I am normally in favor of anything related to Shakespeare, Fae, or magic, but there was just something missing in this book. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, probably because there were too many to keep track of. I was never really sure what was going on.

Joan Sands, props mistress and fight coordinator for William Shakespeare's King's Men, has power over metal granted to her by the Orishas. Uncomfortable with the religious aspects for her power and anxious over her future as a woman in King James's England, Joan finds her escape in the troupe. When an ancient bargain is breached and the Fae begin to make themselves known in London, Joan rallies her friends and her power to try to save people. Incredibly fast-paced and absorbing, this is my favorite YA book of the year. It's lovely to read a story about Shakespearean England that remembers that not everyone in London was white, straight, and christian, and that the marginalization does not mean that people had no joy. Joan is a complex, well-written character with motivations on multiple levels. I can't wait to read the next book, and to explore more of the complex world Williams has put together.

*2.5*

I wanted to like this book but it fell kind of flat for me. I love the premise of a religion-based magic system set in Shakespearean London with POC and queer main and side characters. I really liked Joan and her brother’s relationship, but the side characters didn’t do a lot for me. The romance also felt very instant and I couldn’t really see the chemistry with either of her love interests. As far as the plot goes, I feel like things kept happening but nothing connected or flowed well. We never circled back to the overarching theme or goal. Overall, I liked the idea of this but the execution wasn’t what I hoped it would be. I wish we had gotten more world building and explored the magic system more.

balance between the mortal realm and the Fae is the central pivot point of THAT SELF-SAME METAL (Amulet Books, 352 pp., $19.99), Brittany N. Williams’s Black, queer Elizabethan Y.A. fantasy and one of the most swashbuckling adventures I’ve read this spring.

Joan Sands is a stage-fighting specialist with the actors of the King’s Men, including Richard Burbage and good ol’ Willy Shakes; Joan is also Orisha-blessed, which means she has magical control over metal. When an ancient pact protecting mortals from the Fae is broken, Joan’s talents with iron propel her from fake fights to real battles to protect her friends and (potential) beloveds.

Williams’s story hones its magical edges on the rough stuff of real history, and the results are glorious (and very stabby!): African and British mythologies blended with the irreverent theatrical nerdiness of “Upstart Crow,” starring a heroine you instantly root for and admire. Caught between duty and passion, and between power and debt, Joan is the best kind of counterweight to the forces that seek to move her. This first book is only the starting thrust in the saga, and I eagerly await the parry and the riposte.

i enjoyed the premise, it’s such a good idea and i liked that shakespeare was a character but i do think it fell kind of flat. speaking of characters, i love the main character and her twin brother’s relationship but separately i found it hard to connect with them. honestly this book had too many side character for its own good, at a certain point it was hard to keep up with. it wasn’t really very fun for me, i think a lot of people who do fairy books just can never make them entertaining? which is understandable because i think the folk of the air trilogy is holly black’s best books despite her having other fairy books before. also the book had no fun romance tropes! like it had a love triangle which i enjoy but the book failed to make me care really.

First off, HI, that cover?!?!?! Secondly, historical fantasy set in Shakespearean England starring Black characters? Definite 100% yes. So I’m happy to say this book was an absolute delight that mostly lived up to my (very high) expectations.

Joan and her twin brother work with The King’s Men. While James works with Shakespeare and the other actors, Joan handles the stage blades and choreographs the duels. What the rest of the company doesn’t know is that Joan is Orisha-blessed with the ability to control metal, sharpening and dulling blades at will or summoning iron from her hands. Like the ability to spot the Fae hiding in plain sight in various parts of London, it’s just a part of Joan, and she’s more worried about how she can keep her father’s jewelry store in the family than anything to do with her blessing or the Fae – until one of her mentors is arrested in front of her, urgently warning her about a broken pact and dire consequences. With the Fae becoming more bolder everyday, Joan is drawn into a dangerous world that puts everyone she knows in danger. It seems the real versions of Shakespeare’s Fae characters are much more frightening…

“If I’m challenged then I have no choice but to answer it,” she said feeling the rage in her belly lighting fire behind her words. “I am no coward, I.”


