This story features A LOT of feminism - a little too much for me as I felt it took away from the story just a bit. She is a very strong character with a quick wit which is what I loved.

The book was kind of all over the place and uneven, but I enjoyed it. I think my teens will like it too.

Wench was a super fun fantasy read that had me entertained from start to finish. Tanya is a real no-nonsense character, and right from the start she means business. When the story begins she’s off to the capitol to reclaim her tavern, and she stays motivated by this for a large majority of the story — it just so happens that she can’t help but get sidetracked by magical mysteries, thieves, and royals.

I loved how much action there was in this book, it’s impossible to get bored! At times, it did get a bit overwhelming just how fast the plot moved; there were a lot of different characters and different places that got introduced in pretty quick sucession. But, this never took too much away from the book for me so it was still super fun to follow along with Tanya’s misadventures and romantic encounters!

There’s also a pretty unique and interesting magic system at play — at times the rules felt a bit haphazard, but it made for such an unusual story that I didn’t mind. There’s a lot of magic and politics and royals mixed up into one big problem, and I really liked how all those elements mixed together. All in all, a super fun and entertaining read full of fun fights and every kind of drama.

Other reviewers have commented that this book starts with great promise and then seems to veer off into strange places for much of the plot. I concur. The pacing is strange, and for a long time I had no idea where this book was going and wasn't sure I wanted to stay along for the ride. But the spunky heroine did keep me going, and despite my overall take that this could have been revised into a stronger book with more fleshed out ideas, this is a fun regardless. Three stars for inventive ideas on magic and a good heroine- I'd keep an eye on the author in the future.

For a book that reads rather easily, Wench overcompensates a rich, detailed world with an abundance of meaningless description that although sets the scene and adds quirky trivia about characters, does nothing but make a wordy book even more wordy.

Plot, Prose and Pacing: Overwhelming In Every Way Possible

The easiest way to describe Wench’s plot is . . . there is no easy way!

Heavily plot-driven, Wench rushes through its plot with absolutely no room to breathe or take in any information, cramming as many details into each scene as possible. We start the book with Tanya in the Smiling Snake, her only home and her pride and joy. Immediately, within a few paragraphs, her guardian is dead, she organises a funeral for him and the Smiling Snake is snatched away from her by corrupted corpsmen, employed by the Queen and Council. Only the Queen and Council can reinstate the tavern to Tanya, leading Tanya to strike a bargain with the captain as the company’s caretaker for safe passage to the capital. Not a few moments later, she discovers a magical feather in the company’s possession and a couple of beats later, a thief has stolen it. And, this is only about 11% into the book.

Before we have even begun to catch our breathe, Tanya has stolen the feather back and immediately gets the hang of how to use the feather’s magic. No prelude, just snap, the job’s a game! She knows exactly how the feather works, the feather responds to her and she’s the only one who can actually make it work.

While Wench is rather easy to read, the world is so rich and the characters quirky to the point of interesting (for now!), the pacing is horrendous because so many plot points have been crammed into so few pages that I felt I had read half a book, only to be horrified I had only reached the beginning! By 30% of the book, I was ready to give up! Wench takes its own sweet time to drag you tirelessly through Tanya’s each and every move, each and every person she meets and each and every bit of trouble she gets tied up in. We meet a plethora of characters who have such shallow personalities that they end up blending into one another and more than one character seemed to have the same personality!

Despite this, I can’t find myself actually disliking Wench because the plot was so out of this world, I couldn’t help but enjoy it despite it’s multiple flaws. And despite the fact that I was constantly looking at the counter on my Kindle, wondering when it would all finally draw to an end.

Characters: Pick and Choose Your Player

In most books, you either have a single main character surrounded by a couple of characters whom you’ll end up loving more than the main. Or, you’ll love the main character and tolerate the others. But with Wench, it is neither. Tanya is written as the every-woman character, relatable with simple ambitions and a body that defied normal beauty conventions a.k.a. Tanya is a fat, beautiful woman! But, as the book progressed, she was anything but remotely likeable and I found myself connecting with her less and less.

Tanya begins as a sassy, competent tavern wench with her heart set on inheriting the tavern from her guardian. She is loud and unapologetic, proud of her work and dedicated. And while she remains sarcastic, confident and unapologetic throughout the book, she remains as flat as the Flat-Earthers believe the earth’s surface is. Tanya is forced to question her dreams to inherit the tavern and demanding the Queen return it to her possession and within a couple of paragraphs, she agrees that that wasn’t her dream after all. In fact, what she wants is independence to be her own woman. It is as if

This felt very much like Writing 101 where writers often tell you to examine the difference between what your characters want and what your characters need. And this was lifted straight from the textbook! But it was an incredibly jarring moment as since the beginning of the book, Tanya is not shown to aspire for more than being a tavern wench, is not shown that she wants much more than to run the Smiling Snake. So much emotional attachment was given to the Smiling Snake but was abandoned immediately; in another scene, Tanya meets a woman who also runs a tavern and it was so cute to see Tanya being able to identify that the tavern was well-kept and run like a tight ship.

And yet, she decides that being a tavern wench was not what she wanted all along.

Worldbuilding: All Talk And No Show

As with most plot-driven stories, there is a lot of telling rather than showing going on. The world is built through text-heavy paragraphs, briefly explained and often times, unmemorable to the point that I had no idea what they were talking about. But, because it was something small and insignificant chapters ago, I was also unable to go back and refer to the detail. Most fantasies are heavy with worldbuilding and we often need to take some time to grasp the concepts and the world but with Wench, it bulldozed through its plot so quickly that we have no choice but to hold on for the ride, no matter how many things we are missing along the way. It is as if Kaplan knows her world very well, inside and out, but she’s not interested in letting her audience know about it. It’s literally blink and you’ll miss it!

Perhaps, it is a case of not wanting to information dump but rather, letting the characters tell the story; instead, Wench dumps insignificant information but the truckload. Setting a scene or building a character is important but neither happens in Wench; the scene is so brief that setting it is useless and a character’s appearance is so brief that we don’t need to build an emotional connection to them. All these storytelling elements are merely vessels to push the plot to where Kaplan wants it to go. For example, Tanya’s skill with the feather is explained because she is organised while everyone else isn’t. What exactly does organised mean in this context? Is she good at labelling objects and putting them back where they belong? But that’s only half of what the feather’s magic does! It doesn’t explain how she even began to know what the feather is capable of.

Furthermore, no one else is as organised as Tanya to use the feather. And I find that incredibly hard to believe.

Themes: Error 404 Not Found

Usually in plot-driven stories, I always find that there is a message or some theme the author wants to get across. And with Wench, there appeared to be some sort of attempt at talking about feminism, body positivity as well as presenting Tanya as a bi character. There is some talk about how women keep order and the economy going and Tanya’s body is always a topic, whether brought on by herself, other characters or Kaplan. However, if there are any messages to be conveyed through Wench, it has failed because it is drowned out by the plot, characters and worldbuilding.

To sum it all up, if you like plot-driven stories, Wench is the book for you. With an absurdly whimsical plot that seemed to go from point A to B in the blink of eye, characters that are rather quirky but leave no further impression and a sassy heroine who wields magic like an expert, Wench is alright. It’s not terrible, despite the bulk of my review and I actually rather enjoyed reading it despite it’s multitude of flaws which, many of them I haven’t even addressed as this review could get too long. Such as, the number of potential love interests introduced for Tanya despite the fact that this was a story that didn’t require a love interest; it added no value! I believe that a great deal of refinement could have been done with Wench to make it even better because there is a diamond in the rough, just ready to be polished and made to shine. After all, Wench’s core plot is about an unremarkable woman doing remarkable things.

“Tanya was good at many things, but her most useful gift was breaking up bar fights.”

