Title:Chantress
Author: Amy Butler Greenfield
Series: 1st
Pages: 336
Published: May 7th 2013
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 9781442457034
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Description: Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England. “Sing,
and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted
fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a
lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most
important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy
is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on
the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness. When
she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing
Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting
her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an
organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The
only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress.
And Lucy is the last one in England. Lucy struggles to master
the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving
quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and
scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion... Time
is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this
entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and
romantic.
I Give This ...
The cover called me on this one. Once I read the description and realized it had that blend of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal, I was sold. It was a little slow in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read.
It must be frustrating to be Lucy. The past 7 years have been spent on a deserted island with no real explanation as to what is going on. Her mother is gone and she's not allowed to sing. At first this little fact really through me. I could not figure out what it was about signing that was so bad. I really thought it was some type of sinful thing and so it was forbidden. Turns out, when Lucy sings, she harnesses energy for the world around her and can do magic. She's the only one left with this ability. It doesn't take long for people to track her down and want to use her powers to take down the person in control of the country. He's hunted down every last one of her kind and had them killed. Accept for one...she's just been stripped of all her magic.
This one person is actually her godmother, and she seems completely uncaring. She feels she's the best person to help Lucy realize her full potential. The only problem is her lessons must be done were the watchful eyes of the Lord Protector can't find her. So she's taken deep unground with a women who does nothing but criticize everything she does. She can't hold the right tune, she sings without the right emotions, not long enough, too short. I found her constant belittling rather annoying. I often thought she was insanely jealous of Lucy because she still possessed the talent.
My high points were the magic itself and Lucy's relationship with Nat. The magic really was interesting. It had factors to it that made it more complex. There was ordinary magic and wild magic and the consequences were completely different. But, I felt that wild magic was poorly understood and therefore deemed to risky to undertake. I think I liked the romantic relationship with Nat because I wasn't ever sure it was actually going to happen. Nat seemed to uneasy when it came to Lucy's magic that I wasn't sure it would be something he could look past. Especially knowing it was something she could never leave behind.
The story dragged out in the middle. I felt we spend a lot of time underground while she was training, although during this time we learn a lot of history about the Chantress and the country itself. I also felt the ending was abrupt. It felt to easy. It also make me wonder were the story can go next. I'm sure I'll read the next one though because I want to know what is in store for Lucy. Plus, I like to combination of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal.
I Give This ...
The cover called me on this one. Once I read the description and realized it had that blend of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal, I was sold. It was a little slow in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read.
It must be frustrating to be Lucy. The past 7 years have been spent on a deserted island with no real explanation as to what is going on. Her mother is gone and she's not allowed to sing. At first this little fact really through me. I could not figure out what it was about signing that was so bad. I really thought it was some type of sinful thing and so it was forbidden. Turns out, when Lucy sings, she harnesses energy for the world around her and can do magic. She's the only one left with this ability. It doesn't take long for people to track her down and want to use her powers to take down the person in control of the country. He's hunted down every last one of her kind and had them killed. Accept for one...she's just been stripped of all her magic.
This one person is actually her godmother, and she seems completely uncaring. She feels she's the best person to help Lucy realize her full potential. The only problem is her lessons must be done were the watchful eyes of the Lord Protector can't find her. So she's taken deep unground with a women who does nothing but criticize everything she does. She can't hold the right tune, she sings without the right emotions, not long enough, too short. I found her constant belittling rather annoying. I often thought she was insanely jealous of Lucy because she still possessed the talent.
My high points were the magic itself and Lucy's relationship with Nat. The magic really was interesting. It had factors to it that made it more complex. There was ordinary magic and wild magic and the consequences were completely different. But, I felt that wild magic was poorly understood and therefore deemed to risky to undertake. I think I liked the romantic relationship with Nat because I wasn't ever sure it was actually going to happen. Nat seemed to uneasy when it came to Lucy's magic that I wasn't sure it would be something he could look past. Especially knowing it was something she could never leave behind.
The story dragged out in the middle. I felt we spend a lot of time underground while she was training, although during this time we learn a lot of history about the Chantress and the country itself. I also felt the ending was abrupt. It felt to easy. It also make me wonder were the story can go next. I'm sure I'll read the next one though because I want to know what is in store for Lucy. Plus, I like to combination of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal.
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