Finnikin of the Rock

Written by Melina Marchetta

Narrated by Jeffrey Cummings

2008 Printz Award Winner Melina Marchetta crafts an epic fantasy of ancient magic, exile, feudal intrigue, and romance that rivets from the very beginning.

Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin's unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems-and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Sep 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781441888747

Melina Marchetta

Melina Marchetta lives in Sydney. She is also the author of the award-winning novels Saving Francesca, Looking For Alibrandi, and Finnikin of the Rock. Looking For Alibrandi was released as a major Australian film.

Reviews for Finnikin of the Rock

[carolyndenman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There was much to like about this book, and I think it would suit readers who don't like their stories to get too hung up on the emotional dramas of a love story. There was love, there was drama, but it wasn't heart-skip-a-beat worthy. Each character, however, was richly drawn, with their own complexities which made them feel very real. This story wasn't sickly-sweet, instead, it had a deep integrity to it. Much respect goes to the author for that.

[jdifelice-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really fun fantasy that was a quick, easy read! I enjoyed the characters - especially Finnikin and Evanjalin. I liked how they developed throughout the story and I loved meeting new characters. The world was super interesting, although a little confusing at first. There are so many countries to keep track of and many villages within Lumatere to remember as well. I found the plot to be a little convenient, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment. I was looking for something fun and light and that is what I got. With a little heartache in there too.

[deweyever · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The country of Lumatere has been shrouded by a curse for years. Finnikin was hardly more than a child when the unspeakable happened, closing off his homeland and making most of the Lumaterans into exiles. He travels with the old king's counselor, Sir Topher, seeking Prince Balthazar--the only member of the royal family rumored to have survived the tragedy. Instead, he finds a novice priestess named Evanjelin, and a young thief called Froi. But the stories and prophecies of Lumatere don't tell the whole truth, and Finnikin and his compatriots will face grave danger in their attempt to set Lumatere to rights.If you think the summary is complicated, you haven't seen anything yet. The dense story occupies 400+ pages, and it's easy to lose track of who's who and what's where. (I found myself flipping back to the map in the front of the book over and over.) Finnikin's journey takes him through just about every corner of their continent, gaining allies and enemies along the way. There's an attempted rape and a lot of sexual violence alluded to during the years that Lumatere was cursed.The story is very good overall, and I'll probably pick up the next book in the series. The ending is really too talky, but it might be the way the plot was designed--of course Finnikin doesn't know what happened during his exile, but does everyone have to tell him EVERYTHING all at once? It made it difficult to really finish the story, since most of the action was already over by that point. (Except for the resolution of the love story, which was worth sticking around.)Recommended for fans of intricate fantasy worlds.

[akmargie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marchetta is a powerful writer. In Jellicoe Road you could see flashes of fantasy woven through. With Finnikin it's all out fantasy and it is breathtaking stuff. Powerful characters, rich and exotic world and man, does she not hold anything back. There are some truly dark and disturbing things but it never overwhelms the story. It's a book I'm sad I only get to read for the first time once.

[jenneb_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I don't know, this just never wormed its way into my heart. I never quite made friends with the characters--it was hard to even tell how old they were supposed to be, much less who they really were as people.
I did like the idea of these people having to be refugees--it was an interesting and unusual theme for a YA fantasy novel, and I REALLY liked the opposite-of-Twilight insistence of the female characters on not being put in a box and "protected" by not being allowed to do anything!

[rivkabelle_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review also published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.comLet me sum up this read in one, succinct word: Wow.It's fantasy. So it's set in a strange world. But it's not too strange. And people are people, regardless of their world -- with thoughts and dreams and fears and passions. Finnikin grew up with Prince Balthazar and his cousin Lucian (as well as all the princesses of Lumatere), and their bond was a tight one. So tight that as young children they made a blood pact to protect the Kingdom. A pact that would haunt Finnikin in years to come as his beloved kingdom was rocked to its core - the entire royal family assassinated, and the kingdom cast into a darkness-shrouded captivity. The content of Finnikin of the Rock takes place years later, as Finnikin and his mentor - Sir Topher (the King's Man) - travel around the neighboring kingdoms, checking on their exiled countrymen and trying to make sense of things. When a young novice named Evanjalin claims the heir of the Lumatere throne is alive, and she alone can lead them, Finnikin and Sir Topher start a new journey. A journey home.Their journey is fraught with misadventures and horrifying experiences for all parties. It also holds surprises of a happier nature, and challenges Finnikin to look past the way he's always seen things, forcing him to look not only deep inside himself, but also reexamine everything he's always known. It's a sweeping, forceful tale. Hard to read at times, because of the rawness of the events, but I couldn't put it down. I confess, I figured out the major plot twists pretty early on, but that didn't detract from my reading -- I wanted to find out how it'd all play out and prove my suspicions correct. Definitely an impressive fantasy read, and I'm intrigued to know how Marchetta will pick up and continue the story in Froi of the Exiles.

