Author: Garth Nix
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance
Date Published: October 13th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review
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Summary:
Lady Truthful will inherit her family’s most valued heirloom on her eighteenth birthday. Until the Newington Emerald is stolen.
Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt” by her boy cousins, discovers that to her horror, the people closest to her have been framed for the theft. But Newt won’t let their reputations be damaged by rumors from a false accusation. Her plan is simple: go to London to recover the missing jewel. Despite her best intentions, a young lady travelling alone is frankly unacceptable behavior. So Newt and her aunt devise another plan…one that entails men’s clothing and a mustache.
While in disguise, Truthful encounters the handsome but shrewd major Harnett, who to her amazement volunteers to help find the missing emerald under the assumption that she is a man, Henri de Vienne. But once she and her unsuspecting ally are caught up in a dangerous adventure, Truthful realizes something else is afoot: the beating of her heart.
Truthful has far more than romantic complications to worry about. The stolen emerald is no ordinary heirloom-it is the source of the family’s luck and has the power to yield vast magic. It would be completely disastrous if it fell into the wrong hands. The fate of England depends on Truthful securing the emerald.
Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt” by her boy cousins, discovers that to her horror, the people closest to her have been framed for the theft. But Newt won’t let their reputations be damaged by rumors from a false accusation. Her plan is simple: go to London to recover the missing jewel. Despite her best intentions, a young lady travelling alone is frankly unacceptable behavior. So Newt and her aunt devise another plan…one that entails men’s clothing and a mustache.
While in disguise, Truthful encounters the handsome but shrewd major Harnett, who to her amazement volunteers to help find the missing emerald under the assumption that she is a man, Henri de Vienne. But once she and her unsuspecting ally are caught up in a dangerous adventure, Truthful realizes something else is afoot: the beating of her heart.
Truthful has far more than romantic complications to worry about. The stolen emerald is no ordinary heirloom-it is the source of the family’s luck and has the power to yield vast magic. It would be completely disastrous if it fell into the wrong hands. The fate of England depends on Truthful securing the emerald.
-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:
An Open Letter To Newt's Emerald,
You're adorable, and so much fun. I did find you to be really simple, but I enjoyed you a lot. Really I can't complain about much of anything. Also, you have gender bending, and God knows how much I love a good gender bending story!
-The White Unicorn
So, this was my first Garth Nix book ever. I've heard that this one is nothing like his other books, which makes me curious about the rest of the books that he's put out into the universe. I liked this one a lot. Though I did feel like it was written for younger YA audience. Truth be told, it could be because of the other books I've been reading lately, but I liked how light the writing felt.
This book is regency romance, that also happens to be a fantasy, that also happens to be a gender bending adventure story. It's most of the things I love, thrown into one story, and it all happily works together. This book is just plain cute.
Truthful is a spunky lead. I mean her name is Truthful. Though everyone calls her Tru and Newt instead. She's full of pluck and doesn't like sitting on side lines. I enjoyed the fact that she grew up with three brother-like-cousins, so she's not some girly girl. Sure she knows how to play with the girls, but she's interesting because she also has the ability to wear a charmed mustache and become a fellow. I enjoy this twist on the normal regency novel. It added something really enjoyable to the mix.
Nix also adds a huge fantasy element to the story. Magic fills the pages in a way that is unexpected and refreshing. I liked that Nix decided to make this story more than just a typical regency romance.
Also Nix makes sure that no one is what they seem as the story unfolds, which causes some issues for Tru and Charles. That being said I really liked their little romance, even if it didn't feel like it was developed enough for my taste. I did find Charles to be a great male lead. I just wish we would have gotten to know him better.
All in all this book is simple, fun, and full of adventure. Readers of a younger age will eat it up, and those of us who are older are guaranteed to find reasons to fall in love with it as well.
Rating:
3 Unicorns = I liked it, but it had its issues!
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