer, mostly feminist. I can see her previous work interlaced well within Sisters of Sword and Shadow. This had the sort of feminism that I didn’t think was cringey or unrealistic. This is set in the early medieval period, the Dark Ages, when the Britons were battling against Saxon invaders. In this time of unrest, there were constraints on women and girls (obviously), and I feel like Laura Bates knew that and took that into consideration when writing Sisters of Sword Shadow. Her characters came from repressive family situations, abusive marriages, and dire poverty - and learnt strength, gained skills and power beneath a helmet with a sword in her hand. There’d be no grand reveal that they’re women, rather they would know who they were and what they were capable of, and learning that was enough. They held power in their anonymity. I really enjoyed this book purely because of that feeling of realism.
One day, Cass is outside her home on the morning of her sister’s wedding, and the next, she’s led away on horseback by a mysterious leather-clad woman to be introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights: a group of women training to fight and right the wrongs of men.
I really loved this book - the writing was wonderful to read and I loved the characters, especially our heroine Cass. This didn’t feel like the cheesy YA feminism we are sometimes given - this felt raw and powerful, with very high stakes. Like some scenes had me feeling so tense!
Such a surprising read that I’m so glad I read. I can definitely see this having a sequel so I’m excited to read more about these female knights!
If you’re looking for a book about female knights being fierce and strong, then look no further because Sisters of Sword and Shadow will provide.
I’m so surprised that more people aren’t talking about this book! It’s a feminist YA reimagining of the Knights of the Round Table. And I found this to be quite a strong debut from this author, one that has made me intrigued to read whatever Laura Bates writes next in fiction.
I wasn’t familiar with this author before I picked this book up from the library, but from looking at her other works, she predominantly a non-fiction writer, mostly feminist. I can see her previous work interlaced well within Sisters of Sword and Shadow. This had the sort of feminism that I didn’t think was cringey or unrealistic. This is set in the early medieval period, the Dark Ages, when the Britons were battling against Saxon invaders. In this time of unrest, there were constraints on women and girls (obviously), and I feel like Laura Bates knew that and took that into consideration when writing Sisters of Sword Shadow. Her characters came from repressive family situations, abusive marriages, and dire poverty - and learnt strength, gained skills and power beneath a helmet with a sword in her hand. There’d be no grand reveal that they’re women, rather they would know who they were and what they were capable of, and learning that was enough. They held power in their anonymity. I really enjoyed this book purely because of that feeling of realism.
One day, Cass is outside her home on the morning of her sister’s wedding, and the next, she’s led away on horseback by a mysterious leather-clad woman to be introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights: a group of women training to fight and right the wrongs of men.
I really loved this book - the writing was wonderful to read and I loved the characters, especially our heroine Cass. This didn’t feel like the cheesy YA feminism we are sometimes given - this felt raw and powerful, with very high stakes. Like some scenes had me feeling so tense!
Such a surprising read that I’m so glad I read. I can definitely see this having a sequel so I’m excited to read more about these female knights!
January 6, 2024
“You’ll find that you are capable of things you never dreamed of, if you give yourself the chance to stretch beyond the idea of yourself that you’ve always known.”
This afternoon Cass's older sister will be married. Soon she will be too. Gone will be days of running through fields and feeling the earth between her toes. So when a beautiful leather-clad woman rides up and offers to take her away, Cass doesn't hesitate to join her.
Cass is introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights - a group of women training to fight and working to right the wrongs of men. Cass is drawn into a world of ancient feuds, glorious battles, and deadly intrigue, where soon discovers she holds a power that could change the destiny of her sisterhood.
This is Laura Bates debut fiction, an "Arthurian reimagining", and I found it intriguing, but it did miss the mark a teeny weeny bit. But it was a pretty good effort for a debut! Like, don't get me wrong, once I started I did not want to stop. I really wanted to see what happened next. The character arc and plot has some minor flaws though, and some of the feminist theme got lost in the random male love interest, but I think this will be a book YA will be able to look at to find similarities to our modern world, and to the powerful potential of collective sisterhood. I will be making sure my school library has a copy. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
“You’ll find that you are capable of things you never dreamed of, if you give yourself the chance to stretch beyond the idea of yourself that you’ve always known.”
