Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/15/2012 *Starred Review* Printz Award–winning Marchetta returns to the world of Finnikin of the Rock (2010) for this second book in the Lumatere Chronicles. A member of the Lumateran Guard, young Froi is sent on a deadly mission into the neighboring kingdom of Charyn, where he discovers family connections and a tangled web of sexual abuse, love, and deception at the highest levels of the Charynite government. Rather than kill those who might endanger his beloved adopted country, Froi fights to save an emotionally damaged young queen and a kingdom that has been without children for 18 years. Though this sequel stands on its own as a complete story, those who have digested Finnikin will find it easier to grasp the tensions and intricacies that drive the plot. Marchetta’s close attention to detail slows the pace initially, as she lays out the boundaries and topography of her imagined world. But dedicated readers will be richly rewarded, as soon enough the tale is transformed into a lush tapestry in which each stitch is a nugget of history and each splash of color a rounded character that engages readers’ emotions. The expertly crafted ending is designed to leave fans old and new waiting with keen anticipation for the next entry. Fill the intervening time by suggesting Kristin Cashore’s Graceling (2008) and Fire (2009), Lena Coakley’s Witchlanders (2011), or Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments trilogy. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Australian Marchetta has matched her ardent oversea fan base with an equally passionate teen following in the U.S. Expect significant attention for this highbrow, high-fantasy sequel. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2012 Since helping the rightful heir to the Lumatere throne reclaim her homeland three years ago, former street orphan Froi has transformed into a powerful warrior, fiercely devoted to the royal family and sworn to the protection of Lumatere. When he is sent into neighboring Charyn to assassinate the king responsible for the curse that divided Lumatere for thirteen years, however, his new notions of identity are challenged as he uncovers a terrifying political situation that reveals clues to his tortured past. Froi’s inexplicable attraction to Quintana, the Charyn princess and an abused soul herself, only further complicates matters, and he finds himself repeatedly breaking oaths he once held sacred, putting both himself and those he loves in danger. In this impressive companion to Finnikin of the Rock (BCCB 5/10), the focalization shifts from Finn to Froi (perhaps the most intriguing member of the first book’s superb supporting cast), enabling Marchetta to explore the political machinations working beyond Lumatere and to examine human interactions at a macro level. The relationship between Quintana and Froi gives a face to the sacrifices demanded by their states: whored out to the general populace in the hopes of breaking Charyn’s curse, Quintana is a broken, resilient girl whose experiences interrogate Froi’s principles, as he uses his physical strength and his aptitude for violence supposedly for the good of Lumatere. Where Finnikin was about the reclamation of something lost, Froi’s story is about the building of something new in the wake of physical and sexual trauma at both an individual and societal level. Fans of the first book are no doubt expecting to be challenged by its sequel, and they will not be disappointed by this thrilling, romantic, and utterly unforgettable tale. KQG - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2012 Gr 9 Up—In this engrossing continuation of the series, Froi, a former thief, has earned his place in the Queen of Lumatere's guard. He's a fierce warrior with an aptitude for languages. This makes him the perfect person to infiltrate the kingdom of Charyn to assassinate the brutal and corrupt king. Charyn is under a curse—no children have been born there in 18 years. The king's daughter, Quintana, the last female born in that time, is prophesied to be the one to break the curse and bear the newborn king. It's said that only the last-born son of one of Charyn's provinces can impregnate her but none have succeeded. Froi's mission is only to kill the king, but as he impersonates a last-born son, he falls for Quintana, reputed to be insane due to the sexual abuse she's experienced. Froi is drawn into the lives of those in the Charyn palace, including the king's wife, imprisoned for years in the palace for attempted murder, and a priestling said to be gods' touched and his crippled, brilliant twin brother. This book is complex, with rich and flawed characters and a plot that is completely addictive because it's so unpredictable and multilayered. It can stand alone, although plot details from Finnikin of the Rock (Candlewick, 2010) are mentioned, making it more rewarding to read the two in order. Fans of the intricate fantasies of Megan Whalen Turner or George R. R. Martin will love this powerful book and wait impatiently for the next installment.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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