Review: 'Lady Hotspur (Innis Lear #2)' by Tessa Gratton

It took me a very long time to read The Queens of Innis Lear by Gratton and once I realized I utterly adored her writing I then took forever to get around to the second part of the Innis Lear duology, Lady Hotspur, because I did not want it to end. I so utterly adore this world that Gratton has created that I either blaze through it in one furious reading spurt or have to keep my distance in fear of getting enchanted. So I once again blazed through and now I'm both enthralled and sad it's over. Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 1/7/2020
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge

STRIKE FAST, LOVE HARD, LIVE FOREVER

This is the motto of the Lady Knights—sworn to fealty under a struggling kingdom, promised to defend the prospective heir, Banna Mora.

But when a fearsome rebellion overthrows the throne, Mora is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she's been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded—or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora's own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights.

Hal loathes being a Prince; she's much more comfortable instated on the Throne of Misrule, a raucous underground nether-court where passion rules all. She yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best—but that means sacrificing her own heart, and so she will disappoint everyone until the moment she can rise to prove those expectations wrong.

And between these two fierce Princes is the woman who will decide all their fates—Lady Hotspur, the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.

In Aremoria, rebellion has broken out. Celedra is the new Queen, which means her daughter Hal replaces Banna Mora as Prince. With Hotspur at her side, Hal thinks she can see a bright future, even if losing Banna Mora as a friend hits her hard. But then a prophecy comes between the three and destiny, fate, and magic create a crossroads at which the three must meet and decide to future of both Aremora and Innis Lear. I was utterly engaged by this book and actively spaced it out over days so I could get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. Lady Hotspur builds further on the worldbuilding Gratton already did in The Queens of Innis Lear and I continue to be entranced by her world. Taking in High Fantasy and Shakespeare, Gratton spins a tale of friendship, love, and rebellion, full of magic and the threat of war. Now let me rave about our knights and princes for a second! 

Banna Mora loses her position as Heir and Prince to Hal and her whole life changes. Who she thought she was, what she thought was hers, where she thought she was going, it's all different now. Or is it? Perhaps more is waiting for her on Innis Lear, sometimes more mysterious. Out of the three I feel she keeps more aloof, even from the reader. There is something unknowable to her, something awe-inspiring that makes you utterly believe that queendom is her right. Hal, my beloved Prince of Riot, drunk, miserable and in love with storytelling, is a highlight for me in this novel. She is utterly torn between the different duties she feels, to her heart, to her mother, to her friends, to the land of Aremoria. Plagued by morbid visions of death and betrayal, her highs are high and her lows are low. Gratton doesn't shy away at any point from portraying Hal's mental struggles, but never lets it undermine her ability to love and inspire, to fight and believe. Hotspur is a raging fire, in every way. She is nurturing, she gives warmth, she is a bright light others look to, she can destroy, maim, and kill. Torn between Banna Mora and Hal, Hotspur knows she has to make a choice, yet everything in her life has felt destined or pre-ordained so far. Being a twist on Shakespeare's Henry IV - Part 1 and Part 2, I really enjoyed the central three women and their relationship. 

What else can I say about Tessa Gratton's writing that I haven't already said before? She excels at descriptions which means her lands come alive and form a perfect background for her plot. Her characters are fully real to me, full of fears and hopes, clearly flawed but not beyond redemption. Her characters have to do the work to find themselves, to decide whether the destiny laid out for them is truly for them. It is an utter pleasure to join them for the ride. I also liked that while the Lady Knights are accepted within Aremoria, that does not equate to blanket acceptance. There are consequences to their position, there are still things that are not accepted there. Lady Hotspur goes further in representation than The Queens of Innis Lear did, but it feels natural, like a broadening of the horizon by incorporating multiple points of view. Lady Hotspur is a brick of a book at almost 600 pages, which means that Gratton takes her time with setting up different characters and  different storylines. She also takes her time for details, for descriptions, for being in a moment. I absolutely adored that, but it could be that the slower pace and attention to detail may not be for everyone.

I give this book...

5 Universes!

I absolutely adored Lady Hotspur and I am distraught that there will be no more Innis Lear books. Full of beautiful moments and fascinating characters, I would heartily recommend Lady Hotspur to anyone looking for a feminist and LGBTQIA+ twist on Fantasy.