Chantress (Chantress, #1)

Apr 08, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2013, best-of-2013, cover-lust, fantasy, favorites, surprise-surprise, magic, historical-fiction, ya, reviewed-in-2013

Here’s what you need to know about Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield:
1. It is part one of a trilogy. Although there's nothing on GoodReads to indicate that this is a series (oh, GoodReads, how you have failed me) and the story has a nice, clean ending, Chantress is the first book in a trilogy. And thank goodness for that.
2. It is more than just a pretty cover. It’s true. These days, a pretty cover usually hides all kinds of nasty surprises, but not in this case. Chantress is a wonderful histori...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, fantasy

Sadly, it's not a heart that she's holding on the cover, it's her stone necklace! Boo! Just wanted to get that out of the way first. A gorgeous cover, however--though slightly less interesting than when I thought it was a heart--Chantress is pretty on the outside, and intriguing on the inside.

We begin this book in an interesting setting while we learn how Lucy was told never to sing or bad things will occur. I was made both curious and alarmed at the uncertainty surrounding Lucy's life and life...more Sadly, it's not a heart that she's holding on the cover, it's her stone necklace! Boo! Just wanted to get that out of the way first. A gorgeous cover, however--though slightly less interesting than when I thought it was a heart--Chantress is pretty on the outside, and intriguing on the inside.

We begin this book in an interesting setting while we learn how Lucy was told never to sing or bad things will occur. I was made both curious and alarmed at the uncertainty surrounding Lucy's life and lifestyle. She became a compelling character right away; I yearned to know more about her and to my impatient nature's delight the answers started arriving just as quickly. We learn early on who she is exactly, what happens when she sings, and why she should have stayed blissfully hidden and unaware. We also get to meet a lot of great personalities that become surprisingly memorable throughout the story. Even those with the smallest roles all have something that makes them stand out from one another. The lore that we get introduced to is impressive; imaginative and clearly well thought out--especially the Shadowgrims; although I wish they had a bigger part inside the book aside from a hovering threat, they were still a fascinating aspect.

While the premise is original and interesting, I found it a tad too slow for my taste. Hardly anything happens in this book at all except a flurry of events at the end that was maybe a little too easy. Even with the violence and deaths that occur I found it was over and done with as quickly as it had started, with nothing extremely heart shattering about it. It would have helped if the villain of the story was seen as a more threatening enigma, I suppose. We only meet him briefly, keeping him as nothing more than an afterthought for the reader. I feel his part in the whole thing should have been played out with much more show rather than tell to validate his wickedness. The same could be said for the Shadowgrims, as mentioned before; while we observe more of their presence than their master's, these instances are nothing more than a few close calls. Instead, most of the book is spent underground where Lucy is hiding, training to use her powers. This training is slow moving and grueling. It's good--even great--for character development to see her slowly learning and understanding her powers as a Chantress, however it does get mundane after a hundred pages of this. The one good thing to come of it aside from character development is the equally slow moving romance, which may not be anything mind-blowing, but it's sweet and realistic. It's also kept to a minimum. I would even describe it as the slow beginning of something to come.

Great, spirited characters and a unique lore is what fans of fantasy/mythology can expect to enjoy from this novel. If the plot had a little more bite to it, it would have been a truly great read, as it stands it's still a book I would recommend to those who enjoy the genre, I would just advise to not expect to be swept away into a twist riddled, exhilarating plot--because that, it is not.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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May 19, 2013 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once upon a time, there was a boy who read a book. He really liked it, although if pressed, he couldn’t really explain why, because the book was kind of straightforward and full of exposition. Unfortunately, the boy had a friend who was a girl who kept him on a short leash, and for whatever reason his friend was exceptionally curious about the book that he couldn’t really explain, and continually harangued him for his opinion, even though she most likely would never read the book herself.

Finally...more Once upon a time, there was a boy who read a book. He really liked it, although if pressed, he couldn’t really explain why, because the book was kind of straightforward and full of exposition. Unfortunately, the boy had a friend who was a girl who kept him on a short leash, and for whatever reason his friend was exceptionally curious about the book that he couldn’t really explain, and continually harangued him for his opinion, even though she most likely would never read the book herself.

Finally exasperated, the boy threw up his hands in surrender and jotted down a few notes. ‘Honestly,’ he said to himself, ‘I don’t know why I like this book as much as I do. Only two things really stand out about it, the cover, and a warning: Sing, and the darkness with find you. That’s it! Otherwise, the plot’s interesting but nothing special, the characters decent but not exceptional, and there really is too much exposition. Nice warning, though.’ Then, he muttered under his breath, more excuse than explanation, ‘I just really like it, ok? And not because she’s holding a tongue or something on the cover.’

