By Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warning: violence, slight gore
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton is a fantastical historical rom-com following the exploits of a secret society of Victorian lady pirates who must fight an evil, Brontë-obsessed captain who wants to rid the world of all presumptuous women.
When a handsome pirate shows up at the home Cecilia Bassingwaite shares with her elderly aunt claiming to be an assassin, Cecilia is overjoyed. An assassination attempt means that she has amassed a large enough reputation as a pirate to be considered as a fully-fledged member of the Wisteria Society, the organization of gentlewomen pirates she has been raised by. But things do not go according to plan, and when an evil captain starts stealing the Wisteria Ladies’ houses and puts the society in danger, Cecilia must team up with her would-be assassin to save them, prove herself, and face the consequences of her past …and her future.
This book is one of the most unique, funny, and romantic books I’ve read in a really long time. It is both a parody of, and a love letter to, classic Victorian literature and is perfect for readers who are familiar with Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. However, you don’t need to love classics to love this book. While the story pays homage to classic women writers, it also pokes a lot of fun at the conventions of that period and has humour that is accessible to any reader, not just those who understand the nuances of social rules in the Victorian era.
Whether you’re a fan of the classics or you love historical romances written in the present, there’s something in this book for you. Cecilia is a witty and classy leading lady, and her emotional complexity makes her easy to root for. Ned is a charming rake whose love-struck unpredictability makes him more likeable than any of the men written by Brontë or Austen (except, perhaps, Mr Darcy). The Ladies of the Wisteria Society are posh, out of touch, and utterly cutthroat in the most respectable way possible, and Captain Morvath is a villain whose Gothic preferences make him both comedic and frightening. The side characters are delightfully unique, the banter is witty, and the romance is steamy—if you gasped when Mr. Darcy held Elizabeth’s hand, you’ll be tantalized and quite possibly scandalized by the chemistry between Cecilia and Ned. The book’s plot is full of twists and turns and is just fun from beginning to end.
When I first read the summary of this book, I thought it would be an interesting change of pace from my usual reads. I certainly didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did or find myself examining the text the way I did Victorian literature during my undergraduate degree—but for fun! I was completely blown away by how immersed I was in this book. India Holton’s writing style perfectly captures the voice of the Victorian novel while deftly challenging conceptions of the period and using the Wisteria Society’s rules of etiquette, both social and pirate, to weave a thread of witty commentary and comedy throughout the work. It feels like a book that can be examined alongside Brontë and Austen’s works to understand the conventions of the period while poking fun at them. This is a world you will not want to leave when the book comes to a close, and luckily, a sequel is scheduled for publication in 2022. I, for one, am eagerly counting down the days.
Thank you, Berkley Publishers at Penguin Random House, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.