The Journey Home - Wrap-up post + Giveaway!

THE JOURNEY HOME WRAP-UP POST

Charlene: My fellow Lumaterans. We are finally here! We’ve gotten to the other side of this wonderful book called Finnikin of the Rock, and from the feedback of the participants I believe we’ve all been really happy with the journey. THANK Lagrami and Sagrami! And thank everyone for participating!!

Paola: It’s such a good feeling every time we recommend this book and series to someone and they end up loving it like we do! *sobs* Thank you for traveling with us over the past three weeks. For those of you who foresee further adventures in Lumatere, we do have a Goodreads group you can join -- the #PostFinnikinSupportGroup, handing out Trevanion bear hugs since… early 2013… (LOL)

Charlene: Yes! Please do join us! We will be there to support you if you have yet to read the next two books in the series (cause believe me you will need support!). For the last post of the event, we wanted to have a countdown of some of our favorite moments from the book.  And if you have some favorite moments to share yourself, please let us know in the comments!

Paola: Without further ado, here are our favorite moments from Finnikin of the Rock, complete with commentary from your favorite founding members of the Lumatere Tourism Board! (Hey, we’re legit, okay??)

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END

O~O~O~O~O

#10: Evanjalin is welcomed in by the Monts

Well with all the mystery surrounding Evanjalin, to finally find out that she is not the bad guy and is in fact pretty much the hero (sorry Finn) (P: BAHAHA I love you Finn but this is true~) for bringing her people together - for Evanjalin to get a moment to be with family and the way she breaks down when she can let them take some of the burden is a beautiful moment. And it’s a beautiful moment for Yata to be reunited with a granddaughter she thought was dead.

#9: Trevanion is reunited with his Guard

It’s great to go from such a tense moment when Finn and Evanjalin might get attacked by this hulking monster of a man, to Finn mock fighting with him while Trevanion watches fondly. And the emotion of the Guard as they welcome back their leader was too perfect. I can’t believe how many wonderful and varied relationships Melina Marchetta has worked into this book!
(P: Indeed, the bro love in this book is just awesome. Well and in the whole series. *sniffle*)

#8: When Finn reaches the last ridge one mile from Lumatere after being gone for so long.

“He imagined what it would be like to see inside the kingdom, all the way to the rock of three wonders, where once he made a pledge with his two friends, believing in their omnipotence. That they could save their world.”
(C: An instant of perfect feels-inducing Nationalism that is so important to this story!) (P: And some more of those BFF feels from our Lumatere bros haha)

#7: Evanjalin dares to talk to Trevanion about Beatriss

(P: Um, of course she dares. It’s Evanjalin. Hahaha) Since everything about Trevanion and Beatriss is feels-inducing for me, I have to love the moment when Trevanion is forced to hear about Beatriss after so long believing her dead! And we also get a glimpse of Beatriss’ strength taking on the burden of helping and leading her people.

#6: We discover the fate of Balthazar.

Dude was a BADASS. The end. (C: I want Balthazar to be my brother too!! Just please don’t die!!)

#5: Finnikin won’t let his father divert the soldiers while he escapes from the mines

“Finn, listen!" Trevanion said, his voice raw."I prayed to see you one more time. It’s all I prayed for. Nothing more. And my prayers were answered. Go east, I’ll lend them west."

"We have a dilemma, then," Finnikin said fiercely. “Because I prayed that you would grow old and hold my children in your arms as you held me. My prayers have not been answered yet, Trevanion. So whose prayer is more worthy? Yours or mine?”

More chills! How could Trevanion think Finnikin would leave him when he’s just gotten his Father back!  And Trevanion just buckles down and makes their escape happen. #whatneedstobedone (P: ← THIS!!!!!!)

