Venom & Vow

by Anna-Marie McLemore, Elliott McLemore

Overview

Two enemy kingdoms are forced to work together to break a curse in this lush YA fantasy, featuring a transgender prince and a bigender dama/assassin in the lead roles.

Keep your enemy closer.

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.

Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.

Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.

Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.

Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.

And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom & Vow is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are - no matter the cost.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250822215
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	01/28/2025
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	810,510
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Anna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of The Weight of Feathers, Wild Beauty, Blanca & Roja, Dark and Deepest Red, Lakelore, Venom & Vow (co-authored with Elliott McLemore), and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, The Mirror Season, and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. They have received the Michael L. Printz Award, the Stonewall Honor, the Otherwise Award, three Northern California Book Awards, and an Américas Honor.

Elliott McLemore is a nonbinary trans guy who comes from mountains and loves trees. As a child, he romped in dresses, fought with plastic swords, and dreamed up his first stories. Between then and now, he has focused on academic and professional writing, research, and advocacy, including work toward adding nonbinary gender markers to California identity documents. Venom & Vow is his debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

03/13/2023

Married cowriters Anna-Marie (Lakelore) and debut author Elliott McLemore empathetically interrogate issues of self via dual-identity situations in an uplifting fantastical romance. After negotiations fail between warring kingdoms Adare and Eliana, an unknown party sends the monarchs of both realms into an enchanted sleep. Later, mishaps occur when Eliana’s Crown Princess Bryna visits Adare’s Crown Prince Patrick in a second attempt at peace, fostering further distrust. Unbeknownst to most, Patrick’s brother, Cade, is transgender and the throne’s rightful heir; however, Cade fears Adare will reject a trans king, so Patrick leads, and Cade occasionally serves as his double. As suspicions fester between the kingdoms, Bryna’s lady-in-waiting, bi-gender Valencia—also a covert male assassin—investigates Cade, who Val believes bewitched the rulers as a power play, while Cade suspects Val of the same. In truth, they share a common enemy and must overcome misgivings and bring secrets to light if they’re to save the day. Alternating chapters narrated by Cade and Val heighten the tension as the duo gradually unravel their feelings about themselves and each other. Though initially haphazard plotting and worldbuilding lack focus, things coalesce for an impactful third act, and the McLemores approach the teens’ challenges with candor and grace. The boldly drawn cast is intersectionally diverse; both protagonists use canes. Ages 13–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Enemies-to-lovers romances rarely offer this much emotional depth, and fans of the trope will find a lot to love about this coauthored romantic YA fantasy." —Booklist, starred review

"A delightful fantasy of errors . . . Readers hoping for more of McLemore’s signature sensitive treatment of trans and genderfluid characters will definitely want to pick this up." —BCCB

"Married cowriters Anna-Marie and debut author Elliott McLemore empathetically interrogate issues of self via dual-identity situations in an uplifting fantastical romance . . . The McLemores approach the teens’ challenges with candor and grace." —Publishers Weekly

"Two trans teens find each other and themselves in this romantic fantasy for fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and A.R. Capetta’s The Brilliant Death . . . Outstanding transgender and disabled representation shines." —Kirkus Reviews

"Magic, myth, and identity (both mistaken and real) weave through the ­vibrant tapestry of this collaboration... The authentic representation and romance make this a great choice for fans of A.R. Capetta and Aiden Thomas." -School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

Gr 9 Up—Magic, myth, and identity (both mistaken and real) weave through the vibrant tapestry of this collaboration. On the night that a powerful curse befell their two kingdoms and swept their elders into an enchanted sleep, Cade and Val were each convinced they saw the other casting the spell. The aftermath of the curse exacerbated the ongoing war between their nations and forced them to assume the leadership roles of their parents. Cade, a transgender man, often steps in as a body double for his brother, Prince Patrick. Val also lives a double life: as Valencia, the young Queen Bryn's lady in waiting, and as Gael, a boy assassin and spy. When Prince Patrick and Queen Bryn agree to meet and discuss peace, Cade and Val are thrust together and immediately feel attraction and suspicion. Much flirty fighting and banter ensue, making this a perfect choice for readers who prefer a heavy dose of romance with their fantasy. The kingdoms of Eliana and Adare are also beautifully described with poetic imagery and language steeped in Irish Gaelic and Aztec culture, respectively. Both protagonists face authentic challenges while exploring their gender identities; however, the fantasy world here is mostly refreshingly accepting, including an abbey where Cade and Val meet other transmasculine folks and learn to be their most authentic selves. The characters also experience chronic pain due to disability, which often impacts them but never holds them back. VERDICT Some uneven pacing and awkward time jumps mar the second half of the book, but the authentic representation and romance make this a great choice for fans of A.R. Capetta and Aiden Thomas.—Catherine Cote

School Library Journal

2023-02-25
Two trans teens find each other and themselves in this romantic fantasy for fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and A.R. Capetta’s The Brilliant Death.

Bigender Val has always felt like both a boy and a girl: Valencia, a lady-in-waiting in Eliana’s court, and Gael, a knife-wielding boy assassin. Cade isn’t sure who he is anymore: Having transitioned and gone stealth, he has no interest in the throne but frequently doubles for his brother, Patrick, Adare’s reluctant prince. Val and Cade are enemies, both convinced they saw the other curse their families into an enchanted sleep that escalated their nations’ long-running war. When royalty from both sides agree to pursue diplomacy, Cade and Val are reluctantly—and then not-so-reluctantly—thrust into each other’s orbits. Although readers will root for Val and Cade as individuals and partners, the kingdoms’ underdeveloped magic systems and ever present yet lightly explored conflict can make it difficult to be invested in the enemies portion of their enemies-to-lovers romance. The nations of Eliana and Adare are inspired by Mexico and Ireland, respectively. Val uses a cane due to scoliosis and hypermobility, and Cade has a staff, which helps with walking following a war injury to his knee. Refreshingly, their disabilities are woven into every part of their narratives, including highly compelling fight scenes. Although secondary characters feel less fleshed out, there are many queer secondary characters, including an entire transmasc abbey with a binder business.

Outstanding transgender and disabled representation shines through despite less robust worldbuilding. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews