de Cynthia Hand
Hold on to your hats: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestseller My Plain Jane, which Booklist praised as "delightfully deadpan" (starred review) and Publishers Weekly called "a clever, romantic farce" (starred review), are back with another irreverent historical adventure—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers.
Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves.
And where there are garou, there're hunters: the one and only Calamity Jane, to be precise, along with her fellow stars of Wild Bill's Traveling Show, Annie Oakley and Frank "the Pistol Prince" Butler.
After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there's talk of a garou cure. But rumors can be deceiving—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they're a day late and a Jane short.
In this next read for fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton bring their signature spark to the side-splittin', whopper-filled (but actually kind of factual?) tale of Calamity Jane.
Hold on to your hats: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestseller My Plain Jane, which Booklist praised as "delightfully deadpan" (starred review) and Publishers Weekly called "a clever, romantic farce" (starred review), are back with another irreverent historical adventure—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers.
Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves.
And where there are garou, there're hunters: the one and only Calamity Jane, to be precise, along with her fellow stars of Wild Bill's Traveling Show, Annie Oakley and Frank "the Pistol Prince" Butler.
After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there's talk of a garou cure. But rumors can be deceiving—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they're a day late and a Jane short.
In this next read for fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton bring their signature spark to the side-splittin', whopper-filled (but actually kind of factual?) tale of Calamity Jane.
Critiques-
-
May 1, 2020
A posse of werewolf hunters disguised as a traveling troupe of sharpshooters roam the Old West in search of a particularly vicious werewolf known as the Alpha. Under the watchful eyes of the paternal Wild Bill Hickok, protagonists Calamity Jane, Frank Butler, and Annie Oakley track the Alpha, all while navigating budding romances and family quarrels. While each teen is dedicated to the collective, they are each driven by their own motivations. Frank, for example, hopes to one day give up werewolf hunting and be a full-time entertainer. Annie--who must convince the group to hire her as a sharpshooter in the show--flees a family that wants to force her into marriage. All Jane wants is to settle down on a plot of land somewhere, far away from prying eyes. As the plot unfolds, readers learn each of the characters' origin stories--including their deepest secrets. The book's thrilling plot is driven by a brilliantly clever, collective narratorial voice that frequently intercedes with historical tidbits, witty asides, and political statements ranging from critiquing America's lack of gun control laws to the shameful genocide and violent displacement of Native Americans. While most of the characters are white, the story does include two Lakota characters and a protagonist who comes out as queer. Full of twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud humor, this tongue-in-cheek feminist alternative history is impossible to put down. A thrilling alternative history that sparkles with wit and charm. (further reading) (Fantasy. 13-18)COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-
Starred review from May 15, 2020
Grades 7-11 *Starred Review* It's 1876, and the American West is as wild as it gets. In infamous gunslinger Bill Hickok's Wild Bill's Wild West theatrical traveling show, a no-nonsense girl called Calamity Jane and a smooth-talking boy called Frank Butler travel around, entertaining audiences with tales of their adventures and performing sharpshooter and rodeo tricks. There's one other thing Wild Bill's crew does on the side, and that's hunt werewolves, or garou; in this version of the Wild West, they're all over. When a girl named Annie, bursting with confidence and the sharpshooting talent to back it up, shows up looking for a job in the show, Frank's pretty sure he's met the love of his life?though she may have some prejudices she needs to examine. Then a bite during a garou hunt sends Jane off on what might be a fruitless hunt for a cure, and everyone else on a hunt for Jane. In this third volume in their thematic trilogy (My Lady Jane, 2016; My Plain Jane, 2018), the trio of author-narrators lose absolutely none of their infectious energy. Real historical characters blend seamlessly with fantasy elements, anachronistic pop-culture references (you can thank Annie Oakley for those musical theater nods!), and plenty of narrative asides. Witty and winsome, this rollicking tall tale makes its own rules (naturally), and series readers new and old will be happier for it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.) -
Starred review from June 1, 2020
Gr 9 Up-The story starts in Cincinnati in 1876 with narrators Calamity Jane, Frank Butler, and Annie Oakley. There are also werewolves ("garou") that Frank and Jane, with their adoptive father Bill Hickok, hunt while using their traveling show "Wild Bill's Wild West" as a cover. Things go wrong after Annie tries to join the show and a hunt leaves Jane with a bite and one desperate chance to find a cure in Deadwood. Although many events have changed, the story stays true to the spirit of these real-life historical figures while offering more optimistic endings for many. This is particularly true for Jane, whose character arc includes a sweet queer romance and reimagining her penchant for attracting chaos as an asset. While Jane is the focus, anchoring much of the plot is Annie and Frank's actual romance from their first shooting competition to their growing respect and eventual partnership onstage. The American West, as seen by white settlers and romanticized for white audiences in popular culture, is inherently problematic. The authors acknowledge this in their omniscient narration and in conversations Annie has with Many Horses and Walks Looking, Lakota sisters whose help and practical advice are crucial to efforts to save Jane before it's too late. The story explores themes of alliances and tolerance through Annie's interactions with the garou (though not with the people of color). The acknowledgements include a list of further reading including works that spotlight Native perspectives. VERDICT A tall tale offered with caveats, filled with found family, fancy shooting, humor, and adventure.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn P.L.
