The music and majesty of the name Mozart, combined with Lu's self-assured writing and tight plotting? I'm in!
My fascination with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (both the man and his music) began when I was blown away by the film 'Amadeus' on the big screen in 1984. Having recently - within the last year - also "discovering" and becoming fascinated with the work of Marie Lu, naturally I was going to be ALL over a joining of forces for what seems an engrossing new YA historical!
Almost immediately in the book you learn that Wolfgang wasn't the only musical prodigy in the Mozart home; his older sister Nannerl was also born with a gift and an ear, not to mention the desire to be remembered for being a great composer (almost unheard of, in those times, for women). Much like in the case of the teacher Salieri, years later, Nannerl will soon learn that the genuine prodigy in her household is her baby brother, whom she loves dearly even as she also grows to fear her budding jealousy of him ...
But this is Marie Lu, so this historical novel detailing the relationship between a potentially rival brother and sister instead becomes all that more brilliant when Nannerle discovers a world beyond her own - a world of magic and mystery seemingly protected by a young, handsome-to-the-point-of-pretty princeling who tells Nannerle he can make her wish come true ... if she helps him, too.
What a great start, Marie Lu so adept at laying the foundation of the brother-sister relationship solidly while also dropping mysterious clues about this strange new world Nannerle is about to enter, that seems a bit too beautiful to be true. Would be so great to take the three weeks and get, read and review this bestseller before it hits the street date!
Almost immediately in the book you learn that Wolfgang wasn't the only musical prodigy in the Mozart home; his older sister Nannerl was also born with a gift and an ear, not to mention the desire to be remembered for being a great composer (almost unheard of, in those times, for women). Much like in the case of the teacher Salieri, years later, Nannerl will soon learn that the genuine prodigy in her household is her baby brother, whom she loves dearly even as she also grows to fear her budding jealousy of him ...
But this is Marie Lu, so this historical novel detailing the relationship between a potentially rival brother and sister instead becomes all that more brilliant when Nannerle discovers a world beyond her own - a world of magic and mystery seemingly protected by a young, handsome-to-the-point-of-pretty princeling who tells Nannerle he can make her wish come true ... if she helps him, too.
What a great start, Marie Lu so adept at laying the foundation of the brother-sister relationship solidly while also dropping mysterious clues about this strange new world Nannerle is about to enter, that seems a bit too beautiful to be true. Would be so great to take the three weeks and get, read and review this bestseller before it hits the street date!