Dates Read: September 2012
After reading The Unwanteds, I decided to continue procrastinating reading Emma and pick up another Young Adult fantasy novel - one that came highly recommended on a blog I read. The book started off slow... well, very slow... but I'm glad I pushed through because the last half of the book was a page-turner.
This book is in the Lumatere Chronicles, but it was also a good stand alone book (though I have already picked up the second book from the library).
I would say the book is a toned down version of Lord of the Rings - there are a lot of lands and names to remember (don't worry, there's a helpful map in the front of the book) but it's not as intricate as I imagine Lord of the Rings is (though I did consult the map frequently).
Summary: (from the amazon)
Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she 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.