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-
In this historical fantasy account of the life and times of Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley, narrator Sophie Amoss keeps the bizarre world of talking dogs and werewolves firmly rooted. The narrative goes over the top when the writers pop in to talk directly to listeners, yet the thread is never lost. Amoss deserves the credit for that. She narrates with calm assuredness in the face of absurdity. Her deftness with tone and character sparkle during Annie and Jane's dialogue; listeners will be convinced that two different women are conversing. Those looking for a fantasy YA romp will love this audiobook. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
-
April 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-The author team known as the Lady Janies don't let historical facts get in the way of a rollicking story full of queens, court intrigue, and shapeshifters. Set in the same world as the acclaimed "Jane" trilogy, this irreverent and wildly amusing first in a series focuses on Mary, Queen of Scots; her fianc�, the dauphin of France; Francis; and Ari, the famed seer Nostradamus's daughter. Mary, 17, and Francis, 16, have been engaged since they were five years old and best friends for almost as long, both working to keep Mary's true nature as an E�ian shapeshifter secret. For France is a country ruled by Verities, people who do not have such gifts, and where being E�ian is a death sentence. When Nostradamus has a vision of treachery in the court, Ari finds herself dragged into aristocratic life. Either age or his power has driven Ari's father out of his senses, but he does have one clear warning: Beware the biscuits. The authors manage to seamlessly blend modern humor and Renaissance France through a combination of parenthetical asides and wry self-awareness. While Mary and Francis' relationship-turned-romance takes center stage, Ari is a lesbian and has a sweet romantic subplot with one of Mary's ladies-in-waiting. The main cast is white, and the race of most supporting characters is undefined. VERDICT Full of puns, memes, and Disney references, this novel kicks off a trilogy with the perfect balance of history and paranormal and is, in short, pure fun. Recommended for YA collections.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., IL
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-
Starred review from April 15, 2021
Following the success of their Lady Janies books, the trio of Hand, Ashton, and Meadows enter the world of early modern shape-shifters. It's 1560 Paris, the royal court of King Henry and his queen, Catherine de Medici (described by the modern authorial narrators, who use the royal we, as "a playful sort of evil"). Seventeen-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, has lived there for 12 years, is betrothed to Francis, the French dauphin; is supervised by her powerful French uncles; and is attended by four devoted ladies-in-waiting, all also named Mary. But the religious wars in this version of history aren't Protestant versus Catholic--they're between Verities, humans who cannot shape shift, and E�ians, who can. In Scotland, John Knox is publishing pamphlets denouncing Verities and casting doubts on Mary's fitness to rule while in France, King Henry threatens to persecute all E�ians. Francis knows his beloved can change into a mouse--but so does his mother--and when King Henry dies in a jousting "accident," Catherine threatens the new queen with a mousetrap. Meanwhile, Ari, daughter of the prophet Nostradamus, has visions that strongly resemble blockbuster movies, and Francis and Mary satisfy the too-curious court on their wedding night by enthusiastically jumping up and down on their bed. Three narrators seamlessly tell the tale, which includes a gentle queer romance. Everybody's White. Fast-paced, well-plotted, frequently hilarious--as delicious as the finest French pastry. (Historical fiction. 13-18)COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
