Review Detail

THAT SELF-SAME METAL is an intriguing YA historical fantasy. Joan is 16 and talented with metals - something that is actually a magical gift from her Orisha, Ogun. She works with her twin brother at the theatre, helping to supply them with blades and choreograph their fights, a job which she absolutely loves. Her life is thrown for a loop when she runs into Baba Ben, who is on his way to help renew the treaty with the Fae when he is arrested.

His arrest prevented the peace treaty renewal, and now, the Fae have been unleashed on London with all their mischief and malice. Joan is able to see them and has a helpful ability that would allow her to keep them in check - something that puts a target on her back. As she is drawn into the politics, she will need to keep her wits about her to keep herself and those around her safe.

What I loved: This was such an interesting take on this time period in history. It was clearly well researched and many of the characters are based on people who actually existed, including William Shakespeare and other members of the King's Men. Joan was a particularly compelling character, who experiences a lot of growth during the story as she defines her own desires from life, aside from those that have been given to her by parent and Orisha expectations. She also has much to learn about the way of the world, the Fae, and the bargains made in the past.

Themes around destiny and choice, friendship, family, politics, prejudice, and being true to yourself. While Joan's destiny seemed decided from birth when the Orisha Ogun chose her, she is not always sure how she feels about it. She is learning about the element of her own decisions that has weight in her destiny and choices. As she moves forward and questions what she has always accepted, she comes to her own epiphanies and personal growth.

The story was full of action with the fierce Joan leading the way. The release of the Fae from the treaty has really created a volatile situation, and as someone with the power of an Orisha, Joan is in a unique position to identify and stop them. The historical premise along with these fantasy elements were quite clever and make this a unique and engaging story.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the story does not fully flesh out the background of magic and the Fae in this historical context. There are a lot of types of Fae that aren't fully explained to the reader even as they are encountered. While I would have loved some more details around this, the book does read very quickly as-is with just enough information to give the reader an idea of what is happening. This may also be improved in the final book. As another thing, I would have loved to see more of the romance(s), as these were very background and not fully developed, but again, this really keeps the story action-packed and moving fast on the primary plots.

Final verdict: THAT SELF-SAME METAL is a unique and intriguing YA historical fantasy that captivates readers with a fast pace and action-packed plot. Recommend for fans of BLOOD DEBTS and WINGS OF EBONY.