I absolutely loved this book. It's one I've been meaning to read for about a year and all the talk about the third book in the series (Quintana of Charyn) finally prompted me to buy it.

I am in awe of Melina Marchetta. For someone as skilled as she is at writing funny, sharp and profound young adult novels to also be a master fantasy storyteller is quite astounding.

Finnikin of the Rock is one of the most well-crafted, beautifully told stories I've ever read. The world building is meticulous. The characters remarkably complex and real. The plot and twists enthralling. And the story of the Lumatere people is so heartbreaking that when hope finally comes, it's impossible not to be caught up in the moment.

What makes this book so exceptional are the characters and their relationships - a Marchetta trademark - and the way the author manages to capture the best and worst of human nature. It's a story that, while set in a fantasy world, could easily be an analogy for any moment in human history when one group of people have de-humanised another.

And of course, there's the enthralling and complicated romance that builds between Finnikin and the enigmatic Evanjalin.

This is a brilliant novel. I savoured every page and I cried more than once in the last few chapters. It's a given that fans of fantasy will enjoy this, but so will anyone who craves characters they will care deeply about, in a powerful story about the human condition.

I'm looking forward to Froi of the Exiles, but want to savour this story for a little while longer before I dive back into this world.