#4: Operation: Save Froi from the crazy Charynite soldiers

After we hear how Froi heroically saves Evanjalin from capture by drawing attention to himself - you know they need to bring him out of there. While Froi still has a long way to go to redeem himself in this series, this was one heck of an awesome first step! (P: Agreed!!! *hugs Froi*)

#3: Evanjalin tells Trevanion his son is in the Sorel mines

It was difficult to understand why Evanjalin turned Finnikin in to the guards, but when we find out how Trevanion has accepted his fate in the mines, it’s crystal clear. And the way Evanjalin threatens Trevanion if he doesn’t get his son out is classic, feels-inducing Evanjalin. (P: That’s my girl!!!) It’s sad to see a strong man broken, and to have this scene bring him to life was a major chills moment for me!

TIE!!

#1 The best proposal ever in any book, period. 

“This hand says you spend the rest of your life with me,” he said, holding out his left hand, “and this one says I spend the rest of my life with you. Choose.”

/Paola explodes into a burst of feels and hysterical sobbing (C: And happiness rainbows) (P: And lifetime supplies of cake because that’s like, baked happiness) (C: Good point!)

#1: Finn and Evanjalin standing at the gates of Lumatere at last. 

And the odds don’t look too good for survival, but they take a moment to talk about the might-have-been. (Sorry/not sorry guys, this ENTIRE quote is getting included because IT IS THE BEST.)

“Tell me about the farm,” she pleaded as drops of blood began to appear on her hands.

“The farm?”

“The farm that Finnikin the peasant would have lived on with his bride.”

“Evanjalin. That was her name. Did I mention that?”

She laughed through a sob. “No, you didn’t.”

“They would plant rows upon rows of wheat and barley, and each night they would sit under the stars to admire what they owned. Oh, and they would argue. She believes the money spent would be better spent on a horse, and he believes they need a new barn. But then later they would forget all their anger and he would hold her fiercely and never let her go.”

“And he’d place marigolds in her hair?” she asked.

He clasped her hands against his and watched her blood seep through the lines of his skin. “And he would love her until the day he died,” he said. He placed his other bloody hand against those imprinted for eternity on the kingdom walls.

/SPOILERS

O~O~O~O~O

Charlene: Please talk amongst yourselves as Paola and I try to get our feels back in order.

Paola: Yeah seriously, I could barely type out that quote, I was being facepunched by feels the entire time… I think I need to go curl up in a corner and cry for a while now.

Charlene: While we recover (these things take time) here’s a giveaway for the participants/incentive for people who have not read the books to get one of the books from the Lumatere Chronicles. It’s winner’s choice for whichever book they would like!

Paola: Whether you’ve been inspired to come to Lumatere or you’re ready to get back on board the feels train, we’ve got you covered! Good luck!!!

(Open Internationally!!)

Ends November 5th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here's a list of all the wonderful posts that were a part of this event!
WEEK 1
Introduction/Chat @ A Novel Idea
Relationship Post: Beatriss and Trevanion
Why I Moved to Lumatere @ A Novel Idea
First Week Discussion

WEEK 2
Review: Quintana of Charyn
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Rinn Reads
Review: Ferragost  (Lumatere Chronicles #2.5)
Finnikin and Evanjalin @ YA Asylum
Second Week Discussion @ A Novel Idea
Thoughts on the Book #2
Discussion Post @ YA Asylum

WEEK 3
My Unconditional Love for the Lumatere Chronicles @ Gypsy Reviews
Finnikin of the Rock: A Reaction @ Rally the Readers
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Celestial Carousel
Thoughts on Finnikin of the Rock @ The Sleeping Latte
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Doing Dewey
World Building in the Lumatere Chronicles @ Rinn Reads
Duchess Book Club - Quintana of Charyn Review @ A Novel Idea

(if I somehow missed someone's post, please let me know and I'll add it to the list!)

