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One for All
An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. 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 a new kind of Musketeer: 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 swordfight.
With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.
This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. 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 a new kind of Musketeer: 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 swordfight.
With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.
This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.
389 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
About the author
Lillie Lainoff
1 book219 followersLillie Lainoff received her B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing and distinction within the major from Yale University. She currently is studying for her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction at University of East Anglia.
Her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry has been featured in The LA Review, The Washington Post Outlook, Today’s Parent, via the Disability Visibility Project, Washington City Paper, and The Yale Daily News, amongst other places. She’s received recognition from Glimmer Train and The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and is the 2019 Winner of the LA Review Literary Award for Short Fiction. She was a featured Rooted in Rights disability activist, and is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers (FB).
As an undergraduate, Lillie was a member of Yale’s Varsity Fencing team. As a senior, she was one of the first physically disabled athletes to individually qualify for any NCAA Championship event, and helped her team to an end-of-season 10th place ranking by the National Coaches Poll. She still fences competitively and coaches. In 2017, she was named a recipient of the inaugural Spirit of Sport award by the US Fencing Association.
Her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry has been featured in The LA Review, The Washington Post Outlook, Today’s Parent, via the Disability Visibility Project, Washington City Paper, and The Yale Daily News, amongst other places. She’s received recognition from Glimmer Train and The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and is the 2019 Winner of the LA Review Literary Award for Short Fiction. She was a featured Rooted in Rights disability activist, and is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers (FB).
As an undergraduate, Lillie was a member of Yale’s Varsity Fencing team. As a senior, she was one of the first physically disabled athletes to individually qualify for any NCAA Championship event, and helped her team to an end-of-season 10th place ranking by the National Coaches Poll. She still fences competitively and coaches. In 2017, she was named a recipient of the inaugural Spirit of Sport award by the US Fencing Association.
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Want to read
June 5, 2021i always thought the Barbie version would be the only one i'll ever get, it is dear to my heart but damn apparently Barbie was just initiating me.
April 22, 2023
**3.5-stars rounded up**
One for All is pitched as a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, but don't go into it expecting an actual retelling.
I would classify this as more of a continuation of the Musketeer legends, but with female protagonists.
Our intrepid hero is Tania de Batz, who hasn't let her chronic illness smother her dreams. That's her mother's job.
Tania's father is a former Musketeer who has regaled his daughter with stories of his adventures. Tania aspires to be like him, to be a fencer and to protect the crown from harm. Her loving father supports her, until the day he is mysteriously killed.
While Tania's mother wants nothing more than to marry her daughter off, for her own good, of course, Tania's father's final wish was for her to attend L’Académie des Mariées.
A finishing school! Tania can't believe her father would wish such a thing upon her. Isn't that just the final stop before finding a suitable husband!?
Luckily for Tania, her father had her back after all. L’Académie isn't a finishing school. It's a secret training ground for female Musketeers. Musketeers who will front as socialites, but are actually seeking out intel to stop attacks on the crown.
They're like crazy secret spy ladies who never back down from a fight. We love that!
For the first time at L’Académie, Tania feels accepted. She doesn't feel like her newfound sisters-in-arms are judging her because of her illness. They trust in her and her abilities.
Then a boy comes along. Leave it to a boy to spoil things. Etienne is Tania's first target and he gets under her skin in all the wrong ways.
This is a fun book. I enjoyed getting to know Tania and following her journey as she finally got the chance to achieve her dream of becoming a Musketeer.
I was drawn to her struggles from the very beginning. I felt for her, the way her mother treated her. It was sad and frustrating, but I sort of got where her mother was coming from, even though I didn't agree with her.
I loved the relationship between Tania and her father though. It was heartbreaking that he was taken from her so soon. Her ambitions to follow in his footsteps seemed like an impossibility at the time for a woman, but he found the way to make it so.
I also really loved the found-family aspect of this story. Once Tania arrives at school and meets her new sisters, that was so fantastic.
The dynamics between all the girls was strong and believable. They made a great team!
While the plot of this didn't grab me quite as strongly as I had been hoping for, I still really enjoyed my time listening to the audiobook.
Overall, I think One for All is a great story. Sure, it helps that it's inspired by one of my all-time favorite classics. I loved having female Musketeers!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, as well as RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review.
This is an impressive debut for Lillie Lainoff. I can't wait to see what she writes next!!
One for All is pitched as a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, but don't go into it expecting an actual retelling.
I would classify this as more of a continuation of the Musketeer legends, but with female protagonists.
Our intrepid hero is Tania de Batz, who hasn't let her chronic illness smother her dreams. That's her mother's job.
Tania's father is a former Musketeer who has regaled his daughter with stories of his adventures. Tania aspires to be like him, to be a fencer and to protect the crown from harm. Her loving father supports her, until the day he is mysteriously killed.
While Tania's mother wants nothing more than to marry her daughter off, for her own good, of course, Tania's father's final wish was for her to attend L’Académie des Mariées.
A finishing school! Tania can't believe her father would wish such a thing upon her. Isn't that just the final stop before finding a suitable husband!?
Luckily for Tania, her father had her back after all. L’Académie isn't a finishing school. It's a secret training ground for female Musketeers. Musketeers who will front as socialites, but are actually seeking out intel to stop attacks on the crown.
They're like crazy secret spy ladies who never back down from a fight. We love that!
For the first time at L’Académie, Tania feels accepted. She doesn't feel like her newfound sisters-in-arms are judging her because of her illness. They trust in her and her abilities.
Then a boy comes along. Leave it to a boy to spoil things. Etienne is Tania's first target and he gets under her skin in all the wrong ways.
This is a fun book. I enjoyed getting to know Tania and following her journey as she finally got the chance to achieve her dream of becoming a Musketeer.
I was drawn to her struggles from the very beginning. I felt for her, the way her mother treated her. It was sad and frustrating, but I sort of got where her mother was coming from, even though I didn't agree with her.
I loved the relationship between Tania and her father though. It was heartbreaking that he was taken from her so soon. Her ambitions to follow in his footsteps seemed like an impossibility at the time for a woman, but he found the way to make it so.
I also really loved the found-family aspect of this story. Once Tania arrives at school and meets her new sisters, that was so fantastic.
The dynamics between all the girls was strong and believable. They made a great team!
While the plot of this didn't grab me quite as strongly as I had been hoping for, I still really enjoyed my time listening to the audiobook.
Overall, I think One for All is a great story. Sure, it helps that it's inspired by one of my all-time favorite classics. I loved having female Musketeers!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, as well as RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review.
This is an impressive debut for Lillie Lainoff. I can't wait to see what she writes next!!
November 24, 2021
feminist retelling of the three musketeers ✔️
heroine that suffers from a chronic illness (POTS) ✔️
uncovering an assassination plot ✔️
secret sisterhood of badass sword fighters ✔️
I barely blinked before giving this book a 5 star rating. It was absolutely fantastic. full rtc
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc
heroine that suffers from a chronic illness (POTS) ✔️
uncovering an assassination plot ✔️
secret sisterhood of badass sword fighters ✔️
I barely blinked before giving this book a 5 star rating. It was absolutely fantastic. full rtc
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc
March 11, 2022
In a Nutshell: Attention, tout le monde! Just remember that this is a YA book and you will enjoy it far more. If you are an adult reader who wants a deeper experience, that may or may not happen, depending on your bookish requirements.
Story:
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The biggest advantage the book has is that it is an OwnVoices book. The author is a competitive fencer, AND she suffers from the same chronic health problem as Tania does. This brings a great deal of authenticity to the writing of Tania’s experiences.
😍 The second biggest plus point of the book is its representation. Disability and women’s rights get a pride of place in the story, and it also has great LGBTQ representation. (but… without any issues or conflicts related to these characters. I liked that decision – it was as if everyone was perfectly okay with others’ sexual preferences.)
