Stolen Songbird (Malediction Trilogy, #1)

by Danielle L. Jensen

Steve Stone (Cover Designer)

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for…

File Under: Fantasy

• ISBN13: 9781908844958
• Publish Date: 3 April 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 22 September 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Angry Robot
• Imprint: Strange Chemistry
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 480
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

The female narrator was amazing...

Stolen Songbird was pretty good. The first instalment of a series is not an easy story to review. You know that you've only got part of the story. We also have to wade through the world-building, getting to know characters, and finding out what the point of the whole journey is. It was a good start and I'm hoping we'll see improvement as we go further along in their journey.

I think a narrator has a lot of pressure interpreting and presenting a story to show it in the best light. A narrator can make or break a good story, enhance a great story or sink it even further. In this case, both narrators were good but the female really brought the story to life for me. I could see the trolls and where they lived. I felt the anguish, desperation and frustration the characters felt and was sucked into their plight. I want to go on with The Malediction Trilogy because I need to know how it will all play out.

Now, saying all that, why wasn't this a 5 star read? Well, I'm sorry to say, I didn't feel the connection between Cecile and Tristan. While they are both young, I felt that Tristan was a lot more immature. He holds a lot of responsibility on his young shoulders and he doesn't seem to handle it well. Obviously, being the first instalment my fingers are crossed that we will see a lot of character growth in the upcoming instalments.

I'm hoping in the next instalment, both Tristan and Cecile will find their way back to a place where they can develop their budding relationship. I hate nearly all of Tristan's relatives and I would love to see them dealt with. I can't decide if I want the Trolls to gain their freedom or not. I would hate to see the havoc they would create...egotistical buggers.

I will definitely be going on in the series and can't wait to see what happens next.

2019…let’s make it a good one. May your year be filled with love, laughter, health, happiness and plenty of awesome books.

The beginning of Stolen Songbird was intriguing but from then until around half way I found myself getting more and more frustrated with it. For some reason I was really disliking the story, the characters, the childishness of Cecil. Then I put it down and gave it a good six month break.

Upon returning to this book, I suddenly was really invested in the story again. I'm not sure what it was, but maybe when I had first tried to read this I just wasn't in the mood for this type of book?

Granted this wasn't an amazing book for me; I felt like the storyline jumped, it wasn't very smooth, one minute Cecil was doing one thing and the next she was doing the exact opposite. However, I found myself really enjoying the end of this book, I definitely will be picking up the next one.

[paperbackjedi]

Cécile de Troyes is ready to leave the farm and take to the stage and sing with her absentee mother who just so happens to be a little famous. She’s waited her whole life to sing on stages around the world and her chance is finally here. She’s turning 17, her mother is coming to collect her, and a whole new life is about to begin. Until she’s kidnapped and taken to the trolls to be a troll prince’s new bride. The city of Trollus is strange and beautiful, full of ruthlessness and beauty. Cécile is determined to escape, but the longer she stays within the mysterious city, the stronger her ties to it become. Until she’s not sure which life she’s meant for. It doesn’t help that the troll prince is gorgeous and brilliant. What’s a girl to do?

I was hesitant to read this book because I wasn’t sure how I felt about trolls. AND I WAS SO WRONG. Seriously, this book was so good. I started reading it at 10pm on a Saturday night and didn’t stop until I was done at 4am. The characters are smart and layered. There’s a good mix of black, white, and grey in their moral compasses and they’re strongly written. The troll prince, Tristan, is a joy to read. He’s incredibly funny and witty. He’s also just a little bit done with everything. His dialogue is spot on and at times, hysterical. Cécile also presents herself as a pretty strong heroine. Though at times unsure of herself or her worth, she’s passionate about the things she believes in and is unfailingly good. It’s a complicated situation in Trollus and everyone’s got a stake in it.

The plight of the trolls and the world they live in is delightfully interesting. It’s part of the overarching mystery of the series so I won’t get too far into it, but the trolls have magic and it’s very powerful. Unfortunately, because of a witch’s curse, they can’t leave their cave. The entire situation is made complicated because of troll politics. Over the course of time, trolls have mated with humans and there’s an entire faction of trolls that are considered lesser due to their bloodlines. Made even more complicated is the fact that there are numerous royal troll houses vying for control and they all want out of the cave and into the real world so that they can rule over the humans (well, at least some want this). The entire mess of a situation is incredibly intriguing and it contributes to the depth of many of the characters. I applaud Jensen for her attention to detail and gift at explaining strange and intricate circumstances while creating real issues that her characters and readers will find themselves invested in. And at the forefront of everything is magic and power; who has it, who wants it, and how will they use it.

The relationships in Trollus are complicated and many. Tristan’s relationship with his parents and grandmother is definitely weird and at times, dangerous. Family issues are a huge plot point for both Tristan and Cécile as the novel goes on and you begin to understand why they are who they are and how those ties have shaped their world views. The romance between Cécile and Tristan is both fun and frustrating because of the situation they find themselves in. Their interactions and exchanges are funny and well-written and you find yourself rooting for them, despite their differences (in species and in thought). I found myself smiling at them often and at the same time, wanting to knock sense into them for being idiots. All in all, this was a truly fun read and I was surprised at much how I ended up liking it. If you like strong characters with strange backstories, complicated loyalties, and clever dialogue, you will love this. Bonus if you enjoy magic and political intrigue. I give it four sugars and a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

[wyvernfriend]

Excellent, slow to start but i enjoyed the read.