The Sisters Mederos

Tales of Port Saint Frey #1

by Patrice Sarath

Two sisters fight with manners, magic, and mayhem to reclaim their family's name, in this captivating historical fantasy adventure.

House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family's downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret - could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family's merchant fleet? The sisters' schemes quickly get out of hand - gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another...

Together the sisters must trust each another to keep their secrets and save their family.

File Under: Fantasy [ A Family’s Honour | The Fleet That Was Lost | Pistols in the Dark | An Ace at Cards ]

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Historical Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Mystery, Historical Fantasy

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

Patrice Sarath is an author and editor living in Austin, Texas. Her novels include the fantasy books The Sisters Mederos (Book I of the Tales of Port Saint Frey), the series Books of the Gordath (Gordath Wood, Red Gold Bridge, and The Crow God's Girl) and the romance The Unexpected Miss Bennet. 

Patrice is the author of numerous short stories that have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Weird Tales, Black Gate, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Realms of Fantasy, and many others. Her short story "A Prayer for Captain La Hire" was included in Year's Best Fantasy of 2003 compiled by David Hartwell and Katherine Cramer. Her story "Pigs and Feaches," originally published in Apex Digest, was reprinted in 2013 in Best Tales of the Apocalypse by Permuted Press.

Patrice is an avid horsewoman. She also enjoys bike-riding, rollerblading, and hiking the woods and trails outside Austin. She can often be found writing at her neighborhood coffee house.

Books:

The Sisters Mederos (2018, Angry Robot Books)
Fog Season (2019, Angry Robot Books)
The Crow God's Girl (2012)
The Unexpected Miss Bennet (2011, Robert Hale and Penguin)
Red Gold Bridge (2009, Penguin Berkley)
Gordath Wood (2008, Penguin Berkley)

Short stories:

A Prayer for Captain La Hire (2002, Black Gate, 2003 Year's Best Fantasy)
Bad Amy (2006, Space Squid)
Bad Dog (2015, Andromeda Spaceways In-Flight Magazine; 2017 Deep Magic)
Blood on the Snow (1999, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine; 2017 Bloodbound)
Ice (2005, Realms of Fantasy)
Into the Dark (2002, Realms of Fantasy)
Lonely Cries the Winter Wind (2008, Edge of Propinquity)
Memories of Gravity (2013, The Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance)
More to Glory (2002, Low-Port anthology)
Murder on the Hohmann (2016, Futuristica Vol I)
Pigs and Feaches (2007, Apex Digest, 2013 Best Tales of the Apocalypse)
Pilot's Forge (2009, Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance)
Reparations (2000, Romance & Beyond)
The Djinn Game (1999, Such a Pretty Face)
The Gig in the Hall of Kings (2004, Cafe Ole anthology)
The Lunch Thief (2007, Weird Tales, published as Bagged Lunch)
The Night of Their Conversion (2007, Space Squid)
The Warlord and the Princess (1999, Beyond the Rose, 2002 Andromeda Spaceways)

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. The writing style was completely engaging and kept me sucked in. The author has a great voice. The characters are all well done and fun to love (or hate). The author paints a clear image of the setting with few words. The time and place feel authentic, even though they are fiction.

This has almost a steampunk vibe. There is a fantasy element, but it is quite minimal. The story focuses on the relationship of two sisters and their other family members. The sisters each seek to improve the family’s fortune after being disgraced by society. I only wish they had confided in each other earlier, but perhaps that was to set up future books. After searching for clues the entire book, all the mysteries are finally resolved at the very end.

While there is plenty happening, this is a character-driven book.

Also, NO ROMANCE. I am ecstatic for this! (I’m going to round up to a full four stars for that.)


Clean language; no sexual content; some violence.

Book Blog

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

House Mederos has fallen on hard times. Once wealthy and prominently among the top merchant houses in all of Port Saint Frey, their fleet was lost at sea and all earning power with it. The family in ruins, the two daughters, Tesera and Yvienne have been sent to a workhouse-style boarding school to learn service skills such as cleaning and cooking.

That’s all in the prolog of this first-in-a-series novel. The real story begins six years later when the two sisters, now aged 18 and 20 are allowed to leave school and return home, such as it is. Not content to leave things as they are, both sisters set out to determine the real cause of their family’s downfall. Tesera takes on the role of spy by attending fancy balls and using her considerable gambling skills to win big at cards. Yvienne works as a family tutor by day and writes anonymous scathing editorials for the newspaper by night and also disguises herself to become the notorious "Gentleman Bandit" to steal much needed funds from the corrupt merchant guild families.

There is much to like about this novel. But frankly, I’m a little torn when it comes to granting a rating. This is a fantasy novel, but with very few fantasy elements. The larger world building is almost non-existent. We never learn much about the city, the Merchant’s guild, or anything about how the society works. The fictional Port Saint Frey could be almost any random European city in the 18th century that relies on sea trade. One sister does possess a magical ability but nothing is disclosed about how it works or why she has this “gift/curse”. She doesn’t use it much during the course of the book either, trying instead to keep it under control. And that’s really it. The rest of the book could be considered a pure adventure story with lots of intrigue.

