Book Review: Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

Book: Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
For: Fun
From: Bought from Amazon

So, what I'm wondering is, why are there not more people ohing and ahing over this series? It's a fabulous fantasy series! Read it!

It did take me a bit to get my head wrapped around this one at first. I needed to have read that middle one again, or something. I couldn't remember all the details and there is not the normal "remember this" type catching up bits like some books have. You are just thrown right back into the crazy chaos!

Okay, so here's a bit of a summary for you... without any spoilers:

In the first book Finnikin of the Rock, we meet Finnikin who is out trying to find a way to break the curse that has some people of his kingdom (Lumatre) trapped inside and some that have been trapped outside for years. Of course  he's outside and he decides it is time to figure something out and stop the madness. In his travels he meets Evanjaline and Froi.

In the second book Froi of the Exiles, after the curse has been broken, the kingdom is trying its best to put the pieces back together. As part of that, Froi is sent to the neighboring, and enemy, kingdom of Charyn, to solve some of the mystery as to why this terrible tragedy has even happened, and to even maybe exact some revenge. What he discovers there will blow your mind! Oh my word, Froi!!

In this book, after we get over all that's been revealed, the next step is to try and come to some sort of peace. Quintana of Charyn, who we met in the second book, the princess who has been so used and abused to the point of madness, now finds herself as the key component to this possible peace. But who knows if it's all too late or not?

These books are full of rich wonderful fantasy plots and characters! They are complicated and wonderful. They are intense and beautiful. They are harsh and graphic and violent.

In fact, I wonder if there's such a thing as fantasy books for the that New Adult genre? The characters in these books are late teens and early twenties and the stuff going on here is pretty near adult fantasy stuff. I don't know. Why are they marketed as YA? This whole marketing thing is baffling. I think that many an adult fantasy fan who would LOVE these books won't read them because they are considered YA. That is just sad sad sad.

Anyway, like I said, this particular book was especially political and took me a bit to get into. But then it was just like the other two for me. I was very much drawn into the crazy story and the awesome characters and dying to know how they would end up solving it all. And the end is so intense, and even a bit humorous and I loved it ! Wonderful wonderful end to a wonderful wonderful trilogy!

Bottom line: Loved loved loved it! ALL the three books! If you even remotely enjoy true fantasy, add them to your stack and read them. Trust me.

Other Reviews:

I do not read Melina Marchetta books for people to hate each other. I read them because people in Melina Marchetta books are — once they’ve bestowed their love — unswervingly loyal. My fave! From Jenny's Books

While QUINTANA OF CHARYN didn’t do it for me as Froi of the Exiles did, it was still an overall satisfying ending to one of the most emotionally draining and ambitious YA fantasy series in recent publishing history. From Steph Su Reads

I don't even know how to explain just how much I love this book. From Bloggers [heart] Books

Melina Marchetta is an author I can count on to bring me to tears, to make me just lay there on my bed, thinking for hours on end every time I finish her books, and Quintana of Charyn definitely did not disappoint. From Ivy Book Bindings