This afternoon Cass's older sister will be married. Soon she will be too. Gone will be days of running through fields and feeling the earth between her toes. So when a beautiful leather-clad woman rides up and offers to take her away, Cass doesn't hesitate to join her.
Cass is introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights - a group of women training to fight and working to right the wrongs of men. Cass is drawn into a world of ancient feuds, glorious battles, and deadly intrigue, where soon discovers she holds a power that could change the destiny of her sisterhood.
This is Laura Bates debut fiction, an "Arthurian reimagining", and I found it intriguing, but it did miss the mark a teeny weeny bit. But it was a pretty good effort for a debut! Like, don't get me wrong, once I started I did not want to stop. I really wanted to see what happened next. The character arc and plot has some minor flaws though, and some of the feminist theme got lost in the random male love interest, but I think this will be a book YA will be able to look at to find similarities to our modern world, and to the powerful potential of collective sisterhood. I will be making sure my school library has a copy. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
“You’ll find that you are capable of things you never dreamed of, if you give yourself the chance to stretch beyond the idea of yourself that you’ve always known.”
November 3, 2024
i am loving arthurian fantasy at the moment but this one just didn’t hit the mark. it was YA but a lot of the dialogue between cass and lily was very modern and obviously just didn’t fit the genre.
i recently read another arthurian fantasy which was a feminist re-telling of morgan le fay and the feminism was subtle and created an empowering character whereas i felt this book was very in your face about how it wanted you to conceive it’s characters and it was too much. women can be strong without kicking the shit out of men, i guess.
but the author is a feminist activist who has published a lot of non-fiction titles surrounding feminism and sexism so i think this is perhaps a passion project???
one super annoying thing was the amount of times cass just happened to eavesdrop on a conversation and it was what she’d heard that drove the plot forward?!? like there’s only so many times a person can be in the right place at the right time!!!
despite all of this… i accidentally bought the second book thinking it was the first so i will give the second book a go anyway.
April 14, 2025
Feministischer Take der Artus Legende?
Eine geheime Sisterhood für Frauen, die mehr von ihrem Leben wollen, als Hausfrau und Mutter zu sein, die für ihr Land und Gerechtigkeit kämpfen wollen?
Uhm. Yes, please!
Leider war die Umsetzung für mich nicht so toll wie ich gehofft hatte. Die Handlung hat mir etwas zu lange gebraucht, die große Prophezeiung, die am Ende als Cliffhanger verkündet wied war mir zu offensichtlich, und. Generell war ich leider enttäuscht.
Mal gucken, wie sich Band 2 entwickelt.
*Leseexemplar vom Verlag via NetGalley erhalten*
Eine geheime Sisterhood für Frauen, die mehr von ihrem Leben wollen, als Hausfrau und Mutter zu sein, die für ihr Land und Gerechtigkeit kämpfen wollen?
Uhm. Yes, please!
Leider war die Umsetzung für mich nicht so toll wie ich gehofft hatte. Die Handlung hat mir etwas zu lange gebraucht, die große Prophezeiung, die am Ende als Cliffhanger verkündet wied war mir zu offensichtlich, und. Generell war ich leider enttäuscht.
Mal gucken, wie sich Band 2 entwickelt.
*Leseexemplar vom Verlag via NetGalley erhalten*
October 22, 2023
This writing! It was stunning! I also don't know much about legends surrounding King Arthur but this one was such a good story and it made me want to learn more about the legend.
I really liked the depiction of mental health and depression in this story. Sometimes all it takes is endurance and perseverance to get through the tough times. I was hurting a lot for our main character but I can't wait to see where she ends up <3
I really liked the depiction of mental health and depression in this story. Sometimes all it takes is endurance and perseverance to get through the tough times. I was hurting a lot for our main character but I can't wait to see where she ends up <3
November 15, 2023
I enjoyed this. A feminist take on the arthurian stories which we have all heard. Laura Bates didn't shy away from the brutal story lines and twists and turns. The only down side I would say is it felt rushed, not really fleshed out..