On the other hand, the writing style is captivating. The plot flows well and the two sisters are compelling characters. The immediate setting is painted well and seems authentic. I enjoyed reading the entire book and will certainly be reading the second volume in the series. Perhaps I’m just used to more complex fantasy. I suppose this is an example of the kind of fantasy novel where “less is more”, meaning that one doesn’t have to have expansive world building and intricate magic systems to tell a good story. Still, I am hoping for a bit more background in the next book.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss

In hindsight, this does have quite a few overused tropes and maybe wrapped up a bit too quickly at the end, but I had a lot of fun reading it and I loved Tessa and Yvienne so I think that is what bumped it up from 3 to 4 stars for me. Overall it was a really fun story about two very different girls working together to investigate and clear their family name. If you're looking for a fun YA fantasy read that focuses on family over romance then I would definitely recommend this. There are some loose ends left hanging at the end but since this is the first in a series I'm assuming they will come into play in the next book, which I will definitely be reading!

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full spoiler-free review now on my blog

This story ist mostly set in a harbour city called Port Saint Frey and there is little to no explanation about its exact location or the world surrounding it. While this irks me a lot in other fantasy novels because I'm a huge fan of intricate and immersive world-building, it surprisingly didn't bother me in this case. The story is very character-focused and we follow the Mederos family only for a little while in their life, so there are no epic adventures or long journeys through the country that would call for more worldbuilding. However, we learn that the two sisters are send to a school for girls in another city after the family's downfall and later on we get some information about a different culture and its status in Port Saint Frey. The latter part felt a bit strange for me since we don't get any other information about different cultures or countries throughout the whole book and this information served only to explain one point in Yvienne's storyline.

As mentioned earlier, this story is very character-driven. It is told from both Yvienne's and Tesara's point of view and I liked that each sister has a unique voice and character. Through their eyes, we see how their parents Alinesse and Brevart and their uncle Samwell cope with the current situation.

Tesara is the more rebellious of the two sisters and thus isn't very appreciated by her parents. She used to have a very good relationship with her uncle, but they don't get along very well since it was discovered that he didn't insure their merchant fleet, wich makes him partly responsible for the family's downfall. Interestingly, Tesara is able to call storms with her hands, which is the only magical element to the story. However, she hasn't been able to feel the magic for a long time, since a teacher at the school she was sent to deliberately crippled her fingers.

Yvienne is very intelligent and well-loved by her family. She is seen as the more reasonable of the two sisters and tries to negotiate between the adults and Tesara. When the family needs a new maid, she takes it in her own hands to find a new one and make her parents' life as confortable as possible under the circumstances.
We only get to see the rest of the family through the eyes of both sisters. Their parents try in their own ways to block out their fall into disgrace. Alinesse reminded me a lot of Nesta from A court of Throns and Roses with her self-righteous and unfair attitude towards Tesara. Brevart on the other hand has lost his spirit and character after the downfall and is only a shell of his former self.

I loved that we get to follow both sisters individually as they find their own ways to uncover the real circumstances of their family's downfall and try to restore the family's wealth and social status. It's especially great because each sister chooses a path that you would probably associate with the other sister and both grow so much because of this. And even though they keep some secrets from each other, they know they can still rely on one another in the end.

Since the focus lies so heavily on the characters and their adventures, the plot itself looses itself a bit along the way. Even though I enjoyed following the sisters around town, it got a bit repetitive in the second half of the book and I would have liked some more plot depth instead. The ending felt a bit rushed and not everything is completely solved at the end of the story. I don't know if Sarath plans a second book in this world and chose therefore to omit some conclusions. It's especially unfortunate because some side characters just disappear from the story and you are left wondering about them.

Overall I enjoyed the story and our two main characters, but the story itself could have had some more depth for me. If you enjoy character-driven historical fantasy with strong female leads and a touch of magic, this could definitely be a book for you!

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. However, all opinions are my own.

[Chelsies Reading Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical fantasy about two sisters from one of the most prestigious houses in Port Saint Frey who decided to fight back and reclaim their family name after the Merchant Guild took everything from them. One turns to thievery and the other to gambling while they look for information as to why their house was targeted by the Guild. I was wary going into this because Im not the biggest reader of historical fiction, but I wanted to try something different.

The little world building I did get felt pretty generic. Nothing about it stood out to me. The magic didnt have much of explanation. The plot lost its direction with the sisters gambling and stealing needlessly instead of actually looking into the reason their house was targeted. This slowed down the pace for me and made me lose interest, especially since nothing really unpredictable happened. The writing flowed nicely and I was able to follow the switch it points of view between the two sisters easily.

I enjoyed our two main characters Tesera and Yvienne, but their sense of priviledge was a little annoying. If you can spend your money on a housemaid you're not that bad off. Seeing these sisters transform into the badasses I saw on the cover was the best part of the story, but it was still a bit underwhelming. I wish they would have communicated to each other more and been more focused on their goal. I also didnt understand Teseras reaction to getting her magic back. Not to mention it came back out of nowhere.

The sisters parents and uncle were very flawed people who treated the girls unfairly, but I still liked them as characters. I also liked their housemaid and how she didnt tolerate any nonsense from their uncle. I also appreciated the disabilty representation with one of the main characters having a disabled hand, but I dont know how accurate it was. Im happy she didnt let it deter her. She even used it to her advantage while gambling. The ending wasnt very satisfying, especially where the culprit and Teseras new friendships are concerned.

