Quintana of Charyn: The Lumatere Chronicles

When a reader is compelled to keep turning the pages even when it’s way past the time you meant to sleep, you know that a book is good. If a book manages to make you weep with sorrow, seethe with anger, yell in frustration, chuckle with amusement and smile with joy, then you know it’s a great book. And, you may ask, what if a book manages to do both these things at once? Then, in my opinion, it’s a phenomenal read. I didn’t know what to expect when I started Quintana of Charyn, but I definitely finished it feeling like a hollow place in my heart had finally been filled. This book is the last of The Lumatere Chronicles and Marchetta could not have chosen a more striking, more perfect, more right way to end this saga. Each character meets their appointed fate, each story is wrapped up, each revelation is finally brought into the open – and I completely loved it. Once again, readers are greeted by the extensive set of characters that we’ve met in the previous novels. Chief among the characters we follow are Isaboe and Finnikin, Froi and Quintana and Lucian and Phaedra. Each individual in the group I’ve mentioned has their own part in this thrilling conclusion and they’re each given a surprisingly satisfying amount of time on the page. While there were certainly moments where I was frustrated or annoyed, in the end, I could not help but love them all. Their actions were born out of love and fear, hope and desperation, and I cannot fault them for the choices they made that I didn’t particularly like. Marchetta’s strength when it comes to her characters is her ability to not just show them in black-or-white; she chooses instead to show them in black, white and all the shades of grey in between. This not only applies to her main characters, but also to most of the minor recurring characters too. I found that this helped me forge a stronger connection with them, as I got to see the reality of who they were, good and bad. Honestly, the mastery with which Marchetta has woven this story is incredible. I didn’t think I could be shocked any more than I had been while reading Froi of the Exiles, but I was proven wrong with this novel. There were revelations that shocked me and twists I could not have foreseen. There were reunions that I had hoped for and deaths that I had (unfortunately) counted on. The storytelling is truly very artfully done, and I commend Marchetta for her impressive ability to draw on details half-forgotten and make them relevant again. Quintana of Charyn is the conclusion to The Lumatere Chronicles. This complex, well-woven tale has finally come to a startling, surprisingly emotional end. I may have stayed up till 3:30AM on a weeknight to finish this book, but it was totally worth it! If you’re a fantasy fan in search of a new favorite series, please know that I wholeheartedly recommend The Lumatere Chronicles.

The Lumatere Chronicles is an excellent and masterfully done high fantasy series. The trilogy has easily worked its way into my heart as one of the best series I’ve ever read with its incredible cast of characters, beautiful and emotional writing, a story that will break and heal your heart more times than I can count, and a rare social awareness. The stories in the Lumatere Chronicles are not just about the important players, like royalty, the hero, and a few minor characters, but about the people of the countries as a whole. It talks about refugees, the suffering of an entire people, the bonds among citizens in a country, the culture; it talks about the people of a country and their collective struggle for a better life in, something I think people in any nation can relate to as we always strive for improvement. This book has brilliant storytelling, with magic, curses, gods, religion, and fate, but more than that, it tells a story of more than the main characters, but of the struggles of many people and their determination to survive despite the odds. It’s beautiful, moving, and captures that essence better than most fantasy novels. The characters are beyond my descriptive abilities. You will love them, you will hate them, you will feel their pain and joys, and travel with them as they struggle to find themselves and improve their nations. There are a plethora of strongly developed and wonderfully done characters, from Finnikin and Froi, two of the title protagonists, but also plenty of great female leads, from kind and determined to broken and feral. There are women who are strong by their gentle natures to those who will manipulate and lie to achieve something better. The entire cast of characters is so wide and diverse, and I fell in love with each and every one of them. Marchetta’s writing is on point, you’ll know if you’ve ever had a chance to pick up her books. You can feel the emotion, the mood, just by the words she selects and the sounds and patterns she so artistically puts together. While I’ve read Jellicoe Road, and deeply admired its prose, for me, The Lumatere Chronicles takes that up a notch and really sets you into the story. I could praise these books for much, much longer, these gems among hundreds of fantasies you might read, but these ones will stick with you and become eternal favorites

I really enjoyed this final chapter in this series, although at times it did seem a little slow or hard to follow. The ending is particularly good and the construction of the novel (like the other 2 books in this series) is excellent.

