The Kingdom of Back is the story of the great Mozart's older sister and how he really came to be the successful composer we all recognize because of her. Both musical prodigies, the children are called through their music to the magical Kingdom of Back, which acts as a mirror image of the real world, but with unexplained phenomena, monsters, and fairies. The world houses dark secrets that Nannerl and Woferl must navigate to successfully restore their reality in 1700s Germany.
The first few pages had me absolutely enthralled. I loved the ethereal and magical feeling of the Kingdom of Back. I thought the writing was really strong and compelling, and the world building was wonderfully done. I loved Nannerl and the morally gray space she occupies when it comes to her younger brother and his success. My only complaints were that Herr Mozart was a wholly unlikeable character for me, and that Nannerl didn't do more to fight against her circumstances in the real world. I wanted to see her take more of a stand in reality like she does in the Kingdom of Back.
Overall, I thought the plot was fast-paced and captivating. I never found myself bored, and at some points I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This novel gets a 4/5 star review from me because I felt like there was more it could have done regarding refusing to adhere to outlandish expectations of the times, and also because I wanted more retribution for wrongs done against Nannerl at the end than I got.
The first few pages had me absolutely enthralled. I loved the ethereal and magical feeling of the Kingdom of Back. I thought the writing was really strong and compelling, and the world building was wonderfully done. I loved Nannerl and the morally gray space she occupies when it comes to her younger brother and his success. My only complaints were that Herr Mozart was a wholly unlikeable character for me, and that Nannerl didn't do more to fight against her circumstances in the real world. I wanted to see her take more of a stand in reality like she does in the Kingdom of Back.
Overall, I thought the plot was fast-paced and captivating. I never found myself bored, and at some points I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This novel gets a 4/5 star review from me because I felt like there was more it could have done regarding refusing to adhere to outlandish expectations of the times, and also because I wanted more retribution for wrongs done against Nannerl at the end than I got.