Review: Quintana of Charyn

Title: Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3)
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publication date: April 23, 2013 (U.S. edition)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5 stars

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Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

Me before I read a Marchetta book:

Me after reading a Marchetta book:

Melina Marchetta (authoress divine) is one of those rare authors whose writing is constantly improving, constantly pushing the limits of how much I think I can love a book. When I read Finnikin, I felt like I had found The Best Book Ever (aside from Jellicoe Road, of course). But then she wrote Froi and now Quintana and I just have no words. At least, none that I haven't said before.

Quintana of Charyn is, undoubtedly, a conclusion. All the loose ends are tied up and the reader is left in a satisfied place. Actually, it's a rather heart-wrenching place because it's The End, but nevertheless it was a good stopping place. The characters' struggles have been resolved. You know that they're going to be okay, yet there's still an open-endedness that comes with knowing their lives will go on and they will continue to learn and grow.

With most fantasy books, the authors focus on explaining the world-building. What was great about this series was that yes, Marchetta explained the ways of the Lumaterans, Charynites, and co. But she never took the focus away from the characters and their relationships. At the end of this series, you know these characters: their hopes, their fears, their love of country, and their love for each other. You know their hearts- their very essence. And being so close, so darn attached to these characters made me feel ALL of the feelings.

While reading, I had the sudden and overwhelming urge to just take all these beloved characters and, I don't know, hide them in my pocket or something. Just snatch them from the pages and tuck them somewhere safe so that they could stop hurting. Maybe that's a little silly, but these characters have just gone through so much in just Quintana alone, let alone the entire series. There is pain, devastation, loss, grief, and heartbreak. Yet more powerful than all of that is the undercurrent of hope and love that has been there even in the darkest of times. That is Marchetta's true talent—besides the ability to make me want to curl up into a fetal position and sob— she has the uncanny ability to craft these masterful stories of broken people and their broken relationships and somehow make it a story of redemption and love. 

The Lumatere Chronicles has given me more heartache than I thought possible, yet I always crawl back for more. And, to be honest, I would sooner swear off of chocolate than say goodbye to this series and its magnificent characters. I hate goodbyes. I hate the knowledge that once I finish a book, I will never get to know more about a character's life. But knowing that everyone I cared about in this book ended up okay made saying goodbye just a little bit easier

All in all:

There's really only one thing to do now:


I'm just kidding. No. I'm really not.

Good books give you a beautiful happily ever after. Great books pierce your hearts with sadness and linger on your mind long after you've finished. And then there are the rare, phenomenal books that manage to utterly shatter your heart, then somehow heal you at the end and claim an eternal place in your heart. Quintana of Charyn is one of those books.

Stacking the Shelves/In My Mailbox

    

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews and The Story Siren respectively

Only one book for me this past week..... but GUYS.

GUYYYSSSSS.

Oh yes, you read that right.

Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3) by Melina Marchetta

EXCUSE ME WHILE I DO SOME HARDCORE FANGIRLING.

A HUGE thanks to Candlewick Press for sending me the ARC, and to the lovely ladies of 132 Minutes for coordinating this whole thing. :)

Melina Marchetta on "Francesca and Stuff"

Oh.

My gosh.

Guys.

GUYS.

I just read the new blog post Melina Marchetta (goddess divine) posted on her wordpress in which she talks about selling the film writes to Saving Francesca.... but more importantly, THIS:

"Strangely, Saving Francesca is difficult because of its simplicity, but writing the treatment surprised me and reminded me just how much I loved those kids and Mia and Bobby Spinelli.  They’ve also come back into my life at an important time for writing because 24 year old Jimmy Hailler is camping out in my head.  It’s not just his story, but a bit of a four hander and it will definitely be an adult one rather than YA.  It’s interesting that I didn’t know where Jimmy and his life was until I played with circumstances in Froi and Quintana’s life."

Oh yeah, that's right. Read it again if you don't believe me, but it totally sound like....

WE'RE GETTING A JIMMY BOOK!!!! AS IN AN ACTUAL BOOK WHERE WE GET TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS (BUT OH SO LOVABLE) JIMMY HAILLER!

Cue the intense fangirling.

Quintana of Charyn Blog Tour-- Book Excerpt + Giveaway

Okay, if you've been following my posts for a while, then you know that I am OBSESSED with all things Melina Marchetta. Not only is she the queen of contemporary, her new fantasy series is absolutely fantastic! And I normally don't even like fantasy all that much!! I've done a review of Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles and now I am SO excited to bring to you an excerpt from the last book in the trilogy, Quintana of Charyn.

"And on that night, Finnikin travelled with a heavy heart, his thoughts on his childhood friend, Balthazar. Because the loyal friendship he had shared with Froi had become just as fierce over the years. Lucian would have agreed. Froi reminded them both of how they had been before Balthazar’s death. They were more carefree in his presence. Content. But all that was gone now.