The boy though, like the Nat character from the story, was trained as an engineer, and his need to rationalize everything left him deeply unsatisfied with his answer. So he went back to the book, looking for more: ‘Was it the brisk pacing that I liked so much?’ he asked himself, ‘or that despite pages of dialogue explaining back story and key events there wasn’t an annoying conspiracy keeping Lucy in the dark for her own good?’ He shrugged to himself, as if that was the answer ‘yeah, it’s refreshing for everyone to be so forward with Lucy. Twenty chapter intentional conspiracies do not a good book make.’

Moving on, the boy picked out other things here and there. ‘Wow, two young guys and no love triangle in sight. Are my eyes deceiving me?’ Or, ‘what an idea for creepy birds (even though they don’t do much of anything).’ And later, ‘pretty good concept of magic, not just through music and song, but balancing the safety of tried and true Proven Magic with the deceptive allure of Wild Magic. And it’s not like one type’s intentionally written as right and the other denounced as wrong; I can totally see where both sides are coming from and how it plays into the traditional hero(ine) versus villain plot. For a book about magic, Amy Butler Greenfield definitely knows what she’s doing.’

Reaching the end once more, the boy frowned as he looked down at his notes. ‘Still,’ he sighed, ‘much of the plot involves hiding in shadows. Maybe nothing really bothered me because mostly nothing really happened?’ His frown deepened as an idea nagged at the corner of his mind, how the book could've been much better if more had just happened, and it was at that moment that he realized he was no closer to explaining why he enjoyed Chantress than he was before the fruitless exercise, and resolved to do better for the next book.(less)

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May 14, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, didn-t-live-up-to-expectations, dropped-series-graveyard, fantasy, for-review, england, historical, magic, so-creepy-my-skin-crawls, so-much-potential-wasted, young-adult, zzzzzzzzz, edelweiss, animals

It took until nearly the end of this book (80% in actually) for any major plot events to happen. Up until that point, it was a lot of exposition, magic training, character development, and what I felt were a lot of repetitive scenes which actually contributed very little to this book. I think Chantress could have been about a hundred pages shorter. Honestly. It clocks in at 336 pages, and truthfully, I think a little over 200 pages would have been fine. I don't mind books that don't completely f...more It took until nearly the end of this book (80% in actually) for any major plot events to happen. Up until that point, it was a lot of exposition, magic training, character development, and what I felt were a lot of repetitive scenes which actually contributed very little to this book. I think Chantress could have been about a hundred pages shorter. Honestly. It clocks in at 336 pages, and truthfully, I think a little over 200 pages would have been fine. I don't mind books that don't completely focus on plot--heck I read a lot of character-driven novels--but this book was pretty boring. A lot of my blogger friends put it down and moved on to something else due to boredom. I pushed on because I wanted to see if it got better and if all of that zzzzzzz stuff was worth it. And...

It was. Sort of.

I can't talk about much because of spoilers, but the last 20% was pretty exciting. For those who are keeping track, that's about 67 pages. Out of 336. Even though they were exciting and riveting, I don't know if it's worth it for that small amount of the book.

There are good things though. I think most readers will appreciate the relationship in this novel. There is no love triangle, no insta-love. It takes the entire book for the relationship to build, and not until the very end does something actually happen. But that's kind of the thing with this book. Nothing seems to happen until the end.

Nat's annoying at the beginning. He really is. It gets better though because he has a decent character arc. I don't mind when characters are annoying and mean if there is justification for the way they feel. It was explained why he was so anti-magic eventually, but I didn't buy the explanation. To me there wasn't enough of a reason. I liked Lucy though. She was the type of protagonist I like in my novels. Strong, determined, but not perfect. The rest of the characters were interesting as well. There is a little bit of everything here but some of them felt like the typical characters you would find in a fantasy novel.

So. The story itself. I liked it. This was truly a compelling premise and as far as fantasy goes, it wasn't something I had seen before. Chantresses are singing magicians. They can create magic through song. And I thought it was very cool. The object on the cover is a giant ruby, by the way. I know some people were wondering. Unfortunately for singing magicians, the magic part of the story itself doesn't make for a very compelling plot. Which is sad because I truly thought it would work. But it's just not explained well. The training scenes are just a bunch of vocal lessons. It was all very meh.

I should also mention that this IS a historical novel and the author did quite a bit of research. Aside from the fantasy part, that is. But...it didn't feel very historical. It almost felt high fantasy. Depending on the reader, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. For me, I wanted to feel the historical part of it. And it's not really there at all. Other than beling TOLD the book was set in London, I would never have known. It could have easily been set in an alternate universe.

