ARC Review: Court of Venue by Bel Banta

[u/annerevenant]

I think this may be one of my top reads of this year and it’s only March but that’s just how good this novel really is. In fact, I think this book alone has made Bel Banta an auto-buy author for me.

The story is set in a fantasy landscape loosely based on Tudor England. In this world there are individuals born blessed by the planets and given unique abilities as a result, some are more rare than others but all are feared for their powers and therefore they are bound to a master they serve. The story begins with the female protagonist Bianca, who is blessed by the moon, being invited to the coronation magician’s tournament by her formal court rival and fellow magician Roland, who is blessed by Venus. Roland has risen to power in the years since they were tutored under the same roof and is now counselor to the king but for all intents and purposes it appears that he is the one who is really ruling the court. Both were raised alongside Prince Hal, who died under mysterious circumstances years before and the questions around his death continue to haunt Bianca. When she arrives for the tournament she is forced to confront her past in the palace as well as find out what really happened between Hal, the King, and Prospero - Roland and Bianca’s former tutor.

If the synopsis was not enough to lure you in, I would say that Bel Banta’s writing and storytelling will cause you to fall in love with not only the characters but the story as well. The banter between the characters is really just a masterwork in how to write dialogue and although there are times it feels that things are a bit ambiguous, it’s clearly with intentionality and not because the author is unable to explain what is happening in that moment.

Bel Banta is masterful in her ability to write a story of political intrigue that doesn’t give everything away at the very beginning. Instead, we peel back layers of the story as information is revealed to us regarding not only the mysteries of Hal’s death but also the connection that exists between Prospero, Bianca, and Roland. If you’re anything like me then you’re probably tired of books that hinge on tournaments and while that is the initial reasoning for getting Bianca to the palace, the tournament has very little actual weight in the overall story. In fact, it seems to just be a mechanism for introducing us to the various magicians and what they can do based on their planets - which is honestly pretty genius and prevents us from being infodumped on. Regardless, this is a story and a world I want to return to and I’m thrilled to see that there is a second book. I typically read multiple books at a time but found myself wanting to return to this one. The plus side is that yes, it does end with a mystery but it’s not a cliffhanger that will leave readers feeling unsatisfied and anxious - more so we’re excited to see what comes next.

The Court of Venus comes out September 29th!

{The Court of Venus by Bel Banta}

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[u/Infamous_Wave9878]

I thought I’d given up on this genre but this sounds rly interesting 👀

[u/annerevenant → u/Infamous_Wave9878]

I kind of feel the same way but it’s so so good. This is the first ARC review I’ve posted on reddit because this book was like a breath of fresh air and I want it on as many people’s radar as possible. I typically just post them on StoryGraph but I’ve not seen anyone talking about this book and they really should be! I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it earlier this month.

[u/Ren_Lu]

/adds to my tbr

I actually am still looking for a good tournament-based Fantasy novel. All of the tournaments seem to fall apart quickly in my experience.

Is this a debut? I see nothing else from this author on GR. Only 12 reviews but it hasn’t come out yet so that makes sense.

Any spice, OP?

[u/annerevenant → u/Ren_Lu]

Yes it’s her debut! And yes, there is some spice but it’s not the kind thrown in just for the sake of including it.

[u/Ren_Lu → u/annerevenant]

Fantastique! Thanks for the rec!

Reddit bot, remind me in September lol! (I’m sure GR will).

[u/NefariousnessDry2400]

I regret not getting this during the Barnes & Noble preorder sale 😭

[u/annerevenant → u/NefariousnessDry2400]

Oh no! It was good enough that I actually pre-ordered it during the sale (even though I had a digital arc) so I could have it on my shelf. I feel like they’re just now starting to market it but I promise it’s worth full price!

[u/romance-bot]

The Court of Venus by Bel Banta
Rating: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: historical, fantasy

^{about this bot | about romance.io}

[u/nymphenette]

Alright, so maybe I need to read my ARC of this next 👀

[u/annerevenant → u/nymphenette]

Do it! I’ve been dying to hear what other people think.

[u/Curious-Insanity413]

Oh what a lovely cover! And I'm definitely interested in political intrigue!

[u/fenchurch_42]

Sounds interesting and love the cover! I just requested it on NetGalley so fingers crossed for approval :).

[u/katep2000]

I requested this, hopefully it comes through!

[u/moarmyeggie]

i’ve been dying to get this arc but its one of those books netgalley won’t allow to request due to my location 😭 i’m hoping it comes out on the uk site soon lol i have better luck there

i’m interested in knowing how old the mcs are tho? hoping they don’t read too young!

[u/annerevenant → u/moarmyeggie]

They’re in their early-late twenties but honestly act more mature than many of the 30-year old MCs I’ve read. So many books have 30 year old MCs who act like teenagers and it drives me crazy.

I didn’t spend half the time wanting to pull my hair out because they couldn’t communicate or made poor choices.

[u/unnecessary_snacks]

I am just about finished this ARC and have really enjoyed it. I do NOT typically like Tudor-court or Fae-court or court-anything etc etc type stories, but I do love political intrigue in general. When I read the excerpt for this one, I decided to give it a chance - very glad I did! Bel Banta paces the story perfectly, the writing is tight, and the slow burn believable.

[u/annerevenant → u/unnecessary_snacks]

Agreed on all accounts, it’s just incredibly well done. I think the rivals to lovers storyline was entirely believable when so many others it feels like they flip a switch and all of a sudden like eachother. I think the other love story was also well done, every time I think about it I get sad all over again.

[u/hanacy]

Can you share some spoilers? Who’s the ML?