Well, this book was certainly a surprise! I went into thinking I knew what to expect: Medieval shenanigans, fight scenes, and even a bit of magic. I came out of realizing there were layers upon layers and I probably only scratched the surface!

This is the story of Tanya, a tavern wench who has been working at the Smiling Snake since she could barely walk. She was raised by the owner and knows very little about her parents. What she does know is that she is extremely good at running the tavern while her old caretaker takes frequent naps. So imagine her chagrin when said caretaker up and dies and she finds out that he didn’t even leave the tavern to her. She had always assumed it would be hers once he was gone, but a mysterious writ from the queen and her council soon has that fantasy snatched away. Tanya then takes it upon herself to travel to the Capital and petition the country’s ruler for the one thing she wants: the Smiling Snake and her chance to run it as she sees fit. Getting there, however, is much tougher than Tanya could imagine and the circumstances she encounters along the way will change her forever.

“She was too busy to leave. The place wouldn’t function without her — she had made sure of that. Fear of being left under a tree was for other, less important, girls.”

My favorite part of this book would have to be our main character, Tanya. She is quite a lot of things all wrapped up in one: a tavern wench, an girl longing for a place in the world, and someone so obsessively organized that it hurts. I do love a multi-faceted protagonist and Tanya has facets in spades! She’s tough but cares about helping those who can’t help themselves. She’s smart as a whip and not afraid to let others see her cleverness. Though she presents a rather strong exterior, there’s always the underlying current of an abandoned little girl who is afraid of being consider useless and being abandoned. I loved that foil to her character… it helps to explain some of the less intelligent decisions she makes during her journey. I think the best part of Tanya, though, is that she is so relatable. I can see younger self in her as she figures out who she is and what, exactly, she wants out of life. She is such a rich character and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to witness her story.

On the other hand, the other characters in this story fell a little flat for me. They all read like caricatures of what they were meant to represent in Tanya’s story. Here we have Captain Life Ruiner, who’s only purpose is to get Tanya out of her tavern and into the adventure. Now here are some random potential love interests that flit in and out of her life, but are otherwise rather forgettable. I will say there are a lot of characters and moving parts to this story, so I understand how they might not all be as well-developed and intriguing as our main character, but I would have enjoyed a little bit more depth.

“One could plan for ordinary evils — people. But one couldn’t plan for what one didn’t know, and no one — not even the magicians themselves — ever knew what was going to happen when they manipulated matter.”

Now, let’s talk about the magical system. At first, much like the magicians of this story, I had no idea what was going on, lol. It seemed kind of confusing and more than a little bit strange, what with the “junkoff” (the consequences in this world of dabbling in magic) and whatnot. But, as I got more into the story, I either got used to the oddness or it started making more sense because I found myself quite enjoying the magic! It gets even better once Tanya encounters the enchanted feather that is mentioned in the synopsis. I loved how everything came at a price and that the price was so weird and uncontrollable. Like conjuring a fire causing it to rain gold. It was bizarre, but with something as mind-boggling as magic, it made sense that the consequences would be bizarre. I found myself really intrigued by it all, which kept me immersed in the world. The rest of the world-building equally wormed it’s way into my subconscious as I read until I was thoroughly a part of the kingdom of Lode. It made for quite a captivating reading experience!

“Tanya obeyed, thoroughly enjoying her breakfast, although she quite disagreed with Violet about the benefits of sleeping late. Something in her shoulders and back felt off, and she had a strange floating, relaxed sensation behind her eyes. It didn’t feel safe.”

The last thing I want to talk about is the writing. Though the writing struck me as a bit stilted and choppy, the one thing I really loved was the tone and the humor. There were several moments where I legitimately laughed out loud, usually when Tanya was speaking my thoughts like she’d read my mind. Which is impressive for a fictional character! Her biting sarcasm and wit aligned so well with my own and had me grinning quite often as I read. I do love a good quest, as well, and this book certainly delivered on that aspect! Though sometimes I felt like we jumped from one dilemma to another a little too quickly, it made for a fast-paced read and I still had a ton of fun!