The Journey Home - The Duchesses review Quintana of Charyn

Another post related to The Journey Home is going live on A Novel Idea today.  Finnikin of the Rock and book blogging brought me together with three great bloggers - Charlotte from Gypsy Reviews, Tory from The Sleeping Latte and of course my co-host Paola, and we all decided to style ourselves the Duchesses of Lumatere.  (That's something everybody should do!  Give yourself a title!)  Since we all loved the first two books in this series we decided to read the last book Quintana of Charyn together.  And it was a great idea to have a support group in place for when we all completely keeled over from the awesomeness of this book.  Please go over to Paola's blog to check out our thoughts on the story and the series in general.  And thank you so much to the Duchesses for being such a fab group of people!  I'm so happy to know you all!!  #TrevanionBearHug!!

Image credit to Charlotte from Gypsy Reviews

The Journey Home: Final Thoughts on Finnikin of the Rock

Chapter 17 - The End 

General First Impressions of Finnikin of the Rock

Spoilers!!!

Beware!!

Okay, how many people got that Evanjalin was really Isaboe??  When I first read this book, I so didn't pick up on that, so the reveal was a punch to the gut!  And re-reading the story again, keeping in mind that she is the youngest princess, I still find it difficult to pick up on it.  I was surprised by that because  I thought it might be obvious, but the way Melina keeps working in mentions of Balthazar or the prophecy that seems to point to Finnikin being King, I really don't feel too bad not realizing the truth sooner.  I think Melina did a great job obfuscating the facts, because it was an incredible reveal for me.  And I loved how Evanjalin just became Isaboe when the time came - despite her fears and the darkness that came from walking the sleep, she does what needs to be done.  Always.

And while I at times still think of Isaboe as the main character of Finnikin of the Rock, I think I understand now why Melina made Finnikin the title character - because he grows the most in the story.  All of the books in this series are named after the character that has the most to learn I think, and in this Finnikin comes to understand many things he needed to by the time he comes to accept his true role.  So of course my co-host Paola is right in her comments from our intro post!

There's another thing I love in this story - those moments when the motivations or circumstances behind questionable actions are revealed and other characters are humbled by the reveal.  For instance when Evanjalin walks the sleep while she's not supposed to be bleeding, or when Trevanion finds out why Beatriss had another child.  It's incredibly moving to find out how strong these characters are, not from the character themselves (they either don't want to talk about it or explain themselves), but from a third person with a little more understanding.  It is indeed very humbling to read about what these characters have had to endure.

I hope everyone has finished the book by now!  I really look forward to reading your thoughts on it, and if you would like to comment with those thoughts, head over to A Novel Idea who is in charge of the discussions this week!  Bombard her with your feels! :D

Review: Ferragost

Ferragost (Lumatere Chronicles #2.5)
by Melina Marchetta

Plot Summary:

A short story featured in Review of Australian Fiction.

Lady Celie of the Lumateran Flatlands is visiting the Belegonian spring castle on the isle of Ferragost. Cut off from the rest of Belegonia by poor weather, she is confined to the island with four others, including the mysterious castellan of the castle. When the body of one of the guests is discovered on the rocks outside the east tower, Celie is not only considered a suspect, but finds herself embroiled in events that are entwined with her own kingdom's cursed history, as well as the future of the entire land of Skuldenore.

Review:

This short story takes place between Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn, and gives a little backstory to what Lady Celie was doing by request of the Lumateran Queen.  In Froi and Quintana, there are hints that Lady Celie would not have been thought of as a good spy for Lumatere because she is so delicate, but in this story it's great to find out that she is anything but.  She does use that perception of herself to her advantage though, and I would love to read more of her spy adventures because she has a great sense of humor, and it's so fun seeing how easy it is for her to manipulate the people around her.

Of course this is Melina Marchetta we are talking about here, and all her characters have great depth.  But it's particularly noteworthy here how great her characterizations are because this is such a short story.  The reader gets a very complete picture of the personalities of all the characters by just a few words and how they interact with others - and this story is very tightly written and manages to convey so much plot and backstory.  It does help to know the world of the books, but I think this story does very well as a standalone too - there's enough information given about some of the key characters in the main series to give you an idea about Lady Celie's relationships to them.  And the mystery brewing is very intriguing with a solution that I didn't see coming at all!