‘They’re not safe here,’ Trevanion muttered when they reached the border. ‘There’s an army camped somewhere close back there. Probably for one of them.’

‘Not our problem,’ Finnikin said, steering his horse towards the river that would take them across to Osteria and then home.

‘Froi made his choice. He’s dead to Lumatere.’"

My response to this excerpt:

About the book:

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


Add it on Goodreads!
Quintana is already out in Australia, but you can preorder on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. You can also just buy it from Fishpond with free shipping! :)

And now for the giveaway!!

*International
*Entrants must be 13 years or older
*Hosts will not be responsible for loss/damage of goods while in shipment
*Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to reply or another will be drawn

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to check out these awesome blogs for more posts about Quintana of Charyn!

November 1

132 Minutes - Book Chat

Joie de Lire - Excerpt

November 2

Bookittyblog - Review

A Girl Books and Other Things - Top Five

November 3

Carina's Books - Review

Whole Lotta Mama! - 

November 4

WinterHaven Books - Review + Giveaway

We Fancy Books - Excerpt

November 5

Joyous Reads - Shelf Envy + Giveaway
 Love is not a triangle - Review

November 6

Collections - Fanart

The Ink Spills - Review

November 7
A Book and a Short Latte - Series Cast

The Readers Den - Excerpt + Giveaway

November 8

The Fairytale Nerd -

VeganYANerds - 

November 9

GrowingUp YA -
132 Minutes - Wrap-up Post 

Cover Reveal: Quintana of Charyn (U.S. edition)

Title: Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3)

Author: Melina Marchetta

Release Date: March 12, 2013 (U.S.)

Publisher: Candlewick

Pre-order: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository 

Synopsis:
"Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume."


My Thoughts:
Y'ALL. Oh. My freaking goodness. If I could legally marry a book, I would have a polygamous marriage with this series I AM NOT EVEN JOKING. Marchetta just has this inexplicable way of turning me into an emotional puddle of goo. If you don't believe me, here's my review of Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles. 

I think I still like the Australian covers more, but I love the girl on this cover is pretty in a non-traditional way and looks fierce. As. Heck. 
They nailed Quintana's personality with that look/glare! 

Review: Froi of the Exiles

Froi of the Exiles (The Lumatere Chronicles #2)
by Melina Marchetta
Published October 3rd, 2011 by Viking Australia

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 taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen


Rating: 5+++++ STARS

(I apologize in advance for the prolific use of gifs in this review…)

I can’t really tell you anything beyond what’s written in the book blurb because it would be a huge spoiler, but just know that the plot is chock FULL of hidden surprises and jaw-dropping events, wonderfully crafted subplots, and richly complex characters.

You're probably wondering, "Wait, if you can't tell me anything about the book, what's the purpose of this review??" 

Wonderful question. 

The purpose of this review, more or less is this...

You see, the thing is, I read this book and IT LEFT ME WITH SO MANY FEELS.

I thought Finnikin of the Rock took my emotions on an epic roller coaster of ups and downs, complete with huge loop-de-loops, but Froi.... this book left me like this:

Unlike Finnikin of the Rock, which, at its very core, was a story of hope and a fierce love everyone had with each other, Froi of the Exiles is much grittier and rawer. While Lumatere worked towards breaking a horrible curse in book 1, Charyn is still entrenched in a curse of their own making, and charynites are growing ever more desperate and bleak.

As always, the characters are beyond phenomenal. Melina Marchetta has truly outdone herself with the characters, old and new, in Froi because they are all so heartbreakingly complex and layered! As in every Marchetta book, I, as the reader, became SO invested in every character—I laughed with them, cried with them, wanted to beat up anyone hurting them…

This is what happens when you become invested in Melina Marchetta's characters...

The magic in the character crafting of this book lies in the fact that despite all the instances when it seemed like I should give up on a character—when it seemed that they were too jaded and broken— I just couldn’t! The characters in this book weren't as easy to like as in Finnikin--it wasn't so obvious whether they were as righteous or admirable and I worried that I might not like them very much...
BUT I WAS WRONG.
By the end of the book, I fell head over heels in love with just about all of them!
Just about every character, no matter what they’ve been through, what they’ve done, they’re never beyond redemption—except for Bestiano and Donashe. Those people I wanted to sucker punch...

This is a story about loving characters that maybe you should give up on, but just can’t find it in you to do so because you love them so much.

In an interview, Melina Marchetta said that Quintana and Froi are the fantasy equivalent of Taylor and Jonah from Jellicoe Road and I TOTALLY SEE IT! They're both somewhat broken and very cynical of the world, but together they're just so......

