Book Review: Froi of the Exiles

Sysnopsis:

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds. Here he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, and must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad Princess.

And in this barren and mysterious place, he will discover that there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Review:

            Froi of the Exiles is the second novel in the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta, who does a wonderful job with bringing strange characters to live in such a interesting way, it’s hard not to love them. Froi, our novel main protagonist, is a hard headed and yet very loyal Lumaterian warrior who’s sent on an assassination mission in the kingdom of Charyn. Here he meets Quitanna, the whore princess, and she could very well have a few other people living inside her head. Melina weaves a subtle master stroke when she brings these two together, letting the reader root for the odd couple to survive against any odds. This is a good thing too because things get pretty ugly really quick once the King is assassinated.

            The biggest issue that the novel has is that it falls prey to the curse of the sequels. If you’re new to the series, you’ll be a bit lost at first. This is forgivable and Melina really does do a decent job of catching the reader up. However the to-be-continued ending could make a new reader annoyed enough not to continue. It’s only because of this issue that I can’t really give Froi that great of a review. It’s simply not complete.

            This is not to say that Froi of the Exiles wasn’t a good read. On the contrary, every chapter that had Froi in it, I was captivated by him. That alone makes this a book to pick up for any fantasy lover. Until the next in the Lumatere Chronicle comes out, this will have to remain, at best, only average.

           Score: 3.5 of 5

          Auzy