The one thing that did affect me was the Shadowgrims. And this is why I stated if you have Ornithophobia you should probably not read this book. The birds in this book are the freakiest birds I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. They steal souls and flap their wings and claw at them and UGH. And I LIKE birds. When Chantresses are around Shadowgrims they actually start to feel a burning sensation, and the closer the bird is, the hotter it gets. NO, thank you. Thing is though, I love being creeped out. So that part of the story worked for me. But if you are afraid of birds, I wouldn't do it. This is your warning. It's not particularly graphic, but it did make me shiver.

I haven't decided if I will read the next one or not, but right now I am leaning towards not. It just didn't do enough for me as a book. I liked it enough, but I don't think I was engaged enough to continue on to the next one. I bet the next book will be much better with so much exposition out of the way, but with so many other books out there that might be spectacular reads for me, I just don't think I will have the time or that much desire to do so. I sort of recommend this. But it depends on what you like in your books. I'm on the fence about everything that has to do with this book.
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May 14, 2013 Gillyb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Writer of Wrongst

Rating: An original, entertaining concept with a few too many info-dumps and a sagging middle. But I liked it, particularly the ending.

The cover: I LOVE THIS COVER. It is so pretty and dramatic, with the bright hot pink against the black and her awesome hood and branch-y, swirly bits. Mildly disappointed to realize she's holding a pendant in her hand, instead of a heart and a dagger, like I'd originally thought, but it ties into the novel, so I'll get over i...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-and-giveaways, young-adult

What would you do if you were an obstinate young girl stuck on a remote island with a guardian that forbade you to sing? Seduced by a tantalizing melody in the air, and enraged after discovering that all is not as it seems in the world she lives in, Lucy opens her mouth to utter a few notes. She is then thrown into a society where she doesn’t know who to trust, and she is being hunted by mysterious, terrifying beings. England is under the control of the Lord Protector, who has the ability to con...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley

Review also on my website, My Friends Are Fiction

The Story:
Overall Chantress was an enjoyable read for me. It was fairly slow paced but this made for a relaxing read. I was able to comfortably sink into the story without feeling overly anxious or stressed until the very end of the book. A good amount of Chantress focuses on Lucy's journey to figure out who she is and what her powers are. Though our heroine faces a very real threat for the most part I felt like our characters were safe. I despe...more

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May 02, 2013 Bieke {Istyria book blog} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-to-review, edelweiss, love-the-cover, arc, just-good

Actual rating: 3,5 stars

Sing and the Darkness will find you.

With a sentence like that on the cover I was totally prepared to read an awesome book with some cool action and a kick-ass heroine. But... I expected to much because, although I liked it quite a bit, I still feel like it let me down. And I would've liked to know that the story takes place a few centuries ago. Between 1667 and 1669. Maybe that sounds stupid, but I like that kind of information beforehand. Not that it matters a lot in wh...more Actual rating: 3,5 stars

Sing and the Darkness will find you.

With a sentence like that on the cover I was totally prepared to read an awesome book with some cool action and a kick-ass heroine. But... I expected to much because, although I liked it quite a bit, I still feel like it let me down. And I would've liked to know that the story takes place a few centuries ago. Between 1667 and 1669. Maybe that sounds stupid, but I like that kind of information beforehand. Not that it matters a lot in what time the story takes place, it's just a detail that's important to me.

First of all, I liked the characters in this story. Lucy and every other character in it matter. How small their part may be, they're all important and I like that. So many books have characters that don't really help the story and are unnecessary, this one didn't. So that's a good thing. I wanted to see a little more from the villain though... We meet him once in the entire book and I can't even remember his name right now... He didn't really leave a big impression on me. The Shadowgrims are cool but they also don't play a big role yet. Maybe we'll get to see more of the bad guys in the sequel? Let's hope so!

The story is well thought out. I do believe the author really took some time to work it all out, so that is good. But although it's interesting and quite original, is so slow. I would've liked to see more action, instead most of the book lucy is underground, hiding and training. Love the character developement we get from that, but it gets boring after a couple of hundred pages. I wanted more action! What I do like about that is the romance. It builds nice and slow. it's more realistic and it's not a big part of the story yet. But I think it will be in the books that follow. They probably shouldn't have called it romantic in the blurb though.

So this is a pretty good book and fans of the genre might like it. If you want a nice relaxing read, I recommend it as well. If you love books that move to the action quick, I wouldn't recommend it because this isn't one of those book. I really hope we get more action in the next book. The cover is awesome though.(less)

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May 17, 2013 Sarah marked it as to-read

Don't let me fool you. I haven't read this book. I haven't even looked at the rating or any reviews. But it's really good. Why? The description. But every description makes the book sound good right? "An adventure you will never forget". That's what they say when... Well? They don't know what to say. "This book sucks... So instead of showing parts of the plot... Let's just say it's cool and hope everyone takes our word for it." That's how anyone can tell this book is good.

