Wench by Maxine Kaplan (review)

Kaplan, Maxine Wench. Amulet/Abrams, 2021 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781419738517 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781683359869 $15.54 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-10

Tanya has largely been running the pub on her own, so when her elderly guardian dies, the seventeen-year-old expects to inherit the tavern. Unfortunately, there's no paperwork promising it to her. Rather than hand the place over meekly to the guards who claim it, Tanya demands passage with them to see the queen and assert her ownership. What follows is a twisty, magical, romantic, and exhilarating adventure that has Tanya seeing more of the world, and herself, than she could have ever dreamed up in her small-town pub. There are multiple intriguing threads here: an enchanted quill that can conjure up or eliminate elements; blood magic; Tanya's slow awakening into her own abilities; and a whole slew of villainous individuals, almost all of whom wildly underestimate this formidable tavern wench. Tanya begins the novel with unbridled sass and survival-focused savvy, and she ends it, several months later, with a sophisticated understanding of the world and her place in it. Her satisfaction with choosing a path that doesn't afford her the most power or wealth is spot on for her character. It also honors some hard-won self-awareness that Tanya earns through making a whole bunch of mistakes and an equal number of brilliant moves, some intentional and some inadvertent, all of which have an indelible impact on her identity.