Quintana of Charyn

Starred review from February 4, 2013
Marchetta triumphantly concludes the trilogy that began with Finnikin of the Rock, as the kingdoms of Lumatere and Charyn attempt to bridge past atrocities through a new generation of leaders. Although tragedies arise, unity and healing are core themes, compared to the horrors of the previous books. As the
title suggests, Quintana—the rightful ruler of Charyn, hidden following the uprising in the kingdom in Froi of the Exiles—is at the center of this final book. Forces conspire against Quintana while her beloved Froi tries to find the queen before her enemies do. One of the hallmarks of this series has been the complexity and attention Marchetta gives to both primary and secondary characters, creating a richly human cast of damaged but noble individuals; she frequently shifts perspective among them, highlighting the pain, joy, and experience that unites them despite prejudice, heartache, nationality, and other sources of division. Readers who have fallen in love with Quintana, Froi, Finnikin, Isaboe, and others will eagerly seek out what fate has in store for them. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

October 15, 2012

Quintana of Charyn is the third and final book in the Lumatere Chronicles, following on from the very successful Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles. Set in a land where the ambitions and aggressions of various different clans jostle for supremacy, Melina Marchetta’s story is distilled down to an intense but likeable set of characters whose journeys continue throughout the series. In Quintana of Charyn we meet Quintana, the mother of Charyn’s unborn king and Froi’s great love. As she walks the dangerous path of protecting her unborn child, Quintana becomes unwittingly involved in the familial conflicts of the past, and her survival and that of her child takes on an almost world-changing importance. Several of the characters from the previous novels appear in Quintana of Charyn and the connections between them play a role in this new stage of their adventures. Although Marchetta does make these connections very clear throughout the narrative, readers will definitely benefit from having read the first two novels and may well want to start at the beginning before embarking on this third volume. This new instalment of the Lumatere Chronicles will be well received by all of Marchetta’s fans and will be an easy book to promote in retail and library settings. Quintana of Charyn is an exciting and emotive end to a much-loved series.

Natalie Crawford is a freelance reviewer and works at Dymocks Claremont, WA