By Naomi

This YA series by Laura Wood is set in the late 19th century and centers around an all-female secret agency, working to right the wrongs perpetrated by powerful men (or just men) against women. You have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit at a bunch of 18 year-olds being spies and master thieves, but once you do you’re in for great fun! The books are interconnected; each title focuses on a different heroine. However, it’s best to read the series in order, so that you understand how the agency works and meet all the characters. It might be possible to read book three, A Game of Scandal, without having read the previous two, but I think you would miss out on quite a bit of background.

The entire series is highly entertaining, well written and easy to read. The world-building is relatively simple, which makes it easy to get sucked into the story very quickly. The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting, and it’s fun to follow them over the course of the series. Each heroine has a different field of interest, so you get to learn lots about society and flowers and math (it’s fun, I promise!).

While the setting of the series is historical, there are lots of more modern (read: feminist and diverse) aspects to it, which works really well given the plot. There are quite a few queer characters, and while there’s a romantic relationship in each book, it’s not necessarily the main focus. The books do tackle some serious subjects, such as spousal abuse, blackmail, assault and murder, but it never becomes heavy or depressing to read. There’s a very distinct “Yay! Women!” vibe to the series, and the tone remains uplifting and hopeful at all times.

The first book, The Agency for Scandal, introduces the reader to the Aviary, a detective agency run by women, for women. Isobel Stanhope’s family has been left destitute by the death of her father. In order to make ends meet, she became a spy for the Aviary. When she becomes embroiled in a scandal, she has to team up with the duke she’s had a crush on for years (who, of course is also some sort of secret agent). This is a spy-adventure-romance novel, so naturally the duke is very swoony.

In the sequel, A Season for Scandal, Marigold Bloom finds herself involved with the Aviary when her family’s flower shop is being blackmailed. She turns to the Aviary for help, and agrees to help them in turn. She has to enter into a fake engagement with a grumpy but very handsome man in order to determine whether his long lost sister is who she claims to be. This book turned some tropes on their head, which I always love.

The last (but hopefully not final!) book in the series, A Game of Scandal, is about Felicity Vane, the duke’s sister from book one. She’s a mathematical genius whose greatest wish is to be able to go to university and study. Her mother, however, has decided that it is time for her to find a husband. She helps the Aviary when it becomes clear that she is the only person skilled enough at playing cards to infiltrate an important game. Obviously there’s a romantic plot here too, with the owner of a game hall.

There’s a great cast of female protagonists, doing their very best to help other women and having fun while doing it. Their love interests are always supportive and really good at letting the women shine. Each of the books has a romantic happy ever after, but I liked how it was different for all three heroines. The series is very good at highlighting how there’s not just one way to live your life as a woman, and feminism can look very different for different people.

I highly recommend this series if you’re looking for an uplifting, entertaining series where women shine, always.