⇒ Read Free Palace of Spies Sarah Zettel Books

Palace of Spies Sarah Zettel Books

Download As PDF : Palace of Spies Sarah Zettel Books

Palace of Spies Sarah Zettel Books

ettel's historical fiction is clever, well-paced, with an engaging hero whose sardonic inner reflections ring true for a teenager of any time. These reflections nicely bring to life the daily realities of Peggy's life as she finds herself reluctantly taking on a false persona in the English royal court in the early 18th C., playing an extremely dangerous role for people whose motivations may be most unsavory indeed. The novel shines as we see the glamour and color of being part of the royal household, and the bonafide hard work involved for practically everyone. I found the story well-paced, the pacing picking up as more information is revealed, with the denouement being impossible to put down.

You don't often see historical novels set in the court of England's first Hanoverian king, and I have to wonder why. The time period is stuffed with plenty of intrigue, a disappointed would-be ruler in France, and so many famous names to drop! Zettel's novel brings out a picture of life around an intelligent princess who sponsors such luminaries as Newton, Swift, and Handel (Mr Handel! One of my most favorite composers! You only see him from a distance in the book, but I delight in the cameo nonetheless); a time at the height of the high courtly period, but yet the structure of politics and monetary power is undergoing dramatic change.

I loved the description that filled in Peggy's world - the sense of buildings, light, the all important matters of clothing and hairstyles (and their attendant woes). Mostly it satisfyingly rang true - though since I love the 18th C., there were a few (very few) errors that I will just point out to the author in case she reads this. First Peggy's doll - though I thought the doll was an excellent inclusion as the treasured possession of a 16-year-old who loves the doll even though she is "too old for dolls"- would not be made of porcelain. European porcelain manufacture had just been figured out early in the 18th C., and it would be over 100 years before dolls are manufactured out of porcelain. 18th C. dolls are wood or wax (or cloth, but precious few of those survive) - beautiful examples of 18th C. dolls can be seen on the V&A museum website and other places. Also, blueberries eaten in a dish at the palace? Blueberries are a New World fruit. 'Bilberries' are the European fruit... might have been a spell-check error. Anyway, those are quibbles, and do not distract from a lively tale set in a fine period frame.


Tags : Amazon.com: Palace of Spies (9780544074118): Sarah Zettel: Books,Sarah Zettel,Palace of Spies,HMH Books for Young Readers,0544074114,Historical - Europe,Mysteries & Detective Stories,Romance - General,Courts and courtiers,Courts and courtiers;Fiction.,Great Britain - History - George I, 1714-1727,Historical fiction,London (England) - History - 18th century,Love,Love stories,Love;Fiction.,Orphans,Spies,Spies;Fiction.,Spy stories,Action & Adventure - General,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),England,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,Historical Fiction (Young Adult),Historical fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,London (England) - History - 18th century,Love,Love stories,Love;Fiction.,Monograph Series, any,Mysteries & Detective Stories,Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories,Orphans,Romance - General,Spies,Spies;Fiction.,Spy stories,TEEN'S FICTION - ACTION & ADVENTURE,TEEN'S FICTION HISTORICAL,TEEN'S FICTION ROMANCE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Action & Adventure General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Girls & Women,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical Europe,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Mysteries & Detective Stories,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Royalty,Young Adult FictionAction & Adventure - General,Young Adult FictionGirls & Women,Young Adult FictionHistorical - General,Young Adult FictionRomance - General,Young Adult FictionRoyalty,teen fiction; Palace of Spies series; ladies in waiting; spies; mystery; love; romance; treachery; England; court; girls; King George I; friendship; scandal; historical fiction; 16th century; royalty; history; ages 12 and up,teen fiction;Palace of Spies series;ladies in waiting;spies;mystery;love;romance;treachery;England;court;girls;King George I;friendship;scandal;historical fiction;16th century;royalty;history;ages 12 and up,Action & Adventure - General,Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Action & Adventure General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Girls & Women,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical Europe,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Mysteries & Detective Stories,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Royalty,Young Adult FictionAction & Adventure - General,Young Adult FictionGirls & Women,Young Adult FictionHistorical - General,Young Adult FictionRomance - General,Young Adult FictionRoyalty,Fiction,Historical Fiction (Young Adult),YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Historical fiction (Children's Teenage)

Palace of Spies Sarah Zettel Books Reviews

Originally reviewed at http//www.shaelit.com/2013/11/review-palace-of-spies-by-sarah-zettel/

Our heroine, Peggy Fitzroy, is a headstrong but well-meaning orphan who lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in King George I’s England. As a fortuneless waif with parents of dubious reputation (her father disappeared and her mother was rumored to be loose), Peggy has resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood, until one day her father informs her that she has been betrothed to a young gentleman in need of a bride in his home in Barbados.