😍 The story is based on Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 work, “The Three Musketeers”. But instead of making this a scene-by-scene copy of the classic, the author chooses to take the essence of the old work and put it into a very different bottle. Thus it is not a faithful retelling but a spin on the original, which works wonderfully for the story.
😍 There is a minor underlying arc of romance but it neither overshadows nor overpowers the main story. There are two potential suitors in Tania’s life and you'll keep seesawing between the two of them in your loyalty. Of course, the mystery is quite obvious to avid readers but for a YA book, it does its job pretty well.
😍 Porthos, Aramis and Athos of the original book become Portia, Aria, and Théa in this modern spinoff. Each of these fab female musketeers has one dominant trait, and that shows itself consistently throughout the story. I liked their camaraderie and the way all of them embodied the idea of “Tous pour un, un pour tous.” (All for one, one for all.) Tania suffers from imposter syndrome during her initial days at the academy but it is due to these girls that she develops her skills and her confidence.
😍 Most historical fictions you read won’t contain details of swashbuckling swordswomen and secret missions during balls. These novel additions provide a refreshing change to the experience.
😍 All the characters act their age. This has become a novelty in YA fiction.
😍 I loved the addition of French dialogues to the story. It doffs a hat to the original book, and at the same time, adds a wonderful authenticity to the experience. But….. (to be continued in the next section)
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😕 But…. (continued from above) in a few instances, there was a needless translation of simple French phrases right next to the original. For instance, there are dialogues that go “C'est vrai, that’s right” or “Je suis désolée, I am sorry”. This sounds very silly, especially to those who know both the languages. There are better ways of putting across the meaning without being so literal about it.
😕 Tania was naive throughout the narrative. I would have preferred her to mature more as the story progressed, but right till the end, she remains almost as ignorant as at the start. Though she does grow in confidence and courage, I would have loved to see her grow in common sense too.
😕 Tania’s dizzy attacks seem to come up exactly when the plot needs a delay. It seemed too convenient at times.
😕 The dialogues seem a bit too contemporary in some cases.
😕 The middle part of the story felt a bit slow and repetitive. (At least in the audiobook.)
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at 12.5 hours and is narrated by Mara Wilson (whom you might remember as the little girl who played the titular role in the movie “Matilda”.) Mara puts her acting chops to great use here and delivers an outstanding performance. Her rendering of both the French and the English lines is impeccable. She elevated the experience for me even further.
I hate the fact that audio ALCs rarely contain the author’s note. I kept waiting to understand what disability Tania suffers from but it never came up. It is only by reading other reviews that I discovered that she suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is a chronic illness hardly anyone knows about. Reading up more on this syndrome helped me understand Tania’s situation better. Of course, if you get the published copy of the audiobook, you’ll not face the same issue as I did and will probably hear from the author herself about this health issue.
Despite the issues I had with the writing, this is still one of the better YA books I've read. Its concept makes it unique, and the author’s personal experiences shine throughout the story. Overall, it’s a really impressive debut with only minor flaws that will be ironed out with more writing experience.
4.25 stars from this YA work. (If it were a book for adults, I might have rated it a 3.75.)
Definitely recommended to Young Adults (and Adults who are Young at Heart) who want to read a different kind of YA book with some clever and courageous women leading the story.
My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “One For All”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
France, 1655. Sixteen year old Tania de Batz, the daughter of an erstwhile royal musketeer, loves her sword. However, with her constant dizzy spells, she is considered a “sick” girl and hence weak. Her mother is desperate to get her daughter married off before her health problem becomes too known, though all Tania dreams of is being a musketeer like her father. When her dad is found mysteriously murdered, Tania loses all hope. Imagine her surprise that her dad’s final wish was for her to enroll into a finishing school, L’Académie des Mariées. Once there, Tania realises that this is no ordinary place but a secret training academy for women spies-cum-musketeers. Tania’s life changes and she begins to relish her new tasks at the academy. Will she be able to do well as a spy despite her health issues? Will she ever discover what happened to her father? How will her colleagues react when they learn that their new peer is not in the best of physical conditions?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Tania.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The biggest advantage the book has is that it is an OwnVoices book. The author is a competitive fencer, AND she suffers from the same chronic health problem as Tania does. This brings a great deal of authenticity to the writing of Tania’s experiences.
😍 The second biggest plus point of the book is its representation. Disability and women’s rights get a pride of place in the story, and it also has great LGBTQ representation. (but… without any issues or conflicts related to these characters. I liked that decision – it was as if everyone was perfectly okay with others’ sexual preferences.)
😍 The story is based on Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 work, “The Three Musketeers”. But instead of making this a scene-by-scene copy of the classic, the author chooses to take the essence of the old work and put it into a very different bottle. Thus it is not a faithful retelling but a spin on the original, which works wonderfully for the story.
😍 There is a minor underlying arc of romance but it neither overshadows nor overpowers the main story. There are two potential suitors in Tania’s life and you'll keep seesawing between the two of them in your loyalty. Of course, the mystery is quite obvious to avid readers but for a YA book, it does its job pretty well.
😍 Porthos, Aramis and Athos of the original book become Portia, Aria, and Théa in this modern spinoff. Each of these fab female musketeers has one dominant trait, and that shows itself consistently throughout the story. I liked their camaraderie and the way all of them embodied the idea of “Tous pour un, un pour tous.” (All for one, one for all.) Tania suffers from imposter syndrome during her initial days at the academy but it is due to these girls that she develops her skills and her confidence.
😍 Most historical fictions you read won’t contain details of swashbuckling swordswomen and secret missions during balls. These novel additions provide a refreshing change to the experience.
😍 All the characters act their age. This has become a novelty in YA fiction.
😍 I loved the addition of French dialogues to the story. It doffs a hat to the original book, and at the same time, adds a wonderful authenticity to the experience. But….. (to be continued in the next section)
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😕 But…. (continued from above) in a few instances, there was a needless translation of simple French phrases right next to the original. For instance, there are dialogues that go “C'est vrai, that’s right” or “Je suis désolée, I am sorry”. This sounds very silly, especially to those who know both the languages. There are better ways of putting across the meaning without being so literal about it.
😕 Tania was naive throughout the narrative. I would have preferred her to mature more as the story progressed, but right till the end, she remains almost as ignorant as at the start. Though she does grow in confidence and courage, I would have loved to see her grow in common sense too.
😕 Tania’s dizzy attacks seem to come up exactly when the plot needs a delay. It seemed too convenient at times.
😕 The dialogues seem a bit too contemporary in some cases.
😕 The middle part of the story felt a bit slow and repetitive. (At least in the audiobook.)
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at 12.5 hours and is narrated by Mara Wilson (whom you might remember as the little girl who played the titular role in the movie “Matilda”.) Mara puts her acting chops to great use here and delivers an outstanding performance. Her rendering of both the French and the English lines is impeccable. She elevated the experience for me even further.
I hate the fact that audio ALCs rarely contain the author’s note. I kept waiting to understand what disability Tania suffers from but it never came up. It is only by reading other reviews that I discovered that she suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is a chronic illness hardly anyone knows about. Reading up more on this syndrome helped me understand Tania’s situation better. Of course, if you get the published copy of the audiobook, you’ll not face the same issue as I did and will probably hear from the author herself about this health issue.
Despite the issues I had with the writing, this is still one of the better YA books I've read. Its concept makes it unique, and the author’s personal experiences shine throughout the story. Overall, it’s a really impressive debut with only minor flaws that will be ironed out with more writing experience.
4.25 stars from this YA work. (If it were a book for adults, I might have rated it a 3.75.)
Definitely recommended to Young Adults (and Adults who are Young at Heart) who want to read a different kind of YA book with some clever and courageous women leading the story.