The other element of this story that had me totally enthralled was the possible romance between Celie and Castellan Banyon.  Banyon, the character, is very reserved yet I felt like I knew him so well - and I would love to have seen more of him in this story - he's just the type of male romantic hero I like - brooding, conflicted, ruled by duty and with a sly sense of humor that only Lady Celie was able to bring out of him.  There's so much more that can be done with this pairing!  I hope someday Melina Marchetta writes more of their story!

This was a wonderful little mystery, romance and adventure story with wit and humor and some very emotional moments.  And it's a perfect complement to the Lumatere Chronicles!

To buy

Goodreads

Review: Quintana of Charyn

Quintana of Charyn (The Lumatere Chronicles #3)
by Melina Marchetta

Plot Summary:

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.

Review:

The is the third and final book in the Lumatere Chronicles, and what an amazing ride this series has been.  From a first book that is full of beautiful moments with characters we are just getting to know and understand to this final installment where the full realization of who these varied and complex people truly are; I was completely blown away by the awesome scope of this trilogy.  With the first book centering on the tragedy of Lumatere at the hands of Charyn, and the second book examining the circumstances that led to the corrupt government of Charyn, the third book tells the story of how these two lands can start to heal.  There are so many plot threads from the beginning of this series that find a different meaning in the third book as the reader starts to see the complete picture.  It's perfect interweaving of plot threads and characters by an author who I'm fast believing has a completely unearthly writing ability.

This series is high fantasy, but often gets put into YA as a category and I think that fits because as so many people point out, YA has stories where characters feel very strongly and dramatically over every little thing, but with this series those emotional moments are rightfully dramatic and feel life and death.  Whether it's filial or romantic love, love for your land or your child, the stakes are so high in this story that its hard not to feel just as invested in every love story and every heartbreaking plot twist as these characters who must fight for justice and healing.  It's again incredible how Melina Marchetta writes such realistic characters with believable emotional development who are not always likable, but real and relatable.

Quintana as the title character of the book, doesn't have much more scenes than the other characters in this book in my opinion, but she does change the most throughout the story - especially in the final chapters - where you see how much she has learned from the people who took care of her during her pregnancy.  It was so touching to read how this group of women who almost hated each other for most of their forced time together, became so close at the end of it and Quintana was able to grow so much because of that.  It's also interesting to see the parallels in the fierceness of the two Queens in the story - Quintana and Isaboe and their interactions was a joy to read.

There's something that Melina does in this book that I like to think of as deferred pain - because there are so many moments that as a reader I was eagerly awaiting because I knew it would pack an emotional punch, but when it finally happens there is something else very important that needs to play out before that emotional punch can land, so that the emotional set-up of the moment is brought to fruition some pages later resulting in immediate tearfulness for me.  No set-up needed.  It was kinda fun actually being put through the emotional wringer with this book!

I can't recommend this series enough - the story never let me down, it's a moving and engaging portrait of strong, wonderful characters against a backdrop of broken lives, patriotic love, hope and friendship.

Amazon

Goodreads

The Journey Home - First Week Discussion

Prologue - Chapter 16 

General First Impressions of Finnikin of the Rock

When I first read this book I remembered thinking what a lot of story threads from the past are sprinkled throughout - what happened when Finnikin watched them burn Seranonna, what happened to the Monts, to the novices, Trevanion and Beatriss, and to the Guard, etc.  The picture is never really clear until the end, of everything that happened in the past and the non-linear way in which this story is told can be a bit overwhelming.  Reading it a second time really helped me order the events in my mind (and it's especially interesting to compare it to what's to come in the next two books).  Of course I am yet again in awe of Melina Marchetta's storytelling because despite the clear, precise prose and the pretty straightforward way in which the characters express themselves, this is so not a simple story.  And there are so many characters who feel 3-dimensional in this world, that I just can't believe this book didn't take 50 years to write!  Really my second impressions of this book let me take in how Melina tells the story, and how fantastic she is at spinning so many plates at once.

