Skip to main content

Finnikin of the Rock

It is not often that you find an author with the courage to completely shift genres.  A brilliant much lauded author of contemporary YA, writing an epic fantasy is far from common.  But then there is nothing common about  Melina Marchetta's writing.  Finnikin of the Rock does not have the pitch perfect tone of her other books.  It is not as lyrical and does not flow with the same smoothness.  It is still an amazing book and it sucked me in like a vortex.
 
Australian cover on the left, US on the right.
Synopsis (from Melina Marchetta's website)
At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere. And so he stands on the rock of three wonders with his childhood friend Prince Balthazar and the prince's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe. Until the 'five days of the unspeakable', when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered in the palace. And an imposter king takes the throne. And a curse is put on Lumatere, which traps those caught inside and forces thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps. But ten years later Finnikin is led to another rock to meet the young novice, Evanjalin. A girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light...
Despite being a different genre, Finnikin has much in common with Marchetta's other novels.  It begins in tragedy and ends in hope.  The darker sides of life and human nature are not shied away from.  The novel contains a very forthright and stark picture of persecution, racial hatred, rape, slavery, and imprisonment.  There were scenes that tied my stomach in knots.  The characters are complex people with varied motivations, who are not always likable.  In fact, they are often very unlikable.

Finnikin's nation was destroyed, his people displaced, his family ripped apart and his faith lost.  He travels with his mentor from exile camp to exile camp watching his people starve, die of fever, and sit as prey for the mercenary appetites of other country's less noble citizens.  He feels helpless and hopeless.  Yet, he is afraid to hope too much and must be forced into action by Evanjalin, a girl of mysterious background who is ruthless and unapologetic in the means she applies to get what she needs.

I've read several reviewers say they had a hard time connecting to or caring about the characters.  I did not have that problem.  I loved both Finnikin and Evanjalin and hurt for them both in their struggle to unite and save their people.  Evanjalin is less sympathetic as a character because she has already realized who she is and what her role is in her nation's future.  She is willing to risk much to make this come about (one thing in particular was a bit hard to swallow).  Finnikin struggles with who he is and what part he has to play through the entire book, making him easier to relate to.

The book has a slew of secondary characters too.  I can see how one might have a difficult time keeping track of them, especially if one doesn't really connect with the two main characters.  I, again, didn't have this problem.  The secondary characters were just as real and different to me as the Finnikin and Evanjalin.  There were some I didn't like, but I felt I knew all of them.  One thing I really liked is the cast of strong female characters who find their strength in their femininity. 

The story has several action scenes and tense moments that sometimes mad me feel like I was drowning and in need of air.  So I appreciated the slower parts of book that focused on traveling, talking, and  plotting.(There was much of all three going on.  It is an epic fantasy.)  The world Marchetta created for the story was very real and understandable, even if it was not completely explained.  I expect more will be revealed as the story continues.


This is exactly the kind of story I love.  Political intrigue abounds.  There is romance, but just enough of it.  There are many great themes explored and I like how Marchetta used her fantasy world to mirror our own, and make more real, to the audience intended, the atrocities that happen to displaced peoples around the world. 

Finnikin of the Rock is the beginning of a trilogy but is a complete story in itself.  There is no cliff hanger ending.  Froi of the Exiles is the next book and will take place a few years after the end of Finnikin.  I'm a little nervous about this as Froi was definitely the least likable character in this book.  I didn't hate him in the end but I'm not exactly yearning to discover what becomes of him.  Knowing Marchetta's skills, she'll be able to change my mind.  Froi's story will be released in Australia this fall.  A US release date has not yet been announced.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t