Hope for the Future

Hope for the Future

May 17, 2013

Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

Release Date: April 2013 (US)
Publisher: Candlewick press
Pages: 516 pages
Series: The Lumatere Chronicles #3
Source & Format: NetGalley / Bought; Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road...

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.

Thoughts on Quintana of Charyn

After being somewhat disappointed by Finnikin of the Rock and then enjoying Froi of the Exiles a little more, I was really curious about how I'd feel after reading Quintana of Charyn. Would it make me love the series more or less? In some cases, the final book in a trilogy can make really fall in love with a series. Once I see everything tied together, I sometimes have more positive feelings about previous books (if I hadn't loved them). In other cases, the third book can leave a bad taste in my mouth about the entire series. Thankfully, Quintana of Charyn was BY FAR my favorite book of this trilogy.

There was just so much to love in this final book! Froi of the Exiles ended with so many loose ends. I don't want to call it a cliffhanger ending, but it definitely leaves you wanting to immediately pick up the next book so you can find out what happens next. When I started Quintana of Charyn, I was excited to see how all of the different stories would be resolved since these books involve so many characters.

One of my biggest complaints about the first two books was the romance aspect. I thought the romances in both were underdeveloped and a little lackluster. There was something about them that rang a little hollow - it's like I couldn't understand why the characters liked each other. One of my favorite things about Quintana was the way this element was developed and expanded. The final book delivered exactly what I was looking for from Finnikin and Froi! Although I wanted more information about Trevanion and Beatriss, I did love the developments between some of the other couples in this series.

I thought the pacing and length were perfect. There were several times when I thought the previous books got too bogged down in the fantasy or political elements of the story. What made me love Quintana of Charyn so much was that Marchetta really focused on relationships. The heart of the book was the characters - and that has always been my favorite aspect of her stories. Marchetta can write some incredibly memorable characters, and that was really evident in this conclusion.

There was a lot of darkness and sadness in the first two Lumatere Chronicles books, so I was really surprised by how everything ended with this series. It's definitely got a happier ending than I'd expected! Some may find it a little too perfect, but I loved it nonetheless. I smiled a little as I turned the last page and closed the book. Although we didn't get off to the best start, I really did enjoy the time I spent in Lumatere. Quintana of Charyn was the best kind of farewell.

So Quotable

And through all the misery, she said that some of us in this lifetime experience a moment of beauty beyond reckoning. I asked her what that was, and she said, "If you're one of the lucky ones, you'll know it when you see it. You'll understand why the gods have made you suffer. Because that moment's reward will make your knees weak and everything you've suffered in life will pale in comparison."

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Remember the Past

Remember the Past

May 16, 2013

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Release Date: October 2011
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 593 pages
Series: The Lumatere Chronicles #2
Source & Format: Bought; Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

Blood sings to blood, Froi...

Those born last will make the first...

For Charyn will be barren no more.

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds. Here he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, and must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad Princess.

And in this barren and mysterious place, he will discover that there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Thoughts on Froi of the Exiles

With Finnikin of the Rock, the prologue really set the tone for the rest of the book. In the same way, the prologue for Froi of the Exiles sets up the conflict and revelations that are to come. Despite being only half a page, I found it so interesting just how much Marchetta packed into those few paragraphs.

Lumatere's curse kept the people trapped inside the city's walls, but the Charynite curse keeps its people from reproducing. While Lumatere had hope that one day their people would be reunited and their kingdom restored, Charyn will cease to exist if they cannot have children.

One of my favorite things about Froi of the Exiles is the way Marchetta takes an extremely flawed and dishonorable character and really transforms him. You could see the seeds of Froi's growth as Finnikin of the Rock went along, but this is the book where you finally get to see him blossom. He has been educated, and he feels true remorse for the mistakes of his past.

When Froi is sent to Charyn to meet the Princess Quintana, he sets himself apart from everyone else just through his interactions with her. He wants to do what's right and to please the people who saw him at his worst and believed in his future. I just loved seeing this new side of him! He stole my heart in a way Finnikin never could - just seeing all the tension warring inside him.

There is such a shift in his attitude. Whereas before he cared only for himself and his own survival, he has now learned to care for others. He legitimately cares for the people who need his protection, for those who have been used and abused. It's interesting to see Marchetta really excel with his characterization and to see the way she redeems him from his past.

