Title: Stolen
Songbird
Series: The
Malediction Trilogy, #1
Author: Danielle
Jensen
Publisher: Strange
Chemistry
Publication Date: April
1, 2014
Genres: YA,
Fantasy
Reviewed by: Ellen
Fritz
Ellen’s rating: 4/5
SUMMARY
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.
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
Although fantasy is one of my favorite genres, I
initially expected this book to be a bit boring. A beautiful girl abducted by a
troll prince for some greater purpose sounded so much like the clichéd Beauty
and the Beast scenario. Only, said troll prince turns out not to be the
legendary, ugly creature that resides under a bridge or in a cave and turns to
stone in sunlight, but rather a handsome, charming, magic-using very human
looking individual.
All Cécile de Troyes ever wanted was to leave behind
the little town she grew up in, and become an opera singer in the city. Mere
days before she could realize this dream, she is kidnapped to the underground
city of Trollus to become the wife of prince Tristan de Montigny. Soon she is
involved in much more than an unwilling marriage. Intrigue, oppression of an
inferiority group, the political dynamics of Trollus and, perhaps a certain
prince, become the reason why Cécile is no longer fighting for her freedom.
Stolen Songbird is a comfortably
paced, highly imaginative and deeply touching story. Both main characters, Cécile
and Tristan, are likable, yet realistic characters. Cécile's passion for a
cause and loyalty to friends are often at odds with her feisty, rebellious
nature. Tristan, moody and enigmatic at first, has several surprises for the
reader.
Other well crafted characters like the humorous twins,
Vincent and Victoria, as well as Tristan's cousin, Mark, bring life and levity
to the story. Anaïs kind of grew on me as the tale progressed.
As for the bad guys, mainly represented by the
Angouléme family, they are an insidious lot of aristocrats who will stop at
nothing to depose the Montigny family.
Although Stolen
Songbird is mainly the romantic tale of Cécile and Tristan, it is also a
story of difficult choices and ultimate sacrifice. As the end of this book is
somewhat inconclusive, I sincerely hope we will soon see another book in this
series.
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Danielle was born
and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain,
she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree
in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in
2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English
literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to
her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.
Follow us with:
No comments:
Post a Comment