The Kingdom of Back

"I pushed through to page 95 and then ultimately gave up reading it. The story was extremely slow and I was uninterested in pretty much all of it. The magic kingdom storyline did not make much sense to me and it made the history behind the story much less intriguing. "

"K"

"I was definitely taken aback by this book. In all honesty I did not think I would enjoy it seeing as how I don't particularly listen to symphonies, operas, or concertos. And let's not forget my grades in Music Appreciation. Though in spite of all these things I highly enjoyed the tale. While reading I constantly investigated more into the history of Mozart. It was to the point where the plot was so enriching that I believed all of this really had taken place. How is that for getting lost in another world?<br/><br/>The past week I have been in a sea of books portraying women to be weak and always needing someone to swoop in and save them. I really needed this story. The Author mentions she was passionate about this tale and it shows. Marie Lu's writing was so very lyrical which added tremendously to the world. I have to say this book reminded me of Peter pan, alice in wonderland, and the labyrinth all rolled into one.<br/><br/>Authors notes: <br/><br/>I am a writer, and telling stories is as much a part of me as my heart--I cannot fathom the agony of being barred from writing simply because of my gender. The thought of Nannerl living during a time when she not only couldn't share her compositions but also had to watch her brother take the world by storm.....it turned her story into a personal one for me. I wrote this book for the Nannerl's of today and tomorrow, in Hope's that when they are ready to share their brilliance with the world, the world is ready to give them the attention and honor they deserve.<br/><br/>I swear just reading this part of the Authors notes choked me up. I surmise there are many women present and past who have gone unnoticed and forgotten for their deeds. But hopefully works like this will slowly change the world.<br/><br/>The Kingdom of back was always along the edges of the story. I love fantasy so found myself constantly waiting for the world to appear. But the eagerness was fun and did not at all took away from the story. I became so infuriated at times. Nannerl deserved so much better and my heart went out for her. The kingdom itself though was a little lacking at the end when it all came to a close. Although I did loved the way the two world coincided with each other and with history. As if the place was derived of her inner wishes. Nannerl was an amazing character and I was struggling right along with her for what she wanted."

"Loved this book!"

"Albeit slow near the beginning, I found myself absorbed in the story of Nannerl's journey and her relationships with her brother, father, and mother. The suspense of not truly knowing what the Kingdom of Back was interesting but I would say the most intriguing parts were actually the moments where Nannerl and her brother interacted. Reading through a perspective I never knew existed up until I picked up this book was fun and fascinating. In the end, it was a satisfying read."

"I really enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of this book, but I had trouble giving into the fantasy, although the author's note at the end offered explanation for some of the things that were hanging me up."

"I loved this book! I don’t know why I haven’t heard much about it because it’s fantastic. <br/>This is one of my favorite authors and this story swept me away into a whole other world. It’s a lush fantasy and great escapist read and I love this take on Mozart and his sister, their family and the story.<br/>I love how they put music in this story and the fairies, the forest , the whole other backward world known as the kingdom of back.<br/>I love pretty much everything about this and I got lost in it and read it all at once. It’s a very unputdownable book and a clean read too.<br/>I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s very entertaining, enjoyable and delightful."

"While I absolutely loved the world building and the idea/meaning behind this novel, I just unfortunately couldn’t really LOVE the book and care for the storylines that occurred. So it was a solid 3/5 read for me."

"I loved the historical fiction parts of this book definitely! I found myself skimming past the fairy tale stuff though. Not very interesting with that in there. <br/><br/>I wonder if there are historical fiction books out there about famous people without all the fantasy? Not that fantasy is undesirable, just not in this context imho."

"This was a really interesting premise that I felt either needed to be expanded on or to be condensed. I feel if expanded, there could've been more development to the fantasy world and the challenges could've seemed more challenging. Or, had the whole fantasy element been removed, it could've been an interesting historical exploration of the Mozart siblings' relationship and the roles of women in the time period. As it is now I feel it drags in some places, while other scenes aren't explored as much as they could've been. I enjoyed the author's note, learning this was a passion project, and I do think that comes through. It's well-written and I felt the sibling relationship was the strongest part. It's a shame none of Nannerl's works have survived."