Review by Alex- Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere.

And so he stands on the rock of three wonders with his childhood friend Prince Balthazar and the prince's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe.

Until the 'five days of the unspeakable', when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered in the palace. And an imposter king takes the throne.
And a curse is put on Lumatere, which traps those caught inside and forces thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps.

But ten years later Finnikin is led to another rock to meet the young novice, Evanjalin. A girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light.

First Impressions: Having read Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, I knew I was in for a treat with Finnikin of the Rock. I'm quite the fan of epic fantasies set in a political world, and Finnikin of the Rock fits that bill perfectly, promising quite a bit.

Finnikin's world is set in a wonderful fantasy place, where swords are the mode of fighting, and political feuds and unbalance abound. You know, typical fantasy world, but entrancing nonetheless. 10 years after Finnikin's homeland was taken by an imposter king, when many of his people died, many others trapped by a curse inside a broken Lumatere, Finnikin is still trying to help his country and people by going to other lands with him mentor, trying to find a place for his people to live on, instead of in desperate camps where people die, or even worse, lose their Lumatere selves.

Finnikin is incredibly strong, for losing so much and he's highly intelligent, cocky enough to be swoon-worthy, and reckless enough to be cool. Evangalin is well matched in that way; she does what she thinks she should. Her past is a dark thing, as we lean as the story unfolds. All the characters of Finnikin of the Rock are incredibly likeable and dynamic, though I do wish some of the secondary characters would have more of their history explained.

The writing's beautiful and fitting for this type of novel, and the plot is never slow, though sometimes it's a little thick to get through. But I was never bored, and honestly never wanted to put the book down.

Final Impressions: Melina Marchetta is a genius. (I also read Saving Francesca soon after Finnikin, and woah. Different genre, but Melina Marchetta cements herself as one of my favourite authors) Finnikin of the Rock has it all, and for fans of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, or Cinda Williams Chima, this novel is the next must-read.

Favourite Character: Finnikin. I mean, come on, his name alone is awesome! Finnikin! Which reminds me of Finnick from Catching Fire, actually.