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.

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:

Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify -- visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain....

The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms -- or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend -- and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

My Thoughts:

This second novel in Libba Bray's trilogy is at least as good as the first, A Great and Terrible Beauty. This has all the magic and intrigue of the first book plus more! We get to explore more of The Realms and see more of the strange and unique inhabitants. Gemma struggles to find the Temple in the Realms and bind the magic that is running rampant for anyone to abuse. She struggles to help her father with his addiction to laudanum. She struggles with her feelings about the dashing Simon Middleton as well as her feelings for Kartik. Gemma has many conflicts to face and overcome in Rebel Angels. There are characters in this book who are not who they seem to be and Gemma has to decide who she can trust and who she cannot. Libba Bray is a fantastic writer who brings her characters to life. She does a wonderful job at giving each character a distinct personality. This book has humor, romance, suspense, fantasy all blended together into a story that is fun, entertaining and will leave you wanting more!

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

My thoughts:
This book is magical! It's one of those stories to get lost in. At it's center is Gemma, a 16 year old girl at a boarding school in England. This novel has a hidden diary, magical realms, a secret Order, malevolent beings and much more that makes A Great and Terrible Beauty a very enjoyable read! The two main themes I found in this book are forgiveness and the choices we have to make. To quote Mrs. Moore (the girls' teacher) "There are no safe choices.....Only other choices. Every choice has a consequence."
A Great and Terrible Beauty is the first in a series of books meant for young adults. I am eager to continue the saga. Don't let the young adult label turn you off of these books if you are an adult. Libba Bray does a wonderful job making her books accessible to both adults and young adults.