We also meet two characters, Lucian and Phaedra, who absolutely became my favorite characters of the entire series. While most of that happened in the last book, I love how Marchetta sets up their relationship and its problems in Froi of the Exiles. It was also nice to see a woman character that was admirable. While Evanjalin and Quintana have positive qualities, there are prickly woman. They lie and manipulate to suit their needs and agendas. So it can sometimes be hard to love them - because everything they do kind of pushes you away (as a reader). With quiet and unassuming Phaedra, you get to see a character come into her own. You see her discover her own strength and courage in a way that made me want to give her standing ovation.

As with Finnikin of the Rock, I felt that the love story in this book was its weakest element. There is just SO MUCH going on that the development of the relationship between Froi and Quinanta was lacking. However, I still enjoyed this book more than Finnikin of the Rock. Despite being longer, I thought it moved quicker and was a more gripping read. I had a hard time actually stopping each week for the read-along - I just wanted to keep going.

If you read Finnikin and loved it, you'll obviously want to come back for more. If you read Finnikin and felt a little blah on continuing this series, I'd absolutely recommend picking up this book and sticking with this series. You can truly begin to see Marchetta hitting her fantasy stride in this book. Even better? Just wait for my thoughts on the conclusion to this series!

So Quotable

"'If we forget who we lost,' Lady Abrian would tell Froi and her children, 'then we forget who we once were, and if we forget who we once where, we lost sight of who we are now.'"

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Honor the Living

Honor the Living

May 15, 2013

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Release Date: September 2008
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 416 pages
Series: The Lumatere Chronicles #1
Source & Format: Bought; Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance... and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her... but in himself.

Thoughts on Finnikin of the Rock

I started Finnikin of the Rock with high expectations. After falling in love with Melina Marchetta's writing style, I was excited that an author I loved had tackled a genre I'm not as familiar with. I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but that's slowly begun to change over the last year or so.

Finnikin of the Rock opens with a prologue that sets up the story as one that is being told "so they will never forget." I really love when books have a recounting the past for future generations vibe. Add to that a group of friends making a pledge to each other, and you'll really get a feel for the tone of the rest of the book from the first few pages.

It took me a while to hit my stride with this book - mostly because there were so many different names and locations. To be honest, it really slowed down my reading at first. There are several maps in the front of this book, and you'll absolutely want to reference them while reading. There's a lot thrown at your very quickly in this book!

Lumatere has suffered a terrible loss - its royal family murdered, its people trapped within its walls and the ones outside the walls forced to roam and settle in refugee camps. What's so interesting about this book is that there are so many important elements that play a role in the story. You've got politics in the interactions between the different countries. There are supernatural elements with the introduction of curses.

But, at its heart, Finnikin of the Rock is about community and identity. It's about honoring the dead AND the living. It's about hope and finding the courage to go on when everything tells you to give up. It's about who you are, how you define yourself and finding the strength within yourself to survive. The story may be fantasy, but it tackles the questions of everyday life. One of my favorite moments in the book was a conversation where the characters discuss measuring loss:

How does one measure it, Finnikin? Does a man who's lost his family to famine suffer less than one who's lost them to an assassin's knife? Is it worse to die of drowning than to be trampled under the feet of others? If you lose your wife in childbirth, is it better than watching her burn at the stake. Death is death and loss is loss."

For some reason, this really struck a chord with me. It's a question and conversation that isn't bound to the fantasy world of Lumatere. It's just a relevant in the real world - in our own attitudes to others - as it is in this story. Grief and pain are universal, and you can't compare and measure one loss to another.

I will be honest, there were things I didn't love about Finnikin of the Rock. From the occasionally  confusing storyline to the lackluster romance, I did not love this one as much as I expected. I didn't really believe in the love story, and I found the main female character incredibly frustrating. However, I still saw Marchetta in every word and on every page. Her characters are difficult, real and raw. This is no glittery world with happy people. It's a place where things have been torn apart and will be slow to heal.

But it's a rewarding story and one that I'm happy to have read with some lovely ladies for the Lumatere Chronicles Read-Along!

So Quotable

"You list the dead. You tell the stories of the past. You write about the catastrophes and massacres. What about the living, Finnikin? Who honors them?"

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