Final thoughts: This book was fun, intriguing, and a fast read! The main character is someone you will find yourself rooting for throughout the story, even if the other characters fall a little flat. The world-building is immersive and will have you sucked into the story. The magic system is a bit puzzling, but, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be captivating in figuring out it’s potential as much as Tanya! If you’re looking for a Medieval adventure story that features a compelling, female protagonist and is more than it appears to be, you should give Wench a try!

I mean, you know me, I’m IN for a book called Wench — and especially one that happens to be about a smart, outspoken, courageous girl who isn’t counting on anybody else to rescue her. Tanya has been working at her guardian’s tavern since he found her abandoned under a tree, and when he dies, she fully expects to take right over — except the Queen’s soldiers commandeer her beloved tavern instead. Undeterred, she sets off with the soldiers to petition the Queen herself — and gets swept up in kidnappings, horsenappings, thievery, magic making, and all kinds of other adventures that she never expected.

This is a hoot — fun, feminist, and feisty. Tanya is an absolutely delightful person to spend a few hours with, and I love that she embraces her full self — she IS a wench, and just because she’s more than that, too, doesn’t mean she’s going to give up that piece of her identity. Really, if you’re looking for a pure escapist YA read, this is the one.

Tanya has worked at a tavern with her adopted father for the past ten years. When he suddenly dies one day, she loses the tavern. The Queen’s guard takes it from her, so she decides to travel with them to see the Queen and get the title for her tavern back. On their journey to the city, Tanya finds a magical quill that the guard is also transporting. Tanya ends up connecting herself to the quill through blood magic, which leads her on an epic journey through different worlds.

This was quite an extensive magical journey. Tanya went to many different kinds of lands, including forests, a palace, and a volcano. The blood magic was intriguing because it was irreversible. She was connected to the quill in a very intimate way that also had complications.

This story focused on Tanya, but it was written from a third-person perspective, rather than a first-person perspective. I think I would have felt more of a connection to Tanya if it had been written from her point of view. Tanya also seemed to get distracted from her goal of retrieving her tavern. She became focused on the quill and magic, rather than just working towards getting her tavern back. If she had stayed focused on her original goal, she could have completed it much quicker. Also, since it was called “Wench” I thought there would be more of a focus on her working at the tavern. That was a small part of the story, with most of it being about the quill and magic, so the title is deceiving.

This was a good epic fantasy story, but it could have been presented in a more accurate way.

Thank you Amulet Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. LOVED. Tanya is the reluctant hero we all need in 2021. Kaplan does an amazing job bringing Tanya’s world to life in this fast-paced book full of quests, reluctant allies turned friends, and power struggles. This can’t put down book will enthrall readers right to the very end!

What I love most about Wench is it’s diverse cast of characters. We have Honorable Thieves and Crooked Soldiers; Power Hungry Lords and Mysterious Queens; Corrupt Councilmen and Naive Scholars. Queer characters, fat characters, sassy horses. The list goes on and on and Kaplan has done an amazing job adding depth to all of her characters.

In addition to her well developed characters Kaplan also does an amazing job pacing the story to keep her readers hooked right till the last page.

Moving past the characters and the pacing Kaplan also weaves a fantastic tale full of quests that explore how far people will go to get what they think they want. Sometimes what people think they want is actually quite different from what they actually want. Life often makes us think we can only be or want or do a particular set of things in life, so we don’t look beyond those firm boundaries we’ve enclosed ourselves in. Sometimes we’re able to break those perceptions, or others break them for us.

In Wench Tanya is confronted by her limited view of what she thinks she can do with her life and has to decide what to do when new opportunities present themselves. As in real life, Tanya’s journey is full of twists and turns with no clear cut path. Kaplan has done an amazing job making Tanya’s quest for fulfillment as real and relatable as it is fantastical.

