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.
I think my biggest problem with the book was the pacing, and that in itself caused a few other problems for me. I felt like I was just thrown into the middle of this really unique world that was explained too quickly, and it left me drowning. Since it was thrown at me so fast, I never really got attached or invested (in the plot or characters).
Something about the presentation just didn't click with me. :( I was forcing myself to keep going. Although I was mildly interested in some of the ideas, I had no real attachment to the book and finally stopped when I realized I just wasn't enjoying it all that much. I'd rather be reading something else.
