Author: Melina Marchetta
Published: September 2008
Publisher: Candlewick Press
399 pages (hardcover)
I discovered this book through Goodreads, where my friend Monica had read this book and given it five stars. At the time, I was looking for something I’ve never heard of to read, because I like the surprise that accompanies not knowing what to expect. Luckily my local library had a copy.
The book may only be 399 pages, but it is really one beast of a story. So much happens! The story takes place in a fantasy world. At the age of nine, Finnikin, son of the Captain of the royal guard, and his two best friends, Lucian of the Monts and Prince Balthazar, made a blood pact to do all they can to protect their kingdom of Lumatere. Not too long afterwards, Lumatere comes under attack. The entire royal family is murdered, a puppet king seizes the throne and a curse is thrown over the entire kingdom. The people stuck inside are damned, while the ones who managed to escape during the five days of the unspeakable are forced to become exiles.
Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, have traveled the lands and kingdoms of the continent for the past ten years, visiting exile camps, trying to keep records of those alive and those dead, and keeping the hope alive that one day they may return to Lumatere. One day, Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a mysterious young woman who claims that she can walk the dreams of the people trapped inside Lumatere, and what’s more, she is sure that the heir to the kingdom, Balthazar, is alive. Despite being wary of Evanjalin, Finnikin and Sir Topher decide to allow this girl to help guide them to restoring their kingdom to its former glory.
The story starts rather abruptly. I’m used to endings being abrupt, but beginnings being abrupt is new to me. Finnikin and Sir Topher meet with Evanjalin right off the bat and they are already talking about Lumatere and the surrounding kingdoms and what their course of action should be and I’m thinking, “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” It was a ton of information thrown into my face all at once. Also, since it was the beginning of the book, I had no feelings towards Lumatere or any of the other places mentioned, so it was hard to feel anything for the characters who feel hopeless or agony over the loss of their kingdom.
This was all in the beginning few chapters. Once I got past that part, past the scene where Sir Topher did a much better job of explaining everything than the prologue did (in my opinion), the story becomes much easier to understand and I actually really, really liked it. For a Young Adult novel, this was well thought out and very well written. I’m sure many older adults can appreciate this novel, not just its’ target audience. If you’re looking for a fantasy YA novel of epic proportions, this is the book to read.
The best thing about this book, I think, is that the characters actually are more than flat cardboard cut outs; they felt like real, breathing people. I guess I’ve just been reading too much paranormal romance these days because I’ve gotten used to annoying female protagonists and predictable male love interests (cough cough). But Finnikin and Evanjalin, to name two, don’t feel like stock characters to me, or flat characters, and thank god, they weren’t annoying. They really felt like two people who want nothing more than to return home. That feeling of wanting to just go home, well, that is something I can often relate to. What’s even better is that Finnikin and Evanjalin have a very normal-paced romantic relationship that bloom. Oh sure, they start of not liking each other, but I like how it wasn’t just bam! one day they realized they are in love. It was a slow process to be sure, but I think it’s the slow ones that make you sure that they are truly in love, and not merely infatuated. No cheesy dialogue required, I could tell they were in love without it.
The majority of this novel is four stars to me, and it is also what I decided to rate this entire novel at the end. However, the last eighty pages or so of this novel, I think I would rate it five stars if I could do it separately. I think I’m usually pretty good with seeing how a story ends, or at least a general idea, but some of things that happen in the ending of this book, I didn’t see coming at all! It really surprised me and as a result, I was glued to the pages. There has always been a literal wall between the exiles and the people stuck inside the kingdom, and this is the part where you find out everything — what they were up to during the ten years, how they endured, etc. A lot of it was sad, actually, but interesting nonetheless. Granted, it was a bit overly lengthy too, but I’m glad it didn’t end in a “they got back their kingdom, the end” way. I’m glad the author spent time fleshing out the importance of overthrowing the puppet king, of getting back their home.
As a final note, I thought this was a stand alone novel, and poking around the Internet, I haven’t found any hint of this becoming a series. However, on Goodreads, it’s labeled as The Chronicles of Lumatere. So I’m not sure if there is going to be a sequel or what. I would definitely read one, but I secretly hope this is a stand alone novel. It is perfect on its own and I feel everything is wrapped up really nicely.
My Rating: 4/5
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