And don't even get me started on the other couples in the book...

In addition to the exquisite emotion-inducing writing, there is also a lot of humor in this book! It's dry and witty and hilarious! Literally, I'd be all "Oh, my poor emotions!" one minute, and the next, I'd be laughing out loud! It's a good thing I didn't read this in a public place or else people would've looked at me as though I were crazy.

IT. WAS. ALL. SO. DARN. AMAZING.
I can't even think of a single bad thing to say about this book.... well, there IS that ending. It's not that it was bad (no, definitely not) it's just that OMG. 
How could the book just END?!Like that?! I need to know what happens next!!!!
This is a MUST-BUY book (this whole series is, really). There are few books in the world that do this to me:

and leave me like this:

until finally:

Well done, Ms. Marchetta. Well done indeed.

Review: Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles #1)
by Melina Marchetta
Published February 9th, 2010 by Candlewick Press

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere. 
But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.
Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny. 

Rating: 6 out of 5 stars!!!

For an entire day—since the moment I finished the book, actually—I brainstormed about how I could write a review to properly express how I felt about this book—or rather how this book made me feel, which is usually the case with Melina Marchetta books.

I hoped that I’d be able to find the right sentences—or heck, even the right words.

But no. No such luck. This, honestly, does not surprise me, because that’s what happens with EVERY Marchetta book that I read. The experience leaves me a blubbering, emotional wreck. It’s pretty much all I can do to stay coherent in my reviews as I gush on and on about how much I love Melina Marchetta and every single thing she writes.

Seriously. The woman could probably write a grocery list that tugs my heartstrings.

And I would read it, too!

I have a feeling this review is probably going to be along the same lines as my others—endless blabber on how enamored I am with the book and how I practically worship the author who wrote it…

You have to understand,  I’m really not a traditional fantasy kind of girl. My normal reads are usually YA contemporaries or paranormal romances. It’s not that I don’t like fantasy novels… it’s just, the way that most are written rarely appeals to me.

And of course it would be Melina Marchetta who writes a fantasy novel that completely sucks me in and makes me want to eat every word I’ve ever said about fantasy novels.

This book was…. Dang. I can’t even think of a single figure of speech or praise that can come close to expressing just how effing FABULOUS this book was.

As is the case with most of her books, Marchetta has crafted a tale that slowly started sewing itself into my heart, stitch-by-stitch, from the very first page. At the end of the book, my heart was well and truly attached to this book, almost as though I NEEDED to keep a part of this magical story with me at all times.  My poor heart had been taken on the most epic of emotional rollercoasters. And that masochistic organ loved every heart-wrenching moment.

I can’t really tell you anything about the plot or what happens that’s not stated in the blurb because just about anything I want to say would be a spoiler. TRUST ME: this is not a book you want spoiled for yourself. You WANT to experience every page fresh, for the first time.

All I can say is that there is a lot of fabulously-paced traveling and adventure, awesome butt-kicking, and amazingly complex characters who will make you feel every emotion possible.

Oh. My. God. THESE CHARACTERS. My heart does this little fluttery thing every time I even think about them! I kid you not.

There’s just so beautiful and broken and witty and loving and admirable and full of emotion and—and now my heart is fluttering again…

ANYONE who doubted that Melina Marchetta, Master Universal Queen of Contemporary, could not do fantasy (and I will admit, I was one of them…) be prepared to be shamed by your doubts as I was because Marchetta kicked BUTT with this book. This is a book about loss and devastation, but more than anything, it talks of hope and faith and revival and all sorts of wonderful emotions that will melt your heart into a Marchetta-worshipping puddle of goo.

IT'S HEEEEEEEERE!!!

So a couple of days ago, three fantabulous YA authors, Kristin Cashore, Gayle Forman, and Melina Marchetta did a little book talk/signing at Books of Wonder in New York.
I adore all three authors, but if you've read some of my previous posts, then you know that Melina Marchetta is one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS.
Literally, if you just mention the name "Melina Marchetta" to me, I'll be like this:

Of course when I realized I couldn't BE at the signing, I was like this:

But then I heard that I could order a signed copy and I was all

And then THE BOOK CAME!
LOOKIT!!!!

And then I opened it and LOOKIT again!

To which I then did this:

My family, who saw me unwrap this wonderful literary creation, thought I'd gone cray-cray... and they're probably right... but I was too busy being like this:

I want to go to Australia and pledge my undying love for this woman...

My Book Boyfriend: Jacob Coote

MBB is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread Reader where you can post about any literary guy you're currently crushing on. Check out the intro post here!


