Finnikin of the Rock: The Lumatere Chronicles, Book 1

I’m kicking myself. That’s how good this book is.I’m kicking myself, because I can’t believe I didn’t read this sooner.This series comes highly recommended by several of my trusted review sources, and, though it’s an amazing series (judging by the first book, at least), it’s also incredibly underhyped. And that makes me sad, because Finnikin has everything bookworms could possibly want in a good YA high fantasy: strong and vivid characters, a steady-yet-unpredictable plot (the twist blew my mind, it was so clever), a wonderful romance that does not overpower the rest of the novel, and solid, detailed world-building. I was so happy.I loved every single side character in this book (except for Froi, though he grew on me eventually). They’re all such fighters, so fierce and strong in their own ways (especially Evanjalin and Trevanion, both of whom I was cheering for SO HARD). They’ve all undergone hardship or trauma of some sort since the five days of the unspeakable (the name for the assassination of Lumatere’s royal family). The people of Lumatere are refugees, scattered and suffering, and I loved that Marchetta chose to portray a hurting, broken nation rather than one simply corrupt from the inside. Instead of focusing mainly on the cruelty of the current powers at hand, Marchetta focuses on the suffering and the humanity of the subjects, making their exile a matter of the heart rather than just a political issue. She characterizes the island of Skuldenore not by its boundaries or its nations, but by the people themselves and by the cultures and causes they hold.It’s something I’ve seen before, but not the way she portrayed it. It felt so fresh and so real, and my heart ached for the people of Lumatere and sympathized with their plight. I was rooting for all of these characters every step of the way.I’ve mentioned how the plot is steady, but unpredictable. What I mean by that is that the plot does not meander and stays course, but still has several twists which kept me on the edge of my seat. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’ll tell you this: You’ll think you know exactly what’s going to happen, but, once you get to a certain point in this book, you’ll completely reevaulate your assumptions.Finally, the romance. It was slow-burn and gradual and stubborn, just like the two characters it involved. I loved how fierce both of those characters are, and how they rub off of each other so well. They’re explosive, but in a slow and growing way, like rocks that create a spark, which expands into a fire that slowly warms you up. Even though they clash in several ways and they’re both strong-willed, they complement each other very nicely. (And, honestly, they’re probably one of my OTPs [One True Pairings].) Their relationship is a great reminder that nobody’s perfect and that compromise is necessary in relationships.And the best part about it? Though it’s intense, it’s only an undertone to the main plot, never distracting from the rest of the story or the characters’ purpose. I loved that, just like I loved them.If you enjoy YA fantasy and you’re looking for some great high fantasy, please, please, please check this book out. It’s very rare that I can love a book as completely as I loved this one. Books like this remind me why I love reading so much.

I purchased this book from Amazon to read with @fictitious.fox as a #buddyread. All opinions are my own. I am not going to rate this book because to be honest I didn't finish it. While the writing was tolerable I felt the book was too much fantasy. It felt overboard with sorcery and witchery and just over the top. I was reading it in small doses until about 150 pages in when I just said no more. It reads a lot like Game of Thrones meets Skyrim or some such thing. I am a fan of neither so therefore had a hard time being drawn into this one. It is a book my teenage son might enjoy he likes high fantasy and while I can enjoy some this one was not one I enjoyed. Finnikin's world is shattered after the killing of the King and his heirs and 10 years later Finnikin and his mentor are lead to a novice prophet of sorts that claims she has spoken to the heir, Balthazar. Evanjalin claims Balthazar is alive and will lead Finnikin to him so that they together can figure out how to reclaim the throne, well after they undo the curse of course.

The Lumatere Chronicles is an excellent and masterfully done high fantasy series. The trilogy has easily worked its way into my heart as one of the best series I’ve ever read with its incredible cast of characters, beautiful and emotional writing, a story that will break and heal your heart more times than I can count, and a rare social awareness. The stories in the Lumatere Chronicles are not just about the important players, like royalty, the hero, and a few minor characters, but about the people of the countries as a whole. It talks about refugees, the suffering of an entire people, the bonds among citizens in a country, the culture; it talks about the people of a country and their collective struggle for a better life in, something I think people in any nation can relate to as we always strive for improvement. This book has brilliant storytelling, with magic, curses, gods, religion, and fate, but more than that, it tells a story of more than the main characters, but of the struggles of many people and their determination to survive despite the odds. It’s beautiful, moving, and captures that essence better than most fantasy novels.The characters are beyond my descriptive abilities. You will love them, you will hate them, you will feel their pain and joys, and travel with them as they struggle to find themselves and improve their nations. There are a plethora of strongly developed and wonderfully done characters, from Finnikin and Froi, two of the title protagonists, but also plenty of great female leads, from kind and determined to broken and feral. There are women who are strong by their gentle natures to those who will manipulate and lie to achieve something better. The entire cast of characters is so wide and diverse, and I fell in love with each and every one of them.Marchetta’s writing is on point, you’ll know if you’ve ever had a chance to pick up her books. You can feel the emotion, the mood, just by the words she selects and the sounds and patterns she so artistically puts together. While I’ve read Jellicoe Road, and deeply admired its prose, for me, The Lumatere Chronicles takes that up a notch and really sets you into the story. I could praise these books for much, much longer, these gems among hundreds of fantasies you might read, but these ones will stick with you and become eternal favorites