*received for review consideration*

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Fantasy / Historical
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

The Sisters Mederos, by new to me author Patrice Sarath, is a twisted tale of two sisters, Yvienne and Tesara Mederos, who try to bring their family back from the brink of destitution with cunning, daring, and through counting on one another as they face challenge after challenge. The Mederos' are considered one of the founding families of Port Saint Frey. They were once the wealthiest merchant family in the city as well. Then someone went full out betrayal and destroyed the families reputation and their fortune.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Am attracted to stories where unruly gifts are part of the tale. Two strong young wome, sisters, bound together in their efforts to restore their Merchant House to its proper place.
Having just finished the next in the series I upgraded my score to 5 stats. No need to be miserly with a story I really enjoyed!

[Lynn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars
I have to say from the outset that I had good fun reading The Sisters Mederos. This is a fantasy of manners with two sisters, raised with privilege, whose family loses everything, and who, using their wits and determination seek to reinstate their family’s good name and fortune.

There’s not too much to go into in relation to the plot (don’t intend that to be disparaging btw). The Mederos family was one of the most influential and wealthy merchant houses in Port Saint Frey until the fleet was sunk and it was discovered there was no insurance. Their fall from grace was as spectacular as it was speedy and clearly somebody orchestrated the whole affair. The sisters are determined to find out who is to blame although at the same time they need to take action to keep their family afloat.

As the story sets off we meet the Mederos family as they’re in the process of being accused. The family home is taken from them, the girl’s uncle is imprisoned and the two girls are sent to boarding school. When we next meet up with them the sisters have been returned home to their family after an absence of six years. Times have changed, none of their former friends speak to them, they are impoverished and without any prospects reduced to bickering amongst themselves. Thankfully the two sisters still have some ideas and enough guts to take matters into their own hands.

Yvienne is the elder sister and probably my favourite of the story. She’s definitely the brains of the piece and has a plan for revealing those behind her family’s downfall. She already has ideas about what happened but she needs time to uncover more. Becoming a governess helps her to come up with an alibi for being out of the house without raising her family’s suspicion and dressing in boys clothing enables her to experience a new degree of freedom at the same time as helping her to come up with a new persona in the form of the Gentleman Bandit. Tesara on the other hand is a little like the black sheep of the family. She keeps secret the magic that she is capable of and blames herself for the storm that caused the fleet’s destruction out at sea. Tesara always seems to be in trouble with the family and longs for relief which comes in the form of invitations to parties – her families notoriety giving her a certain level of entertainment value. Using these invitations and the friendship of a couple of young people who are not too worried about reputation Tesara eventually finds her forte is gambling. Unfortunately as she moves in these circles she is starting to attract notice from parties that she would be better off not coming to the attention of. Both girls take risks, they were scared, but they put their fear behind them and I have to say I admired their pluck.

Eventually both the sisters become deeper embroiled in their own webs of deceit until the final showdown where everything will either fall into place or a greater price paid. The sisters thought they’d lost everything but their lives are at stake now.

This is a period drama but being set in an alternate world it doesn’t necessarily mimic the rules of propriety as strictly as a novel set in our world might do. Both the sisters manage to get out and about with far fewer restrictions than you might expect but I liked that, it gave them a bit more agency to achieve things. The place itself is only really briefly drawn but I didn’t find that a problem either as it felt easy enough to imagine a small seaside town of the era.

I think my main reservations with the story came in the form of the family ties. I wouldn’t say that I really got a feel for them caring about each other, even the sisters. If they’d communicated a little more with each other they might have been able to work together as oppose to going off independently at tangents and sometimes almost working against the other and adding to the risk. It felt like they could have come up with a more cogent plan for action, two heads being better than one. The magic was also not really elaborated on and felt almost tacked on to add more of a ‘fantasy’ element – I’d like to see this explored a little more.

However, in spite of reservations and a few, what felt like, unfinished storylines, I found this an entertaining read. Yes, certain storylines were left open but I’m figuring that maybe they’ll be focused on in future books and I would definitely be interested in reading more to see how the sisters develop and what adventures they get tied into next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

While I enjoyed THE SISTERS MEDEROS, I feel the description might have oversold it a tiny bit - while there are definitely manners and some mayhem, there is way less magic than I would have hoped. The historical nature is in feel only, as Port Saint Frey, where nearly the entire book takes place, is a fictional place, and no year is ever given. But don't let that stop you, as THE SISTERS MEDEROS is an enjoyable fantasy of manners with interesting characters at its heart.

My biggest complaint about THE SISTERS MEDEROS is that the middle drags a bit. It feels a bit repetitive. Tesara and Yvienne both have their individual schemes, and the middle of the book is filled with descriptions of Tesara going to parties and gambling and Yvienne going about her sneaky business. It did not feel like each incident added to the plot - things happened, but they didn't really seem to matter later in the book. There was also not a ton of explanation of the Mederos world, for example, the mysterious Guild that seems to rule the city was never really explained very well.

Tesera and Yvienne were both intriguing characters, and I enjoyed reading about them and their separate motivations for going about their plans of revenge. I especially liked that each had their own faults, and they never felt invincible. There were times when I was genuinely worried for their welfare, as they weren't the type of super-powered characters we sometimes come up against in fantasy novels. It made them feel more real and believable.

Overall, THE SISTERS MEDEROS is very much driven by Tesara and Yvienne as characters, with a loose plot that, in my opinion, wraps up way too quickly at the end. Luckily, Tesara and Yvienne both have the strength to carry the novel and keep a reader interested throughout. I'm certainly curious about where this world is going and where the author will take the characters next, so I will likely continue on with the series.

