disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Emilie des Marais comes from a noble family. She is expected to learn the more ‘delicate’ midnight arts rather than follow her true dream of serving her country as a physician and practicing the noonday arts, but it is deemed too gruesome work for a noble lady to partake in. Annette Boucher is desperate to be trained in magic – midnight arts in particular. She comes from a humble background but is often overlooked and overworked by her family. Desperate to escape her noble roots, Emile approaches Annette and has a solution to both their problems. Emile suggests swapping lives-Annette attends school as a noble lady to be trained in the midnight arts, while Emilie becomes a physician’s assistant. Soon, a war breaks out, and both Emile and Annette must help the rebellion to end a war.

I’ve had my eye on Belle Révolte for a little while now, it was mainly the cover that initially drew my attention because it is absolutely stunning. But, I also heard that it had a f/f romance and was full of magic. I had already read one of her previous novels Mask of Shadows which I also really enjoyed. The two books are worlds apart as Belle Révolte is a more slow and drawn out novel with much more focus on her world and her characters relationships. I adored it.

Belle Révolte features a binary gendered magic system with one deemed more powerful than the other. The noonday arts, primarily practiced by men, are deemed to be the stronger magic – it is used in medicine and it is used on the battlefield. The midnight arts is traditionally practiced by women. It involves divination, scrying, and illusions. But magic has a cost – a sacrifice. It wears the user down, deteriorates their body until the user either dies or can no longer use magic. Which is where the class system comes in. Poor and common people are often used as ‘hacks’ by the ruling elite who often channel their own magic through the ‘hacks’ so they themselves don’t have to bear the consequences. I thought it was a really developed magic system and I really loved how throughout the book you learned that the binary system that has been enforced is complete bullshit – magic is not as confined to the strict binary system as believed.

The characters were the best and most well developed aspect of the novel in my opinion. Belle Révolte follows two different characters – Annette and Emilie. It is really hard to pick a favourite as both characters were great and I equally adored their own respective story lines. Emilie was fierce and sharp. Throught the novel she goes through some really great character development and really learns to understand her priviledge.

‘”All power has a cost,” she said as the carriage slowed to a stop, “and you were born with power-your title, your wealth, your magic. This is your cost, Emilies des Marais and it is your duty to pay it. Power demands sacrifice.”

Emilie’s story also featured a m/f rivals to lovers romance and it was glorious. Annette is equally deserving of adoration. She is determined and kind and she struggles to fit in at the finishing school for obvious reason – the food, the glamour, and the wealth. For Annette it is all too much. Annette is also sapphic and asexual and there is a lovely f/f romance with a baker/alchemist!

I also really enjoyed the rebellion and revolt and I loved how both Annette and Emilie each got involved in the rebellion for their own reasons. I also loved how in the rebellion everyone was ‘Laurel’.

If you love rebellions, magic, and found family – then Belle Révolte is the book for you.