Author: Danielle L. JensenSeries: The Malediction Trilogy
Number: 1
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Date published: 1 April 2014
Buy on: Amazon, Amazon UK
Rating: 5 stars
"For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever."
Review:
I want to clarify a few things before I start this review
1. I know some people do not love the cover, personally, I think it's gorgeous.
2. This book is long. Then again, so are many other books. and I don't mind the lentgh. IMO, if a book is well written and well developed- I don't care how long it is.
3. In the blurb there is comparison to both Serephina and Graceling. I have yet to fully read the former, but I skimmed through it and though it looks like a great book I doubt I'd love it. As for the latter, I read it and throughky enjoyed it- but it's a far cry from being a favourite of mine. Which is why I was somewhat hesitant to read this book. What made me want to read it anyway? The rest of the blurb that sounded just right up my ally. This is one of those times I'm glad I listened to my instinct.
Now, then.
I will not tell you that I couldn't put this book down, because I could and I did quite a few times for various reasons (it was late, I was busy, my eyes were tired, I had a headache).
Truth be told most books can be put [and are put] down. However, the real question is how fast did I want to pick it back up again? the answer is every five minutes.
Another question is while reading the book and after reading it, did it hunt me? The answer is like villagers hunting a witch in the old times.
Stolen Songbird is this amazing book that achieved so many things I always want to see in a book I read, I'll try to explain.
I. A Great Heroine
Cécile was great, she was fun and realistic and smart. She was nice, and courageous, full of life. She was brave. While she was kidnapped, she fought her captor. When she arrived in Trollus she soon realized that she might not be able to escape as fast as she'd want, but she didn't give up hope on escaping.
She learned about the trolls and Trollus realizing that while she's there she might as well get to know the gameboard and the players.
II. A Wonderful Hero
Tristan. oh, Tristan. He was so many things- kind, brutal, caring, manipulator, politician, honest. At first I appreciated him as a character and later on I came to love him.
Through the book, Tristan is playing a dangerous game.
III. A Mature Realtionship
Triatian's and Cécile's relationship developes under the most horrible conditions, and yet, the development is nothing short of spectacular.
They start as strangers, enemies even, thrust together in an unlikely situation that each of them wish he could have escaped. They becoming begrudging alliances, working together to achieve their goals.
Slowly, they become friends and evetually lovers. Even then, they are both aware of the fact that their circumstances aren't ideal and it stands between them.
But their love is true.
IV. The Setting
I just loved the setting. Trollus exist underneath a mountain, and it's folklore and the Troll's origin are interesting, well thought of and simply enchanting.
Trollus is this magical place covered in darkness, horrors and empty beauty.
The Trolls are these crazy, intelligent, beautiful yet terrifying creatures. They are cruel, they choose to be cruel, they are evil that chose to be evil. I was afraid of the dark while I was reading the book.
V. Side Characters
The side characters, the supporting characters are standing out just as much as the main ones.
There's Tristan's cousins, who become good friends with Cecile.
And then, there is Tristan's childhood friend that on first impression might seem like the beautiful mean girl that Cecile is supposed to hate, but actually she has more to her than that and it was sheer joy to read that.
Stolen Songbird is this amazing book that achieved so many things I always want to see in a book I read, I'll try to explain.
I. A Great Heroine
Cécile was great, she was fun and realistic and smart. She was nice, and courageous, full of life. She was brave. While she was kidnapped, she fought her captor. When she arrived in Trollus she soon realized that she might not be able to escape as fast as she'd want, but she didn't give up hope on escaping.
She learned about the trolls and Trollus realizing that while she's there she might as well get to know the gameboard and the players.
II. A Wonderful Hero
Tristan. oh, Tristan. He was so many things- kind, brutal, caring, manipulator, politician, honest. At first I appreciated him as a character and later on I came to love him.
Through the book, Tristan is playing a dangerous game.
III. A Mature Realtionship
Triatian's and Cécile's relationship developes under the most horrible conditions, and yet, the development is nothing short of spectacular.
“I cringed, though; for as much as I did not want to marry a troll, I was just as certain the troll didn’t want to marry me.”
Slowly, they become friends and evetually lovers. Even then, they are both aware of the fact that their circumstances aren't ideal and it stands between them.
But their love is true.
IV. The Setting
I just loved the setting. Trollus exist underneath a mountain, and it's folklore and the Troll's origin are interesting, well thought of and simply enchanting.
"Not all of them were deformed, but they were monsters still, every one of them."
Trollus is this magical place covered in darkness, horrors and empty beauty.
"At his side stood an exceptionally lovely troll, long black curls cascading over her jeweled velvet clothing. Her expression was vacant and unseeing, and I shivered as a dreamy smile crossed over her lips."
The Trolls are these crazy, intelligent, beautiful yet terrifying creatures. They are cruel, they choose to be cruel, they are evil that chose to be evil. I was afraid of the dark while I was reading the book.
V. Side Characters
The side characters, the supporting characters are standing out just as much as the main ones.
“I think it is our nature to believe evil always has an ugly face,” he said, ignoring my question. “Beauty is supposed to be good and kind, and to discover it otherwise is like a betrayal of trust. A violation of the nature of things.”
There's Tristan's cousins, who become good friends with Cecile.
And then, there is Tristan's childhood friend that on first impression might seem like the beautiful mean girl that Cecile is supposed to hate, but actually she has more to her than that and it was sheer joy to read that.
I need the next book like ten years ago, and I'm willing to bribe in any way imaginable in order to get my hands on an early copy. Yup, you heard that right.
A review copy was provided by Strange Chemistry through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This review is also on GoodReads. BookLikes
This review is also on GoodReads. BookLikes
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