Sexual content: N/A

[Simi Sunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to be happy that I bought a copy, I was not thrilled by the story line. From the prologue, I was intrigued and ready for more. But somehow, as I keep going, I was no longer feeling elated as I used to be.

When I read the title "Th Sisters Mederos," the title could've tweaked it, but I have thought that maybe two sisters will work together and do something. But to my dismay, there was not much interaction between the two until towards the very end. Although, I do like their character traits.

What bugged me was that I stumble upon certain errors like how the sentences were worded wrong, and the punctuation was used wrong. Even I stumbled upon a few grammar errors while I was reading. What irritated me the most that I had hard time understanding because the direction it was going was a mess.

I know that the book displeased me and could've turned out better, but I know that the author will improve and make greater stories than this. I do understand the concept, how sisters are gonna be independent and take different paths. After all, I do have a sister of my own. The sisters do seem to act like twins. I do wish the sisters would have better communication with each other, along with their parents. I'm not sure if there were any character development on the family members, which I thought maybe it would be a good idea.

Anywho, I'm sure that the author has improved, since she has written other novels other than this. I'm sure she has taken considerations about other's constructive criticism and have taken the time to strengthen her craft.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately interested in this book because it’s a fantasy of manners which is one of my favorite sub-genres of fantasy. I enjoy stories about folks navigating society, especially if they also point out that society’s constraints and issues there may be within it. I was not disappointed as The Sisters Mederos does a great job at both of these aspects of the genre.

This is very much a character driven book. In it we have two point of view characters, sisters Tesara (the younger) and Yvienne (the elder). Once at the top of their town’s society, the Mederos family became impoverished when the girls were children and they were sent away to school. Six years later they’ve returned home and are determined to investigate the manner of their family’s downfall and restore them to them to their former place in Port Saint Frey society.

tsm-coverThe bond between the two sisters is really the highlight of the story. One thing that stood out was their loyalty to each other and their desire to see justice done for their family. Even though at times they kept secrets from each other, holding back for fear of what the other would think of their brazen actions, the best part was when they were working together toward a common goal. Tesara finds herself attending society events, having rekindled an old friendship, and spending her nights fleecing people at the card table. While Yvienne gets mixed up in secretly encouraging a revolt against the merchant guild while robbing the rich folks in town as a gentleman bandit. Adventures ensue.

The family dynamics in this story is interesting because they’re complex and they also drive most of the plot. Both sisters are unhappy with their circumstances, their family is not only poor, but shunned those they once called friends. Tesara especially is angry at having been sent away to school, believing they were abandoned by their family to the cruelty of the headmistress. Their parents and uncle are bitter at their downfall as well. Yvienne is seen as the perfect, biddable daughter by their mother, which is far from the truth. Tesara is seen as a troublemaker, and while she does get into some situations, up until those events she is continuously blamed for things that are perhaps not her fault. Their uncle is always chasing the help, and their father seems to have given up on caring about much of anything. It was nice to read a fantasy novel where both parents are very much alive but I wish the family would have been more a little more likable. (That may have also been the point, but it left me a bit wanting.)

I found several of the minor characters interesting as well, and only wish that a couple of them had either been more important to the story or had been a little more well-developed. Also, I feel like the main villain was perhaps of the mustache-twirly variety, but that didn’t bother me too much because it fit in with the tone of the rest of the story.

The setting was well written, feeling much like a mid-eighteenth century to late nineteenth century port city in Europe. The would building was detailed enough to support the story and I enjoyed the descriptions of the city as the sisters navigated around its streets during their escapades. It definitely felt like a world you could step right into.

Overall, there was much to be enjoyed in this book. The girl’s adventures and boldness in taking things into their own hands was quite fun to read about and I’d happily read more about the two of them. If you like fantasy of manners, or stories of adventurous young ladies, this might be a book to look out for.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca Schwarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters foreva! A fascinating historical fantasy about a merchant family that has been brought low. The sisters must untangle the mystery of who is truly at fault for their desperate situation. Lots of adventures and plenty of lovely world building. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

We all know I came for the sister relationship. I am such a sucker for books that deal with sisterhood and the relationship between them. I was not at all disappointed by them! (And while we're on this, look at the cover - it is the perfect cover for this book!). But furthermore, this book is also about family and what we will do for justice.

characters: 4 plot: 4 writing: 3 world building: 3

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book also as an advanced reader's copy and from beginning to end, this was an adventure that was worth not putting down. The relationship between Yvienne and Tesara was intriguing to follow and the whole story of the Mederos family was one to remember. I picture it as Adams Family meets beautiful creatures in the City of Bones. This will definitely be an option for our young adult section in our library. 5 stars!

[Maria Anneliese · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The setting and characters were so charming and fun that throughout reading I knew I was going to give it at least four stars. Trade wars, scheming nobility, domestic spies, murdered journalists, a Dickensian vibe, and good, confident writing made me sure it was all going to come together beautifully.

But the book overpromises and under-delivers. In the last 20% it rushes to try to tie all its developments together and sort of does but only by offering really simplistic explanations (or downright dropping several plot developments) that aren’t satisfying and lack the complexity and thoughtfulness I expect in adult fantasy. If this was middle grade or lower YA (though I think it’s too simple for YA as well), this wouldn’t have bothered me as much, but it was so unexpectedly elementary that I felt disappointed.

