Review: Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies

Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies is the most marvellous mystery set between Victorian London and Paris, an adventure that completely captivated me as I joined Her Majesty’s League’s newest recruit on her first unmissable mission.

14-year-old Winnie attends Beacon Academy for Poised and Polished Young Ladies.  She has aspirations to become an engineer like her father and has even helped him with his latest design, the Telautograph, which he hopes to show at the prestigious Exposition Universelle World’s Fair in Paris.  Winnie is also hoping to have her latest design chosen as an entrant for the Petit Prix for Young Inventors at the same Fair.  But then something dreadful occurs … and something which changes Winnie’s life …

When she gets the terrible news that her father is missing and that he has been accused of being involved in some underhand business, Winnie is determined to find him and clear his good name.  Leaving the Academy, she takes a hansom cab which, rather than bringing her home, takes her to meet a mysterious woman hiding her identity behind a veil.  This encounter leads to Winnie agreeing to join a League of female secret agents, inventing espionage tools for their missions, on the condition that they will use their resources to help find her father.

The League work to protect none other than Queen Victoria who is far from amused by the antics of a Mr Magpie who appears to be stalking her.  Can the League use their ingenuity to discover the identity of, and capture, this villain?  Will Alice’s new role help her in her mission to be reunited with her father?

This is a fantastically fast-paced, intricate mystery that kept me delightedly turning pages as I was desperate to uncover the identity of the Magpie and learn the reason for their interest in the Queen. I also loved the intrigue behind Winnie’s father’s disappearance and the tantalising trail of clues that led from London to Paris.  The unexpected twists and turns, and the increasing danger, in this tale of espionage and secrets are just perfect, and some revelations genuinely made me gasp … brilliant!

Winnie is the most wonderful protagonist, determined to realise her dream of becoming an engineer and inventor, at a time when society had very different expectations of young ladies.  She is strong-willed, determined and courageous, relishing the opportunity to put her talents to good use in inventing ingenious gadgets to help in the League’s missions.  Despite some initial reluctance to accept her from some of the other agents, Winnie proves herself a worthy agent, and develops wonderfully close and loyal friendships. 

It is so wonderful to read an adventure with female STEM representation and with strong female characters who operate successfully outside of societal expectations, and who stand up for themselves, and to others, when needed.  I must admit that I also really enjoyed the portrayal of Queen Victoria, which brought plenty of humour to the adventure, as well as the references to other historical figures and events.

An absolutely unmissable adventure brimming with intrigue and danger, and with the importance of family and friendship at its heart.  I really hope that there are further adventures for Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies as I would absolutely love to join them on further missions.  Perfect for readers of 11+.

Thank you to Laura Smythe PR and Chicken House for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.