My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “One For All”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
November 24, 2021
I absolutely adored this book. When I heard there was going to be a YA book with own-voices POTS representation, I RAN to request an ARC. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
As someone who has POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), I've never seen myself represented anywhere in media, but this book changed that, and I'm so glad that it was excellently written. The author did a great job of showing how POTS affects people in every day life, and how it is a constant source of fatigue, even on a better health day. Tania's symptoms were talked about every day, not just used for dramatic effect or when convenient, which I was thankful for. I loved how Tania was still able to be a strong, successful musketeer despite her illness, and that she found people who supported and cared for her (believe me, it can be hard). This is definitely some of the best chronic illness representation I've read.
The actual plot itself was interesting, I enjoyed the action and mystery, along with the subplot of romance. The plot twists kept me on edge and very quickly I found that I just couldn't put this book down!
Overall, a great historical gender-bent 4 musketeers retelling with fantastic chronic illness representation. I highly recommend.
Thank you to the author, Lillie Lainoff, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review.
As someone who has POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), I've never seen myself represented anywhere in media, but this book changed that, and I'm so glad that it was excellently written. The author did a great job of showing how POTS affects people in every day life, and how it is a constant source of fatigue, even on a better health day. Tania's symptoms were talked about every day, not just used for dramatic effect or when convenient, which I was thankful for. I loved how Tania was still able to be a strong, successful musketeer despite her illness, and that she found people who supported and cared for her (believe me, it can be hard). This is definitely some of the best chronic illness representation I've read.
The actual plot itself was interesting, I enjoyed the action and mystery, along with the subplot of romance. The plot twists kept me on edge and very quickly I found that I just couldn't put this book down!
Overall, a great historical gender-bent 4 musketeers retelling with fantastic chronic illness representation. I highly recommend.
Thank you to the author, Lillie Lainoff, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review.
August 16, 2020
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.
SO
GOOD.
More soon :)
SO
GOOD.
More soon :)
July 10, 2022
read my interview with the author here!
an excellent debut!! rtc
an excellent debut!! rtc
February 22, 2022
Mystery, action, stabby girls, and a fresh retelling led by a disabled protagonist - One for All has it all. I loved this Three Musketeers retelling and loved what it will represent and mean to so many disabled readers out there.
Set in 1650's France, One for All follows Tania, a chronically ill girl and fencer with POTS who experiences constant dizziness and is labeled as the village 'sick girl'. When her father, a former Musketeer, is mysteriously yet brutally murdered, she is whisked off to Paris at his bequest - but what everyone believes to be a boarding school is actually a secret training ground for girl Musketeers.
In One for All, readers are pulled into Tania's world - a world where societal expectations are already stacked against her for being a woman, and even more so as a disabled girl in a world where no one understands and scorns disability. The story explores Tania's experience of being disabled - specifically, having POTS - and though it is a big part of who she is, it isn't all she is. Tania is immediately likeable; she's defiant, vulnerable, and she grows in such satisfying ways across the story.
Mystery, a mission to thwart an assassination attempt, found family and the strength of sisterhood, love and grief, and Tania's mission to find her father's killer are the threads that underlie One for All. The story is thoroughly intriguing and is carefully plotted and developed. One for All is such a fun novel, one with fantastic emotional beats that balance the grief of losing a father and not knowing why or how with the joy of finding people who love and support you wholeheartedly.
A fantastic story and a stunning debut. I can't wait to see what Lillie writes next.
Trigger/content warning: death of a loved one, blood mentions, ableism, murder, mention/recount of sexual assault
Set in 1650's France, One for All follows Tania, a chronically ill girl and fencer with POTS who experiences constant dizziness and is labeled as the village 'sick girl'. When her father, a former Musketeer, is mysteriously yet brutally murdered, she is whisked off to Paris at his bequest - but what everyone believes to be a boarding school is actually a secret training ground for girl Musketeers.
In One for All, readers are pulled into Tania's world - a world where societal expectations are already stacked against her for being a woman, and even more so as a disabled girl in a world where no one understands and scorns disability. The story explores Tania's experience of being disabled - specifically, having POTS - and though it is a big part of who she is, it isn't all she is. Tania is immediately likeable; she's defiant, vulnerable, and she grows in such satisfying ways across the story.
Mystery, a mission to thwart an assassination attempt, found family and the strength of sisterhood, love and grief, and Tania's mission to find her father's killer are the threads that underlie One for All. The story is thoroughly intriguing and is carefully plotted and developed. One for All is such a fun novel, one with fantastic emotional beats that balance the grief of losing a father and not knowing why or how with the joy of finding people who love and support you wholeheartedly.
A fantastic story and a stunning debut. I can't wait to see what Lillie writes next.
Trigger/content warning: death of a loved one, blood mentions, ableism, murder, mention/recount of sexual assault
Want to read
February 2, 202214.08.2020 an ownvoices ya that discusses disability, especially pots, and gives us a girl with sword in this gender-bent historical retelling
December 11, 2022
there was a lot i liked about this book, but the romance and ending ruined quite a few parts of it for me :') also i wanted more of the friendships!!!!! however this is still an important book with such good disability rep.
May 21, 2022
This was lovely. It's an empowering story and I could feel the author's sincere enthusiasm to write a book where girls will feel seen and she succeeds very sweetly. It reads more like a middle-grade story in terms of vocabulary and thematic depth--not a criticism--and I would love to see it find a place in middle grade libraries as well as high schools.
June 20, 2022
One for All is a great story with incredible disability representation, a strong romance, and a genuinely interesting plot. My only complaint is that the feminism occasionally felt outdated. From the very start of the book the main character is warring with her mother, as she wants to be a fighter but her mother wants her to pick up traditionally feminine hobbies. While this theme is dealt with pretty well for the most part and her mother's concern also has to do with her disability prejudice, there were quite a few one liners about the main character's hatred for sewing and other feminine activities. The thing is that when it comes to women's jobs and hobbies your feminism isn't determined by what you choose to do, but rather why you choose it. You are allowed to enjoy "feminine" hobbies. You are allowed to want to be a stay at home mom or something equally traditional. Not every choice you make has to directly oppose gender norms, as long as it is your choice. The book did bring up this more nuanced discussion a couple of times, but more frequently it mentioned the main character's hatred of "feminine" hobbies, as though that was what made her a strong female character (when really it's her morals that do so). Additionally, later in the book the main character goes to a school to learn weaponized seduction, and while there are a ton of good scenes of women fighting men both physically and strategically, as well as really well developed female friendships, I'm tired of this trope of a strong women's power coming from her ability to manipulate men. I'd rather see women dismantle the patriarchy than simply use it to their advantage. These are all complex discussions and I feel a bit bad critiquing this book so heavily on them, but by incorporating these themes the author has brought them up, so they need to be addressed. Overall this book was still really good, and despite my complaints, more often than not the feminist messages were written well, it just wasn't quite all I'd hoped it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2023
4.5 Stars
An exceptionally written and action-packed, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers that thoroughly ensnared me with it’s whirlwind plot and utterly endearing protagonist readers are going absolutely love!
Set against the backdrop of 17th C France, One For All follows Tania (a girl with a chronic illness) who gets the chance to train as a musketeer in a training facility posing as an elite ladies’ finishing school. There, Tania hones her skills for sword fighting and seduction, in order to help uncover a treasonous plot that threatens both king and country. And with those new skills, Tania may even be able to find the people responsible for her father’s death.
This was an exceptionally well written and enjoyable read with an endearing sisterhood of swashbuckling, espionage-seeking Musketeers that I was equal parts envious and in awe of!
Now, I should probably mention that I’m not that familiar with Alexandre Dumas’ original. In fact, most of what I know stems solely from childhood recollections of the 1993 movie, so I can’t really tell if there’s any tidbits or nods to the original story and characters.
What I do know however, is that Dumas’ Musketeers weren’t women using society’s gender based stereotypes to benefit their own covert operations —which I thought was actually GENIUS! Lets face it, the best spies—be it in real life, in books or on screen, are always the most unsuspecting of people. And you can’t get more unsuspecting than a debutante.