[roxyrolla · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, I really enjoyed this book, way more than I thought I would! I admit that the first bit was a bit tough going, I had a hard time keeping all the politics straight, but once I was through the first few chapters, I was thoroughly absorbed. I just really loved all the characters!

[jibrailis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have really mixed feelings about this book, the likes of which I have not felt since I last opened my refrigerator and found all of my bottles of beer replaced with organic soy milk. I mean, what. Mass confusion, lots of twisting and turning every which way, trying to come to grasps with how I actually felt about Finnikin of the Rock (unrelated to how I feel about soy milk).tl;dr: great concept, excellent themes, wholly obnoxious characters and heavy-handed melodramaIn Marchetta's bio, it mentions that this is her first fantasy novel, after a career of writing more mainstream YA. She talks about how she doesn't feel that one needs to be familiar with all the fantasy greats in order to write it, giving off the impression that she hasn't actually read much in the genre. And I feel like that really shows, because Finnikin of the Rock is basically a book with a very intelligent, literary author who runs headfirst into the Wall of Horrible Fantasy Tropes. Not limited to Super Special Royalty with Super Special Powers and a Super Special Destiny that no one is allowed to interfere with, because come on, have we already mentioned these people are Super Special and Saintly? It's like someone trying to unironically rewrite The Aeneid. Which could even be palatable if it weren't for the cliche, overwrought characters that head this novel. In addition to all their Super Abilities, they are also Super Jerks. I haven't come across this many unpleasant people since my last visit to the dentist. Ye god, Evanjalin, just go kick a kitten or something. Go ahead, give into the urge, nobody will judge you for it because they all believe you are the greatest thing in all of creation.On and on it goes. Huge portions of the book made me roll my eyes at the purpleness of the entire situation. No one in this book does anything casually. Everything they do requires great! importance! and! meaning! The number of times Finnikin overreacts to casual comments and threatens to beat the crap out of people is astounding. He's hardly alone. The vast majority of Marchetta's characters (with the exception, perhaps, of Froi, who is awesome except for that one thing he did) feel like they're hopped up on Emotional Steroids. Literally: one of the characters is described as burdened with the gift of feeling everybody's pain. Everyone in the entire kingdom. Because she is so unique, of course, and isn't she so brave and strong. She just cares so much. She's like a super absorbent pain tampon.This is me staring in horror. I mean, I do realize that these are characters who have gone through a lot of trauma and deserve to wallow about it, but after a while it all feels very one-note. My friends, vary your emotional range a bit. Take a nap. Do some yoga. A bit of sentimentality is poignant. Too much is just gauche.But, to the novel's credit, I read all the way to the end. And that's because, underneath all the excessive emotionalism and self-absorption of the characters, there is a beautiful, tragic story about a kingdom lost, exiles scattered, and the idea that even in the midst of despair, you can always find your way home. Marchetta writes Finnikin of the Rock like it's My First Epic Fantasy Novel, but there's enough muscle in her prose and her ideas that I can't help but grudgingly respect the book and what its author was trying to do, even if it frustrated me to no end.

[thelostentwife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is hilarious to me that I can read the same formula over and over in fantasy novels and still be so entertained that it's impossible to put the book down until I finish it. But that happened once again to me with Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.What is that formula? Young boy or girl, quest, strange creatures, seemingly insurmountable odds, and a fantastic world that it's all set in. However, even with this tried and true formula, some fantasies just do not work - because one of those ingredients, or more, are never fully developed. That was not the case in Finnikin of the Rock.This book had it all - strong male and female characters, confusing quest that reveals all in such a beautiful way in the end. I honestly expected to find something wrong, because there's inevitably always a character who will annoy me in some way be that I find lacking in another way but I didn't have that issue with this book. It was well-rounded in every way, which is something I should have expected considering the quality that Marchetta brings to her stories.This is a series that will be set proudly on my shelves with other favorites. So glad I decided to take the leap and explore the fantasy world of Finnikin!

