There’s an absolutely beautiful review, on the Book Muse website, of the new reissue of Cold Iron (Brio Books in the Untapped list) by a wonderful reader who loved it as a young reader when it was first published back in the late 90’s, and loved it just as much now on rereading–the best tribute ever. Thank you so much, Ashleigh!

Here’s an extract:

I was just as enraptured by this book as I was when I first discovered it at fourteen, and I think the Shakespeare connection was richer because since then I have read A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many Cinderella-like fairy tales throughout my studies and reading journey. It is a book that is magical and whimsical, and hopeful – filled with the delight of friendship and doing anything for the people you love. And there is a bit of a love story in this – the love of friends. Malkin and Tattercoats drive the story, and it is their friendship that made me fall in love with this book. It was one of the first young adult books I read where the female friendship was celebrated above all else throughout the story and journey to the ball at the palace, and that allowed the women to speak for themselves. I quite enjoyed that it gave the women – Malkin and Tattercoats – agency in a world where they usually didn’t and allowed them to drive the story. It showed that women across history had voices even if men tried to deny that voice to them. It is reassuring to read these stories and know that there were women that spoke up in times when they were expected to remain silent.

You can read the whole review here.