I loved Joan! I loved how skilled she was with a sword and how she didn’t have to hide that part of her at the theater. I especially loved seeing her interact with all of the players and crew of The King’s Men, how much of a family the company has built together. The author’s love of Shakespeare’s plays shines through in Joan and it was amusing (and sometimes frustrating) to see her reactions to various plot points of his plays. Much like some of his characters, her race and gender are hinderances to goals.

Unlike the rest of her family, even her twin brother James, she enjoys using her powers but is uneasy with her Orisha, Ogun. And it’s only through Ogun’s blessing that that magic is possible. She’s especially skilled with metalworking, able to accomplish feats that even her master goldsmith father can’t. But her father will have to leave his shop to his bumbling apprentice, so her only hope is continuing to do what she loves is to marry that oaf.

Another thing I love about Joan? She becomes an absolute mess around a pretty person! Even while she’s contemplating marrying to keep her father’s shop, she’s drawn to one of the apprentice players, Nick. It’s hard for her to imagine leaving the company behind, but also impossible to imagine being a player’s wife. Then there’s Rose, a woman who asks her and her brother for help… but is hiding secrets of her own. Joan’s bisexual, at least. And we’re left with the possible of some bisexual polyamory even!

The plot moves along briskly. Considering the heroine’s affinity for swords, naturally there’s plenty of action scenes involving swordwork. As for the world building, I loved seeing this version of Shakespearean England. As for the more fantastical elements, Joan starts the book with little knowledge about the pact or the Fae and learns on the go, much like the reader. The book ended with me still having many questions about both but since this is a series, hopefully this’ll be covered more later.

As for cons, while I loved Joan, her relationship – or lack of one – with her Orisha was frustrating. Her refusal to seek help for her problems with Ogun – to even accept that Ogun was trying to help out period – and her head-in-the-sandedness about the whole thing was exasperating. I never quite understood why this had been a problem for her before the book started and I’m not quite sure I bought the state of the relationship at the end of the book.

Overall, this was a swashbuckling journey to a world of Fae, Orisha and extremely stubborn sword-wielding girls. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book kept getting eaten by my Kindle so it took me far longer than I would have liked to get into it. But I loved it so much. The time period, the characters and their interactions. Definitely will pick this author up again.

That Self-Same Metal has everything - Shakespeare, Fae, found family, bisexual rep, AND a bad-ass strong Female main character! This book was a perfect study of the elements that make YA so much fun to read even as you age. Joan is a powerful young girl who just wants to take over her Father's business one day, living in a time when women cannot be business owners. In fact, they cannot even act on stage! Joan helps her brother and his band of actors in their plays, and soon gets caught up in a battle between her world and one that she didn't fully know the scope of....

This reminded me of Serpent & Dove, Children of Blood & Bone, and Percy Jackson.

Thanks to Net-Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 38%.
I'm only not finishing this because it's not my cup of tea. But the story is well written and the world is well developed. There is lots of action and I like the incorporation of Shakespeare. Except for some sexual attraction references, it feels on the younger side of YA.

Shakespeare and the Fae are forever intertwined; now Brittany N. Williams weaves a new tapestry, adding the Orisha and a young Black heroine with a gift for metallurgy. Set primarily at The Globe, The Bard’s famous theater, That Self-Same Metal tosses us immediately into danger. The Plague is back in London, but there are worse things afoot. A treaty between the British monarchy and the Fae is fading, and only one person can mend it. When he gets silenced, the walls between worlds crumble, and magical threats overrun the city.

Joan Sands, the weapons master for Master Shakespeare and a child of the Orisha, is trapped between her personal goal to become a metalsmith, the West African god Ogun, the misogynoir of the time, and the Fairy King Auberon. So, she’s less than tickled—but that is where the adventure (and the hardships) begin.

“I am made of that self-same metal (mettle) as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart,”
–King Lear

Brittany N. Williams gives us an imaginative YA fantasy, kicking off a three-book saga. That Self-Same Metal is rich with history, action, and wit but is also pragmatic with characters who make smart choices, even when those choices are doomed. This all means, there’ll be no eye-rolling but you’ll keep the pages turning.