Without giving away the course of events, Peggy’s stubborn nature and unwillingness to ignore injustice screw everything up. She’s tossed from her uncle’s home and saved by a mysterious trio of spy trainers eager to replace one of their dead companions in the court of the king with Peggy. I’ll admit that it may all sound farfetched to a modern reader, but Ms. Zettel constructs the scenario plausibly enough that I could push my doubts aside and enjoy the story.

And what a story! Palace of Spies is dutifully twisty in the most delightful way. Despite a few points where I felt otherwise clever characters were slow on the uptake, I gleefully bounced along with the lot of them as the intrigues and deceits piled on top of each other like layers in a parfait. A really, really yummy parfait.

One of the reasons the layers worked so well was the attention to detail Ms. Zettel utilized in her writing. Georgian England (that’s a thing, right?) is not a period in history I’m familiar with. I know medieval times, I know Victorian times, I know Industrial times, but this era of revolutions, face paints, and bustles was a blank for me. Though I didn’t quite understand the whys of everything (seriously? face paint and wigs?), Ms. Zettel was careful enough to give me enough of the whats, hows, and whos that I could piece together most of what I needed and feel comfortable in Peggy’s corner of the palace.

And the adventure! Palace of Spies isn’t all brainwork, though the brainwork is my favorite part. There’s sneaking and subterfuge, sword fights and attempted assassinations. Entire nations hang in the balance! TENSION!

Oh oh oh! And can we talk about our girl Peggy for a minute? She’s awesome. She’s mouthy without being annoying, intelligent, caring, and just the right touch of manipulative without being squicky. I want to be her best friend and/or lock her in a room with some of my other favorite mouthy and tricky characters to see how they get along. Her rapid mastery of various manners of deception and spy trickery is a little suspect, but watching her unravel the motivations of the other characters is a real treat.

The most important indication of how amazing this book was was that I was legitimately sad when it ended. I felt like the little kids in the State Farm commercial. I want more, I want moooooore! That said, I thought the ending brilliantly set up where Peggy and her adventures will go from here, and I can’t wait to join her.

Points Added For Peggy and her clever mouthiness, the fun twists, historical details, Mrs. Abbott, Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline (AMAZING woman), just overall being a FUN read

Points Subtracted For I didn’t really connect with the love interest, which was a pity

Good For Fans Of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, clever and independent young ladies, SPIES, tricksiness

Notes For Parents Attempted rape, drinking, mention of other teen characters who had sex, making out

Note I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
ettel's historical fiction is clever, well-paced, with an engaging hero whose sardonic inner reflections ring true for a teenager of any time. These reflections nicely bring to life the daily realities of Peggy's life as she finds herself reluctantly taking on a false persona in the English royal court in the early 18th C., playing an extremely dangerous role for people whose motivations may be most unsavory indeed. The novel shines as we see the glamour and color of being part of the royal household, and the bonafide hard work involved for practically everyone. I found the story well-paced, the pacing picking up as more information is revealed, with the denouement being impossible to put down.

You don't often see historical novels set in the court of England's first Hanoverian king, and I have to wonder why. The time period is stuffed with plenty of intrigue, a disappointed would-be ruler in France, and so many famous names to drop! Zettel's novel brings out a picture of life around an intelligent princess who sponsors such luminaries as Newton, Swift, and Handel (Mr Handel! One of my most favorite composers! You only see him from a distance in the book, but I delight in the cameo nonetheless); a time at the height of the high courtly period, but yet the structure of politics and monetary power is undergoing dramatic change.

I loved the description that filled in Peggy's world - the sense of buildings, light, the all important matters of clothing and hairstyles (and their attendant woes). Mostly it satisfyingly rang true - though since I love the 18th C., there were a few (very few) errors that I will just point out to the author in case she reads this. First Peggy's doll - though I thought the doll was an excellent inclusion as the treasured possession of a 16-year-old who loves the doll even though she is "too old for dolls"- would not be made of porcelain. European porcelain manufacture had just been figured out early in the 18th C., and it would be over 100 years before dolls are manufactured out of porcelain. 18th C. dolls are wood or wax (or cloth, but precious few of those survive) - beautiful examples of 18th C. dolls can be seen on the V&A museum website and other places. Also, blueberries eaten in a dish at the palace? Blueberries are a New World fruit. 'Bilberries' are the European fruit... might have been a spell-check error. Anyway, those are quibbles, and do not distract from a lively tale set in a fine period frame.