However, THIS descript...more

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May 09, 2013 Farrah rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Rating: 4.5

A hauntingly beautiful book! Chantress was a magnificent YA historical fantasy with a touch of romance. I loved this book!

I loved the idea for this book. It was interesting when I first heard about it and the execution didn't disappoint. The whole "chantress" thing is something I haven't seen in any other YA paranormal, and I loved that uniqueness.

I also really liked the atmosphere of the book. It was done so well. It was haunting, sumptuous, and transported to a world of magic an...more My Rating: 4.5

A hauntingly beautiful book! Chantress was a magnificent YA historical fantasy with a touch of romance. I loved this book!

I loved the idea for this book. It was interesting when I first heard about it and the execution didn't disappoint. The whole "chantress" thing is something I haven't seen in any other YA paranormal, and I loved that uniqueness.

I also really liked the atmosphere of the book. It was done so well. It was haunting, sumptuous, and transported to a world of magic and history. I loved that about the book.

Lucy was a heroine pulled in different directions. She is one of the last chantresses in existence and that makes her a hot commodity. The Invisible College wants to use her power to take down the Lord Protector, she wants to be able to use the power of wild magic, and her new chantress mentor wants her to limit her to tame magic. On top of that, she was being hunted by shadowgrims. She deals with it all admirably, without compromising her own morals. She was a great heroine; strong, clever, and very likable.

There was a touch of romance in this book, with Nat. Nat was also a great character with a lot of depth. He distrusts magic and that leads him to initially distrust Lucy. But, he is a good guy who was honestly trying to do what he though was best. He wasn't really one for wooing and sweetness. He was more the kind of guy who didn't show his feelings outwardly, but demonstrated them through his actions. He was easy to adore.
The romance developed slowly. As in, it took several months for them to begin to consider a romance. But, I thought that made it very believable, considering both Lucy and Nat had too much on their minds to get caught up in a romance. But there were still a few sweet moments. They were a great couple and I hope to see more of them together in book 2.

The plot was okay. It stretched over a long period of time, so there were a few parts where it dragged a little. But, overall, I was hooked throughout the entire story. The events of the climax were a huge surprise. I never saw it coming. Everything that happened...wow. It made my jaw drop. The ending was lovely, a nice wrap up that left room for the story to continue in books 2 and 3.

Chantress was an excellent read! If you like YA, historical fantasy, or touches of romance, this book is for you.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and Margaret K. McElderry Books for a copy!(less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Sanah Dillon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss-or-netgalley

YA Books of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Chantress was very different compared to most of the other YA books I've read. The beginning is very fast paced so it draws you right in once you start reading. To be fair though, the whole book is not fast paced. Some parts are fast, some are average and some are pretty slow but they balance each other out so it's not as boring as you'd expect it to be.

I really liked the fantasy part of the book. The idea of the chantress was very unique. I had mixed feelings...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Elena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, historical, arc

Note: I received an electronic ARC of this book from the publisher.

This book is sort of a cross between Star Crossed, The Singer of All Songs, and some book where the main character spends most of her time shut away in a dark basement studying.

The shut-away-studying part wasn't as boring as it could have been, but, well, it was a little boring, and I wish the plot had been a bit more intricate. It was fairly straightforward sort of three step plot:
1. Learn about the bad guy's evil doings.
2. Lear...more

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May 11, 2013 Lindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-author-challenge, blog-tour, 2013-ebook-challenge, edelweiss, for-review, itching-for-books, ya-fantasy

I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield. I was drawn to the beautiful, and magical book cover. Once I read the synopsis, I was highly intrigued, for I had never read a book about a Chantress or anything similar. As I began this story, my interest was piqued, as I learned about Lucy, the main character in the story. She lived on a deserted island with an elder woman, her caretaker, Norrie, who was very superstitious, and had all kinds of rigid a...more I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield. I was drawn to the beautiful, and magical book cover. Once I read the synopsis, I was highly intrigued, for I had never read a book about a Chantress or anything similar. As I began this story, my interest was piqued, as I learned about Lucy, the main character in the story. She lived on a deserted island with an elder woman, her caretaker, Norrie, who was very superstitious, and had all kinds of rigid and ritualized rules for Lucy to follow. Lucy's memory was not very good, and all she could remember was landing on the island when she was young, minus her mother (who she had very hazy and scattered memories about.) It was assumed that Lucy's mother had been lost to the Sea, and as such, Lucy, and Norrie were stranded on the island, with the hope of being rescued one day. However, everything changed on, All Hallows Eve, when Lucy heard a song on the breeze calling to her. Against Norrie's frequent orders (Lucy was never to sing under any circumstances,) Lucy sang with the longing to return home to London. Before she knew it, there was darkness, and Lucy was transferred from the island to London, minus Norrie.