I highly recommend Wench to readers looking for a diverse cast of characters, magic and positive Queer representation. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley & TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a copy of Wench in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re looking for a non-stop adventure, I have the book for you. From the beginning chapter to the final words, Maxine Kaplan’s Wench takes you on a journey that you never expected. What would you do in order to win back what you believe was rightfully yours in the first place? Wench’s protagonist, Tanya, answers this question by.. well, doing everything that comes her way — from horse thieving to attempting to figure out the secret behind the magical feather.

Wench is by far one of the most adventurous books I’ve read in quite some time. I never knew where I would land, nor had I any clue how long Tanya would keep me stationed in that spot. She was constantly on the go, and each chapter ended with a hook that begged you to keep going.

It’s impossible to not fall in love with Tanya and the various characters that you meet along the way. Our main character starts off alone and on her own, to winning the hearts of those around, including the reader’s. Come for the plot but stay for the tavern wench. Wench will have you cheering Tanya on the entire time.

I’m not going to dabble too much into the negatives of this book, because really it was solid in terms of plot and characters. And, I could see readers absolutely eating this one up — however, there’s something that didn’t hit the landing for me, making me give it an average 3-stars. Perhaps, the story was too adventurous, therefore not allowing the reader to stay in one spot & causing the story and characters to feel a bit too underdeveloped

I got an ARC of this book.

I loved the idea of a feminist fantasy. I loved that the MC was a tavern wench. I loved so much about the idea of this book. When I saw it was labeled as queer, I needed it.

The issue is this book is SO SLOW. It took me about two weeks to read it. I kept falling asleep on my kindle. I kept distracting myself from picking it back up again. I liked the idea of the book more than I liked the book itself. The plot meanders in a way that makes it feel like it was multiple books shoved together. There were multiple stopping points that just seemed natural like when the MC got the quill or when she escaped from the thieves or when she was hired by the queen or when she made it to Bloodstone. This might have worked better as multiple books. This would have given more time to actually develop the characters.

The book was labeled queer, but all the characters were so flat and emotionless that none of the “romance” made sense. The MC kisses a girl (17) and a man (no clue, but he is in the army). She also supposedly has a thing for another character who gets with a guy at the end. None of these pairings made sense. The only pairing that even started to make sense was the MC with the queen. The MC has the most interactions with the queen and they actually seem to have bonded. This isn’t even me whining that my pairing didn’t make it into the book. None of the pairings made sense. I would not have been happy to see the queen and the MC get together for real. It would have still felt forced.

So much of the book was telling and not showing. There were info dumps about magic and the way things were. Some of these made sense, but they felt so long. Why did I need to know hundreds of years of backstory of the kingdom? By the time that the information was relevant I felt like I was two books away. There is also the issue that things were so easily solved with magic. There wasn’t any suspense for me. The queen can just send magical mail using ice tunnels. Cool. I expected that. I felt let down the further the plot went on.

This might be a great fantasy novel, but it wasn’t for me. This is just an example of why I don’t like fantasy. So much reads like this. Long winded, boring, a lot of characters that don’t really feel distinct. I thought a feminist fantasy would help me enjoy the genre, but I honestly don’t see how it is a feminist tale. It is just a woman who thinks she needs no one and who is a good tavern wench. Is it feminist to think you don’t need anyone? I really don’t get how that label applied in this case. That is a label that draws me to books, but usually there is a reason outside the MC is a woman.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Wench

Author: Maxine Kaplan

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: ya readers, fantasy lovers

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (TW self-harm, violence, gore, sexual content)

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Tanya has worked at her tavern since she was able to see over the bar. She broke up her first fight at 11. By the time she was a teenager she knew everything about the place, and she could run it with her eyes closed. She’d never let anyone—whether it be a drunkard or a captain of the queen’s guard—take advantage of her. But when her guardian dies, she might lose it all: the bar, her home, her purpose in life. So she heads out on a quest to petition the queen to keep the tavern in her name—dodging unscrupulous guards, a band of thieves, and a powerful, enchanted feather that seems drawn to her. Fast-paced, magical, and unapologetically feminist, Wench is epic fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.