Tania, our protagonist (who we first meet confronting thuggish burglars) was a really well developed and complex character who doesn’t let her disability define her, nor stop her from achieving her dreams (of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a Musketeer.)
This an own voices novel, so Tania’s experiences with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) are based on the author’s own POTS diagnosis and experiences. Which I felt did add an extra layer of poignancy to some of the book’s earlier scenes (where Tania’s chronic illness leads to ridicule, aversion or outright dismissal.)
I did, however, love that she finds such a supportive, found family-style sisterhood at the L’Acaémie des Mariées, who respect Tania and push her to be the best she can be.
Likewise, I really enjoyed the romance aspects which were phenomenal (the tension and slow-burn chemistry was absolutely delicious) with not one but TWO handsome love interests (Henri and Étienne) to swoon over. Though personally, my heart belonged solely to Henri, whose (super relatable) lack of coordination and constant tendency to blush instantly won me over—I just wish we got to see more of him.
So, if you’re looking an empowering, female led (and feminist) historical fantasy full of sword fights, espionage and tons of adventure or love gender-bent retelling then you definitely have to check this out, it’s MARVELLOUS!
Also, a massive thank you to Titan books for this incredible proof and including me on the UK blog tour.
An exceptionally written and action-packed, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers that thoroughly ensnared me with it’s whirlwind plot and utterly endearing protagonist readers are going absolutely love!
Set against the backdrop of 17th C France, One For All follows Tania (a girl with a chronic illness) who gets the chance to train as a musketeer in a training facility posing as an elite ladies’ finishing school. There, Tania hones her skills for sword fighting and seduction, in order to help uncover a treasonous plot that threatens both king and country. And with those new skills, Tania may even be able to find the people responsible for her father’s death.
This was an exceptionally well written and enjoyable read with an endearing sisterhood of swashbuckling, espionage-seeking Musketeers that I was equal parts envious and in awe of!
Now, I should probably mention that I’m not that familiar with Alexandre Dumas’ original. In fact, most of what I know stems solely from childhood recollections of the 1993 movie, so I can’t really tell if there’s any tidbits or nods to the original story and characters.
What I do know however, is that Dumas’ Musketeers weren’t women using society’s gender based stereotypes to benefit their own covert operations —which I thought was actually GENIUS! Lets face it, the best spies—be it in real life, in books or on screen, are always the most unsuspecting of people. And you can’t get more unsuspecting than a debutante.
Tania, our protagonist (who we first meet confronting thuggish burglars) was a really well developed and complex character who doesn’t let her disability define her, nor stop her from achieving her dreams (of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a Musketeer.)
This an own voices novel, so Tania’s experiences with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) are based on the author’s own POTS diagnosis and experiences. Which I felt did add an extra layer of poignancy to some of the book’s earlier scenes (where Tania’s chronic illness leads to ridicule, aversion or outright dismissal.)
I did, however, love that she finds such a supportive, found family-style sisterhood at the L’Acaémie des Mariées, who respect Tania and push her to be the best she can be.
Likewise, I really enjoyed the romance aspects which were phenomenal (the tension and slow-burn chemistry was absolutely delicious) with not one but TWO handsome love interests (Henri and Étienne) to swoon over. Though personally, my heart belonged solely to Henri, whose (super relatable) lack of coordination and constant tendency to blush instantly won me over—I just wish we got to see more of him.
So, if you’re looking an empowering, female led (and feminist) historical fantasy full of sword fights, espionage and tons of adventure or love gender-bent retelling then you definitely have to check this out, it’s MARVELLOUS!
Also, a massive thank you to Titan books for this incredible proof and including me on the UK blog tour.
May 12, 2023
“Yes, I was just a girl. A sick girl. One who, when the time came, was helpless. Because that was what being a sick girl meant.”
Within the first two chapters, I knew I was going to love this book and rate it a solid 5-stars. If I could’ve rated it more, trust me, I would’ve.
Every single turn of page had me getting more and more gripped. I truly, truly loved everything about One for All.
The storyline moved so quickly, yet didn’t feel rushed. The characters had wonderful arcs, and such palpable chemistry with each other.
Though the relationship was only short-lived throughout the first few chapters, the bond that Tania and her Papa had touched me so deeply, and very nearly moved me to tears at more than one point. They had such a kind, genuine relationship that is very rarely seen in media, and it was one of my favourite parts of the entire novel and it’s story.
I can’t express in enough words how much I loved Tania de Batz and felt so strongly for her and related ever such a lot to her plight. The struggle of being chronically ill, but knowing that there’s a life waiting to be lived, love waiting to be had, so many things that you wish to do and accomplish in your life while your body ails and refuses to even compromise and allow you to do one thing, so you risk your health to just live life, is something I understand so deeply and profoundly.
Her story was nothing short of magical to me. Tania fought the fight of living, not just surviving, while also fighting the demon that can be chronic illness. She found strength and camaraderie through being sick, in the end even using it to help her find joy, and honour her father.
One for All is a beautiful, enthralling story about the fight for life, finding your place in the world; and realising that there’s strength in weakness, but also in numbers.
5/5 stars, undoubtedly. I couldn’t have loved this any more. 🤍
Thank you to NetGalley, Lillie Lainoff and the publishers for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to read One for All.
Within the first two chapters, I knew I was going to love this book and rate it a solid 5-stars. If I could’ve rated it more, trust me, I would’ve.
Every single turn of page had me getting more and more gripped. I truly, truly loved everything about One for All.
The storyline moved so quickly, yet didn’t feel rushed. The characters had wonderful arcs, and such palpable chemistry with each other.
Though the relationship was only short-lived throughout the first few chapters, the bond that Tania and her Papa had touched me so deeply, and very nearly moved me to tears at more than one point. They had such a kind, genuine relationship that is very rarely seen in media, and it was one of my favourite parts of the entire novel and it’s story.
I can’t express in enough words how much I loved Tania de Batz and felt so strongly for her and related ever such a lot to her plight. The struggle of being chronically ill, but knowing that there’s a life waiting to be lived, love waiting to be had, so many things that you wish to do and accomplish in your life while your body ails and refuses to even compromise and allow you to do one thing, so you risk your health to just live life, is something I understand so deeply and profoundly.
Her story was nothing short of magical to me. Tania fought the fight of living, not just surviving, while also fighting the demon that can be chronic illness. She found strength and camaraderie through being sick, in the end even using it to help her find joy, and honour her father.
One for All is a beautiful, enthralling story about the fight for life, finding your place in the world; and realising that there’s strength in weakness, but also in numbers.
5/5 stars, undoubtedly. I couldn’t have loved this any more. 🤍
Thank you to NetGalley, Lillie Lainoff and the publishers for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to read One for All.
March 6, 2022
Had very high hopes for this, but ultimately I have to admit this book just... fell pretty flat for me. It is by no means a bad book, and I did love the disability representation, and I especially loved seeing disability rep in a historical novel. But for a book with a murder mystery and sword fighting, I just... found it a little boring, and it didn't really keep me engaged. I do see why so many people have already loved this, and I think many more people will and I'm glad it exists, but it just wasn't really my thing.
March 13, 2022
Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book and I want to see more disabled stories like this one!!
One for All is a genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers. It follows Tania de Batz, the daughter of a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Tania has chronic dizziness (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), but regardless of what everyone else thinks, Tania knows she's might to become a Musketeer. When her father is brutally murdered she thinks her dreams will fade to nothing. But when she arrives at L’Académie des Mariées, she finds something unexpected.
This was such a fun book. I can't speak much to the retelling aspect, because I know basically nothing about the Three Musketeers, but I really loved the sisterhood of the Academie! I came to love the other girls of the Academie so quickly. It was just the best girl gang I've read about in a while! I loved how the other girls gave Tania accommodations when she needed them, but refused to let her believe she's weak or a burden.