This was the beginning of a mysterious time in Lucy's life, where questions would be answered, dangers would lurk at every corner, discoveries would be made on a daily basis, and Lucy's life would forever change, as she had known it.

I enjoyed Chantress, because I liked reading about something that hasn't been overdone, namely Chantresses. I loved hearing the origin story of where Chantresses came from, the histories of Lucy's powerful ancestors that had been Chantresses, the structured and difficult training Lucy had to endure, the two different types of magic performed by Chantresses, and seeing Lucy become more powerful every day, as she came into her own magic. I also enjoyed the historical setting in the story. I became more familiar with England in the late 1600's, the food and clothing of the time period, the invisible college that was made of mathematicians, scientists, philosophers, and alchemists, and the experimentation with the microscope, and firebox (a cast-iron stove,) among other things. I related to their thirst for knowledge, and admired the passion, and persistence that they used to discover more about the world that they lived in. The world-building was phenomenal, and I could easily visualize the setting of time and place. Ms. Greenfield's descriptions were perfect. As far as pacing and plot, the story was slow to develop, and there wasn't any instant love. As a matter of fact the story did not focus on romance. There was an attraction/chemistry between Lucy, and Nat, but there wasn't really any romance in this story. I would have liked the pace of the story to go a little faster, and to have had more romance in the story. However, it was nice focusing on Lucy, as a strong, powerful, lead character, that empowered herself, and dedicated herself to learning the necessary magic, and song spells. I also enjoyed reading about the secondary characters, Norrie, Nat, Penebrygg, Sir Barnaby, Lady Helaine, and various members of the invisible college. They were well-written, each served a purpose, and they became a tight-nit group that all helped guide Lucy to try to overthrow the powerful, and evil, Scargrave, that employed dark magic, and evil to do his bidding. Chantress ended in such a way that there wasn't a cliffhanger, but the ending was the perfect set-up for the beginning of the sequel.

Overall, Chantress was a creative, and refreshing new type of fantasy story. It used history, folklore, magic, and a great imagination, to create a story that is different from anything else I've ever read. It was slow to develop, had a little romance, and mainly focused on the main character, her goal, and challenges that she had to successfully overcome. I give Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield 4 stars filled with mystery, wild magic, deception, and a powerful legacy! This is a story that uses elements of historical fact, and adds in an imaginative and creative fantasy to create a unique, and authentic story that is different from anything that I have ever read! If you enjoy historical fiction and fantasy combined, Chantress is the perfect combination. If you enjoy Fantasy, but would like to try something new that has not been overdone, Chantress would be a good choice for a refreshing change of pace!

My Favorite Quotes:

"It was as if singing had pierced a hole in me, a hole only it could fill." (Nook, 9)

"I again felt a strong current pass between us, as if we were something more than reluctant allies-as if we somehow knew each other through and through. (Nook, 150)

"But that was beyond me, at least for the time being. And perhaps that was just as well. Some secrets shouldn't be forced. I needed to be patient, letting the future unfold in its own time and its own way." (Nook, 243)

For more book reviews, visit A Bookish Escape at Http://www.abookishescape.com
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May 14, 2013 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Chantress was a light and enjoyable fantasy. It made me smile, but there wasn't much substance to it. Greenfield started with a very interesting premise, but I was a bit let down from there. The pacing is on the slow side, and I never felt completely drawn in - though I read this in the evening, I didn't find myself saying "just one more chapter"; rather it was easy to put down for the night. That said, the characters were very likeable and I loved the premise and setting. Plus, for those of us...more

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May 06, 2013 Nazia Zennia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fantasy, supernatural

Chantress was short, sweet and very engaging. To start off, Lucy is an incredibly likable protagonist and is easy to relate to. As seen in many other books (to many in my opinion), she's immensely gifted with raw magic that she must learn how to control. And of course, with all this power comes a great cost to her.
Lucy is roped into being the savior of the people by defeating a villainous Lord. Although I've seen this story line many times and although there wasn't much of a plot in Chantress t...more

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May 11, 2013 Ria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-ebook-challenge, 2013-witches-witchcraft-reading-c, blog-tour

Not an ounce of disappointment here! Ms Greenfield painted a perfect picture, for me. She wasn’t over the top with the description, she gave me just enough to set fire to my imagination. Let me tell you, my imagination came alive with song and it spread like "wild magic" fire! I’m soooo looking forward to part 2 in this trilogy! Cant wait!

