Beatriss and Trevanion - Star-crossed love in Finnikin of the Rock

This is what happens when I get a new
drawing app on my iPad mini

There are quite a few loving relationships in Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta - all of them with their own particular conflicts and hurdles - but when I first read this book, the relationship that appealed to me the most was the mature, heart-rending one between Beatriss and Trevanion.

Spoiler warning - if you haven't read this book, you probably shouldn't proceed further.

I think what touches me the most about their story is how much love they had for each other and how truly terrible circumstances come between them during the Five Days of the Unspeakable.  And because of that, finding their way back to each other is not easy.  It's something that can't even be resolved in this book.  But they are good people - who had to make huge sacrifices -and they definitely deserve to have a happy ending. 

The way they first met was anything but romantic, with Trevanion harshly scolding her about allowing the children she was taking care of to do something dangerous (he says to her "Be functional, woman. Are you nothing but a doll with a pretty face and a powerful father?" To which my reply would have been "You think I'm pretty?" LOL).  Unfortunately she is dismissed from her position because of this, but she gets to prove herself later, when Trevanion takes the royal kids with him to see her father.  The kids wander away and find themselves confronted by an angry bull.  And Beatriss diverts the bull's attention and gets knocked down because of it.  With a scathing comment to Trevanion ("was that functional enough for you Captain?") she grabs Trevanion's attention and it's a wonderful romance ever after.  Well until the Unspeakable.  But I love how they both have such strong personalities that are driven by duty (a trait common to all Lumaterans it seems) and even though they started off on the wrong foot, they realize each other's worth.  I would have loved to read more about their courtship and about their happier times - maybe a spin off novella if Melina would like to revisit Lumatere?? (Just thought I'd throw that out there.)

But love stories, for me, are far more interesting when obstacles are introduced that must separate the lovers, even though they still have strong feelings for each other.  And here there are many obstacles.  So many terrible things that happened with the tragedies in Lumatere and because the impostor King used their love to break them.  It's too much!  And something that I think echoes throughout this book - whether with all the pain everyone has gone through, is it worth it to fight?  Trevanion gave up after awhile until Evanjalin saw the way to make it worth it to him to fight.  And Beatriss does fight, but not for herself - for the people who are trapped in Lumatere with her and are unable to defend themselves.

I have to pull another quote from this book - one beautiful one that encompasses again why Beatriss and Trevanion are such a compelling couple:

"Most nights she is restless. There are too many people to worry about, and she wonders how she will be able to make things right. How can she be someone other than Beatriss the Beautiful or Beatriss the Beloved? But then, just when she’s about to lose hope, she remembers what you would whisper to her, Captain Trevanion. That she was Beatriss the Bold. Beatriss the Brave. To all others she was a fragile flower, but you would not let her be."

Gawd, the writing in this book is so beautiful!  Beatriss and Trevanion make each other better.  Trevanion's formidable nature is tempered by Beatriss's grace and Beatriss's strength is brought out by Trevanion's belief in her.  

But how much can two people go through because of each other before they think maybe they have changed too much to have what they once shared?  That's what we are left with by the end of the first book - a largely unsatisfying sense of sorrow at their pain and a hope that they will be able to find a way to make it work.  Usually when I read these kinds of dilemmas in stories, I'm pretty confident that everything will work out in the end.  But with Finnikin, I wasn't so sure.  The issues felt too real and potentially insurmountable.  I felt like maybe the past might be too painful and they wouldn't be able to put it behind them.  It's another reason I like this couple so much - because there is that poignant feeling that it might just end with them.  Even though I crave happy endings, happy endings seem so much more fulfilling when the characters are tested by fire as it were.  And they find they still need each other after.  Of course you have to read the rest of the series to find out how it all works out.

Thanks for reading!  And for more information on The Journey Home event - check out yesterday's chat introduction and schedule post on A Novel Idea!