Tania was such a strong character and I really loved her. She's spent a lot of her life isolated and seeing her befriend the other girls and begin to make a home for herself was such an empowering storyline. I loved all of the fencing practice, and I definitely could've used more of it. More duels too! More swords are always a good idea.
Both Tania and I have invisible disabilities. Seeing how that impacts every part of your life is so validating. Tania's hesitancy around doctors and strangers is something all too familiar. It's so easy to believe what people tell you about being lazy or faking it or not actually in that amount of pain. And it just hurts. No matter how "well meaning" some of these comments can be.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and I hope we see more MC's with chronic illnesses and disabilities take center stage across all genres and age categories.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book and I want to see more disabled stories like this one!!
One for All is a genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers. It follows Tania de Batz, the daughter of a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Tania has chronic dizziness (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), but regardless of what everyone else thinks, Tania knows she's might to become a Musketeer. When her father is brutally murdered she thinks her dreams will fade to nothing. But when she arrives at L’Académie des Mariées, she finds something unexpected.
This was such a fun book. I can't speak much to the retelling aspect, because I know basically nothing about the Three Musketeers, but I really loved the sisterhood of the Academie! I came to love the other girls of the Academie so quickly. It was just the best girl gang I've read about in a while! I loved how the other girls gave Tania accommodations when she needed them, but refused to let her believe she's weak or a burden.
Tania was such a strong character and I really loved her. She's spent a lot of her life isolated and seeing her befriend the other girls and begin to make a home for herself was such an empowering storyline. I loved all of the fencing practice, and I definitely could've used more of it. More duels too! More swords are always a good idea.
Both Tania and I have invisible disabilities. Seeing how that impacts every part of your life is so validating. Tania's hesitancy around doctors and strangers is something all too familiar. It's so easy to believe what people tell you about being lazy or faking it or not actually in that amount of pain. And it just hurts. No matter how "well meaning" some of these comments can be.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and I hope we see more MC's with chronic illnesses and disabilities take center stage across all genres and age categories.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
May 17, 2022
The disability rep and discussions around Tania's disability, Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, was excellent, but unfortunately the rest of the book fell pretty flat for me. I struggled to really engage with the story, or care about the characters.
I did find myself frequently wondering why I should care if the King was assassinated. If I was in Les Mis, I certainly would be part of the lowest classes, and I know that 100 years after this comes the revolution anyway. I don't believe we ever meet the King or are given any real reason to care if he died.
I found the plot quite predictable, and extremely slow moving. It could have been fleshed out by using the time to build strong connections between the girls, because I never fully got a sense of the sibling-like bond that they claimed to have.
This feels like a weak start to what could be a strong series, but this is looking to be a standalone. I would be interested in sequel, which I think is needed to better build Tania and Henry's connection, as well as give us a better view of the world around them.
I did find myself frequently wondering why I should care if the King was assassinated. If I was in Les Mis, I certainly would be part of the lowest classes, and I know that 100 years after this comes the revolution anyway. I don't believe we ever meet the King or are given any real reason to care if he died.
I found the plot quite predictable, and extremely slow moving. It could have been fleshed out by using the time to build strong connections between the girls, because I never fully got a sense of the sibling-like bond that they claimed to have.
This feels like a weak start to what could be a strong series, but this is looking to be a standalone. I would be interested in sequel, which I think is needed to better build Tania and Henry's connection, as well as give us a better view of the world around them.
September 17, 2022
4.25
idk why but I want to go watch Barbie and The Three Musketeers because this book reminded me of that movie I used to watch when I was little
idk why but I want to go watch Barbie and The Three Musketeers because this book reminded me of that movie I used to watch when I was little
Read
March 12, 2021The real question is, why don't you have this genderbent retelling of The Three Musketeers on your shelf yet?!
Read
May 12, 2022while i wish the story itself was a little better, i really, really loved tania and her band of sisters. we need more disability rep in books!
rtc :)
rtc :)
April 28, 2022
So I wanted to like this book. I’m also someone with an invisible disability and girls with swords are awesome. I buddy read this with a friend who has POTS, even and for neither of us did it ring true.
The writing style has some issues. French words are thrown in mostly at random. For example, in one sentence, a character says “fall” and “l’hiver.” Why aren’t both seasons in the same language, if the characters are presumably speaking French?
The characterization feels pretty flat. I really couldn’t connect with any of the characters, not even Tania! Like, I get it. Being chronically and invisibly ill sucks, but she’s so petulant about it. She doesn’t have to be plucky and inspiration porn, but like I get it! My reading buddy gets it! Tania just lets her parents guide her through life (complaining all the way, never proposing alternatives) before she goes to sword fighting finishing school. There’s so much angst. Her only personality trait is sick girl who likes swords.
Here is another thing: it makes no sense that the focus from other characters would be on how she’s sick. One character called it a “ghastly disease”. Look, this is old timely France. Even today, my friend and I have way more people say we’re faking it or it’s all in our head or we just need to try harder than labeling us super duper sick. “Maybe it’s just anxiety that causes your chronic pain!” “Maybe you just need to meditate.” Look, if people are losing their noses from syphilis and dying of smallpox and coming back from the war with amputated limbs, why would they care that this rich girl gets dizzy sometimes? She’s not bedridden most of the time. She swordfights. Why are they calling her an invalide?
The thing about invisible disability is that you look healthier than you are. That’s good sometimes because people don’t usually underestimate you because of your disability. It’s bad because they underestimate your support needs. I don’t get name called. I just get called a lazy slacker.
I don’t know if the author and I just have really different experiences with being chronically ill. I come from a lower socioeconomic background, so going to lots of doctors just wasn’t an option for me when I first started showing symptoms. I imagine Tania is a pretty significant author insert given the similarities between the author photo and the cover art, so I imagine the author is pretty wealthy. Maybe this is just the difference between being a wealthy invisibly ill person and a not-wealthy invisibly ill person? I’m really not sure. It just doesn’t align with my experiences or those of anyone I know who is also invisibly ill.
I guess that brings me to the final part. Theme. It’s really weird because Tania’s illness never really seems to stop her from doing what she wants to do; it’s always the people around her judging her for getting dizzy. Like she swordfights, and just does it dizzy. There don’t seem to be bad days when she needs to do something but just can’t. Like she’s unable to fight off robbers and says “Normal girls” would have done that. No way! Normal girls would be freaked out and also too weak to fight off multiple fully grown armed men. That’s just a normal human thing. My experience with disability is that there are days I can’t do things I really really want to do because I am in too much pain or too weak or too unable to get out of bed. The fact that Tania is shown to be worthy because she can go on this physically demanding adventure and swordfight is kind of… not empowering to people whose conditions mean they can’t do these things even when they really want to. Which is, presumably, the target audience of the book, you know, the people it’s meant to be empowering.
The writing style has some issues. French words are thrown in mostly at random. For example, in one sentence, a character says “fall” and “l’hiver.” Why aren’t both seasons in the same language, if the characters are presumably speaking French?
The characterization feels pretty flat. I really couldn’t connect with any of the characters, not even Tania! Like, I get it. Being chronically and invisibly ill sucks, but she’s so petulant about it. She doesn’t have to be plucky and inspiration porn, but like I get it! My reading buddy gets it! Tania just lets her parents guide her through life (complaining all the way, never proposing alternatives) before she goes to sword fighting finishing school. There’s so much angst. Her only personality trait is sick girl who likes swords.
Here is another thing: it makes no sense that the focus from other characters would be on how she’s sick. One character called it a “ghastly disease”. Look, this is old timely France. Even today, my friend and I have way more people say we’re faking it or it’s all in our head or we just need to try harder than labeling us super duper sick. “Maybe it’s just anxiety that causes your chronic pain!” “Maybe you just need to meditate.” Look, if people are losing their noses from syphilis and dying of smallpox and coming back from the war with amputated limbs, why would they care that this rich girl gets dizzy sometimes? She’s not bedridden most of the time. She swordfights. Why are they calling her an invalide?