[shellypya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finnikin was 9 when the royal family was slaughtered and an imposter king took the throne. After wandering the land for ten years recording the names of the exiles, he meets Evanjalin, a novice who claims that Balthazar, the true heir to the throne, is still alive. His travels with her to find him reveal that she has many secrets about her identity, his destiny, and the kingdom of Lumatere.

[eurekas_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a mixed opinion of this book. It has a great plot and strong characters, but I the dialog felt stilted to me. I got better as the book progressed. Also, she spends more time and energy on the plot and the characters than on setting the scene. I like a book to be more visual. I recommend this book for the plot and the interesting and strong characters, but could not give it a 5.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

FInnikin is a statesman, ambassador, warrior, and leader of his people - only he doesn't realize this yet. He gets a mystical message from the goddess which starts him on a quest where he meets Evanjalin and a slave named Froi. Together this group tries to reunite their people who are in exile and reclaim their homeland which has been closed to them by a curse after the king was murdered and the throne usurped. A little slow going at the outset, but that might be a function of being introduced to this world. The characters are strong and vibrant. The suffering of the people is painful. And Finnikin is a stubborn, brave, loyal, and romantic future King.

[catalogthis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What I usually love about this genre is the feeling of being swept up in something epic, and propelled toward a breathless finale. I didn't get that here. The author didn't give me much reason to be interested in any of the main characters. She paints them with a very broad brush; all the bad guys are rapists and the good guys are fierce. Really. "Fierce" is to this book as "sandwich" is to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Once you start to notice, you can't stop.That said, I'll likely pick up the sequel, Froi of the Exiles. The chapters written from Froi's perspective were a nice change of pace, and sweetly insightful.

[seekingflight · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this young adult fantasy novel - a bleak tale of Lumatere, a kingdom whose royal family is murdered, which is taken over by a tyrant; a teenager, Finnikin, who tries with his mentor to help his people as best he can and to chronicle the tragedies that befall them in exile; and the mysterious Evanjalin, who offers hope of a possible return home, but who acts in such a way that Finnikin finds her difficult to trust.

[prop2gether · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first of a trilogy, this fantasy by Melina Marchetta is charming and engaging. There's no "new" ground covered in a story of a lost country and boy-meets-girl-while-traveling-with-mentor, but Marchetta writes so well that anything that might be trite is not. I look forward to the sequel.

[mjsnooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably my favourite book ever. This is one of the very few books I have reread again straight after finishing because it moved me so much. Whilst Fantasy, this novel is firmly based on both the evils and beauty of human nature.

[allureofbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have wanted to read this book for a very long time. Kristin Cashore recommended it on her blog when it was first released in Australia, and I kept meaning to order it via the Internet and never got around to it. Now it is finally out here in the US, and I checked it out from the library.It was definitely worth all the waiting and anticipation. This is a fantastic story...characters, plot, world-building and all.There are several twists and turns through the story, and fairly early on I thought I had things figured out. I did, in my defense, figure out the biggest plot twist way in advance (of course I'm sure a lot of people did), but the thought that I knew everything that would happen? What a joke. Melina Marchetta would cackle at the thought.There were lots of different countries and races of people that had me pretty confused throughout, but I was intrigued enough by it all that I didn't find it annoying.The characters were all fantastic. Marchetta has a way of making you want to be on their side before you even have a chance to get to know them. I loved the relationships Finnikin had with his father, his mentor and Evanjalin.If you like YA fantasy, you definitely have to do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

[suzanne520 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the kind of book you read when you want to fall in love with more than just a story. I fell in love with everything about this book. The characters, especially Finnikin, Evanjalin and Trevanion, had so much heart, courage, and strength. I loved the setting of this story as well, and the author writes so beautifully and descriptively that when you put the book down, it takes more than a few moments to fully come out of the world she created. The story itself was so interesting and great! It truly was original and it often surprised me, which is rare for me! Basically, I loved this book and highly recommend it!

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Finnikin was young, the royal family was brutally murdered and overthrown, and his family was forced into exile. With a usurper now on the throne of Finnikin's homeland, Finnkin has been training as under Sir Topher in hopes to one day put his skills to go use. When rumors begin to circulate that Balthazar, legitimate heir to the throne, may have somehow survived, Finnikin teams up with a novice named Evanjalin, who has the ability to enter people's dreams. Together, the pair set out to find Balthazar and bring their people out of exile.With such an interesting setup, it's hard to believe that Finnikin of the Rock could ever be boring -that, however, isn't quite true. The book starts off a little slow as author Marchetta introduces her complex, thoroughly-developed world, complete with slang and fairly unique mechanics. Though the story does get a little bogged down under all the explanation and vivid world detail, it picks up once the the exposition is taken care of and just doesn't let go. Filled with exciting intrigue, unexpected twists and fun characters, Finnikin of the Rock is an exciting and enjoyable adventure for readers of all ages.

