Summary: 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. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: The first few pages were slow, but before I knew it I was at the 50% mark and asking myself how that happened.
I loved this book. The summary does not do it justice. The world building in this book was excellent, I felt like I could easily envision everything. I’m not really familiar with trolls, but I loved the way the author wrote them.
I love Cecile, she is unlike most female characters in YA novels. She is stronger and smart. Tristan was a bit more difficult for me at first, but he grew on me and I came to understand him. The secondary characters were also well developed and most were likable.
The plot moves at a great pace. There are a few twists and a few scenes that made my heart race. There are some complex plot lines being laid as the foundation for a fun series. I enjoyed the romance, especially because there was no insta-love.
The writing was excellent; there were times that I felt some strong emotions. I was definitely not ready for this book to end and was disappointed when I noticed I was at the 98% mark. That being said, with the way the book ended there is clearly more to come and I absolutely cannot wait.
I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hi Emily! I came across your blog through goodreads so I figured to stop by and say hello! I am now following you :)
ReplyDeleteStolen Songbird sounds very unique. I don't think I've come across a fantasy like this with trolls or a troll prince. So I have to give the author credit for trying to write something different. Combined with your review, I think I may have to give this one a shot! Is it considered a YA novel? Just curious.
Anyway, feel free to stop by my blog sometime! Always looking for new blogger buddies to chat with!
Best Wishes,
Mia @The Muses Circle
Hi Mia,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and following :) I will visit your blog and follow back.
The novel was really unique. I would consider it YA since the protagonist is in her late teens. It was different and like I said before I knew it, I was almost done with the book and I was left wanting more.