The thing about invisible disability is that you look healthier than you are. That’s good sometimes because people don’t usually underestimate you because of your disability. It’s bad because they underestimate your support needs. I don’t get name called. I just get called a lazy slacker.
I don’t know if the author and I just have really different experiences with being chronically ill. I come from a lower socioeconomic background, so going to lots of doctors just wasn’t an option for me when I first started showing symptoms. I imagine Tania is a pretty significant author insert given the similarities between the author photo and the cover art, so I imagine the author is pretty wealthy. Maybe this is just the difference between being a wealthy invisibly ill person and a not-wealthy invisibly ill person? I’m really not sure. It just doesn’t align with my experiences or those of anyone I know who is also invisibly ill.
I guess that brings me to the final part. Theme. It’s really weird because Tania’s illness never really seems to stop her from doing what she wants to do; it’s always the people around her judging her for getting dizzy. Like she swordfights, and just does it dizzy. There don’t seem to be bad days when she needs to do something but just can’t. Like she’s unable to fight off robbers and says “Normal girls” would have done that. No way! Normal girls would be freaked out and also too weak to fight off multiple fully grown armed men. That’s just a normal human thing. My experience with disability is that there are days I can’t do things I really really want to do because I am in too much pain or too weak or too unable to get out of bed. The fact that Tania is shown to be worthy because she can go on this physically demanding adventure and swordfight is kind of… not empowering to people whose conditions mean they can’t do these things even when they really want to. Which is, presumably, the target audience of the book, you know, the people it’s meant to be empowering.
March 5, 2022
a genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers following a girl with chronic illness? SIGN. ME. UP.
rep: chronically ill mc (POTS), lesbian side character, demi bi sc, ace sc
Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours for gifting me an eARC of this book and having me on their book tour! This did not affect my opinion of this book and all my thoughts + views are my own. Now, for my review:
This book is brilliant and if it doesn't become an internet sensation, I'm suing the internet. One For All is a whirlwind of a story full of adventure, camaraderie, and secrets. It follows Tania, who after losing her father, a former musketeer, is sent off to an academy to teach her how to be a proper wife (something she's never wanted). But when she gets there, she learns its not an academy for wives at all: but a secret female musketeer group that work for the king. The girls are taught how to draw secrets from unsuspecting men through the power of flirtation and uncovering dangerous plots, as well as learning how to fence and wield swords (lucky for her, her father raised her to be an excellent fencer). She joins three other girls as they work to uncover an assassination plot against the king, as well as maybe discover the truth behind her father's murder, and hope they can save the day before its too late.
The writing in this book was beautifully done and fully immerses you into the story!! It really set the mood for the 1600s setting but was so easy to breeze through and I binged majority of this book because it was just THAT good. The whole plot was really intriguing and I was not bored once (and I mean that wholeheartedly). The different twists and turns were super exciting and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book really makes me want to go put on a ballgown, strap a sword to my thigh, and sneak into a ball!
Tania was such a wonderful main character to read from, her inner struggles and conflict made the book feel so much more real and I was delighted to see how her character grew over the course of the book. You rarely see chronic illness representation in historical-type books/settings and, while I can't speak for the representation, it was really enlightening to see the struggles people with chronic illness can go through, not just in modern day but in a time period where real medical help was even harder to find than it is now. As for Portia, Aria, and Thea (the other three girls), they were all such loveable characters and complete each other so well. The four of them have such a strong bond and I just loved how supportive they all were no matter what (nothing I love more than seeing strong female friendships!! We need more of those in books). Henri was also one of my favorite characters, he was such a sweetheart and I adore him!
Anyway, this book is incredible!! It’s probably one of my new favorite books of all time and I’m definitely going to buy a physical copy of it when it is released!
Side note: If Barbie and the Three Musketeers was your favorite Barbie movie, it's a requirement that you read this book because it will bring you so much nostalgia, trust me
rep: chronically ill mc (POTS), lesbian side character, demi bi sc, ace sc
Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours for gifting me an eARC of this book and having me on their book tour! This did not affect my opinion of this book and all my thoughts + views are my own. Now, for my review:
This book is brilliant and if it doesn't become an internet sensation, I'm suing the internet. One For All is a whirlwind of a story full of adventure, camaraderie, and secrets. It follows Tania, who after losing her father, a former musketeer, is sent off to an academy to teach her how to be a proper wife (something she's never wanted). But when she gets there, she learns its not an academy for wives at all: but a secret female musketeer group that work for the king. The girls are taught how to draw secrets from unsuspecting men through the power of flirtation and uncovering dangerous plots, as well as learning how to fence and wield swords (lucky for her, her father raised her to be an excellent fencer). She joins three other girls as they work to uncover an assassination plot against the king, as well as maybe discover the truth behind her father's murder, and hope they can save the day before its too late.
The writing in this book was beautifully done and fully immerses you into the story!! It really set the mood for the 1600s setting but was so easy to breeze through and I binged majority of this book because it was just THAT good. The whole plot was really intriguing and I was not bored once (and I mean that wholeheartedly). The different twists and turns were super exciting and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book really makes me want to go put on a ballgown, strap a sword to my thigh, and sneak into a ball!
Tania was such a wonderful main character to read from, her inner struggles and conflict made the book feel so much more real and I was delighted to see how her character grew over the course of the book. You rarely see chronic illness representation in historical-type books/settings and, while I can't speak for the representation, it was really enlightening to see the struggles people with chronic illness can go through, not just in modern day but in a time period where real medical help was even harder to find than it is now. As for Portia, Aria, and Thea (the other three girls), they were all such loveable characters and complete each other so well. The four of them have such a strong bond and I just loved how supportive they all were no matter what (nothing I love more than seeing strong female friendships!! We need more of those in books). Henri was also one of my favorite characters, he was such a sweetheart and I adore him!
Anyway, this book is incredible!! It’s probably one of my new favorite books of all time and I’m definitely going to buy a physical copy of it when it is released!
Side note: If Barbie and the Three Musketeers was your favorite Barbie movie, it's a requirement that you read this book because it will bring you so much nostalgia, trust me
August 1, 2021
*Spoiler free*
I've been excited for this book before it was even announced that it was going to be a book. I've followed Lillie on Twitter for a few years, so I saw her talk about her fencing book, and I was so eager to read it when it finally sold (because it had to sell, it sounded freaking amazing). A gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers, with a disabled main character and a sisterhood that likes to stab things. Yes, it sounded incredible. Trigger warnings: ableism, internalized ableism, implied sexual assault blood
This book is freaking amazing. It feels like it is written with such love.
I adored Tania, a girl who feels so much, a disabled girl who kicks ass, a girl who is not held back by her illness, but also has good days and bad days. She's allowed to cry; tears aren't something to be ashamed of. She's allowed to be emotional. She's allowed to be completely herself; sickness and all. She felt so full, and it was so wonderful.
The sense of sisterhood is so strong in this book, and one of the best things is that is blossoms of the course of it. It's not an instant thing, it grows over time, and seeing the girls come together was something incredible. Especially since I adored all the side characters. Theà, who's every thought seems tumble out of her mouth. Aria, who is more reserved and has a tough exterior, but has so much love underneath. Portia, who is downright hilarious and ready to take on the world if need be. Henri, is a dork and simply wonderful. Every character had their own personality, their own journey, and they all felt so real. I loved them all so much.
Lillie is a top notch, masterful plotter. I'm still sitting here in shock at what happened. The strings she pulled, the way she crafted scenes, the way she put things together. I am in awe. Everything piece slots completely into place. Everything works together so well. It's so, so smart. Seriously, the mystery, the hidden schemes, the secrets hiding behind every comment, all of it so brilliant and so brilliantly done.
I do want to briefly mention that this book has a touch of romance, and gglkjlkjlkzlk it was amazing. It's not a huge part of the overall plot, and I do not want to say much to avoid spoilers. It is a fantastic take on the [redacted] trope, and just oh my gosh, it's incredible.
