What is this book about? The synopsis is definitely a bit misleading (at least to me). I was expecting a fantasy story with musical aspects something along the veins of Wintersong. However, The Kingdom of Back is a historical fiction focused on the bond between siblings with some fantasy elements mixed in. The book follows the Nannerl Mozart and her relationship with her brother as they discover and cultivate their prodigious musical talents together.
What did I like? I'm a big enough person to admit that prior to this book, I was unaware of Wolfgang Mozart's equally talented sister, Nannerl. Once I had read up about her on Wikipedia, I was able to better appreciate Marie Lu's story. She gave such an important voice to Nannerl and I loved how true to history the book's events were. Even the mention of the Kingdom of Back was really well done and did a great job giving insight to the possible thoughts and emotions Nannerl might have had about her success and place in the world compared to her brother's.
What didn't I like? The Kingdom of Back was a lot slower paced and longer than I had anticipated. Because it was lacking in action and focused more on Nannerl's inner monologue, I struggled to push through parts of the book.
Overall thoughts: The Kingdom of Back was a totally different type of story than I had been expecting: the book is more historical fiction than fantasy. Marie Lu's lyrical writing focuses on music and sibling love, however the book's slower pace and lack of action failed to keep my attention.
What did I like? I'm a big enough person to admit that prior to this book, I was unaware of Wolfgang Mozart's equally talented sister, Nannerl. Once I had read up about her on Wikipedia, I was able to better appreciate Marie Lu's story. She gave such an important voice to Nannerl and I loved how true to history the book's events were. Even the mention of the Kingdom of Back was really well done and did a great job giving insight to the possible thoughts and emotions Nannerl might have had about her success and place in the world compared to her brother's.
What didn't I like? The Kingdom of Back was a lot slower paced and longer than I had anticipated. Because it was lacking in action and focused more on Nannerl's inner monologue, I struggled to push through parts of the book.
Overall thoughts: The Kingdom of Back was a totally different type of story than I had been expecting: the book is more historical fiction than fantasy. Marie Lu's lyrical writing focuses on music and sibling love, however the book's slower pace and lack of action failed to keep my attention.