A fierce and empowering tale of sword-fighting and sisterhood
—Amanda Khong, Bookish Brews
Bookish Brews Snapshot
One For All by Lillie Lainoff
Tania wants nothing more than to be a world class fencer like her father, but after her father is brutally and mysteriously murdered, Tania sets out to fulfill her father’s dying wish: for her to go to finishing school. Confused and betrayed, Tania soon discovers that the finishing school her father has sent her to isn’t what it seems…
🌱 Character Growth ✂️ Retelling 💪 Feminist 🌳 Found Family
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Retelling, Young Adult
Book Review
Strong, empowering, full of heart, inspiring, fierce, honest, touching
One For All is heartbreaking and empowering all at once. Tania is a character that will be sticking with me for a while. Her love for her father, her desperate desire to do what she loves, and the support group she finds along the way. It’s all so wonderful. One For All is full of fencing, found-family, emotional relationship building, and care. I found myself captivated by Tania, fencing, intrigue, and romance. This book truly has everything a fantastical historical fiction could ask for and I’m so delighted to have read it.
Tania is strong and determined to become an expert fencer just like her father, former Musketeer, but it seems her entire world is adamant that she is simply a “sick girl” because of her near-constant dizziness. When Papa is brutally and mysteriously murdered, his dying wish is to send Tania to a finishing school for girls. Torn between the feeling of betrayal and wanting to fulfill her father’s dying wish, Tania reluctantly sets off for finishing school. Luckily, the school isn’t what it appears to be. Tania soon finds out that the school is actually a secret training school for women to become fierce socialite spies.
Tania is a strong and powerful main character. She is an incredible fencer who lives with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), a condition that causes near-constant dizziness. The way that she is able to earn the respect of everyone around her is heartwarming and beautiful. She is able to prove herself an asset to the Musketeers and is not held back by her illness at all. It is a part of her and she knows herself and she believes in herself. There is so much joy in seeing the people in Tania’s life learn her needs in the same way any friend will learn each others’ needs. It’s respectful, honest, and real.
Lainoff creates a brilliant world full of action, sisterhood, and triumph. Each character is complex and distinct and come together to make a beautiful found family that is sure to touch your heart. Tania is a strong, driven, and passionate heroine who conquers whatever is thrown at her whether it be offensive comments from others, self doubt, or corrupted socialites. Lainoff creates in Tania a beautifully ambitious and sincere heroine who is sure to stay in our hearts for the long haul.
One For All is a fierce gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers. Lainoff crafts a stunning tale full of adventure and found family that will be sticking with me. It’s heartwarming, strong, and empowering. Highly recommend!