My Rating

4.5 Musical, Lyrical, Ruby, Diamond, Broken Collar, Apothecary, Grimoire, Shadowgrim, Recovered letter stars!! For those that love YA to the core an...more

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May 12, 2013 Sandy Strife rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. The following review may contain slight spoilers.

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield is an intriguing tale about a girl whose spell-singing powers lend her the special strength to be the saving grace for the people of England, while also putting her in grave danger. The protagonist and narrator, Lucy, is a likeable and realistic character, and as a result, it is interesting to see her interactions with the other char...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book is another fantastic read. Everything about this screams read me and fall into a world of magic, mystery and romance.

Lucy has always been warned not to sing, she doesn't understand why. When All Hallow's Eve she hers music and starts to hum, her guardian freaks out. Then inside the house alone she doesn't see what it would hurt, so she does it again , she is transported to England and has no idea how she got there. She is starting to freak out, and the she hears the voices coming...more

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May 09, 2013 Eren rated it 5 of 5 stars

I went into this novel completely blindsided. Had no clue what Chantress was about. I usually like to know. I'm glad I didn't.

There were many things I loved about this novel. A strong protagonist, an amazingly captivating plat, great attention to detail (without overdoing) and the romance was realistic.

Lucy and her guardian, Norrie live on an island. After living there 8 years and always being told never to sing, she hears a song. After a series of unfortunate events, Lucy finds herself in Eng...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Vishous * 4ever Racht's Minion * marked it as to-read-arc

Shelves: arc, edelweiss, review, young-adult-new-adult

*ARC courtesy of Margaret K. McElderry Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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May 20, 2013 Amy Wax rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVEDIT!!!!!!! It was written very well and I couldn't put it down! Though at first I thought the novel took place in present day until there was the mention of the year of 1606... Threw me off slightly, but it also kinds made it more interesting... I guess...

There was one thing I didn't particulairly like about the book was that the main character (Lucy) didn't seem to have a backbone for most of it until the end of the book. It irked me how she always did what others wanted, and never reall...more

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May 11, 2013 Henrietta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Set in a reality where the population lives in fear of cruel injustice and oppression, Chantress reveals a story where magic may be the only hope for all who desire freedom and peace. As the last living spell-singer, Lucy must learn to master the one songspell that can reverse the dark forces that are in play. Temptations are everywhere and while Lucy may not make the right decision at every turn, I like that she never let greed completely consume her. To see an excerpt, click here.

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May 10, 2013 Kazhy (My Library in the Making) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tour, from-edelweiss, buy-and-read-again

Actual rating: 3.5

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)

I admit, what drew me to Chantress was its pretty cover—black, violet, and pink! Stunning combination, eh?—but from the start, this intensely fast-paced book proved itself so much more than physically entrancing; it was imaginative and, for some reason, it reminded me of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart. The writing was beautiful and very descriptive, perfect for the era the story was set in: England in the 1600s. I don't...more

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May 15, 2013 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-author-challenge, paranormal-challenge

As Seen At The Quiet Concert

Chantress slowly draws you into the world of magic and song, transporting the reader to old England. Lucy has always grown up knowing she was never to sing but the day she breaks that rule her whole life changes. Lucy is now one of the most hunted people in England for she is the only one who can undo the past spell of a Chantress which would be the demise of the Lord Protector. With the lessons of her godmother and the help of Nat and Penebrygg, Lucy must take dow...more

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May 14, 2013 Autumn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, for-review, kindle, netgalley, own, ya

Captivating from the very first paragraph. Chantress grabbed my attention and stubbornly refused to let go. Lucy has been shipwrecked on an island with her guardian for 7 years. She lost he mother on that journey (or so she was told). Her guardian Norrie has warned her to never sing. EVER.

But on Allhallow's Eve a song pulls at her and after discovering a letter from her mother she breaks the rule and immediately regrets it. Magically teleported to London into the home of Lord Scargrove, she over...more

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May 08, 2013 Aeicha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amy Butler Greenfield's Chantress is a captivating mix of magic, romance, and historical adventure. In 1667, fifteen year old Lucy lives on a deserted island with her guardian Norrie. Norrie's most important rule is that Lucy must never sing. But when Lucy hears a haunting melody on the wind, sing she does and she and Norrie are swept away by magic to England. Lucy discovers that she is a Chantress and can use magic through song. And Lucy's Chantress powers are needed to save England from the ev...more Amy Butler Greenfield's Chantress is a captivating mix of magic, romance, and historical adventure. In 1667, fifteen year old Lucy lives on a deserted island with her guardian Norrie. Norrie's most important rule is that Lucy must never sing. But when Lucy hears a haunting melody on the wind, sing she does and she and Norrie are swept away by magic to England. Lucy discovers that she is a Chantress and can use magic through song. And Lucy's Chantress powers are needed to save England from the evil Lord Protector and its deadly Shadowgrims. Taken in by the Invisible College, a group of scientists and thinkers, Lucy must learn to control both her abilities and her confusing feelings for Nat, a young apprentice at the Invisible College.

