Valiant Ladies

Melissa Grey

YA Queer Historical Fantasy

Two teen vigilantes set off on an action-packed investigation to expose corruption and deliver justice in Valiant Ladies, Melissa Grey’s YA historical fiction novel inspired by real seventeenth century Latinx teenagers known as the Valiant Ladies of Potosí.

By day Eustaquia “Kiki” de Sonza and Ana Lezama de Urinza are proper young seventeeth century ladies. But when night falls, they trade in their silks and lace for swords and muskets, venturing out into the vibrant, bustling, crime-ridden streets of Potosí, in the Spanish Empire’s Viceroyalty of Peru. They pass their time fighting, gambling, and falling desperately in love with one another.

Then, on the night Kiki’s engagement to the Viceroy’s son is announced, her older brother―heir to her family’s fortune―is murdered. The girls immediately embark on a whirlwind investigation that takes them from the lowliest brothels of Potosí to the highest echelons of the Spanish aristocracy.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(4 / 5) Kiki and Ana are “proper” ladies by day. They attend social gatherings and fulfill certain requirements expected of Kiki’s standing in society. By night, they are vigilantes who wreck havoc in the city, taking down men and showing them up with their fighting skills.

Ok first off, does that synopsis not sound amazing? Totally my jam! These two were hilarious. I love the dichotomy of not only their lives but their personalities. Kiki was raised in privilege and luxury. Ana was raised on the streets of Peru. They meet and become inseparable. These two “ladies” were fabulous. They were rough and tumble fun with sass, attitude and weapon skills to match. Oh I love a book of action and adventure and this had it all!

While a romance is slowly building between them (best friends to lovers trope at it’s best), Kiki is promised and betrothed to a man, purely for the political and financial gain. This is where the story gains a lot of speed. A suicide is staged and brings a huge disrupt leading the girls to investigate.

While the pacing was off briefly here and there, I really enjoyed this one. It was easy to be entertained by these two and their wild antics and ideas. The romance was a slow burn, and while it started out lusty and eye-rolling to begin with, I came to love them together. They complimented each other well and were better when with each other. One thing I really loved about each one of them was how strong they were. They had a vision of what they wanted in life and didn’t accept anything less. They strived for it and for truth in the investigation and didn’t give up when all others did. I always love a strong female lead and this book had two, bravo!

I loved the ending! That big bang AND the last chapter. What a great conclusion! 

General content summary: The language in this one was high with casual swearing throughout and over 20 F words. The violence and drinking was a “norm,” and the intimacy was there and obvious but with few details. F words: 21, language, underage drinking (multiple times), physical aggression in a fight (multiple times), death from sword, the body of a young woman is found with the throat slit, brothel and prostitutes, f/f kiss (multiple), a young woman is killed, physical aggression (multiple times), many women go missing and some are found dead, a body is hanged in a tree, assumption of death by suicide, grief, killing with a blade, blood, previous child endangerment, burns, previous rape, a woman has her throat slit, someone is chained and held captive, f/f closed door intimacy scene with few details (talk of virginity and starting to take off clothes then waking up together and naked), lust, drinking (drunk), homophobia, misogyny, prostitutes.

Thank you to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

The book releases June 14, 2022.

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