Grace and Fury

By: Tracy Banghart

Narrated by: Megan Tusing, Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Bold, brutal, and beautiful - a must-listen fantasy full of fierce sisterhood, action, and political intrigue for fans of The Selection series, Caraval, and The Handmaid's Tale.

Serina Tessaro 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. It's her chance to secure a better life for her family, and to keep her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, out of trouble. But when Nomi catches the Heir's eye instead, Serina is the one who takes the fall for the dangerous secret her sister has been hiding.

Trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one option: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to save Serina. But this is easier said than done...a traitor walks the halls of the palazzo, and deception lurks in every corner.

Meanwhile Serina is running out of time. Imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive, surrounded by women stronger than she is, one wrong move could cost her everything. There is no room for weakness on Mount Ruin, especially weaknesses of the heart.

Thrilling and captivating, Grace and Fury is a story of fierce sisterhood, and of survival in a world that's determined to break you.

©2018 Tracy Banghart (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Banghart...breathes new life into this feminist story of oppression and resistance. The sisters...shift and grow, adding depth to each character. Fans of Keira Cass and Marie Rutkoski will be drawn to this absorbing story and left eager for another installment." (Publishers Weekly)

"The Handmaid's Tale gets a YA twist in this debut...The pace is quick, the ending promises a sequel, and the plot couldn't be more relevant. Buy an extra copy - this should find an audience." (Booklist)

"The Handmaid's Tale meets The Bachelor, Grace and Fury is fast-paced, feminist, and a perfect summer read." (Bustle)

Twists and turn abound!

Expect the unexpected. I found this book on a Facebook video and decided to try it out. Loooove it!! Omg I don’t normally read fantasy books like this. But this one was super easy to follow with the characters and scenes. I’m just upset I didn’t know it was a series cause I got though 10 hours of a book and now have so many more questions!!! Aaaahh! I already bought the 2nd the minute this one ended

Loved it!

What a fascinating story! I was captivated from start to finish! The world building was great!

Loved it

Wonderful story can’t wait for the next book! Left me wondering what was going to happen!

Loved Serina’s parts, hated Nomi’s parts

I’m a little torn on how I’m feeling towards this book. It was exciting and engaging, but also irritating.

I love the feminist agenda here and the bonds of sisterhood. I really enjoyed Serina’s journey and, to me, she stole the show. I actually wouldn’t have minded if the entire book was focused on this one sister. I loved her character development. Her progression from total obedience to rebellion was so fun to see. The setting of Mount Ruin was also exhilarating! Val was a pretty awesome character with a great backstory too. Serina is one of those characters that you grow to respect and admire.

Nomi on the other hand... I started out liking her—who doesn’t like a girl questioning and rebelling against the messed up sexist rules of life? I was all for her—even though her initial defiant moments felt a little petulant and ill-advised. She started out as a seemingly smart, yet rebellious, girl; unfortunately, she didn’t stay that way. Her actions throughout the book became more and more mindless to me. It’s like she turned off all critical thinking skills and became this naive, easy manipulated, prejudiced twit. Instead of questioning information provided to her, instead of taking into account her own experiences and knowledge, she gobbles up what others tell her like it’s gospel and allows herself to be used. I could tell immediately that Nomi was getting played and her lack of awareness and refusal to question the world around her infuriated me. This is callous of me, but she got what was coming to her.

So I found myself loving Serina’s parts and hating Nomi’s. I’m still interested in continuing the series and can’t wait to see Serina blossom into even more of a badass.

blew my mind!

I was on the edge of my seat the whole book!
I have so many questions! ready for book 2

Not great narration

Enjoyed the story quite a lot! Unfortunately the narrator sounds as if they’re AI and it takes away from being consumed by the plot. Very stilted voice that sounds like a robot.

Loved this book!

Though predictable, I couldn't stop listening. I finished it in 2 days!! Starting the 2nd book now.

Weak

I started this book on a 2 hour road trip and that was the only reason I decided to finish it, I was already 2 hours in, otherwise I would have returned it.
The character development is very weak, until the end of the book, I hardly cared about any of the characters
The plot is very predictable, the author has tried to create a book similar to Hunger Games, but has failed.
Overall I don't think this is worth 1 credit
One of the narrators seems to be in constant distress and that's the only emotion she can have

OH My My

I have listened to over 800 audibles and seldom take time to write a review. This one however captured my attention and I struggled to do life! It was so hard to turn it off to do the things I needed to do. I cant wait to hear the next one!

Excellent Characters

I knew where it was going but the writing left just enough doubt to keep you engaged. The characters are all wonderfully crafted.