Read
December 2, 2024DNF at about 40%
This book draaaagged on. I feel like I've been reading for years and I haven't even reached the halfway point. There is no conflict to keep me interested, no mystery to be solved, no well-rounded characters that I could grow attached to. I just can't be bothered anymore.
This book draaaagged on. I feel like I've been reading for years and I haven't even reached the halfway point. There is no conflict to keep me interested, no mystery to be solved, no well-rounded characters that I could grow attached to. I just can't be bothered anymore.
January 3, 2024
Heel leuk!!
August 2, 2024
This might be the best book I’ve read all year. I love feminist fiction and so this book really spoke to me in the shop. When I started reading it and realised that it was set in the time of knights and “maidens needing rescued”, I wasn’t so sure I would enjoy it. However, this was an amazing book! The depth of the characters, the brutal and factual way women were treated and the realistic yet exciting plot had me hooked from the first few chapters. I seriously think everyone should give this book a go, could not recommend it any more than I do right now. I can’t wait for the second book to be released.
July 26, 2025
“Above her a thousand leaves danced in a symphony of colour: emerald and sea green, acid bright and adder dark..”
A beautifully written novel. I've seen some criticism of this book to be its lack of direction or plot and while I agree this is true I kind of love this about it. The story flows around the characters rather than rushes by. There are several big plot points throughout which push it forwards and these were all really cool but it was also the quiet moments between these that made the book great, the intimate moments between characters and beautiful descriptive passages. The Arthurian vibe was cool and I loved the sense of destiny and power experienced by Cass. It wasn't something she understood or even tried to, she recognised it and at times tried to distance herself from it. The pacing was a bit off at the end and the climax felt a bit rushed. While I enjoyed the small cosy at times scale of this book, I hope that the sequel contains more of the quests and adventures often associated with Arthurian knights.
Favourite thing: The Tournaments. There were several tournaments in the book and they were great. The author had clearly done her research because they were full of detail. Alongside the anticipation of the jousting and fights themselves these events had the added tension of the women avoiding discovery.
Least Favourite thing: The pacing at the end. There were several times the sisterhood could have acted against Mordaunt many of which I felt should have been the final straw but weren't. Then when they finally did the build-up happened so quickly. The final battle scene was great though.
Favourite character: Sigrid
Favourite Moment: During the tournament of the squires when Cass's power took over and she defeated Lilly.
Ratings
Characters= 3
Plot=2.5
Writing style=4
Overall=3.5
A beautifully written novel. I've seen some criticism of this book to be its lack of direction or plot and while I agree this is true I kind of love this about it. The story flows around the characters rather than rushes by. There are several big plot points throughout which push it forwards and these were all really cool but it was also the quiet moments between these that made the book great, the intimate moments between characters and beautiful descriptive passages. The Arthurian vibe was cool and I loved the sense of destiny and power experienced by Cass. It wasn't something she understood or even tried to, she recognised it and at times tried to distance herself from it. The pacing was a bit off at the end and the climax felt a bit rushed. While I enjoyed the small cosy at times scale of this book, I hope that the sequel contains more of the quests and adventures often associated with Arthurian knights.
Favourite thing: The Tournaments. There were several tournaments in the book and they were great. The author had clearly done her research because they were full of detail. Alongside the anticipation of the jousting and fights themselves these events had the added tension of the women avoiding discovery.
Least Favourite thing: The pacing at the end. There were several times the sisterhood could have acted against Mordaunt many of which I felt should have been the final straw but weren't. Then when they finally did the build-up happened so quickly. The final battle scene was great though.
Favourite character: Sigrid
Favourite Moment: During the tournament of the squires when Cass's power took over and she defeated Lilly.
Ratings
Characters= 3
Plot=2.5
Writing style=4
Overall=3.5
February 19, 2024
2.5⭐️
I can see what the Author was trying to do with a feminist version of Arthur and the Round table. But it just wasn’t it. It felt like it missed the mark on what it was trying to achieve.
I can see what the Author was trying to do with a feminist version of Arthur and the Round table. But it just wasn’t it. It felt like it missed the mark on what it was trying to achieve.
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