I really loved this story that involved inclusivity in Shakespearean London, magic centered around metal (mistborn-fangirl here.) Sometimes the pacing was a little weird but I was so easily drawn in by Joan and her brother James & the rag-tag theater group that comprised their friends - it was hard not to love them all. However the real shining star is the potential for Joan to be queen AND polyamorous.. It was simply teased in this first installment but this is only book one of The Forge & Fracture Saga so I am ravenously hopeful that book 2 expands the world, magic system, political intrigue, and relationships between the fae, humans, and demons. African belief systems, including the Orisha feature prominently in this book and seeing that in a non-African setting was something I had not experienced before and to see an author stretch the bounds of what readers may be familiar with (and what they should be excited to be familiar with now) is so exciting. The writing and characterization are all more than enough to have me stick around for this series. PLUS author Brittany N. Williams had our queen Tracy Deonn as one of her early readers, work-shoppers, and champions so you KNOW there is so much potential for where this author and her story will go.

“That Self-Same Metal,” a brilliant debut by author Brittany N. Williams, is, at once, a gripping YA fantasy adventure, a creatively reimagined historical fiction, and an astute commentary on race, social class, and gender set in Shakespearean London. This novel follows Joan Sands, a young and skilled craftswoman whose family is Orisha-blessed, meaning they have direct connections to the Orisha deities and wield unique powers relating to the Orisha who has blessed them. Joan is a child of Ogun, who has gifted her with the power to control metal. She uses this power to maintain the stage swords for Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men, and we find that her blessing is essential to keeping the balance of the human and Fae worlds which find themselves at odds in the face of several violent Fae uprisings.

This story draws readers in with a promise to reimagine Shakespeare’s London with an interesting twist, and it certainly delivers. Williams’ background in theater and Shakespearean performance and her knowledge of the Orisha are all prevalent on every page. What is incredibly enjoyable about this novel is that while the reader doesn’t need to also be an expert on the Bard and his world to follow along and enjoy the tale being spun, experts alike can appreciate the attention to detail and craft applied in creating this version of early 17th century London. Williams’ writing allows the reader to learn this world bit by bit as Joan, her twin brother James, and their fellow colleagues and friends in the company (Nick, Samuel, Rob, Rose, Burbage, and the lot) put their theater sword fighting skills to use both on and off the stage. With vivid and brutal fight scenes, queer teen love/lust, a genuine and loving sibling relationship, and an adept handle on complex social issues, Williams has forged a stunning tale to kick off this saga. I can’t wait for the next installments, and I honestly cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Kids for an arc of this title in exchange for a candid review.

I've always been a fan of historical retellings that put people of color at the center of stories that largely ignore the existence of bipoc folks in those time periods. I believe erasure in historical context (including historical fiction) is much more damaging than a casual fan of books realizes. That being said, I thought the plot itself was very fun and engaging. The magic system was solid without too much complication in terms of world building. There's something about metal work that just fits into historical narratives, I felt the same about the metal working low magic system in Babel by R.F. Kuang. I think someone with knowledge about West African magic and belief systems will really appreciate the lore in this book, it felt refreshing and unique to me. Fans of Shakespearean retellings will also find familiarity in this fun adventure. I'd definitely recommend this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows Joan Sands. Joan is orisha blessed with the ability to bend metal. Joan and her brother work for the King’s men acting company to create and upkeep blades. When Baba Ben is arrested on the way to renew the treaty the fas are unleashed in London. Joan is able to see them and that makes her a target. I wish the story was just a bit longer and that could be because I flew through this book. I really did enjoy it and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley ,ABRAMS kids and Amulet Books for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Amulet Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I was unable to continue to read past 40%.

I really couldn't get into the world at all and it was so fast-paced I couldn't keep up. It's a shame because it has really good ideas but it just all feels very rushed.

Described as a book that will appeal to fans of Holly Black and Justina Ireland, this novel centers a young Black female protagonist who is a sword expert who fights the Fae uprising in Shakespearean London. I have been a fan of historical reimaginings that place people of colour at the center of eras that white readers in particular just assume were all white--readers who don't know a lot of about the history of specific regions, or who haven't really bothered to explore the very wide history of people of African descent throughout Europe in far earlier dates than they would care to know, in many cases, and even as far widespread as Japan (in fact, there's a comic book and a Netflix series on that!)

