The Kingdom of Back – Lucy's Pages

This Post is Spoiler Free!

Okay. I just finished The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. I need a second to compose myself (like, honestly, I’m still crying), so I’m going to give you a quick recount on how this book came into my possession. It’s not a very special story, but I had been walking through the shelves at Barnes & Noble, just chillin’ as one does, when I caught sight of it. The cover is so intriguingly beautiful, I nearly couldn’t set it down, especially after I saw it was by Marie Lu (I loved her Warcross duology) and was about Mozart’s sister. But… I had promised myself I wouldn’t buy any books that trip, and something was telling me to wait on it. So I did.

Well, I am a subscriber to OwlCrate (if you don’t know what it is, it’s a monthly subscription box containing a book and goodies), and can you guess what book came that month? Yup. The Kingdom of Back. I may or may not have done a little cheer. I’ll admit, even though I was super happy to put it on my shelves, I wasn’t expecting to actually read it this year (crazy right?). But then, after I had to remove a book from my December tbr (I’ll share that story later!), I felt compelled to put this book in, and goodness am I glad I did!

This book is absolutely beautiful. I teared up in the first chapter… actually, I teared up a lot during this book. Granted, I’ve been crying easily lately, but this book really, truly touched me. It’s one of those where I’m not sure what to say. The writing itself was perfect, which doesn’t surprise me. I loved Marie Lu’s writing style in Warcross and Wildcard.

But, even more than that, the story itself was so full and magical and heartbreaking. It truly recognized those who have so much beauty to share, but aren’t in the position to actually share it… to have the abilities of a prodigy, but not the circumstance… to be incredible, and to know the world won’t remember. This book also recognized the emotions that go hand in hand with that experience—the jealousy, the anger, the fear, the acceptance, the growth. And, finally, this book recognized what it is to grow up, especially to grow up feeling unworthy, yet finding worth regardless. Honestly, the book hurt my heart, but it also healed, if that makes any sense.

I will admit, I was a little nervous going in. I knew I would like the mechanics of Marie Lu’s writing, and I knew I would like the story, but I was very sceptical about the inclusion of music (which is a… pretty big part of this book… as it is about Mozart’s very musically talented sister). I normally dislike books where music is a main aspect, mainly because I am a musician myself—I am not a professional, but I have played the piano for as long as I can remember, and I consider myself a very musical person. In any case, I have found that most books portray music very stiffly and awkwardly, and it bothers me because music is nothing like that. I shouldn’t have worried, though. I knew from the first description that Marie Lu was a musician as well (I later found out via her author note that she also grew up playing the piano), and it really showed. The depiction of music in The Kingdom of Back was as spot on as it could be.

I feel like this ‘review’ has been incredibly scattered, but these are my honest emotions and thoughts. I hope you have been able to make some sense again. If not, then here is a very simple summation of my thoughts: this book is incredible, and you should read it! I, for one, will be reading it again sometime soon. It is definitely a new favorite. Have you read The Kingdom of Back? If so, how did you like it? If not, what Historical Fiction book do you recommend I read next?

The Kingdom of Back