[callmecayce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd read Jellicoe Road by Marchetta and was eager to read another one of her books. I'm not a big fan of fantasy and so I was a bit skeptical, but by the end of the novel I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Granted, getting to the end was quite a trial, the writing is excellent and the plot moves along, but I just found it extremely laboring to get through. It was worth the effort, but Jellicoe is by far the better book.

[tatiana_g_29 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Knowing and admiring Melina Marchetta for her excellent contemporary YA novels, I was reluctant to read her first fantasy effort. I shouldn't have hesitated - this book is a success. Actually, I even found myself amused by the fact that it was blurbed by Kristin Cashore, an American YA fantasy writer, because clearly Marchetta is much better at it even though she had never written a fantasy before.This novel offers everything that a good fantasy story should offer: a well established world (with maps! love those), an interesting political intrigue, magic, a quest to save one's homeland, a love story, and a cast of memorable character with compelling back stories. On top of it, Finnikin of the Rock is a story about uniting a country torn by an invasion and dark magic, and about a man who struggles to accept his destiny.The strength of the book undoubtedly lies in the way Marchetta depicts interpersonal relationships and human nature - this is something that is so well done in her contemporary novels (Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, Jellicoe Road). Her characters are real, their struggles are real.The weakest part of the story is pacing. I think the novel is a little too long. It's not that it gets boring, but the length of the Finnikin's quest seems to lose momentum and when the climax of the story finally comes, it is rather understated. All Marchetta's books are a little anti-climatic, but it is more noticeable in this fantasy novel, because this is the genre where you expect a story to end with a bang.However, as a whole, Finnikin of the Rock is a satisfying, thought provoking work. According to Melina Marchetta, her intent was to create a story about a world "where loss of faith, loss of homeland and identity, displacement of spirit, and breakdown of community are common." That she definitely accomplished.

[nickf7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finnikin is on the cusp of his manhood while being apprentice to Sir Topher. For the past 10 years Finninkin and Sir Topher have been traveling the lands that surrond their cursed kingdom. Before a massacre of the roayal family, Finninik, Lucian, and Balhatazr make a pledge on "Three Wonders Rock". People are trapped in their cursed kingdom while Finninik and Sir Topher are traveling the kingdoms surronding theirs learning the languages and trying to help exiles.My own opinion of this is great. Melina Marchetta has proven that she is a great writer. This book blew my mind away, their are some parts that are for mature readers only but it's still good. A part I don't like about this book is that Finninik's father Captain of the Guard is in a mine prison in Sarlen. But they plow on through the book and it's a best seller honestly. Overall its a 5/5.

[aerrin99 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A truly excellent and heartbreaking novel about a people exiled from their home nation and the fight of a young man and a mysterious girl to help return them a decade later. Lumatere had once been prosperous and stable, with a bevy of Princesses and a Prince set to ensure the continuation of the royal line. But a betrayal ended with a massacred royal family, and the violence done to the people who lived in the forests of Lumatere in the aftermath led to a curse that locked the kingdom away from the rest of the world by an impenetrable barrier.Those outside Lumatere at the time have been left homeless for the past decade. They are poverty-stricken, outcasts, plagued by fever and death and despair. Finnikin's father was the captain of the guard and he grew up with the royal family. In the ten years since the exile, he has traveled with Sir Topher in an effort to ease the plight of displaced Lumatereans and, perhaps, to find them a new home. Early in the story they pick up a mysterious girl named Evanjalin, a novice of the Goddess who can walk in dreams and claims that the prince Balthazar is still alive and will be able to break the curse. Thus starts what could be a predictable and safe tale of overcoming odds to restore the kingdom of Lumatere - but Marchetta deftly saves it from both. She writes with a heart-breaking beauty that tackles everything from a growing romance that both parties are wary of to the very real cruelties experienced by the characters in her book. There are dark places here - the exiles of Lumatere do not feel fantastical. They feel very, very real, and your heart aches with every story of illness, homelessness, poverty, violence, and rape. More than any other book, this one has made me think about displaced people in our own world, which I think is a triumph for any fantasy tome. The politics and magic of her world are both complicated and interesting, but the real shine here are her characters. Finnikin is nineteen at the book's beginning, Evanjalin is younger, and both are struggling with being thrust into leadership roles that they aren't sure they want, but that they know are completely necessary. They doubt each other, they doubt their advisors, they doubt themselves. Their choices are difficult, and the reader feels the weight of that. It is simply impossible not to cheer for them. Finnikin of the Rock is one of those books that is surprising in its loveliness and almost shocking in its depth. I did not expect it to be what it is, and I did not expect it to linger in my mind like it did - it was a very, very welcome surprise.