Review: For the most part I thought that this was an okay book. The plot is really interesting and the book hooks you in immediately upon reading it. And I also like the premise of the book and the ending was very satisfying I like some of the books that I've read in this genre.

However, there were some things that didn't make this a memorable book. The character development is literally non-existent and the author takes no time to world build. The pacing is super fast and within about 30 pages I was in a completely different setting and very confused. the author also doesn't explain the backstory and expects us to feel sorry for this character for the death of a father figure to her but yet we are given no information on how he was a father figure to her. I think that this book read more like a first draft than it did a book.

Verdict: It’s good, just needed more work.

The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. What vivid colors. Presence. Tanya looks amazing. Tanya’s overall character arc was interesting. Her attitude. Strength. Dedication. Traits that are relatable. She loved to banter back and forth with other characters that make her realistic character. WENCH had LGBTQIA+ representation, which I love to see. I really like it when authors create a diverse world much like the real world. However, the plot was where it was the weakest. Well, weakest is not the right word. At times, I didn’t see where the story was going. So, I’m giving it 3/5 stars.

I enjoyed the magic in Wench – the simple fact that it was fraught with amateur magicians made it laughable and believable. I particularly liked the side-effects of practicing magic without knowing the consequences is known as junkoff. If you cast a spell to procure an item (gold, water, food, etc.), it has to come from somewhere – the junkoff is the consequence of the magician not planning that part out. That is precisely what Tanya excels at (besides running an efficient tavern) – organization. Organization as a perk to a heroine is a story is a skill I’ve never come across in a book, and I LOVED it! I think in a similar way to Tanya, I loved seeing this aspect in the main character. Part two of the book read more like a second book than a continuation of the first half. While it didn’t appear that an extended amount of time had passed, the Tanya in part one read a little different than the Tanya in part two. The book meandered with its telling and that made the momentum that it had going bog down even though it was interesting material – just a little choppy, if it were polished up a little bit it would be much better.

Tanya learned the hard way that the most important lessons you can learn in life habitually cost you the most. Tanya felt completely unsettled, hopping about from situation to situation, and it made the book feel a little choppy. Her dream got brushed aside too readily for how stubborn she was about it. My favorite side “character” was the golden horse – her attitude and snark made me want to know if she was indeed a horse at all. We don’t see the timid emergence of LGBTQ+ romantic feelings until roughly 70% through the book. Here too Tanya doesn’t seem to know what exactly it is that she wants. The romantic interactions between characters are minimal and PG, which isn’t necessarily negative (depending on personal preference).

I am curious to see if this will be a standalone novel or if there might be a second book – it could go either way. If a second is in the works, I will more than likely read it. I would be curious where it would take our cast from the conclusion of the first novel. Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours, Maxine Kaplan, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Wench – all opinions are my own.

A cool story with a fun adventure and quite the main character. I liked that she was tough and could look out for herself.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I was granted complimentary eARC access via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I am presenting my review as part of the blog tour for this title with TBR & Beyond Book Tours. Thank you to all involved in granting me this opportunity. This has not swayed my opinion; my thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Wench is the story of Tanya, a hardworking woman who finds out that her beloved inn & tavern has been claimed by the crown to fill her old master's debts, and no record can be found that proves the tavern was left to her. What's a girl to do? Travel with the Queen's men to plead her case before the queen, of course! But could the solution really be that simple? Of course not! Prepare for kidnappings, magic, mishaps, and all sorts of unintended adventures along the way!

I absolutely love Tanya as a character. She's self-assured, witty, and absolutely a force to be reckoned with. She has awesome lines that won my heart right from the beginning, like musing that sometimes "magic" is just common sense and folk knowledge, or when someone asked what she was doing she said, "Thinking, ever try it?" Sassy! So sassy! I love it!