One of my favorite things about this book is that it recognizes that swords are super freaking cool, but they are not the only source of strength. Strength can come from so many places, and it looks different for everybody. There is a strength inside, and strength to knowing your worth and what you can do and how you can protect the people you love. A journey to find that strength, to believe in it. Just, it's so amazing.
This book is incredibly amazing. It was everything that I wanted it to be. Girls dueling in ballgowns, a disabled girl being badass, a sisterhood of girls who like to stab things and twist men around their fingers with a coy smile. It's such a fantastic book.
I've been excited for this book before it was even announced that it was going to be a book. I've followed Lillie on Twitter for a few years, so I saw her talk about her fencing book, and I was so eager to read it when it finally sold (because it had to sell, it sounded freaking amazing). A gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers, with a disabled main character and a sisterhood that likes to stab things. Yes, it sounded incredible. Trigger warnings: ableism, internalized ableism, implied sexual assault blood
This book is freaking amazing. It feels like it is written with such love.
I adored Tania, a girl who feels so much, a disabled girl who kicks ass, a girl who is not held back by her illness, but also has good days and bad days. She's allowed to cry; tears aren't something to be ashamed of. She's allowed to be emotional. She's allowed to be completely herself; sickness and all. She felt so full, and it was so wonderful.
The sense of sisterhood is so strong in this book, and one of the best things is that is blossoms of the course of it. It's not an instant thing, it grows over time, and seeing the girls come together was something incredible. Especially since I adored all the side characters. Theà, who's every thought seems tumble out of her mouth. Aria, who is more reserved and has a tough exterior, but has so much love underneath. Portia, who is downright hilarious and ready to take on the world if need be. Henri, is a dork and simply wonderful. Every character had their own personality, their own journey, and they all felt so real. I loved them all so much.
Lillie is a top notch, masterful plotter. I'm still sitting here in shock at what happened. The strings she pulled, the way she crafted scenes, the way she put things together. I am in awe. Everything piece slots completely into place. Everything works together so well. It's so, so smart. Seriously, the mystery, the hidden schemes, the secrets hiding behind every comment, all of it so brilliant and so brilliantly done.
I do want to briefly mention that this book has a touch of romance, and gglkjlkjlkzlk it was amazing. It's not a huge part of the overall plot, and I do not want to say much to avoid spoilers. It is a fantastic take on the [redacted] trope, and just oh my gosh, it's incredible.
One of my favorite things about this book is that it recognizes that swords are super freaking cool, but they are not the only source of strength. Strength can come from so many places, and it looks different for everybody. There is a strength inside, and strength to knowing your worth and what you can do and how you can protect the people you love. A journey to find that strength, to believe in it. Just, it's so amazing.
This book is incredibly amazing. It was everything that I wanted it to be. Girls dueling in ballgowns, a disabled girl being badass, a sisterhood of girls who like to stab things and twist men around their fingers with a coy smile. It's such a fantastic book.
March 9, 2022
4.5*
I don't think I knew quite what to expect when I started All For One, frankly. But what I did get absolutely blew my expectations out of the water, so there's that.
The story starts off a tad slow, with the reader being introduced to Tania. She has a condition that causes her to experience dizziness and fainting frequently, and as such, she's basically been written off by her 17th century French town, and her mother. Her father, however, has always had full faith in Tania, and they have a strong relationship. She's always admired him for his background in the Musketeers, and he has always supported her, trained her, and believed in her. And then he is killed.
This is obviously awful for Tania for a myriad of reasons, and one of the biggest is that his will has arranged for Tania to head off to Young French Lady Boarding School™. This is not the name for real, but anyway. There she realizes that maybe she's not just going to learn some boring etiquette lessons, and that perhaps her father's biggest surprise for her is still ahead.
First, I loved reading about this time period! I don't know about you, but my crappy American school history books never once discussed La Fronde, and I will probably end up down a pretty serious rabbit hole now that Wikipedia is open. I digress. So much of what I have read about historic France is set in the 18th and 19th centuries, so this was a delightful change, and I absolutely loved learning about it. That, and the author did a wonderful job of making me feel like I was there.
I also was thrilled to see a main character with a disability, especially in a historical fiction novel. Tania's condition is, per the author, akin to a modern day diagnosis of POTS, but of course Tania had no such diagnosis. It obviously was a factor in her daily life, and she had to not only find ways to manage it, but she had to deal with the constant disdain from some really awful and ableist people.
My favorite part of the story was the characters. I adored Tania, and her incredible spirit and strength and vulnerability, but I also enjoyed the people she met along the way. Since this is in fact a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, you can imagine that Tania finds herself in the company of some pretty incredible women- but that is a story that you need to read for yourself.
Bottom Line: Hands down one of the best retellings I've read. Tania's journey was hopeful, adventurous, and full of heart.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
I don't think I knew quite what to expect when I started All For One, frankly. But what I did get absolutely blew my expectations out of the water, so there's that.
The story starts off a tad slow, with the reader being introduced to Tania. She has a condition that causes her to experience dizziness and fainting frequently, and as such, she's basically been written off by her 17th century French town, and her mother. Her father, however, has always had full faith in Tania, and they have a strong relationship. She's always admired him for his background in the Musketeers, and he has always supported her, trained her, and believed in her. And then he is killed.
This is obviously awful for Tania for a myriad of reasons, and one of the biggest is that his will has arranged for Tania to head off to Young French Lady Boarding School™. This is not the name for real, but anyway. There she realizes that maybe she's not just going to learn some boring etiquette lessons, and that perhaps her father's biggest surprise for her is still ahead.
First, I loved reading about this time period! I don't know about you, but my crappy American school history books never once discussed La Fronde, and I will probably end up down a pretty serious rabbit hole now that Wikipedia is open. I digress. So much of what I have read about historic France is set in the 18th and 19th centuries, so this was a delightful change, and I absolutely loved learning about it. That, and the author did a wonderful job of making me feel like I was there.
I also was thrilled to see a main character with a disability, especially in a historical fiction novel. Tania's condition is, per the author, akin to a modern day diagnosis of POTS, but of course Tania had no such diagnosis. It obviously was a factor in her daily life, and she had to not only find ways to manage it, but she had to deal with the constant disdain from some really awful and ableist people.
My favorite part of the story was the characters. I adored Tania, and her incredible spirit and strength and vulnerability, but I also enjoyed the people she met along the way. Since this is in fact a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, you can imagine that Tania finds herself in the company of some pretty incredible women- but that is a story that you need to read for yourself.
Bottom Line: Hands down one of the best retellings I've read. Tania's journey was hopeful, adventurous, and full of heart.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
October 17, 2021
This is the first book I've ever read with a character who has the same disability I do! Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. It's so awesome to read about a character with a similar chronic health condition. And the novel is otherwise a blast too: Based on The Three Musketeers, it's about a group of women who become female musketeers and spy and fence to keep the king, and France, from harm. Tania, the main character, is enlisted after her father is murdered. At first, her only goal is to discover who murdered her father and bring him to justice. But as she gets to know the other three girls training to be musketeers, she begins to find the support and encouragement she's always longed for and deserved. The girls become more than just a backdrop to revenge; they become her family, her comrades.
Such a fun historical YA novel. Too much to hope this becomes a series?
Editing to add there is a f/f relationship among important secondary characters.
Such a fun historical YA novel. Too much to hope this becomes a series?
Editing to add there is a f/f relationship among important secondary characters.
May 22, 2022
I received a complimentary review copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.
Tania is the daughter of a Musketeer and is what her society dubbed a “sick girl.” She’s grown up with her father teaching her how to fence and her mother desperately trying to marry her off. Then, her father is mysteriously murdered, and Tania is sent off to L’Académie des Mariées, which her mother believes is a finishing school—but is actually, as Tania quickly finds out, a secret training ground for female Musketeers.
