Firstly, I just want to say a big thank you to Zephyr and Head of Zeus for sending me an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and for allowing me to take part in this amazing tour!
Synopsis
Camille, a revolutionary's daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl's no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?
In these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she's forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.
Extract – The Pewter Wolf
A bullet ripped through the fabric of the hot air balloon, and Ada knew their whole plan had been a terrible mistake. Dangling high above the most notorious prison in Robespierre’s Paris, her faith in the scientific forces holding them aloft seemed suddenly a lot more questionable. The job was simple: rescue Olympe Marie de l’Aubespine, who was being held prisoner before being taken to the guillotine. The plan was anything but. Breaking someone out of the Conciergerie had never been done before. So they’d needed to do something no one had ever tried.
‘If we die, I’m going to kill you.’ Al clung to the wicker basket beside Ada, blond hair whipping around his pale, pinched face as the hot air balloon lurched violently.
Stomach in anxious knots, Ada yanked on several ropes and pulleys at once, sending them bobbing slantways over the rooftops. ‘If you don’t start helping, Al, I’ll kill you first.’
She threw bag after bag of ballast over the side and watched them thunk onto the cobbles far below. Not far enough below for her liking. Streets and squares and parks unfurled beneath them, sprawling out from the prison like a spider’s web. A muddy swirl of slate roofs and green treetops washed up against the brown ribbon of the Seine as it flowed through the centre. The river split around the Île de la Cité, where the Notre Dame cathedral dominated at one end. At the other lay the prison, among the complex of law courts and Revolutionary headquarters. Above them, a broad sky yawned the cool eggshell blue of a half-hearted summer.
The tear in the balloon flapped jauntily in the wind, huffing out precious hot air. Ada had thought they’d been too high up for the prison guards’ musket fire to reach them.
She’d been wrong.
In the distance, she could just about see the Place de la Révolution, where the guillotine lay waiting. When the Revolution had started five years ago, it had been called Place Louis XV, named for the previous king. There had been hope of building a new France, of finding a better, fairer way to rule. But the new government had floundered, and King Louis XVI had been executed in the same square. It changed everything. It was as though France was a frustrated child, finally getting what it wanted, but finding the prize sour and disappointing. Without the king, people still starved, inequality continued. The country splintered and the different factions spat at each other like a serpent with many heads. In the middle of all of it, Ada, Al and the rest of the Battalion of the Dead were the last port of call for anyone with a loved one in trouble – whatever side they were on – with prison breaks their speciality.
Ada loved the thrill of the chase, the flare of pride when a plan came off. But sometimes she knew they pushed their luck too far. The hiss of escaping air gave her the creeping fear that this was going to be the last mistake she ever made.
Review and Amazon link
So I hope you enjoyed that extract and now you want to go pick up the book! Honestly, I really loved this book and found it to be a beautifully written and captivating book.
This book was everything I wanted and more with a ragtag group of people trying to do the right thing in the middle of the French Revolution. Whilst I don't always find myself picking up historical fiction, I knew I needed to read this book by the synopsis. Add in LGBTQ representation, magical powers and bad ass characters I found myself quickly becoming hooked on this story that Kat Dunn has created.
I have a full review here so be sure to check it out!
If you're interested in purchasing this book, which I think you should all do because this book is amazing, here is the Amazon UK link for you to do so!
About the Author
Kat Dunn grew up in London and has lived in Japan, Australia and France. She’s
written about mental health for Mind and The Guardian, worked as a translator
for Japanese television and co-hosts the YA podcast YA OUGHTA! Her fiction
has been shortlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. She lives in London.
@KatAliceDunn
Be sure to check out everyone else involved in the tour on Instagram!