REVIEW: Finnikin of the Rock by Melinda Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock by Melinda Marchetta
Publishing information: Paperback; 417 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; 9 August 2011
ISBN: 978-0763652920
Series: The Lumatere Chronicles #1
Copy: Sent by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "2008 Printz Award Winner Melina Marchetta crafts an epic fantasy of ancient magic, exile, feudal intrigue, and romance that rivets from the first page.

Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny."

Once I started Finnikin of the Rock, I knew I was going to have a hard time with the book. From the first page I just wasn't feeling it. Not sure if it was the setting or the pacing of the novel. I just wasn't having a good time reading it. Finnikin of the Rock starts out with the peaceful kingdom of Lumatere being taken over by an imposter king, the rightful ruler murdered and the successor to the throne missing. Skip a few years and we are introduced to Finnikin, the son of the head royal guard. He is joined by his mentor, Sir Topher, as they are brought to the priestess of Lagrami and charged with protecting one of the church's novices, Evanjalin, who may hold the key to removing the imposter king and returning the land to prosperity.

I found myself only liking Sir Topher. He was level-headed (to an extent) and seemed to exhibit some common sense. Finnikin seemed to always want to fight and prove himself, never learning from previous encounters and yet when the battle was over he and his opponent would instantly become best friends. Evanjaline could do no wrong. She was strong and never needed rescuing (there is nothing wrong with it but it just seemed out of place). The biggest issue I had was that no matter how dangerous things became there just never seemed to any real threat. Throughout the entire novel there just never seemed to be any real sense of danger or peril.

The world building was also a little off. Throughout Finnikin of the Rock we are told that Finnikin's nation was around 6,000 people and yet we have a huge differences in nationalities, races and physical attributes. While the various kingdoms and lands seem to intermingle, the people don't. There is a huge gap in racial equality. No one marries anyone who is different. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

There was a reason that this book has sat in my Mt. To-be-read for nearly a year. It wasn't much fun to read. My intuition was correct. Finnikin of the Rock is lackluster at best. I have not hesitation in telling people to stay away from this one.

Overall 4/10