Another thing that stands out for me is the realism of the details.  I'm just going to point out the scene where Finnikin (and Trevanion!) goes off with some prostitutes.  It's just sex, and so matter of factly stated.  Why was this included when Melina could have painted Finnikin in a more heroically romantic way?  Because this is realistic.  And those touches of realism adds so much to the portraits of these characters  - where Evanjalin is hurt by his decision to go with some girl he doesn't know, but she doesn't pout over it - just throws it at him in a heated moment, immediately changing the subject.  But you know it rankled.  As it should.  And Finnikin has to grapple with his feelings for Evanjalin that is more than just physical need.  There's also the moments in the Exile camps when you feel the pain of these displaced people and you wonder what is the best place for them.  The scenes are brief overall but it's chilling and inspiring at the same time.  Because they have survived and are going to find a way home.

If you do feel overwhelmed though with all these characters and their individual stories as a first-time reader, I'd just recommend to stick with the story as things become clearer later on and emotional arcs start to coalesce into face-punching feels.  Not that there aren't enough major Feels moments already in the first part of this book.  Trevanion and Finnikin's reunion is a major one to me.  Evanjalin and Finnikin's contentious romance (!!)  And the moment when Evanjalin tells Trevanion about Beatriss (Bevanion 4eva! Thanks Paola!)  Also there's the introduction of the best hashtag motivator in the world:  #whatneedstobedone

"What have you done?" he asked hoarsely.
The look she gave him was pure anguish.
"What needs to be done!" (p75)

Just put that phrase up over your home or work desk space and stare at it whenever you don't feel like writing that blog post, review, or story.  It needs to be done folks! :)

If you would like, please comment with any of your thoughts on the first half of this book!
What do you think of the world building?
Any characters stand out or resonate with you?
Has it lived up at all to the ridiculous expectations our enthusiasm for the books has created?  (Sorry about that)

And if you are posting your own discussions/reaction posts you can link up to it here for all the other participants to read!  For a breakdown of what's been happening this past week for this event check out the links below:

• Introduction/Chat
• Relationship post: Beatriss and Trevanion
• Why I Moved To Lumatere

Week 1 Discussion: Link Submission

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!

The Journey Home - Celebrating the Lumatere Chronicles

The event kicks off today!  It's time for me to re-read Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, and I think it will be great to revisit the first book after recently finishing the last!  And to get some of my thoughts as well as my co-host Paola's on the first book - check out our chat on A Novel Idea today!

Tomorrow I'll have a more substantial post all about my favorite couple from the book - Lady Beatriss of the Flatlands and Trevanion of the River.

The Journey Home: Introduction and Sign-Up

October 7-27 2013

Honorary Lumaterans:

Charlene: You may have heard or read of a remarkable book called Finnikin of the Rock by the brilliant Melina Marchetta. If you’ve read it you no doubt know the captivating story within. If you’ve only heard of it - here’s what you are in for :

• An engaging, realistic fantasy world
• Kick-ass heroes and heroines
• Moral complexity
• Intriguing adventure and danger
• Captivating characters
• Amazing writing
• Emotional character connections

Paola: And also, you will most definitely be facepunched by the feels.

Charlene: No exaggeration there! There’s a little group of us Lumateran-loving fangirls who have fallen hard for these books, and Paola from A Novel Idea (Finnikin Ambassador extraordinaire) and I thought it would be great fun to host an event devoted to it. And if you, like us, are interested in experiencing or re-experiencing the wonderful journey of Finnikin and Evanjalin to reclaim Lumatere from the false king and break the curse over their beloved land, please join in the festivities of this event and celebrate the Lumatere Chronicles with us!

