Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, #1) in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Jul 04, 2023 Irene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, own-physical, signed, kindle-unlimited, cover-is-accurate, small-publisher, aty-2023, got-in-2023, read-in-2023

Wow. This trilogy has been a wild emotional roller coaster, and I blew through it in five days. Each book in the trilogy improves significantly on the previous one (I'd give the first book 3.5 stars and the third book 5 stars), and it's been a really long time since I've read something so well-plotted.

Some key points I want to make about the trilogy as a whole:
- This trilogy is NOT for children or the faint of heart. In fact, I can't remember the last time I read a series with so much death, tr Wow. This trilogy has been a wild emotional roller coaster, and I blew through it in five days. Each book in the trilogy improves significantly on the previous one (I'd give the first book 3.5 stars and the third book 5 stars), and it's been a really long time since I've read something so well-plotted.

Some key points I want to make about the trilogy as a whole:
- This trilogy is NOT for children or the faint of heart. In fact, I can't remember the last time I read a series with so much death, tragedy, gore, and sacrifice. Sure, some of this comes from acts of tyranny from antagonists, but a lot of it also comes from beloved characters making terrible mistakes with horrifying consequences. The pain and regret is pretty intense, but as the reader, you feel pained along with the characters because while sometimes reckless or even cruel, the characters are never stupid. DO NOT GET ATTACHED TO ANY OF THE CHARACTERS.

- Related to the first point, but nothing in this series is ever easy, and there is a struggle/fight every step of the way. I would compare it to the LOTR movies in that conflicts arise and are solved in major ways, but the work is never done (until the very end) and things gets worse before they get better. It's impossible to predict how things will unfold because there are so many layers and unanticipated consequences - this isn't one of those series where you know from the beginning what the real end game is. There are very few moments of respite in the books, and the stakes and circumstances in each subsequent book makes the previous book seem like child's play.

- The mythology and world-building is great. Don't be turned off by the fact that this book has trolls - these aren't the trolls you're thinking of, and things aren't always what they seem. I will say, however, that I thought this first book in particular had the perfect level of "weird" to create uneasiness and interest (especially in the introduction of Marc, Matilde, and Sylvie).

- As I've already mentioned, this first book is the worst in the series. It has the least amount of character development and is the most "trope-y" - the female lead is kidnapped and married/bonded to the male lead within the first few chapters, and the characters are not as mature as they are in the second and third books. Compared to the scale and stakes of their problems later on, the problems the lead characters have in this book are absolutely childish and mild.

- In the least spoilery way possible: this series is full of adversity and pain. There is no deus ex machina or cop-out ending that's going to find loopholes or erase life-debts and promises. The ending is consistent with the series as a whole. In other words, bring the tissues. Things will be very bittersweet.

(As a very random note: I love when the cover of a book actually corresponds to the content. A glowing glass rose definitely makes an appearance!)

*2023 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #1: A book set in a location that starts with A, T, or Y.
This book is set in the kingdom of Trollus. ...more

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