[brainlair · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Now on the cusp of manhood, Finnikin, who was a child when the royal family of Lumatere was brutally murdered and replaced by an imposter, reluctantly joins forces with an enigmatic young novice and fellow-exile, who claims that her dark dreams will lead them to a surviving royal child and a way to regain the throne of Lumatere.I was excited when Finnikin and Sir Topher picked up Evanjalin. She knew things she shouldn't and she wasn't afraid to use the information she needed. I was disappointed when they picked up the thief. He was unnecessary. I was excited when Evanjalin helped Finnikin "break" into the prison. Disappointed when the thief tried to rape her. That's how this book was for me; alternating between exciting and disappointing. While enjoyed the book, small parts were disappointing. Overall I loved the twists and turns and the not completely resolved issues. The idea of trying to bring a kingdom that been torn apart back together. To start over in a place they no longer knew. That's intriguing. People have their memories. They aren't all good or all bad. But the same story is remembered differently based on who you are and who you've been. Finnikin wanted things the way they were but you can't really go back home. In this case both home and Finnikin had changed.Still not sure what I think about this one. It's definitely one to add to the library and will be a great discussion book. But I wanted more from this book. Maybe a second read is necessary...

[jenniferthomp75 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent tale of love, longing and returning to one's home.A dark spell has been cast over Finnikin's homeland of Lumatere after the royal family was murdered.Traveling across the world with his mentor, Finnikin meets a strange girl named Evanjalin who claims she can enter people's sleep and also claims to know that one of the prince's from the royal family is still alive.Wonderfully paced with thoughtful, intelligent characters, this book is a must-read. Marchetta, a former Printz winner, has found a new genre for her writing. I hope she writes more fantasy because this was wonderful! Definitely a Mock Printz consideration.

[shardin85 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is why I love Melina Marchetta. As I did with Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca, I did not start out particularaly liking the characters. However, whether you like them or not, you feel so drawn and captivated by them that by the end of the story you love them. I've read a few reviews where people were upset by some of Finnikin's behaviors (i.e. visiting a whore). But this is the beautiful thing about Marchetta's writing - she does not give you characters who are all good. This is why even her fantasy is still realistic, because no human is purely hero or heroine. She brings them fully to life, and to do that, she has to display their short-comings. Marchetta's books always leave me thinking and dreaming about them for days. Finnikin of the Rock now has a special place in my heart right along side Jellicoe Road.

[omaroses_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing, beautifully written book that allows you to escape into a mesmerizing world full of love, adventure, tears, sadness, pride, honor and victory. Marchetta's writing was SPECTACULAR; it was vivid and simply brilliant!This was a page turner that I couldn't put down. If you enjoy reading, this is a MUST READ!

[pmlyayakkers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finnikin was a child when his homeland was conquered and cursed. Now he is on his way back with a strange girl who claims to walk the streets of their home in her dreams.

[wsquared_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finnikin of the Rock, an epic fantasy tale, is a marked departure from Melina Marchetta's usual contemporary realistic fiction, but she has crafted a rich, complex world full of intriguing and mysterious characters. The strong socio-political undercurrents have parallels to our own world, but they don't overwhelm the core story about Finnikin's search for a homeland for his displaced kingdom and his acceptance of his destiny to become king.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Finnikin was a boy, he was friends with the prince, Balthazar, and his cousin, Lucian. They pledge to protect their country, but shortly thereafter Lumatere is attacked, the royal family killed, and many of the people forced into exile. Several years later, an older Finnikin travels many lands collecting the stories of exiles. Called by a messenger, he travels to a convent to pick up a girl, Evanjalin, who walks in the dreams of others and carries hope that Finnikin had long given up believing in.This story focusing on the plight of exiles is a compelling one, and Finnikin and Evanjalin are really fun characters to spend time with. I especially enjoyed getting to know Evanjalin, who had a strong presence and complex character. I sometimes felt like the story went by too quickly, a bonus when it meant I was reading fast and she packs a lot of plot into one story, but a little negative when I wished for perhaps a slower relationship development between two travelers, for example. Part of it, of course, is that Jellicoe Road is just an incredibly difficult act to follow, and if I had not read it, I would definitely have rated this higher.