Monday 30 December 2019

BOOKMAS 2019: Day Ten, Book Review



Welcome to day ten of Bookmas
where I am back with another book review.


Today's review is of Marie Lu's new
upcoming book:

The Kingdom of Back...



Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 1524739014

Release Date: 3rd March 2020

Links: Goodreads, Amazon.com, Indigo, B&N,
Book Depository


Synopsis:

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.






Review:



**Thanks to PenguinTeen Canada for sending me
an early copy in return for my review**




I was very excited when I saw that this book was coming out. First up, how beautiful is the cover? It's stunning and immediately caught my eye when I saw it online. The cover almost seems to glow and I've completely fallen in love with it.

The story begins with two siblings and the dreams they have. Nannerl dreams of becoming a composer but knows that she will eventually be forced to marry once she reaches the correct age. Her younger brother, Wolfgang, doesn't have the same problem. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own until a strange offers the chance for her dreams to come true.

Nannerl goes through a lot as a person. Despite her love and passion for music, she has to deal with the pressure from her father to marry a suitable husband. She loves music and dreams of composing despite it being forbidden for her. While going through this, she also has to live with her younger brother who isn't being pressured, is more gifted and instead is allowed to follow his passion. I really enjoyed the strength Nannerl had and how it grows throughout the book.

There was fair amount rivalry between the two of them because of it so the chance to have her life changed couldn't have come at a better time. Nannerl and Wolfgang still have a strong relationship despite their struggles and I really enjoyed reading their interactions with one another.

Wolfgang doesn't have the same amount of pressure that Nannerl does. As her younger brother and being a male, he doesn't have the same pressures to get married. Instead he is allowed to focus on his talent and make his own path. He loves his sister and I loved how close the two siblings were but it felt like he didn't fully understand the struggles that his sister was going through.

I would have liked to have seen a little more of the fantasy element but I still loved this story. It's very much about the magic of music and the relationship between siblings.

Marie Lu is a fantastic writer. This book is full of well-developed characters, a vivid imagination and lush descriptions. I was hooked from the very beginning and I didn't want the book to end. I almost wish it wasn't a standalone so I could read more about these characters and the world they live in. I highly recommend picking up this book.








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