Book Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats

 Hello, all. I recently finished reading a really great anthology called A Tyranny of Petticoats [well, okay, the full title is A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Tales of Belles, Bank Robbers, and Other Badass Girls, but that's kind of long, don't you think?]. So, here's a review. I'll be doing reviews for each story, so I'll try and keep my thoughts brief. I don't read a whole lot of short stories, so my only complaint for most of these was 'It needed to be longer.'

What I appreciated most about this book was the variety. The stories range from exciting bank-robbing adventures to slower romantic  dramas. There's even some fantasy in some of them! The heroines are all so diverse, too. Some are white, some are Native American, some are black, some are Asian, etc. There's even some LGBTQ representation in here.

Now, onto the stories.

Mother Carey's Tale by J. Anderson Coats

2.5/5 stars

This story gave me Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, which I loved. I also loved the sprinkling of fantasy in here, too. It ends kind of abruptly, and there wasn't much of a resolution, which made me enjoy it less than the others. Also, something about this one just didn't ''click'' with me for whatever reason. It's still good, though, and I wouldn't be opposed to rereading it.

The Journey by Marie Lu

4/5 stars

I absolutely love Native American culture [I say this yet I really don't know much about it], so I was fascinated by this immediately. It was really well-written, and wrapped things up better than the last one. I loved the heroine, and the fantasy element. This one was fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Madeleine's Choice by Jessica Spotswood

4.5/5 stars

Jessica Spotswood is one of my favorite authors, so I was really excited to read this one. It's set in New Orleans, which is really cool, and I loved Madeleine. She was such a great heroine: shy and meek, but willing to stand up to herself when necessary. There's a twist in this one that I adored, and a possible romance that made me jump up and down and say, "I ship it." 

El Destinos by Leslye Walton

5/5 stars

This was one of my very favorites in the whole collection! The premise is so creative. Leslye Walton took the story of the Three Fates from Greek mythology, and mixed it with Mexican culture in the 1800s. Basically, if you liked the Josefina American Girl books, this story is for you. It's so well-written, too. I could read this one several more times without getting bored.

High Stakes by Andrea Cremer

3.5/5 stars

This one was also very good. I don't remember it as distinctly as some of the others, so that's why it gets a lower rating, but it was so cleverly written and intriguing. This one includes some fantasy, too. The descriptions in this one is amazing. I could picture everything so clearly in my head.

The Red Raven Ball by Caroline Tung Richmond

4.5/5 stars

I absolutely loved the heroine, Lizzie! She was so interesting, and pulled you into her story right away. Again, the descriptions are great. If you're into spy, detective or espionage stories, you'll love this one. Also, the twists are great, and the pacing is amazing!

Pearls by Beth Revis

5/5 stars

This was one of the most emotional and well-written stories here. The main character was amazing, and the setting was great [the MC, Helen, is a teacher, so lots of it takes place in a schoolhouse]. Also, fun fact: Beth Revis wrote one of the girls as what she imagined Annie Oakley would've been like as a girl.

I will add a trigger warning for this one, for mentions of rape.

Gold in The Roots of the Grass by Marissa Meyer

4/5 stars

I love Marissa Meyer's writing, so I loved this one. She did a really good job of mixing Chinese culture with the Old West in such a believable way. There's some supernatural elements in this, and I really liked that. It's a really fun and well-written story, even if it's not one of my very favorites.

The Legendary Garrett Girls by Y.S Lee

5/5 stars

I'd love to read a full novel about the two heroines. They were both so interesting and entertaining. The story has a very Western-ish vibe, so if that's your thing, you'll probably love it. Of course even if it isn't, you might still like it. It's well-paced, exciting, and lets you know the characters really well in a short amount of time.

The Color of the Sky by Elizabeth Wein

4.5/5 stars

This one was so sad, yet so hopeful. The writing style was great, and Elizabeth Wein told an amazing story in such a short amount of time. I went through a phase of wanting to be a pilot, so I loved that this was about that, and even had Bessie Coleman in it [I learned several new facts about her through this].

Bonnie and Clyde by Saundra Mitchell

5/5 stars

I loved this one. There aren't too many stories about cross-dressing, bank-robbing girls, and this makes me think we need more. It's witty, unique, exciting, and also has a Western-ish feel to it. I love the MC, too. There are so many twists and turns to this one, and it's both fantastic and fascinating. 

Hard Times by Katherine Longshore

3.5/5 stars

This one is set in a hobo jungle during the great depression, which made for a really interesting story. It wasn't my favorite, but it was still really good. The hopping trains detail was really interesting, too. It might have been my favorite part. 

City of Angels by Lindsay Smith

5/5 stars

It's about a lesbian screenwriter during the '40s, so how could it not be interesting? Points for uniqueness, of course. It's really witty, too, and very, very well-written and clever. The MC is great. I loved her. Also, it's very atmospheric, which makes for an interesting story. And it's always cool to read about another writer. 

Pulse of the Panthers by Kekla Magoon

3.5/5 stars

This one was so good. It included a part of history that I really didn't know much about, so it was neat to read about. The characters are all great----especially the MC, and it was, overall, a really good story. 

The Whole World is Watching by Robin Talley

4/5 stars

Well, that's certainly not an intense title at all, is it? I feel like I've heard of Robin Talley before (side note: Robin is a really pretty name), but I'm not sure. This story is set in the '60s, so the issues here are closest to modern ones. I liked the racial and LGBTQ representation here (I know that's something all the stories had touches of, but this one seemed especially so). It was a really great story, though not my very favorite. 

Well, those were my thoughts on A Tyranny of Petticoats. It was a great anthology. Definitely worth your time to read. So many great authors here, too! 

If you've read this, which stories did you like best? Any favorite authors here?