My two big critiques are that this witty lover of common sense gets kidnapped or stuck in completely solvable conundrums far too frequently for the brains she boasts, and there's a lot of page real estate awarded to simple travelling time. Honestly, it could do with some trimming. It's currently 400 pages in print length, but I'd say it could be in the 300-350 range quite easily before it loses anything vital.

With that said, I must give major compliments for the LGBTQIA representation layered throughout this book! This book is full of strong women, LGBTQIA representation, and a whole lot of fun. Tanya's a great main character, but the side characters are brilliant and well filled out as well. I love the magic system, the many places they visit, and just this world in general. I'm not sure that this story in particular needs a sequel, but I would absolutely be interested in reading more in the world.

Overall 3.5-4 stars, very good, solid read. I recommend this to all fans of YA Fantasy, LBGTQIA fantasy, or just YA and LGBTQIA category books in general.

Oh yes, I will remember this book for a long time! Wench had a relatable main character and great banter with all the side characters. I found the book to be a bit uneven in terms of the pacing (I sped through the first half and then the second half dragged on quite a lot) but the humor in the characters made up for it. The adventure and the tone of the fantasy was light and easy to read, and overall I gave this one 3.5 stars!

The synopsis of this book caught my eye with its funny cover. I really like the colours and how Tanya looks. The plot is interesting, but I think it could be better. There are a lots of adventures and humorous moments that keep you reading the book. The main character, Tanya, is brave, she doesn’t give up so easily and she does everything for her dream.

All in all I can say Wench is good. I liked the writing style of the author and I think her next book will be more interesting. Thank you TBR and Beyond and Maxine Kaplan for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Kids for the opportunity to read and review this book. Hmmmmmm..... what can I exactly say about this book?? Well its very unique and fascinating yet conniving and twisty all at the same time. Trigger warnings for self-harm, violence, and verbal abuse. This is a standalone (from my understanding) and I will be honest there were moments that things seemed out of order and if not out of order too long. The magic systems are very unique and fascinating and the ending was fulfilling yet unsatisfying all at once. I do like the inclusivity of the characters and most of them were very fun to read about. But I think I had too high expectations when I read this or perhaps I was the wrong audience I am not sure. Overall though, this was a fun fantasy story and I would recommend it to people who like fascinating characters and magic systems 3.5 out of 5 stars.

DNF at the 32% mark.

I was really looking forward to this read, but it just wasn't for me. I felt lost right away, and not able to get a good feel for the setting because there wasn't enough world-building in the beginning. There also wasn't a clear sense of what the geography looked like, which is pretty important, since the plan very early on is for the MC Tanya, our tavern wench, to travel through parts unknown to get to the Queen.

Also, the magic system was unclear...could Tanya do magic without the special feather quill she found? If not, why was the feather drawn to her? And I still don't understand how "junkoff" works.

I also wasn't invested emotionally in the characters, although Tanya was alright. Unfortunate things kept happening to her, and I appreciated that she had a brash personality, worked hard and tried to adapt to the situation to best suit her. But she was very "surface", with no depth to her motivations.

In the first 25% of the book, there are 3 huge, abrupt setting changes, where all of the characters also changed. You are introduced to so many people, get them figured out, and then they are suddenly gone, so it was frustrating and disrupted the flow of the story for me.

And situations just seemed madcap, or zany. Like a thief totally trusting the MC and spilling out her plans like a low-grade villain, just because she loaned her a nightgown. And the whole part about how a bunch of powerful wizards get bested by a chick with a bow and arrows? And then the heist plan seemed unnecessarily complicated and risky.

This book would probably be enjoyable to someone looking for non-stop action for the sake of action. And in all fairness, maybe some of my questions would have been answered if I had finished, but unfortunately, I wasn't invested enough to continue.