Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles, #1)

by Melina Marchetta

2008 Printz Award Winner Melina Marchetta crafts an epic fantasy of ancient magic, exile, feudal intrigue, and romance that rivets from the first page.

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.

• ISBN10: 1613831463
• ISBN13: 9781613831465
• Publish Date: 9 August 2011 (first published 9 February 2010)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 21 May 2021
• Imprint: Perfection Learning
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 399
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

Melina Marchetta is a really effective author. Somehow she weaves such significance and meaning into her work that on the surface seems quite ordinary.

At first I liked Finnikan of the Rock ok. In fact, in the very beginning I found it hard to get into the story - to find my place in this world or in the time they walked in compared to the prologue (even though it said 10 years later, I just didn't read that very well). But once I got into it the plot moved along well enough and the characters were mostly interesting and definitely surprising. I enjoyed it but I wasn't enthralled. until the turn. And then everything changed; there was power and deep magic in the story and layers of pain and strength and significance that made it an incredibly potent story.

I love the women of this story, the way Marchetta talks about the difference between men and women and the way they see the world. I was so moved by the strength of these women and what they endured and how they survived. I liked it so much more than Stone of Tears where a male author talks about some of the same things but he makes them ugly. Marchetta doesn't deny any of the horror, but she revels in hope and she tells a beautiful story full of pain and anguish but not ugly. and it makes such a difference in reading the story. I loved the way the blood spells and blood curses were all tangled up in one another and the way the choices people made effected the turn of the story. 

I think there was such strength in taking something almost no talks about and making it powerful. I loved how ruthless Evanjalin is. At first I didn't like that about her at all, but once I knew everything I loved it. I admired her for doing whatever it took and not flinching and not apologizing. I loved the honor among the women and the strength of their community. I like the way Marchetta deals very plainly with sex, making it neither taboo or sacrosanct. There's a simplicity there that we don't often have in America that was refreshing.

I really enjoyed this book and after a few more readings it has the potential to become a 5 star book. possibly for no other reason than that it made me cry, again and again.

ETA:: The second time I read it, knowing more about the characters, was just fascinating and made the story that much stronger and more potent and painful and beautiful.