Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

The Breathtaking Tale Found Within The Kingdom of Back

The Kingdom of Back is the latest novel to spring from Marie Lu. As such, it is probably a fantasy novel on many fans’ radar. This is a novel that beautifully blends fantasy elements with musical themes.

This novel takes a delightful twist on historical figures, providing an illuminating and enchanting perspective. Maria Anna Mozart, aka Nannerl, is a real woman and was a brilliant musician. If not for the time period and her brother’s talents, it is likely her name we would all be thinking of.

The Kingdom of Back dives into her story, providing a magical world where she battled and thrived. It is a powerful counter to the ordinary world and provides a muse for her musical endeavors.

This is arguably one of the most powerful novels I’ve read this year. Nannerl’s story felt real and raw while having such stunning and captivating elements strewn about. Once again, Marie Lu has provided us with something remarkable.

Writing

The Kingdom of Back is a masterpiece, plain and simple. Marie Lu has written something beautiful here, providing fantasy and insight into a person we should know more about. While reading this tale, Lu’s opinion and theories come to life, making Nannerl feel all the more real.

From start to finish, this was an enchanting story. The raw edges of the real world merged beautifully with the fantasy elements. With the world that Nannerl and her younger brother discovered together.

The prevalent themes truly carried this tale, but the writing also did. I don’t think this story would have had nearly the same impact had it been written in any other way. There was something so organic about how Nannerl’s story was written here. It made it feel real. More than that, it felt respectful, even with the inclusion of a fantastical plot.

Development

The Kingdom of Back was a very carefully paced novel. There was always this sense of what was to come, even during the more calming moments in the tale. Nannerl always had something going on in her life – something to dread or think about – that forced the plot onward.

Likewise, her character grew significantly throughout this novel. Not just in age, though there is that, in mind and talent. A fact that became more apparent with each passing chapter – as did all of the conflicts that came with those changes.

It was both delightful and heartbreaking to watch her grow up. Lu perfectly portrayed everything that Nannerl would have come up against in that time period, and it drove the plot home. It gave the story’s fantasy elements solid grounding to leap away from. It was beautiful and real and raw.

It also left a sense that there was more to come. Even knowing how the story would end (being that it is based on a real character, albeit with creative license), it was impossible to escape this sense of what was to come. This curiosity grew as the story unfolded.

Conclusion

The Kingdom of Back was the enthralling novel I had hoped for and then some. It was beautifully written and, in some ways, deeply haunting. Nannerl had never felt so alive and real to me, which may be ironic, given the spin that Lu provided here.

Yet there’s no doubt in my mind that this novel will stick with me for quite some time. Nannerl’s story truly touched me. It’s not a feeling I will be able to shake anytime soon. Nor do I want to do so.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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