Chantress certainly cast a spell on me and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Greenfield weaves a beguiling tale full of enchantments, historical intrigue, and likable characters. The concept of a Chantress, one who can manipulate and use magic through song, isn't a new concept, but I really liked the way Greenfield ran with this idea and what she did with it. Greenfield is a great storyteller and much of the writing in Chantress is quite beautiful. Like Lucy, I was easily swept away into this world of magic and science, fiction and history, and, for the most part, found it to be a fascinating world. The magical Chantress elements are a wondrous mix of whimsical and dark; I only wish more enchantments and spells were shown (I'm sure/hoping more will be shown in future books), but the ones present in book one are very cool.

The magical elements are fictitious of course, but I like how historically grounded the backdrop and setting are. Greenfield clearly did her historical research regarding this time period in England, and this really shines through. The historical, scientific, and magical aspects all work really well and just seem to fit together. I do wish the overall storyline was less predictable and more twisty. There are few instances where the plot feels a bit too forced or convenient and I would have appreciated more subtlety or complexity. A little more action would have been nice too.

Lucy is a likable, relatable heroine. She grows a good deal as a character and I enjoyed watching her come into her power, but I liked that she remained realistically fifteen. It took me some time to warm up to Nat, but after getting his backstory and getting to know him, I ended up really liking him. He isn't your typical overly romantic, grand gesture doing, cheesy love speech making, swoon-worthy YA love interest...but this is a good thing! Instead, he simply felt real and believable as a teenage guy who's been through some shizz, is kinda wary of magic, and who is falling for this girl who isn't sure he can trust. The interaction between Lucy and Nat is full of fun snark and I'm excited to see where their connection goes in future books. The villainous Lord Protector makes for a sinister and frightening villain, but I wish we were given more "facetime" with him.

The ending is satisfying but open, and I'm definitely interested to see what's next for Lucy.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Chantress has an enchanting premise that Amy Butler Greenfield ran with beautifully and that captivated me from beginning to end. An awesome first book in what I'm sure will be a fantastic series!(less)

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May 02, 2013 Tressa (Tressa's Wishful Endings) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-author-challenge, edelweiss, 2013, clean-reads, ya-fantasy-paranormal

This is a little bit of a hard review for me to write. This was an enjoyable read, but I didn't love it and I really was hoping that I would. I think part of it is that I wanted more depth to Lucy's character - for her to feel more alive or real to me. For some reason she didn't. Maybe some of that was that I thought she adjusted too easily to Nat and the clockmaker (who is basically Nat's adoptive father). She is taken in by them and even though she never mentions a father and hasn't had contac...more

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May 14, 2013 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, historical-fiction

3.5 -
I received this in exchange for an honest review.

Chantress is a story of magic, intrigue, secrets and oppression. Lucy is thrust quite unexpectedly in the middle of a struggle between the Lord Protector and those who are tired of being oppressed and subjected to the horrors he inflicts. She finds that she’s a rather important piece in the game and she begins a journey of discovering just who she is.

I love that this story takes place in London, but it’s a sort of alternative history kind of...more 3.5 -
I received this in exchange for an honest review.

Chantress is a story of magic, intrigue, secrets and oppression. Lucy is thrust quite unexpectedly in the middle of a struggle between the Lord Protector and those who are tired of being oppressed and subjected to the horrors he inflicts. She finds that she’s a rather important piece in the game and she begins a journey of discovering just who she is.

I love that this story takes place in London, but it’s a sort of alternative history kind of angle. We get to see the Tower of London and it’s history twisted into a sinister use. I also loved the who concept of singing magic, which while not entirely new to me it is different enough that I always find myself drifting towards it when it pops up. The Proven magic and Wild Magic were explained wonderfully and I found myself wanting to hear the call of the Wild Magic. She made it sound so free and so seductive, that I could understand the pull that Lucy felt. I loved that it seemed to have a mind of its own. I will say that I wish I had more of a chance to see her work the magic during the book. There was a lot of detail into her practicing but I would have loved to see more of the song-spells truly worked.