Finnigan of the Rock, Fro of the Exiles, Quintana of Chryn.The Lumatere Chronicles. I quite often buy the first 2 books in a series so that if the first one is good I don’t have to wait too long for the second to arrive by post to my home in the Western Isles of Scotland. I couldn’t get into Finnigan of the Rock, the characters seem to be too thin and more than anything they were inconsistent, flipping from almost nebulious to solid in their charactisationSo I nearly didn’t start Fro of the Exiles. But oh my! how glad I am that I persevered,because it is a brilliant book. The author really got into her stride with this book and she evolved and elaborated the story in such a deep and meaningful way. The characters solidified and became rounded out and acquired shape and emotions.Then came Quintana of Charyn.This is definitely the best of the three books and had me laughing and in tears by turn.Your heart gets wrenched about by this beautiful beautiful story and the protagonists becomes so dear to you.it is very exciting, very moving, you almost don’t want to finish it, because then there are no more.I can highly recommend this book if you want a story that is deeply emotive,and will keep you on tenterhooks. Be aware that these wonderful stories will leave you feeling bereft once it is finished. Can I dare to ask for more, or would that be too much and impossible?Thank you Melina Marchetta

This book was sighted by the author of a really great kick ass heroine, as one of her inspirations. The character Evangeline which runs like a thread of opposing hope and despair throughout this story from the very start, is a conundrum for our hero Finnikin of the Rock, to solve.Initially I found Melina Marchetta's writing style for this novel to be less engaging and more like reading a Wikipedia history. However, I stuck with it and without realizing when, either it changed or I did. The story opens up into a profoundly touching and ultimately rewarding experience. Evangeline's character seems taciturn and at times confrontational at others she seems remote and sulking and yet this author is in fact remaining incredibly true to her creation. I refuse to blurt out spoilers, but although there were some lapses of recognition regarding the main characters, (Sorry that sounds odd if you haven't yet read this book). By and large I found it an immensely satisfying read. Only four stars because so many of the major characters and we the readers seemed to be one step ahead of the Hero in matters of his major relationship and as he was such a wonderfully written and cleaver individual, that jumped the shark for me.

I loved this story - I loved the world, the characters, the storyline, the element of magic...just everything. Fantasy was my very first love way back when I was a kid and I think that these kinds of stories bring about some of the old magical feelings to make me love them even more.Its strange as while I was reading it there were things that taken individually I would have thought I wouldn't like, but somehow combined and with Marchetta's knack for creating strong emotion, it really worked.This is up there with my love of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera fantasy series, and Brandon Sanderson's fantasy writing...this story is complete in itself without having to read any further books in the series, although there are two more books in the series so far.While I was reading, the thought passed through my mind that there were quite a few characters and they were not that fleshed out, but somehow, without me noticing, they were written in such a way that I really FELT what they were feeling and felt really strongly for the main characters and cared about what happened to them - its actually quite emotional at points and I love a book that moves me, even if it is with the grief of characters.Despite being slightly predictable, this is a great fantasy/quest with adventure, mystery, magic, murder, politics, intrigue and a touch of romance. We also get strong and likeable main characters, and a nice cast of interesting and necessary/relevant secondary characters. Its a story about strength of character, the love of a nation, growing up and the sad truth that good people very often stand by and let bad things happen...I was sad to finish the book and leave the world behind.

I was drawn in from the beginning. The storyline flowed well. There was enough friction between the characters along with enough twists and surprises to keep it interesting. There was a minimum of violence, sometimes implied but not spelled out in graphic detail, which is much appreciated. I liked the strength of the female characters, especially Evanjeline/Isaboe. Even the most rough and tough male characters had a softer more human side. I'm looking for to more in the series.

I really loved this book! Melina Marchetta has built a really interesting world that I look forward to exploring more in the sequals. Her writing style is beautiful and there were some really lovely moments of expression. The narrative shifts perspectives throughout the text and I had a couple of moments of confusion about whose focus it was, but I really liked getting glimpses into all the different character's minds. On the subject of characters, there are some that I absolutely loved in this. I also particularly enjoyed the ways in which different characters dealt with the idea of 'identity'. The Lumatereans have lost their home and as a result, they all seem to be trying to negotiate their sense of self and identity, so that was an aspect I really enjoyed.Essentially, if you enjoy YA or fantasy then I would highly recommend you give this a try!