Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

Quintana of Charyn (The Lumatere Chronicles, #3)

by Melina Marchetta

The climactic conclusion of Printz Award winner Melina Marchetta’s epic fantasy trilogy!

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

Reviewed by Angie on

3 of 5 stars

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After the heart stopping ending of the previous book, I was expecting big things from Quintana of Charyn. At times it met my expectations, but in general this finale felt unnecessarily drawn out. There is a lot of tension between all of the characters at the beginning, and I was anxiously awaiting for someone to snap. The kingdoms are also on the verge of war as some are trying to protect Quintana and her unborn baby, while others want to see her or both dead. There’s no lack of action overall, but I found the pacing to be extremely uneven, which would take me out of the story. I just wanted to get to the happy ending already!

My biggest issue with Quintana of Charyn was the abundant use of dramatic irony. I almost always find it frustrating, especially when the plot spans 500 pages. The reader is always aware of Quintana’s location and her relative safety, but Froi and those in his company are fretting about where she could be. They enter so many dangerous situations thinking that they’ll find her in various locations. I just wanted someone to send them an owl or something letting them know that Quintana is hidden away and save them the trouble and plenty of scars. It’s also used for the subplot of the valley’s women being hidden away despite the men thinking they’ve all died of plague. Everyone is heartbroken and hurting for no reason! Well, there is a reason, but I really just hate dramatic irony and felt like it bogged down the story.

Of course, Quintana of Charyn has a happy ending. I never doubted that, but it certainly wasn’t an easy one to come by. Nothing played out how I was expecting either. I did think the final chapter seemed a little rushed though. I would have liked more out of Froi and Quintana’s reunion. I really just don’t have much to say about this book. It was very up and down for me, and not a lot about it stuck with me. While this series wasn’t anything special for me, I am glad that I read it. It definitely had some awesome moments, and I really enjoyed the world that the author created.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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  • Started reading
  • 24 June, 2013: Finished reading
  • 24 June, 2013: Reviewed