This was a really incredible conclusion to a truly fantastic trilogy. SO MANY FEELS, SUCH TENSION, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I think Froi of the Exiles is my favorite of the series overall but I loved so much about Quintana- the action, the many secrets (how can there still be this many secrets?!), the characters and their relationships with one another. I didn't love Quintana herself as much as I did in the previous book but I understand why. And Phaedra was amazing. It's such a cool series because on the surface we should only be on the Lumatere side always but then you understand the Charyn side as well and seeing the characters come to terms with this was difficult and breathtaking. There are a lot of dark, harsh things in this book and in this series but there is more humor than you'd ever expect. And even though there are conveniences and neatly tied bows, I still feel like the journeys and the outcomes were earned the hard way. It's a brilliant trilogy, written so well, with such depth and emotion. I loved the different lands and customs and people. And I wish we could have more stories from this world. Plus the ships oh my GOD. Such a conclusion; I had tears in my eyes for basically the last 40 pages. Really glad I gave all the detailed worldbuilding and overwhelming names a chance because this was an amazing reading experience this year.

It is debatable weather to call this series: The Lumatere Chronicles or The Charyn Chronicles. As almost 2 of the 3 books in the trilogy deal with events happening in Charyn. That aside, this book was a bloody fantastic read. I found that the characters were complex. Especially Quintana. Discovering the qualities and flaws of each character was as interesting as the journey through the clever plot. From one point to the next you are never sure where Marchetta is taking you. That is the point of a great story. Isn't it? To keep you in wonder.

Dieses Buch ist einfach nur wahnsinnig gut!! Es ist unglaublich spannend und es passieren so viele Sachen, mit denen man nicht rechnet, die einen immer wieder überraschen. Ich konnte das Buch kaum noch weglegen. Ebenso schafft es das Buch einen total mitzureißen, in einen Moment ist es voller Freundschaft, Hoffnung und Liebe und im nächsten sehr traurig. Kaum ein anderes Buch schafft es so viele gemischte Gefühle hervorzubringen und das noch in so einer Mischung, dass einfach alles passt. Ich mochte es ebenfalls sehr, dass das Buch aus vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven geschrieben ist, so kann man jeder Person gut folgen und kriegt einen Überblick über alle Geschehnisse. Dies ist dabei so gut gemacht, dass trotzdem jede eigene Geschichte total spannend ist und es nie langweilig wird. Der Abschluss der Geschichte ist sehr glaubhaft und bietet ein tolles Ende für alle Charaktere. Ich war von vorne bis hinten von dem Buch begeistert und kann es wirklich nur jedem empfehlen!! Schade, dass es nicht noch einen Teil gibt.

Finnigan of the Rock, Fro of the Exiles, Quintana of Chryn. The Lumatere Chronicles. I quite often buy the first 2 books in a series so that if the first one is good I don’t have to wait too long for the second to arrive by post to my home in the Western Isles of Scotland. I couldn’t get into Finnigan of the Rock, the characters seem to be too thin and more than anything they were inconsistent. So I nearly didn’t start Fro of the Exiles. But oh my! how glad I am that I persevered,because it is a brilliant book. The author really got into her stride with this book and she evolved and elaborated the story in such a deep and meaningful way. Then came Quintana of Charyn. This is definitely the best of the three books and had me laughing and in tears by turn.Your heart gets wrenched about by this beautiful beautifulstory and the protagonists becomes so dear to oneself. it is very exciting, very moving, you almost don’t want to finish it, because then there are no more. I can highly recommend this book if you want a story that is deeply emotive,and will keep you on tenterhooks Be aware that these wonderful storieswill leave you feeling bereft once it is finished. Can I dare to ask for more, or would that be too much and impossible? Thank you Melina Marchetta

I enjoyed all three books in the Lumatere Chronicles. I loved the people, the heartbreak and the love and acceptance. The author has her way of making the characters leap of the pages in glorious abandonment and fury and gives us surprises around every corner.

I'd read the first in the series which was amazing, so thought this would be too, but it's difficult to get into, too many characters presented at once without a chance to get to know any of them much, and all the different stuff going on is too confusing. BUT I haven't read the book in between the first one and this one, so once I've read the middle book I'll have another go at this one and it might be easier to read once I am already familiar with situations and characters . . . I will certainly give it another read at that point, because the first book was one of the best I've ever read.