 This week, I thought I'd post about a MARCHETTA boy.
The only Melina Marchetta books I've not yet read are the Finnikin and the Rock books.... but from the contemporary one that I have read, just about EVERY boy she writes is freaking amazing and drool-worthy.
Jacob isn't actually my favorite Marchetta boy (that honor goes to the JONAH GRIGGS) and I wasn't a huge fan of how Marchetta ended the book between him and Jose, but I did really like him.... plus, the moment I got a description of Jacob, my mind automatically linked him to Ben Barnes, and well... *chuckle chuckle* WELL..... needless to say I was kind of a goner.

 He is....
-tall and well built
-is the school captain
-easily the most popular guy in his school
-has a motorcycle
-"My friends think he's gorgeous His hair is brown, shoulder length, not cut into any particular style, and his eyes are green and they always seem to be laughing at you."

-"He didn't look trendy or casual. he just looked like himself. All things aside, my mother would probably love this guy. He was the epitome of individuality"

"how did your mother die?" I asked him quietly.
"Cancer, about five years ago," he said.
"I'd die if my mother died."
He shook his head and looked at me almost gently.
"You don't die. You just... get really angry and then after you're angry you hurt a lot , and then the best thing is that one day you remember something she said or did and you laugh instead of crying." He smiled at the thought.
I shook my head. "I'd run, you know. It's like when you're really busy doing something and you don't have time to think about things. Well, I'd run and run and run so I couldn't think."
"And when you'd finished running you
d be thousands of miles away from people who love you, and your problem would still be there except you'd have nobody to help you," he said with a shrug.

To give you the rundown on Jacob is very hard. Sometimes he speaks really stupidly and doesn't know what I'm talking about, and other times he speaks really well and I don't understand what he's talking about.
Sometimes he's a tough guy and I can imagine him bashing someone's head in and other times he's this real nice sensitive guy who smiles at babies and helps old women across the street. He smokes dope, drinks, and I think he sleeps with a lot of girls, but on the other hand he really loves his family and has respect for people. 
He looks like a grot sometimes because of his hair and earring and wild look, but when he smiles it's warm and sincere. Never ever fake. 



"I'm good with my hands, Josie," he said looking at them. "I might not be a great university scholar, but I'm good with my hands. You're different. You're good with your head."
"well, with my head and your hands we could be famous," I said, taking hold of his hands and kissing them. "We could go into partnership."
"What would a fancy barrister want with a mechanic in business?" he asked solemnly.
"Tons of things," I said, excited. "We could form a company. I'd be the theory part of the business and you'd be the practical."
"Yeah, we could be the first husband and wife..."
He stopped suddenly, realizing what he had just said.
"Forget I said that," he muttered.
I folded my arms and sent him a quick look. "I think you'd be a lovely husband." 
He sneaked a look over to me and shrugged. "Bet you'd be good with kids and all."
We laughed and hugged each other before he let go and began to drive.
"Know what?" 
"What?" he asked. 
"I'm glad it hasn't got bucket seats.
"I would never have fixed it up for us if it did."

"But I don't know if I love you enough and I don't even know if you love me enough. We don't even love each other, Jacob."
We lay there in silence until he nudged me.
"I do a bit, you know," he said gruffly.
"you do what a bit?"
"You know. Like you...whatever...love you a bit."
He seemed a bit flustered and I hugged him.
"I think I love you too, Jacob." 

My Book Boyfriend: John Barton

Check out the intro post here

It's Wednesday! And you know what that means..... another My Book Boyfriend! I was originally going to post about another guy this week, from a book I recently finished and LOVED, but I've been absolutely swamped with exams! So, in a moment of laziness, I decided to use this old post I typed up a while ago about John.

I just had to post about dear ol' John from Looking for Alibrandi (by Melina Marchetta.... who is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors OF ALL TIME!)

Now John's not the main love interest in the story--in fact, he didn't really have many "romantic" scenes in the book--but I really liked the fact that he was a genuinely good guy.... and (no spoilers!) the ending just absolutely devastated me! It's hard to give any hints without giving away the whole ending, so you should definitely go read Looking for Alibrandi! 

"It had been three months since I last saw him, and he was looking even better. Not that he's a "pretty boy" or even bursting with sex appeal, come to think about it. It's the honesty and realness about him that I love. Its written on his face like a script." 

"If  he was a woman he would never need to wear rouge. He has that natural redness on his cheekbones. Although he's a bit on the thin side, it's his height that I like and the way his hazel eyes smile and change so instantly with his moods."

And honestly, it was this quote here that really made me love John :)

"I was a fairy-bread hogger at parties," he told me seriously, his eyes immediately changing. "I used to put them in my pockets or hide them wherever I could, until one day I was exposed when my host handed me my parka and four slices of fairy bread fell out. I was seven years old, and up till this day if I ever see fairy bread I palpitate and realize that psychologically I will never be cured."