Release Date: February 7th 2023
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Synopsis
This fierce story transports you to 17th century France, to a world of heart-racing duels and seductive soirées as our heroine fights against her chronic illness to train as a Musketeer, uncovering secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father―a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a sword fight.
With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels that she has a purpose, that she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming―and might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.
Review
One for All is a brilliant, compelling YA historical fiction retelling that follows Tania de Batz, a young girl that wants nothing more than to be a Musketeer like her father. However, women are not allowed to be Musketeers and Tania has a condition that frequently makes her dizzy and faint. Known in her village as the sick girl, her parents worry about her prospects to find a husband. When Tania’s father is mysteriously murdered, Tania is sent to a finishing school in Paris in the hopes of finding a husband, but the L’Académie des Mariées is not quite what it seems – this elite school is for a new generation of Musketeers, young women who can play the part of a noble lady, but also protect King and country. When Tania and her sisters-in-arms uncover a plot to assassinate the King, they use all their wits and skills to determine who’s behind it before it’s too late.
One for All is such a fun read. It’s a brilliant adventure and I found it so easy to become completely engrossed in the story. It’s a pretty fast paced tale and that definitely kept me turning pages quicker and quicker. The plot is engaging and I was really intrigued to see how it was going to end. I loved the setting and Lainoff’s writing style really brings the glamour of 17th century Paris to life. I was so fascinated by the descriptions of beautiful dresses and opulent rooms. I absolutely love the secret school trope and it was so well executed in the story. Seeing Tania and the other Musketeers train, learn and work to uncover secrets kept me absolutely glued to the book.
The story has some really important disability representation and Tania is a really compelling protagonist. I loved seeing her go from strength to strength as she found her place amongst the group and realised she was much more than the people of her village told her she was. I also really enjoyed seeing the bond develop between Tania and the other girls and I would absolutely love to read more adventures from these four.
There is a bit of romance in the story but it felt well developed and didn’t overtake the main plot of the story. I enjoyed every minute of One for All so if you’re looking for a gripping found family adventure story full of badass female sword fighters, this book absolutely has you covered.
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