Historical fiction is sometimes hard for me to get into, but with the book’s description, I was sure I’d enjoy this, and I was not disappointed! Tania was a great narrator and lead, and I really enjoyed seeing her find her place with her other Musketeers.
Tania is the daughter of a Musketeer and is what her society dubbed a “sick girl.” She’s grown up with her father teaching her how to fence and her mother desperately trying to marry her off. Then, her father is mysteriously murdered, and Tania is sent off to L’Académie des Mariées, which her mother believes is a finishing school—but is actually, as Tania quickly finds out, a secret training ground for female Musketeers.
Historical fiction is sometimes hard for me to get into, but with the book’s description, I was sure I’d enjoy this, and I was not disappointed! Tania was a great narrator and lead, and I really enjoyed seeing her find her place with her other Musketeers.
Read
March 14, 2022Dnfed at page 200.
The premise was interesting, I love the illness rep, but all the characters look the same to me. All the girls are interchangeable to me as i never got grounded with them, so to speak. I would have loved to have more quality time to get to know them so that they could stand out more as their own personas rather than ending up like copycats.
Also the plot began losing force and it felt like I was samped in the story instead of moving up with it.
The premise was interesting, I love the illness rep, but all the characters look the same to me. All the girls are interchangeable to me as i never got grounded with them, so to speak. I would have loved to have more quality time to get to know them so that they could stand out more as their own personas rather than ending up like copycats.
Also the plot began losing force and it felt like I was samped in the story instead of moving up with it.
March 8, 2022
This was a really entertaining and creative #ownvoices, YA gender-swapped retelling of The Three Musketeers! I loved that this story featured a main character living with a chronic illness (POTS) and showed how she was able to contribute to the cause in an active way and wasn't just a supportive sidekick!
When her father (one of the original Musketeers) is brutally murdered, Tania de Batz is devastated and vows to discover the person(s) responsible. To this end she enrolls in an elite finishing school, L’Académie des Mariées, which is secretly an organization in which elite young French socialites work as spies to protect the Crown and uncover threats against him.
Once there, Tania finds an outlet for her fencing skills, gains respect and purpose and forms deep friendship with the other girls. There is also a bit of romance, adventure and betrayal. Everything that makes for a highly entertaining YA historical fantasy.
Perfect for fans of The Bone spindle or Adrienne Young and great on audio. I can't wait to see what's next from this debut author! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
When her father (one of the original Musketeers) is brutally murdered, Tania de Batz is devastated and vows to discover the person(s) responsible. To this end she enrolls in an elite finishing school, L’Académie des Mariées, which is secretly an organization in which elite young French socialites work as spies to protect the Crown and uncover threats against him.
Once there, Tania finds an outlet for her fencing skills, gains respect and purpose and forms deep friendship with the other girls. There is also a bit of romance, adventure and betrayal. Everything that makes for a highly entertaining YA historical fantasy.
Perfect for fans of The Bone spindle or Adrienne Young and great on audio. I can't wait to see what's next from this debut author! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
January 5, 2023
Content Warnings: Minor graphic description, implied/off page sexual assault, sexual harassment, death of a parent, abelism
Wow, wow, wow. I am forever grateful that I was able to have an early copy of One for All because this has, without a doubt, become one of my favorite reads of 2021. I’m speechless. I am fangirling so hard over this book right now and I hope I’ll be able to properly express that in my review.
This novel made me feel so many emotions, I can’t even process them all. Learning the fate of Tania’s father was heartbreaking, but seeing all the girls of L’Académie des Mariées form a sisterhood warmed my heart to the core, and reading all of the flirty banter had me grinning from ear to ear. You aren’t even able to notice how attached you are to the characters until it’s too late. The story captivates you and draws you in, and at that point your emotions are completely out of your control, they’re in the hands of Madame Lainoff.
Lainoff is one of those special authors who can write genius plots, incredible characters, and be able to balance it all. Usually when you read a novel, it’s either character or plot driven, but One for All had a perfect mix of both, and each one was extremely well written. Neither one was stronger than the other, and I find that pretty rare. When talking about the plot, this novel is so fun and smart at the same time, it checks all the boxes. Everything that we’re told in this novel has a purpose, and watching all the pieces fall into place was unbelievable. But without these amazing characters, the plot most likely wouldn’t have hit as hard. All the girls are so distinct from each other, they have their own personalities and backgrounds, yet the way they come together to form their sisterhood just made me yearn for what they have. It might’ve been my favorite part of the whole story.
I can’t believe I have to wait all the way until March to hold a copy of this novel in my hands, and I’m heartbroken that there isn’t a sequel planned. Since there is such a long wait, I’m gonna shout about One for All until everyone I know can’t resist the urge to preorder/purchase it.
Thank you to Netgalley and FSG for the digital galley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
Wow, wow, wow. I am forever grateful that I was able to have an early copy of One for All because this has, without a doubt, become one of my favorite reads of 2021. I’m speechless. I am fangirling so hard over this book right now and I hope I’ll be able to properly express that in my review.
This novel made me feel so many emotions, I can’t even process them all. Learning the fate of Tania’s father was heartbreaking, but seeing all the girls of L’Académie des Mariées form a sisterhood warmed my heart to the core, and reading all of the flirty banter had me grinning from ear to ear. You aren’t even able to notice how attached you are to the characters until it’s too late. The story captivates you and draws you in, and at that point your emotions are completely out of your control, they’re in the hands of Madame Lainoff.
Lainoff is one of those special authors who can write genius plots, incredible characters, and be able to balance it all. Usually when you read a novel, it’s either character or plot driven, but One for All had a perfect mix of both, and each one was extremely well written. Neither one was stronger than the other, and I find that pretty rare. When talking about the plot, this novel is so fun and smart at the same time, it checks all the boxes. Everything that we’re told in this novel has a purpose, and watching all the pieces fall into place was unbelievable. But without these amazing characters, the plot most likely wouldn’t have hit as hard. All the girls are so distinct from each other, they have their own personalities and backgrounds, yet the way they come together to form their sisterhood just made me yearn for what they have. It might’ve been my favorite part of the whole story.
I can’t believe I have to wait all the way until March to hold a copy of this novel in my hands, and I’m heartbroken that there isn’t a sequel planned. Since there is such a long wait, I’m gonna shout about One for All until everyone I know can’t resist the urge to preorder/purchase it.
Thank you to Netgalley and FSG for the digital galley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
March 8, 2022
Happy Publication day!
One For All is a feminist retelling of the Three Musketeers. Our main character Tania has a disability and I thought it was really well done, I haven’t read many books with POTS so I really liked that. I also enjoyed the lgbtq representation. Another thing I liked was the close sisterhood within the girls, I liked that they had each others backs and looked out for each other. That being said, this was a pretty cool premise but it was a little boring. I thought I would really enjoy this at first but once I got past 20% I enjoyed it a lot less.
I was having a hard time figuring out why I didn’t love this as much as I thought but I thought Tania would be a bad ass but honestly she was naive and dumb. I also hated the romance that was thrown in because it was so unnecessary and the “plot twist” was a little obvious. I still think this is a very important book but I guess I had higher expectations. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
One For All is a feminist retelling of the Three Musketeers. Our main character Tania has a disability and I thought it was really well done, I haven’t read many books with POTS so I really liked that. I also enjoyed the lgbtq representation. Another thing I liked was the close sisterhood within the girls, I liked that they had each others backs and looked out for each other. That being said, this was a pretty cool premise but it was a little boring. I thought I would really enjoy this at first but once I got past 20% I enjoyed it a lot less.
I was having a hard time figuring out why I didn’t love this as much as I thought but I thought Tania would be a bad ass but honestly she was naive and dumb. I also hated the romance that was thrown in because it was so unnecessary and the “plot twist” was a little obvious. I still think this is a very important book but I guess I had higher expectations. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
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