I liked Lucy. She’s a sweet girl with her head in the right place, she is rather meek at times but she has a surprising stubborn side that I wish we’d seen more of. She’s also a hard-worker and while it doesn’t exactly please her to sit and learn for long periods of time, she’ll do it and she’ll work as hard as she can to get the results she wants. Nat was also a nice character, he offset Lucy nicely. He’s polite (normally) and rather smart, but he was too stubborn at times. I liked that it was something he had to work on and that despite their rough start they started to come together more toward the end. There is no insta-love here! In fact the romance is very small compared to the story and it’s nice to have a book where the relationship develops in the background. I’m hoping to see it develop more in the next book. Lady Helaine was so hard to like…she’s so mean! She’s a great teacher in the fact that she gets results, but she throws out insults like their candy and I felt horrible for Lucy.

The overall feel of the book is dark and there is a sense of overall danger hovering over the pages, thanks to the Lord Protector. It felt a bit like a race to see how much Lucy could learn in the period of time given to her. With the way that the book ended I’m really curious to see what Amy Greenfield has in store for us, because I honestly have no idea! Chantress is an interesting mix of magic and historical elements that turned out to be an enjoyable and fun read. I see the potential for a great series.(less)

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May 20, 2013 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Full Blog Post @Book-Marks the Spot

Lucy has lived secluded from the world on an island for years. The only other person on the island is Norrie, who tells her the darkness will find her if she sings. Only Lucy wants and adventure and she gets more than she bargained for when she sings.

Now Lucy is in hiding with Nat, who hates magic and Penebrygg, who wants Lucy to save them. Lucy doesn’t know the first thing about being a Chantress, but she is willing to try to save England and the friends that...more

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May 13, 2013 Lili rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss-and-netgalley

3.75 stars

Sing, and the darkness will find you.

That's what Lucy was raised believing. Stranded on an island since she was eight years old with her elder sort-of maid, Norrie, that's all she knew. Past her fifteenth birthday all she knew was solitude, Norrie's cooking, and the island. She had no memories of her mother and the shipwreck that supposedly landed them on the island. But all she knew was that she was to never take off her necklace and that she was to never sing. However, on All-Hollows...more 3.75 stars

Sing, and the darkness will find you.

That's what Lucy was raised believing. Stranded on an island since she was eight years old with her elder sort-of maid, Norrie, that's all she knew. Past her fifteenth birthday all she knew was solitude, Norrie's cooking, and the island. She had no memories of her mother and the shipwreck that supposedly landed them on the island. But all she knew was that she was to never take off her necklace and that she was to never sing. However, on All-Hollows Eve she discovered a letter that Norrie kept hidden from her written to her by her mother and in her swirl of emotions she removes her necklace and hears a song in the wind. When the song gets stronger with the removal of her necklace, she can't help but sing the song that bubbles up in her in response. And soon her and Norrie are transported back to her birthplace in London, England via unknown magic and the wind.

It's safe to say the plot line was very interesting and the beginning easily caught my attention. The plot was great, really great. But, unfortunately, it was slow at times. With the concept of an evil lord who controlled the young King Henry the 9th and inspired fear and terror in all of London using his Shadowgrims, Greenfield definitely earned some bonus points. I loved these demented raven birds and their ability to make others physically quake from their presence and then their ability to steal their memories by brushing their feathers against their victims skin. Demented and scary, I'd never want such a creature to become a reality. But in a book, I loved them.

However, with all of that being said, this book was incredibly slow to me. With such an awesome sounding plot Greenfield could have thrown in some really amazing action sequences. And while she threw in a few in the end, they seemed too easy to overcome after a large percentage of the book was spent with Lucy learning how to be a better Chantress. Yes, she learned, but she went to attempt to save all of London much earlier than originally planned, so there should have been more obstacles in her path, you know? I felt like the process was a little too smooth. Though not entirely smooth, it was more butter than mild peanut butter. I have no other way to describe it. I wish the plot was faster. I think another aspect of the plot that hurt it was that it had many info-dumps. I understand she didn't know much about her Chantress roots, but it was all revealed in huge info-dumps. I wish that went slightly smoother as well.

With that being said, I want to touch upon the romance. While overall existent, it wasn't a huge plot point. And I have to say I didn't like that for once. It was a little too in the background and while it was a very sweet point at the end of the novel and watching the distrust eventually disappear between Lucy and Nat was great, I wish there was more. I think it could have made the slow points in this novel progress faster.

Overall, I recommend this to people looking for a truly unique read. However, this is more for people looking for a novel that is laid-back as opposed to packed with action. I am beyond curious to see what Greenfield has in store for in regards to book two because book one was so amazingly creative and imaginative. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future novels as I eagerly await what else she has in store for us.(less)

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Chantress (Chantress Trilogy #1)

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