The Kingdom of Back is a historical fantasy that follows Mozart’s lesser-known but equally talented younger sister, Nannerl.
This novel was very different from Marie Lu’s other books. I really liked it, but it was one of those books that reminded me of a puzzle; you have to finish it to realize how beautiful it is. I adored the middle and the end, but the beginning was VERY slow. In fact, because of this, The Kingdom of Back took me a little over a month to read. As for the characters, all of them were likeable enough. The plot was pretty predictable, but I would have read the Kingdom of Back just for Nannerl’s character development.
I loved not only the the dark and whimsical feel of it, but also the message of this book. It gave me, as a reader, a birds eye view into what it was like for women in a time where they were basically considered worthless. I felt that this book celebrated Nannerl and every single woman of the past whose talents were forgotten because of their gender.
Overall, The Kingdom of Back was very enjoyable, and I probably would read it again, even if the pacing was off.