Paola: It’s become our mission in life to bring this beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable series to as many people as possible. I would say more about it, but I tend to get all incoherent and ridiculous when I try to talk about this book. Err, more incoherent and ridiculous than usual…

Charlene: Don’t worry though, since we’ve read this book before we will be much more in control of our emotions! (Watch us fail.)

Paola: Oh yeah, we are TOTALLY going to be in control of our emotions. We will not be sobbing and clutching our copies of Finnikin of the Rock. You can count on us to not be a hot mess the entire time… PROMISE.

Charlene: For three weeks we are hosting a read-along with discussions of the first book - Finnikin of the Rock. The read-along is not mandatory and new readers or re-readers are welcome to join in if they wish. The second part of the event will be all about the guest posts with participating bloggers writing about any topic they want. (Again neither the readalong or the topic posts are mandatory - you can do one or the other or both.)

Topics for these posts can pretty much cover anything relating to the series and include:

• Favorite characters
• Themes of community, family, dispossession
• A look at the relationships between any characters
• Any other themes
• Approach to fantasy/world-building
• Fan-casting the characters
• What touched you about the story/ a feels reaction post
• Reviews of any of the books in the series

We would like every blogger to post on different topics (except when it comes to reviews of the books or reaction posts - there’s no limit on who writes these posts) so please let us know what you’d like to write about through the Google Doc Sign-up form below with your preferred schedule date. We would like to schedule posts throughout the event so there will be something fun to read every day. If you were lucky enough to participate in Love Triangles 101 last July, the event will be run similarly to that.

The most important thing is to celebrate these books. The Post-Finnikin Support Group is going to read the last book in this series soon and I am so not ready to let go of this world, and sharing my love of these books with as many people as possible will help extend the experience. And why not foster our own little community of Lumatere-aholics here!

Paola: Um, well I never actually left Lumatere, so I’ll see you all there! I’ll be the one distributing boxes of Kleenex and pints of Ben & Jerry’s to all participants. Trust me, these are necessary provisions for your journey. The lovely ladies of the Post-Finnikin Support Group will also be on hand to give #TrevanionBearHugs to anyone in need of them. WE’RE HERE FOR YOU.

Can’t wait to see you all there!

Charlene & Paola

Founding Members
Lumatere Tourism Board




Read our reviews of the first two books!
@ A Novel Idea: Finnikin of the Rock  |  Froi of the Exiles
@ Bookish Whimsy:  Finnikin of the Rock  |  Froi of the Exiles

P.S. Thank you so much Paola for all your collab help and for making the awesome banner and event badge!!  Best Ambassador EVER!

Tentative Scheduling:

The Event runs from October 7th - 27th
Finnikin of the Rock readalong: October 7th-20th. (That’s two weeks to read 400pg)
October 7th-13th: Prologue and Chapters 1-15
October 14th-20th: Chapters 16-30
(Scheduled posts by participating bloggers will be added here as they are received.)

Charlotte @ Gypsy Reviews | Lumatere Chronicles & High Fantasy (date open)
Lee @ Rally the Readers | Reaction Post (Oct 21)
Jorie @ Jorie Loves Stories | Recap/Reaction Post (date open)
Tory @ The Sleeping Latte | Feels post, possible Lucian post (Oct 14, 21)
Kim @ YA Asylum | Character/Relationship post (Oct 17)
Alisa @ Picture Me Reading | Undecided (date open)
Samantha @ Celestial Carousel | Review, possibly more (Oct 22)
Doing Dewey | Review (Oct 25)
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy | Review, Beatriss and Trevanion (date open)
Paola @ A Novel Idea | Undecided/Isaboe (date open)
The Duchesses Group Review (date open)

Please if you have any thoughts or comments or ideas for changes to make to this event, let me or Paola know!  Sign-up below!

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