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bookdevouringmisfit's review
4.0
Only Melina Marchetta can write a story so short that can draw me in so much.
eyreguide's review
5.0
Review of Ferragost by Melina Marchetta
This short story takes place between Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn, and gives a little backstory to what Lady Celie was doing by request of the Lumateran Queen. In Froi and Quintana, there are hints that Lady Celie would not have been thought of as a good spy for Lumatere because she is so delicate, but in this story it's great to find out that she is anything but. She does use that perception of herself to her advantage though, and I would love to read more of her spy adventures because she has a great sense of humor, and it's so fun seeing how easy it is for her to manipulate the people around her.
Of course this is Melina Marchetta we are talking about here, and all her characters have great depth. But it's particularly noteworthy here how great her characterizations are because this is such a short story. The reader gets a very complete picture of the personalities of all the characters by just a few words and how they interact with others - and this story is very tightly written and manages to convey so much plot and backstory. It does help to know the world of the books, but I think this story does very well as a standalone too - there's enough information given about some of the key characters in the main series to give you an idea about Lady Celie's relationships to them. And the mystery brewing is very intriguing with a solution that I didn't see coming at all!
The other element of this story that had me totally enthralled was the possible romance between Celie and Castellan Banyon. Banyon, the character, is very reserved yet I felt like I knew him so well - and I would love to have seen more of him in this story - he's just the type of male romantic hero I like - brooding, conflicted, ruled by duty and with a sly sense of humor that only Lady Celie was able to bring out of him. There's so much more that can be done with this pairing! I hope someday Melina Marchetta writes more of their story!
This was a wonderful little mystery, romance and adventure story with wit and humor and some very emotional moments. And it's a perfect complement to the Lumatere Chronicles!
This short story takes place between Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn, and gives a little backstory to what Lady Celie was doing by request of the Lumateran Queen. In Froi and Quintana, there are hints that Lady Celie would not have been thought of as a good spy for Lumatere because she is so delicate, but in this story it's great to find out that she is anything but. She does use that perception of herself to her advantage though, and I would love to read more of her spy adventures because she has a great sense of humor, and it's so fun seeing how easy it is for her to manipulate the people around her.
Of course this is Melina Marchetta we are talking about here, and all her characters have great depth. But it's particularly noteworthy here how great her characterizations are because this is such a short story. The reader gets a very complete picture of the personalities of all the characters by just a few words and how they interact with others - and this story is very tightly written and manages to convey so much plot and backstory. It does help to know the world of the books, but I think this story does very well as a standalone too - there's enough information given about some of the key characters in the main series to give you an idea about Lady Celie's relationships to them. And the mystery brewing is very intriguing with a solution that I didn't see coming at all!
The other element of this story that had me totally enthralled was the possible romance between Celie and Castellan Banyon. Banyon, the character, is very reserved yet I felt like I knew him so well - and I would love to have seen more of him in this story - he's just the type of male romantic hero I like - brooding, conflicted, ruled by duty and with a sly sense of humor that only Lady Celie was able to bring out of him. There's so much more that can be done with this pairing! I hope someday Melina Marchetta writes more of their story!
This was a wonderful little mystery, romance and adventure story with wit and humor and some very emotional moments. And it's a perfect complement to the Lumatere Chronicles!
nourarchive's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. I had so much fun reading this, i wish it was longer. I need an entire book on Celie and Banyon!
mmardybum's review
4.0
i mean, i freaking loved this so, so much, and i dont know why i havent said as much previously, but boy, this was fantastic. and i need more, its simply not fair to leave this battle of the wills unfinished. also, everybody knows you dont disobey the queen and she specifically requested this to happen so.
i need more of celie and banyon. when?
i need more of celie and banyon. when?
bethorne's review
5.0
Perfect.
"And if it weren’t for the scent of Celina, May of the Lumateran Flatlands on the blanket he had placed around her shoulders the night of Argus Laraunt’s disappearance, Valentien Banyon would have slept fitfully.
But there it was.
And so he didn’t."
"And if it weren’t for the scent of Celina, May of the Lumateran Flatlands on the blanket he had placed around her shoulders the night of Argus Laraunt’s disappearance, Valentien Banyon would have slept fitfully.
But there it was.
And so he didn’t."
moonlunatik's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
meringued's review
5.0
"Mr. Banyon, I will speak these words one more time. I. Am. Not. A. Spy."
Celie was indeed a spy for Lumatere."
Wow, Marchetta sure is talented to make me love Celie, write a compelling plot, AND sell me on a romance in less than 50 pages. I need more Celie stories in my life! She is an interesting, complex female character (no surprises there, it is Marchetta). Her personality shows that she is strong and clever, with deep ties back to her family and people like all Lumaterans. One of my favorite quotes does better for characterization than some novels struggle to do in chapters.
There was something about her mother's wild spirit that would reveal itself even more when she was amongst her own. Her father had been smart enough to celebrate it and there was a passion to their love that Celie wanted for herself. She knew her mother's wild spirit was deeply hidden inside Celie herself, beneath the layers of what was expected of her. Her mother saw it too. So did her Queen. Few others did. She wasn't feisty or outspoken like other girls in Lumatere, but Celie had a fire burning inside of her and she feared she'd never unleash it.
#relationshipgoals
There is a lot more story to tell here; I hope more short Celie stories are released soon.
emiann2023's review
5.0
O.o. Well hello there short saga that whisked away my heart. May I have more please?
Melina is in rare form with this delightful, too-short masterpiece. Taking a relatively minor character from the main trilogy and making me want to be her new bff in 15,000 words is an incredible achievement. And I really can't wait to pick up the next one. *off to get the next short story!*
Melina is in rare form with this delightful, too-short masterpiece. Taking a relatively minor character from the main trilogy and making me want to be her new bff in 15,000 words is an incredible achievement. And I really can't wait to pick up the next one. *off to get the next short story!*
mikrokosm0s's review
4.0
Ahhh if only Melina Marchetta would write another Lumatere book. I think I would cry from happiness.