The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for. -taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:
The Sweet Far Thing concludes the fantastic trilogy by Libba Bray beginning with A Great and Terrible Beauty followed by Rebel Angels. I want more!

The Sweet Far Thing is a delicious read with magic, romance, parties and balls, plot twists, danger and so much more. Libba Bray created a truly magical realm where Gemma and her friends go to play. A storm is brewing in the Winterlands (dark side of the realms) and things just don't seem the same in the realms. Gemma has to figure out how to set things right before the realms and the real world are changed (for the worse) forever. She needs to solve the puzzle and read what her visions are telling her before it's too late. As if this isn't enough, she has her family to deal with in the real world. She tries to keep the Rakshana away from her brother, help her father with his addictions and subsequent illness and figure out how she truly feels about Simon and Kartik.

Libba Bray is wonderful in her descriptions of the magical realms and life for teenage girls in Victorian London society. Though the subject matter in this trilogy is sometimes quite deep, the writing is often humorous and light. This is a fun series and one I will without a doubt be re-reading.