The protagonist here is Joan Sands. She works in Shakespeare's acting company, The King's Men. She also has a hidden secret--a skill with blades that she received from Ogun, who is one of the central spirits in both Yoruba belief and Lucumí (commonly known as Santería), as well as in West African vodun and Haitian vodou. He. is her Head Orisha, which practitioners and those who have studied Black Caribbean religions may know more as a met tet (as it is known in Haitian vodou). Someone who is like a Guardian spirit, to try to explain it in more simplified terms. Because of these connections, Joan's family have kept tabs on the Fae in London. The Fae usually have their own problems with Light Fae, Dark Fae, and those who might not pick a side and go Unaligned (I'm thinking of Bo from 'Lost Girl,' shoutout to that whole series). In this case, there are some brutal Fae attacks going around. Joan wounds a powerful Fae but saves the son of a mean Lord, so she gets mixed up in Fae politics.

The vibe of this book is perfect for people who just watched the most recent Dungeons & Dragons film with Chris Pine and Rege Jean Page. People who liked Bridgerton but who wanted more supernatural elements or more paranoramal stuff will also like this book. Fans of books set in the Shakespearean era and early Modern England, but who love swashbuckling in shows set later, like Enola James with the whole Victorian London and Sherlock Holmes connections, will also really like this well-written book which offers a likeable, plucky protagonist, perspectives we haven't usually seen in this book, and a fun fantasy adventure. Readers who want to immerse themselves in these fantasy worlds that they already know and love but that traditionally, people of colour have played very minor roles in, if at all (and if they have, it's been as a best friend sidekick or some minor insignificant role, or for comic relief). It has a huge #ownvoices appeal as well.

Also, die-hard Fae fans of people like Puck and Oberon won't be disappointed. They definitely also make huge inroads into the plot here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 5/5 stars.

Okay, so...Shakespearean England? I'm immediately sold on this. Orisha powers? Also yes. Black representation where it's mostly joy (albeit, a fair amount of racism from some in society), also is a big plus. The main selling point for me though was the magic + Shakespeare. Then I started reading this and realized Shakespeare is legit a character in this and so is Burbage and the plays are involved and then you throw in the Fae world - specifically from Midsummer Night and I'm like YES.

This was such a good read. I didn't want to put it down. It was surprisingly violent (like, arms getting ripped off...definitely the violent, aggressive fae) but also like....I loved it? There's humor, action, magic systems, Shakespeare, adventure, powerful women, HISTORY!!! All of the English history...like they threw Guy Fawkes in here too.

It's also a series, so it ends resolved but also on a massive "oh crap what does this mean" ending because although the main plot of the novel is resolved, the larger plot of the pact being broken and her uncle being in the Tower of London and some nefarious Fae....I can't wait for the rest of this series.

Also, I appreciate how it flowed with the loose sexuality of Shakespeare and the actors, and I see SUCH a potential for a poly relationship...

Seriously, this was so good.

This YA fantasy is set in Shakespearean England- quote literally on Shakespeare’s stage- I wish I had read this as a high school student before reading the bard’s plays, I would have enjoyed them fat more! The author’s love for Shakespeare really shines through. However, as an adult reader I found some of the plot twists predictable, but I am not the intended audience and there was a lot to love about this book: a girl with a sword, a bisexual lover triangle, and magic! I would certainly gift the book to any middle school or high school readers in my life. I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a charming and fun story with lots of diversity and representation of marginalized communities. My favorite part was learning more about the lives of POC living in London in Shakespeare’s time. The African magic system was really interesting and drew me in.

I received an arc for this beautiful YA historical fantasy and really enjoyed it!

Honestly, I am not incredibly familiar with Shakespeare's life, so it was easy for me to get sucked into the historical world Williams created. Joan can manipulate metal, but she hides her magic as one of the stagehands (don't know if that's the right title) for Shakespeare and his plays. She actually is the person who plots out the fight scenes, and it felt so empowering to see them deferring to a woman about how to fight. This even becomes one of the first signs that something is not right in the fae world, which is cool!
For me, the book's best parts involved Joan and her brother James. I love family dynamics in books, and this one felt so authentic. It even leads to them swapping places for a reason I won't spoil, and we end up with a swoony scene that I loved! But NOT between the brother and sister, of course!

I didn't realize until the end of the book that this was first in story, so I'm excited there will be another book!