Without giving too much away, it seems as though there’s a complex, dastardly conspiracy afoot and if the two (very cool!) heroines can only figure out which thread to pull, they can unravel their enemies’ secrets and redeem their family. It makes for great tension throughout, but then… there just isn’t anything there. It takes about a paragraph to explain the conspiracy against them (but no real believable motive) and does so in a way that renders the rest of the story pointless. Tesara's powers? The Gentleman Bandit? The cave full of loot? The mysterious gambling shark? The enigmatic mistress? Yvienne's lecherous employer? Tesara's engagement? The murdered journalist? Not one matters by the end of the story. I could go on and explain why with spoiler tags, but this book has taken enough of my time already.

Wonderful characters and world hobbled by a weak, half-baked story.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing Cards Reading Challenge: 9 of Spades

I picked this book up from a stack on the floor of the greatest bookstore I've ever been in (RIP Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore, a bookstore that truly embodied Terry Pratchett's description of "a genteel black hole that knows how to read" - you can donate here if you want to contribute to its possible renaissance). The cover and description intrigued me. I love badass sisters, historical fantasy, the works. I'd never heard of the author, or any of the authors quoted on the cover, either.

I finally got around to reading it when I restarted doing my playing cards reading challenge again, and I really enjoyed it! The weakest point for me was that it was really hard to root for House Mederos: the father was practically a nonentity, the mother was a sour, resentful, unpleasant mess and the uncle likes to sexually harass any woman nearby AND humiliated his twelve year-old niece to score points with a friend. Also, as other readers have pointed out, it does end abruptly.

However, the sisters and their adventures are well worth the read! I particularly liked Tesara, determined to regain not only her family resources but her powers, but Yvienne was also enjoyable. I question this book being shelved as adult rather than YA because it seems more like a YA or NA book - which is in no way a bad thing! It reminded me in many ways of Court Duel, with a bit of Robin McKinley thrown in for good measure. The whole thing is full of twists, turns and strategies as the sisters plot and scheme to restore the family finances and honor. I will definitely read the sequel.

[Gabrielle Mathieu]

There is something almost sweetly Victorian about the new fantasy novel by Patrice Sarath, which concerns two young sisters enduring misfortune. The opening chapters reminded me of the childhood classic, The Little Princess, published in 1905. Yvienne and her magical sister, Tesera, daughters of a once rich trading family, are sent to a school for paupers, when their family is accused by creditors hungry for their downfall. In the traditional of some YA novels, Yvienne and Tesera’s parents are inept and depressed, and their uncle is a foolish lecher, forcing the young girls to shoulder responsibility for each other. Into their miserable lives comes Mathilde, a cheery housekeeper who knows how to do much on a shoestring budget, and is capable of putting Uncle Samwell in his place.
This charming novel avoids disturbing and tragic scenes: the worst that happens is that one heroine is forced to serve some merchants dinner while wearing a maid’s uniform and being mocked. Amorous adventures are discreetly referred to as sparking, without more graphic details. We may have come up with the analogue of the cozy mystery here; a tale gripping enough to keep you reading at night, and hoping for exposure of the villain, but a story that takes place in a familiar and nostalgic setting, even if it is an imaginary one.
I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

[Teresa Cserveny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konnte das Buch nicht lange zur Seite legen.

[Elizabeth Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of exciting elements in The Sisters Mederos: a game of cat-and-mouse with a shadowy enemy, wild parties, double lives and a good old-fashioned dose of revenge. Unfortunately, these elements don't manage to blend into a solid story.

The story opens with the girls being packed off to boarding school as the Merchants' Guild break into the family's home to charge them with trumped up crimes. We then flash forward to the girls' return home. Thanks to persecution from the Guild, they now live in greatly reduced circumstances and are struggling to put food on the table. While their parents and uncle struggle to cope, the girls each privately vow to discover the truth of who's responsible for their situation and make them pay.

They go about this in very different ways. Yvienne, the oldest, takes to writing anonymous and inflammatory opinion pieces for one of the local newspapers while using her position as a governess to investigate the paper trail surrounding her House's downfall. She also discovers she makes quite a successful robber and starts holding up the city's nobility under the cover of night. Being the quiet, responsible one of the sisters, her family never suspects her and even her sister is surprised by the icy depths of her resolve. She is a person who gets things done and I enjoyed that about her.

In contrast, Tesara has a reputation as the naughty and mischievous sister. Strange things have a way of happening around her--sudden squalls of wind when she's upset, the tablecloth ripping itself off the table. However, her family refuses to acknowledge any possibility of magic but instead blames Tesara for what is not entirely in her control. Resentful, Tesara sneaks out one night to a party with an old friend... and rediscovers her talent for counting cards. She puts these skills and her flighty reputation to good use by fleecing the nobility of their wealth. It was immensely satisfying to watch her turn the stereotype to her advantage.

Although the sisters are compelling characters, they are let down by their family. Their mother is a bitter woman, turning her sharp tongue on the rest of the family at the slightest provocation. Their father has become a vague and anxious man, aged too quickly by the family's travails. And their Uncle is an unpleasant sort of man, desperate to be part of the old boys club again and prone to sexually harassing the help. Such an unlikable cast of characters makes it difficult to root for the family's restoration. However, I also recognise it's a difficult line to walk because without their self-absorption it would be hard to justify their obliviousness to the activities of the sisters.

The unlikeability of the family undermines any chance of making "family before all else" a convincing theme. It also never quite manages to create a sense of the sisters binding together against the world. They're too busy keeping secrets from each other; even at the very end they're still not wholly transparent with each other. So, despite their obvious affection for each other, there's still a sense that their alliance is only temporary.

