Title: Palace of Spies
(Palace of Spies #1) (ARC edition)
Author: Sarah Zettel
Page Count: 368
My Rating: 3.5 TURTLES:
A very enjoyable read, I recommend you check it out.
Publisher: HNH Books for
Young Readers
Synopsis:
A warning to all young ladies of delicate
breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.
Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a
well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace
of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's
impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth,
she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and
intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with
whom Peggy is falling in love...
History and mystery spark in this
effervescent series debut.
Review:
Palace of Spies is another one of
the books that I picked up at ALA this past summer. It is a fast-paced
historical YA novel with a full cast of colorful side characters and a heroine
who is full of pluck. I am not a scholar of the English nation at the time of
King George I, so I cannot speak to its historical accuracy or plausibility,
but I do know that it was a very entertaining novel.
Zettel did a great job describing
the world of Peggy Fitzroy, I could really picture the fancy dresses,
outrageous wigs, and intensive makeup that was commonplace at the time. I liked
that the story is told in the first person of Peggy, who is very practical and
witty, it added a lot of personality to the narration.
The reason I gave Palace of Spies
3.5 turtles and not higher is because, for whatever reason, I never really
connected with the characters. Yes, the story is fun, witty, and action-packed,
but the emotional investment never clicked in for me, the suspense that could
have built due to Peggy and the other character’s constant danger was not
there. This might have had something to do with the fact that the narration was
past tense, so I was fairly sure that Peggy at least was in no mortal danger.
It also may have been because the
commentary was so witty that, while I knew the situation was dangerous, it
never really registered.
While my socks were not knocked off,
it was still very entertaining, with an adventurous plot and memorable
characters. I was very happy with the ending because it tied up nicely, and there
is definitely an opening for a sequel. I will be waiting to see what is next in
store for Peggy Fitzroy.
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