Publishers Weekly
★ 05/02/2022
Inspired by real-life 17th-century heroines, Grey’s (The Buried) historical murder mystery is an exhilarating adventure. Teenagers Eustaquia “Kiki” de Sonza and Ana Lezama de Urinza are rich young ladies of Potosí by day, vigilantes for justice by night. Despite her heroic proclivities, which remain secret from her father, Kiki must still play her role in society. Though the girls’ feelings for each other continue to grow, even with Kiki’s impending arranged marriage, brothel-born Ana, who was taken in by the de Sonza family, has resigned herself to her station (“We are what we are, and a change of clothes can’t alter that simple fact”). When Kiki’s older brother is found dead in a supposed suicide, the girls’ lives are plunged into chaos as they investigate a mystery more intense than their nightly brawls, whose implications affect the future of the de Sonzas and the safety of Potosí’s underprivileged women. Kiki and Ana are passionate heroines whose alternating perspectives—which embody both fierceness for justice and tender affection for each other—paired with cinematic action sequences conjure a hyper-engaging and gratifying experience. Kiki is Latinx, Ana is half-Dutch and half-Peruvian, and supporting characters are of varied Latinx descent. Ages 13–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (June)
From the Publisher
"Valiant Ladies brings the remarkable lives of two forgotten women to vivid, riotous life. Delightfully ahistorical, terribly romantic (have you ever shipped sword lesbians harder??), and all steeped in vigilante justice hell bent on taking down a violent patriarchy—there's only one word for it: badass." — Mackenzi Lee, author of the New York Times bestselling The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
"Vibrant, fresh, and filled with swashbuckling mystery, Valiant Ladies instantly sucked me in. I rooted for Kiki and Ana, and I fell entirely into seventeenth century Peru. Melissa Grey's bright, propulsive prose brings the stories of these real historical figures' so fully and colorfully to life." — Susan Dennard, author of the New York Times-Bestselling Witchlands series
"Kiki and Ana’s journey, from start to finish, will take you on the ride of a lifetime. Grey’s words easily transport you to Potosí, bringing to life a vibrant city that has it all. It makes me wish I could grab my own dagger, hide it under a ball gown, and join them along on this adventure." — Tamara Fuentes, Associate Entertainment Editor, Cosmopolitan
"Valiant Ladies is a tour de force, a magnificent swashbuckling adventure in 17th century Potosí. Brimming with action, intrigue, and yes a ballroom scene, Melissa Grey has crafted something truly special." — Rachel Strolle, Teen Services Coordinator, Glenside Public Library District
School Library Journal
★ 07/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—By day, Ana Lezama de Urinza and Eustaquia "Kiki" de Sonza live as proper society ladies within the Spanish Empire Viceroyalty in 17th-century Peru. At night, they don men's attire and act as vigilantes throughout the city of Potosi. When Kiki's family is attacked, the two women are determined to find who did it and dole out justice. A fictionalization of real women from history, this book is exciting, romantic, and incredibly difficult to put down. It touches on topics of colonization and class, with Ana born poor and of Native descent while Kiki is Spanish and upper-class. Kiki and Ana share a romance for the ages, and readers will be rooting for them to get together. Grey, a Latina author herself, provides resources in the author's note for readers to do more research into this time of Peru's history and the real Valiant Ladies of Potosi. An action-packed tale of two real queer women, this book provides insight into the Spanish colonization of South America and drives home that powerful women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people have existed throughout time. VERDICT An excellent addition to any YA collection.—Carleigh Obrochta
AUGUST 2022 - AudioFile
Narrators Almarie Guerra and Frankie Corzo deliver this dual-perspective audiobook inspired by Latinx teenagers from the seventeenth century. With poise and precision, Guerra voices Kiki. Freshly engaged to the son of a powerful family, she has a bright future ahead. Former street kid Ana, who is adopted into Kiki’s family, is portrayed by Corzo with unrestrained, sometimes brazen, emotion. As the two friends skillfully tackle the bustling crime of Peru by night, their burgeoning romantic feelings for each other can barely be contained. After Kiki’s brother dies under suspicious circumstances, nothing will stop the pair from uncovering what happened. Guerra and Corzo’s careful pacing will keep listeners on edge and swooning in equal measure. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2022-08-17
Romance, murder, revenge! What more could readers ask for?
Ana Lezama de Urinza and Eustaquia “Kiki” de Sonza are best friends even though Ana was brought up in a brothel, while Kiki is the daughter of a baron. They struggle with a love that they know they can never admit to because the consequences in this historical Spanish Empire setting would be too great. Instead, they spend their evenings as teen vigilantes, gambling and drinking in bars and taking down those who exploit the weak. As fate would have it, violence finds them in their public lives: On the very night Kiki and Sebastian, the son of the Viceroy of Peru, are to make their first formal appearance as a betrothed couple, her older brother, Alejandro, is murdered. This launches the young women into an adventure that neither could have anticipated. Inspired by the real 17th-century Valiant Ladies of Potosí, this exciting novel opens with action and immediately draws readers in. The story’s swashbuckling tone contains a hint of the menace of Jack the Ripper, and the romance between Kiki and Ana is full of longing, making readers root for them. Alternating first-person narration offers a well-rounded view of events. The villain is easy to spot, but readers won’t mind: The strong writing and fast pace are more than enough to make this an absorbing read.
Sapphic love, a murder mystery, and a smash-the-patriarchy adventure add up to great fun. (author’s note, sources) (Historical adventure. 14-18)