This wasn't the only part of the plot and world-building that felt weak. The villain's motivation in targeting House Mederos was insufficiently convincing and they didn't have much of a presence throughout most of the story. Tesara's magic also never had much of an impact on the plot and I was never quite clear on if there was supposed to be some mystery over whether she actually possessed any power. The ending wrapped up quite quickly, dropping elements left and right. Being the first book in a series, it's possible that some of these elements will receive some more attention in subsequent books. But by and large, it felt like the Mederos tale had been intended to stand on its own and had reached its natural conclusion. I would therefore be surprised to see future books focus on the family.

I'm hesitant to describe the story as a historical fantasy. Not only does it appear to be set in a secondary world, the time period it's based on seemed to shift around. The majority of the story has a Regency influence, shown in the fashion and social conventions. However, the parties Tesara attends had more of a 1920s vibe in terms of the extravagance and fashion. While I quite enjoyed this blending of periods, it's not going to be to everyone's taste.

All in all, The Sisters Mederos was a book that promised a lot but ultimately failed to satisfy.


This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The Sisters Mederos is a well written urban historical fantasy that is light on the magic but heavy on the characterization. For once, we have two lead female characters that are SHOWN (not just told) as strong and resourceful in a complex political world. The setting is an 18th-19th century Italy or France where mercantile controls the society. As each sister uses her own set of skills and opportunities to fix their poor social situation, it is their bravado and ingenuity that see them through rather than plot devices or dumb luck. But the plot also felt stretched and repetitive, as if to create a trilogy from a single large book foundation.

Story: In a spectacular act of fate, a storm sinks several trade ships of the House of Mederos. Without insurance to cover the loss, the once wealthy family is disgraced and impoverished. Sisters Yvienne and Tesara are sent to a far away boarding school where they are treated to humiliation and privation. Years later, the two return to find out what really happened to their family and to rebuild the family fortune. But the Mederos family has a secret - Tesara has a tenuous and minor elemental magic control (a magic she believes she accidentally used to sink her family's ships). Yvienne may not believe her sister has magic but Yvienne knows there is more to the story of the sinking of the ships - and she is going to find out exactly who is behind the calamity that destroyed their futures.

First and foremost, my review is perhaps a bit lower than I had hoped going into the read simply because Tesara's magic is so underrepresented and unexplained in context to the world. Other than the reader knowing through Tesara's POV that she has a curious set of abilities, no one else in the world seems to have any explanation or context for that magic. Even if rare, there would be stories and mores to deal with magic users. Yet even Yvienne doesn't believe in magic or that her sister has an ability. Other than hints that the Guild know how important the magic power is, people either ignore her ability when they suspect (as with the headmistress) or avoid the topic. But no one seems surprised that someone has a power and no one has any idea what to do with someone who does have one? It was just odd and I had a hard time with the book because of it.

But that said, I liked that each of the sisters had a strong skill set (of which their intellects were the most important) which they used to good effect. They were both very distinctly people as well, without being caricatures. Yvienne being practical and intelligent, Tesara being more impulsive but able to act quickly and decisively. Interestingly enough, neither knows everything the other is doing because both want to protect the other from the consequences of their dangerous activities.

The book focuses more on the mystery and character development than the action and adventure. Yvienne becoming a 'highwayman' and Tesara using cardshark skills to fleece the nobles are the ways the women have chosen to fix the family's poor situation. But this translated into several scenes of robbing and several scenes of card sharking that began to feel repetitive. They went down in pretty much the same ways and I would have liked to see the focus on something else instead. The plot didn't move fast enough while they were doing their activities.

There are some interesting side characters that I look forward to learning more about in future books. Author Sarath does an excellent job of characterization, giving people wants, needs, and goals that are offset by their own foibles, weaknesses, and strengths. But that extra effort meant that the story felt inert at quite a few places and that the story moved both too quickly and not quickly enough. But I had a great sense of the milieu in which the Mederos operated and appreciated the "Les Miserable" feel of the story.

In all, I enjoyed The Sisters Mederos but did have some issues with the story. Great characterization and story but nebulous magic definition (and nearly a complete lack of magic in the book) left me feeling a bit cheated in that area. Reviewed from an advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Abi (The Knights Who Say Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Cool, so this was a disappointment.

For about the first 15% of the book I had trouble with the writing. Something about the formal style made me keep having to reread sentences. And I would say that it took me until about halfway through to actually start enjoying the plot more than I was bothered by the blandness. This book and I just were not clicking, despite how much I wanted to love the setting and Yvienne's nighttime adventures.

I think, and it's hard to say because of how much I slogged through it, that the book needed to be longer. The things that were interesting — Yvienne becoming the Gentleman Bandit, her search for answers to the downfall of her family — felt too shallow. We didn't see enough of these things that could have been really exciting. I can hardly even say what we were seeing instead of these things. Endless identical scenes of the Mederos family being stressed and grumpy, I guess? Better focus, that’s what this book needs.

There were some genuinely exciting moments, and a few times the book surprised me about where it took the plot. I didn't expect the answer of what happened to House Mederos, although I obviously called which the bad guy was responsible, because it was so blindingly obvious I assumed it was information we just started with? So the fact that Yvienne didn't know was just... really weird?

But all too often the book just tried to cash in on concepts it hadn't developed enough to deserve. Tesara's struggle to regain her magic and control it had a few moments of "Oh! I get it now!" and very little else. This is important to her character? Prove it.

