Spindle and Dagger

Starred review from January 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Powerful, heartbreaking, and suspenseful, this is must-read historical fiction. For three years, Elen has lived among the warband that killed her sisters, surviving only by saving the life of Prince Owain of Powys, and convincing him that he is protected only if he keeps her near. Surviving in this state of extreme compromise is just bearable. But then Owain kidnaps Nest, the young wife of his Norman enemy. With the kingdom on the verge of civil war, Elen must choose between staying by Owain's side or helping Nest escape. Can Elen risk the hard-fought life she has for a chance at freedom? Coats accomplishes a massive feat by providing a fast-paced plot about justice for survivors of sexual abuse while accurately depicting the morals and beliefs of medieval Wales. Elen is a survivor whose trauma inflects the way she navigates her world. Sensory triggers threaten to trip her up and the loss of her two sisters keeps her searching for ways to protect other girls. In the wake of Katniss Everdeen and Arya Stark, the fantasy of weapon-wielding girls risks diminishing women's historical struggles, but Elen and Nest's sisterhood and solidarity is grounded within their existing social roles. Their compassion is matched by clear-eyed strategizing and gritty endurance. Concurrently, Coats gives real depth to Elen's ongoing relationships with the warband, considering boys' initiation into hypermasculine violence. Pungent language and fresh imagery enrich an already strong narrative. VERDICT A gripping, emotionally complex medieval novel for the #MeToo era.-Katherine Magyarody, Texas A&M University, College Station

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2020
An unruly, bloodthirsty band of warriors rampages through 12th-century Wales. They are led by the murderous Owain ap Cadwgan, who attempts to vanquish the equally warlike Norman invaders headed by Gerald of Windsor. The narrator, Owain's girlfriend, Elen, saves her skin by convincing him that he cannot be harmed because he is protected by her namesake, Saint Elen. Elen is dragged along, mostly against her will, with the war band. She has PTSD from an earlier incident that is revealed in brief flashbacks to have been the death of her baby sister. The story reaches a climax when Owain abducts Nest, his enemy's wife, and her children. Owain's aggressive action gets him in trouble with his father, Cadwgan, and Owain is banished to Ireland with Elen in tow. Elen is heartbroken to be separated from Nest's children, with whom she has formed a close bond. Although at times a little hard to follow, this gritty narrative brings a little-known period in history to life. A historical note gives the context and sources for this story, which is loosely based on the "Chronicle of the Princes," written some time after the events it relates. Frontmatter includes a chart of the Welsh royal houses, a map of Wales in 1109-1110, and a pronunciation guide, useful given the inclusion of some Welsh words, presented in italics in the text. Dramatic and intense; not for the fainthearted. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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March 15, 2020
Grades 8-12 As her family lies dead and the farm burns around them, Elen saves herself from a similar fate with her quick wits, which sets her on a new path as the companion-protector to roguish Prince Owain. Twelfth-century Wales is filled with conflict, fraught and unruly, and when Owain decides to revenge himself against a Norman lord by kidnapping his wife (Nest) and children, Elen does all she can to befriend, shield, and help Nest and her offspring escape. When the time comes, hopefully Nest will do the same for Elen. Coats' research serves her well as she creates a fictional character (Elen) to guide modern readers through the historical kidnapping of Princess Nest, sometimes known as the Helen of Wales. The story is bleak, brutal, and unforgiving, narrated by Elen herself, making the experience that much more immediate and personal. Supporting materials include the lineage of Welsh royal houses, a map, and a pronunciation guide for the Welsh words in the story, as well as an historical note.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)