  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/15/2013 *Starred Review* With previous installments of her mesmerizing Lumatere Chronicles, Marchetta allowed readers the satisfaction of piecing together parts of the puzzle that is the saga of the lands and peoples of Skuldenore, but the entire picture remained tantalizingly incomplete. Now, with this brilliant final volume, the remaining pieces snap perfectly into place. Froi sets out to find and protect pregnant Quintana, his strange and savage love; raise an army against the usurper; and prevent war. As in the previous volumes, the narrative is complex, alternating between Froi’s journey and the concurrent events in Lumatere, but here the plot is more straightforward, while the previous volumes’ excellent features—world building, plotting, and characterization—continue to shine. Marchetta builds on the reader’s knowledge of this world, adding rich sensory details to help create the vivid setting. She skillfully expands our understanding of the large cast of characters, most from the earlier books, through her masterful depictions of relationships. Of special interest is the portrayal of the often unlikable Quintana, whose very existence is the catalyst that offers the promise of peace and hope. As Froi gains understanding of the disparate pieces that make up Quintana, readers put together the intricately plotted pieces that make this vivid and wholly satisfying story complete. A standout fantasy series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The multiple copies that you order now may not be enough to satisfy Marchetta’s legions of fans, who have been buzzing about this trilogy’s conclusion for months. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2013 The cliffhanger ending of Froi of the Exiles (BCCB 5/12) left an arrow-riddled Froi near death and separated from Quintana, his lover and the disputed queen of Charyn. Now, in this final book of the trilogy, Quintana narrowly escapes the attack by Charyn’s usurper and makes her way to the outskirts of Froi’s homeland, Lumatere; there she plans to birth Froi’s child, the prophesied king who will break the curse that has left Charyn barren and ruled by despots. Meanwhile, Froi is searching for Quintana and amassing an army to support Quintana’s claim to the throne, but his efforts are interrupted when his friend Finnikin, the consort to the queen of Lumatere, urges him to return to his homeland, forget the enemy kingdom of Charyn, and leave Quintana behind. Though this will require knowledge of Froi or its predecessor, Finnikin of the Rock (BCCB 3/10), to be understandable, those who have read the first two volumes of the Lumatere Chronicles will find this thrilling conclusion both heartbreaking and utterly satisfying. Yet again, Marchetta seamlessly weaves together the personal and the political, exploring the larger societal implications of her characters’ actions while keeping a tight focus on their emotional lives. The obstacles in the relationships among her main characters mirror the tensions built by prejudices and ignorance throughout their lands, and the setbacks they experience as they work toward peace, both as a community and as individuals, are painfully authentic. The romances are sweet but tempered by reality, the triumphs are great but leave many scars, and even the happy ending here is bittersweet in its resolution. It’s a suitably impressive conclusion to an epic series. KQG - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 04/20/2013 Gr 9 Up—This final book in the beautifully complex and sophisticated trilogy picks up right where Froi of the Exiles (Candlewick, 2012) ended. Quintana is hiding from those who want to kill her and steal her unborn child, the heir to the kingdom of Charyn. Froi, wounded but recovering, is desperately searching for her as armies converge to battle over her right to exist. Political misunderstandings and shifting alliances have given rise to distrust between provinces that should be allies. Amid the horrors of battle, there are also moments of humor in not found in the earlier titles, mostly related to child rearing and the idiocy of men, in the women's opinion. It also "looks at the side of wonder as opposed to the disastrous" to paraphrase a favorite saying of some of the characters. Marchetta gives intriguing secondary characters such as Perri, Lucian, Tesadora, and Phaedra their rightful due as she fills in their backstories. But it is the fates of the main players-Quintana, Froi, Isaboe, and Finnikin-with all of their strengths and weaknesses that readers will find so deeply satisfying. Like the other books, this one begs to be read slowly and savored for its carefully crafted plotting, lyrical language, and fully fleshed-out characters.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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