Even her relationship with the two friends she makes at merchant parties, which I actually really liked (Girls being friends? Actually very common in this book, despite the snide background characters! And there wasn't a forced romance for either sister, which flat out amazed me), got sort of dropped off without resolution at the end of the book. Would have loved to see their reaction to the sisters figuring out the mystery, or how Tesara's almost-engagement turns out, or what Yvienne ends up doing about feeling trapped in a gilded cage. The ending almost tricked me because I was enjoying it so much more by that point, but it was still too abrupt. Nothing in this book was fully, purely good.

The Sisters Mederos thinks it's a lot more badass than it is. And it's a shame, because with more development it could have actually gotten there. Just one question: how can you have a fallen merchant girl disguise herself as a dashing robber during the night and barely focus on it?? Poor form.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

One's a bandit, the other is a card sharp. If you don't fall in love with the cover (which is wicked good), then you should fall in love with the sisters themselves. If you don't like either, then don't bother browsing my bookshelves. Totally my cup of historical fantasy tea. Even better, there's no royalty. In this rather democratic, quite different, mildly magical city, it's the Guild versus the merchants. Or maybe the merchants plotting with the Guild. Printers are the heroes of the free press and anonymous scribblers pen political tracts for the "newsies" to pass out to the people. In short, a very American version of fantasy with plenty of strong and weak women being heroes, scoundrels, and side characters of note. Looking forward to the next tale of this series.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out well and had a fine ending (though the epilogue seemed unneeded), but it felt like the middle dragged quite a lot. I appreciated the two strong female leads, one of which was disfigured and one brainy, and the writing was perfectly functional. But I felt like things came a little too conveniently for the girls and the ‘mystery’ was a bust. The villain was so obvious as to be painful. Lastly, I thought the cross-dressing ‘mistress’ was just queer-baiting. All in all, not bad, but not a true winner either.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding a book like this. In addition to this series starter, I see the author already has a completed series and a stand-alone novel. All of it sounds great. I'm sold.

I knew I liked this book and the author in the first 40 pages. In an alternate world that is well-developed but not over-explained, with a pair of main characters that read like determined and adventurous Jane Austen characters (which made sense when I saw that the author's stand-alone novel was a sequel of sorts to Pride and Prejudice), with a mystery adventure plot on the knife's edge between Austen and Robert Louis Stevenson, I couldn't have been more engaged. The author's clear language, matching a proper tone to lively narration, is a nice compromise between regency language and modern sensibilities. It is a strength of the novel, being well suited to the story, and is what sold me the most.

Tesara and Yvienne Mederos are both engaging and enterprising characters, sympathetic and round, who use every tool they have to fight back against the Merchant Guild and the system which destroyed their family, taking them from the heights of society to the depths of near poverty and humiliation. In a city that reads like a sort of early modern Bruges-meets-London, where merchant families are like nobility, with a rigid class system, there is little either can do through normal means. So they both become rogues of a sort (nicely foreshadowed by the beautiful cover), acting outside of approved gender or class roles--but they do so believably. The "believable" part includes Tesara's uncertain power which might or might not control winds and waves, the only overtly fantasy-type element of the story. (The alternate-world setting is the other significant fantastic element.) I liked both characters, and though Yvienne was probably a bit more daring, I found myself more partial to Tesara. I'd like to see what happens with both, of course, as both have promise.

The conclusion is satisfying and works well, IMO, but also leaves a lot of room for (planned, it seems) sequels. That's good, because I feel like the author has barely scratched the surface with this setting and these characters. I'd like very much to see what happens after this.

Meanwhile, I'm investigating the author's back catalog. :)

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once one of the wealthiest merchant families in Port Saint Frey, the Mederos family are now disgraced. Sisters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are convinced that something, or someone, sinister has been at work to bring down the The House Mederos and they are determined to restore the family name and the riches due, and exact revenge. But their plans take off too well and move on beyond their control and they may be forced to take actions that they themselves find reprehensible. But Tesara is holding on to a secret thought that perhaps it was her fault - her magic - that resulted in the loss of the family's fleet.

I was really drawn into this book quite well early on. These characters are strong and independent and I really liked that. I found the characters to be quite real and interesting, which is usually important for me to be pulled into a story.

Our setting is (or appears to be) around early 1800's Italy and the fact that we have these strong women taking action and not needing to rely on men to finish things for them, or to open the way for them, is really refreshing. They each have skills that they use to get them what they want (and it isn't just feminine charms).

But while I liked this book at the start it really wore down. I felt that the story drew on and on, repeating itself and this bored me. Rather than a story unfolding, revealing information gradually along the way, we get a big dose of information early, and then we wander around for awhile before getting back into the story.

I was a bit frustrated by Tesara's magic. I never quite figured out if this is something rare in this world, or common. And we don't really learn anything about the source of her magic - is this inherited? A gift?

There was enough here to have me interested and want to read more, but not enough here to have me offer up a recommendation.

Looking for a good book? The Sister Mederos by Patrice Sarath starts out well and offers strong female characters, but the story wanders and doesn't really hold the reader's interest.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[K. Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

Card sharps, an alternate-world port city run by shipping Guildmasters, a disgraced family, a gentleman bandit, and a hint of magic.

If you took a fantasy heist novel such as Bardugo's Six of Crows or Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora and mixed it with Austen or Cheney's manners-and-spies book of alternate Portugal-- Golden City-- you'd have The Sisters Mederos.

There's not a central heist per se, but the book begins with a powerful merchant shipping family disgraced and penniless sending their daughters away. The real action begins when Yvienne and Tesara return to the city, however, and both find decidedly unladylike ways to help their family survive its fall. Yvienne looks into which other powerful Guild members profited from her family's losses, as well as decides to steal from them. Tesara regains some social footing and enters the balls and salons to seek out backroom card games.

Both of them must enter places they're unwanted, find a way to play the roles of biddable young society girls, and ward off unwanted advances by powerful men. In some ways their home situation is straight out of an Austen novel as the father is ineffectual and confused and the mother constantly berating and dismissive especially of Tesara. There is some hint that the mother knows of Tesara's ability to resonate with wind and water, although this doesn't play a very big role in this first novel as Tesara spends most of the novel trying to recover from a brutal childhood incident.

This is pure escapist fantasy presented in mannered prose. There is a hint of romance, but it doesn't really push that button for me. It's more manners and dress up and hiding in dumbwaiters and pretending to be servants, and secret meetings.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. It did start of promising, but then there wasn't enough substance here. The action is repetitive and often doesn't make sense for the plot. I feel like a lot of the important discovery work was put "off-stage" and all we did get to read was a lot of money stealing and gambling. The magic felt haphazard and neglected. With little to no effort suddenly Tesara can control her powers when she hasn't had them for at least six years. And I wasn't a fan of her character, or her parents, or her uncle. They did just feel spoiled. Yvienne was the only interesting character in here, and the only one actively moving the plot forward. (I'm not really going to count Tesara's strange infiltration into her house). Trune, as a villian, was a huge let down. He didn't have enough presence in this book to really feel anything towards him. Sure, the end was scummy, but mostly it was just weird. I don't understand what he specifically had against the Mederos family, and I feel like that really would have added something to this novel.

And then there was the fact that the girls kept stealing from all of the wrong people. A lot of them were their former classmates. I don't entirely sure what the girls are trying to accomplish. These classmates are technically innocent. So in the end this felt much more like a revenge story than it did a mystery solver or a fantasy. I just didn't like their methods. They tout the injustice that brought down their family, but are punishing others for what exactly? Existing? Having money?

I don't know. This was just a strange novel that left me baffled and wanting to feel much more resolved toward it.

[Paula Ackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sisters Mederos could have been so much more but it fell short of the mark. Two privileged girls are sent to the poorhouse, return to their family after six years and then become badasses to reclaim their family's good name and to discover who caused their family's downfall. Sounds like a fantasy to me. Mother still thinks she is privileged and has become more of a bitch. Father might be the head of the house but he has become ineffectual and spiritless. Uncle has become more of a letch and a leech. While much has been said of the bond between the sisters secrets divide them and keep them from working together toward their common goal. After awhile the gambling and the gentleman bandit's escapades got tiresome. It was just a rehash of what had been done before. There were elements put into the story that were never developed and it felt like they were just put there to try to add to the plot. If anything they just left you with more questions as to why did Ms. Sarath bother putting them into the story in the first place. They don't go anywhere, don't make sense and just don't fit. I wouldn't call The Sisters Mederos historical fiction since Port Saint Frey doesn't exist and therefore can't have a real timeline. More fantasy I guess. The bad guy was no surprise, the ending was rushed and too many things were either tied up too quickly or left unanswered. Maybe they will be resolved in book #2 and maybe we will get to see some magic.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this somewhat hesitantly; "wealthy merchant house has a great fall, daughters seek revenge" isn't, to me, the most instantly promising premise.

In the event, I liked it. The daughters are skilled and determined; they take a lot of risks, but that's a thing that real young people do, and they carry it off. They're willing to brave a lot in order to unwind the mystery and gain their vengeance, though, in the event, the specific ways in which they invest most of their effort (gaining money from their former peers both by winning money at gambling and by robbing them at the point of never-adequately-accounted-for guns) don't turn out to be important to the plot's resolution. When the resolution does come, it comes somewhat abruptly and thoroughly.

The question of who can be trusted and who is on their side is prominent throughout, and the answers change a lot, sometimes suddenly and without much preparation, at other times with some foreshadowing. Although the sisters do keep some secrets from each other, at least for a while, the plot doesn't rely on this to create conflict, and they mostly confide in each other and work together.

On the whole, I felt the plot and characterization were competent and well handled, and the tension was maintained well. It isn't my new favorite, but it's a decent effort.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patrice Sarath's tale of two sisters is exciting, fun, and intriguing with an interesting developing magic system and fun characters who are constantly up to mischief in order to restore their family name.

This was a fun book. Yvienne and Tesara are wonderful characters with a lot of personality and the adventures they get up to are intriguing and delightful to read about. I loved seeing how they each tried to solve their families problems. Plus, I'm a sucker for books about Victorian women breaking the rules.

What this book lacked, however, was more detail on what the sisters did for their families. There were many instances where the sisters didn't give each other enough details (which made me grumble a bit). And there were also instances where the author kept information from the readers until the last minute. I don't feel like this information made the ending any more dramatic. Instead, it made things seems disjointed -kind of a "Guess what! You didn't know this, but she's secretly been working on X for the last several months!" It made the characters feel more distant and less realistic since the author rarely provided our heroines with time to pursue these things.

Overall, this is a fun fantasy story that I think YA readers would enjoy more than most other readers.