The Sweet Far Thing

By Libba Bray

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Having bound the wild, dark magic of the realms to her, Gemma has forged unlikely and unsuspected new alliances both with the headstrong Felicity and timid Ann, Kartik, the exotic young man whose companionship is forbidden, and the fearsome creatures of the realms. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test those bonds.

As her friendship with Felicity and Ann faces its gravest trial, and with the Order grappling for control of the realms, Gemma is compelled to decide once and for all which path she is meant to take.

Pulled forward by fate, the destiny Gemma faces threatens to set chaos loose, not only in the realms, but also upon the rigid Victorian society whose rules Gemma has both defied and followed. Where does Gemma really belong? And will she, can she, survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9780731814923

Libba Bray

Libba Bray is the New York Times bestselling author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels, both of which have appeared on ALA's Best Books for Young Adults list.

Reviews for The Sweet Far Thing

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

I'm not sure why I enjoyed this series so much. The story is all over the place, the girls are often awful to each other and the denouement dragged a bit, but it was great fun. The reader was adept at creating character voices that reflected them well (there was only one part where I wondered if she'd mixed them up a little) I'd be willing to check out any more that Libba Bray has to offer.

[kms09-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love it! Love it! Love it!!

[samjehanzeb · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Das dritte Abenteuer der Gemma Doyle-Trilogie The Sweet Far Thing (Kartiks Schicksal) beginnt einmal mehr schleppend langsam, und auch nach 350 Seiten ist noch nichts Nennenswertes passiert, was die Handlung irgendwie vorantreiben würde. Gemma glänzt deutlicher denn je durch blindes Vertrauen, dumme Entscheidungen, nahezu hirnloses Verhalten, ist planlos, sprunghaft und hat sich seit Band 1 kein bisschen weiter entwickelt. Mit beharrlicher Konsequenz ignoriert sie weiterhin sämtliche Warnsignale und vergangenen Ereignisse. Auch die immer wieder betonte drängende Zeit bewegt unsere Heldin nicht dazu, notwendige Entscheidungen zu treffen. Stattdessen ergeht sie sich in sinnlosen Abenteuern und Streifzügen durch die Londoner Society oder das inzwischen stark gefährdete magische Reich, mit einer Gruppe von Freundinnen, bei der noch immer keine der anderen traut (man bedenke noch einmal: wir sind schon im finalen Band drei …) und auch alle sich benehmen wie verzogene, egoistische Gören. Jawohl, Gören. Man möchte sie regelmäßig ohrfeigen und schütteln und einfach nur hassen.Nach rund 350 Seiten ist dann ein Hauch von Freude beim Leser angesagt. Es tauchen tatsächlich ein paar bekannte Puzzleteile auf, die sich plötzlich zusammenfügen. Spurensuche, Abenteuer und gelüftete Geheimnisse machen einem Hoffnung auf ein ansteigendes Lesevergnügen, doch man muss weiterhin Geduld beweisen und darf nicht zuviel verlangen.Hat man es dann mit Mühe und Not bis auf Seite 429 geschafft, gut die Hälfte dieses Wälzers, trifft man auf eine Stelle, an der man sich tatsächlich fragt, ob einen die Autorin verhöhnen möchte. Gemma, die gerade selbst ein eher langweiliges Buch konsumieren muss, kommentiert ihr Leseerlebnis folgendermaßen (und drückt damit wunderbar aus, wie es einem bei der Lektüre gerade selbst ergeht):With a sigh, I resign myself to combing through it page by page, though 502 pages is so many to wade through, and I curse authors who write such lengthy books when a few neat pages of prose would do.Für diesen tiefschwarzen Sinn für Humor muss man die Autorin fast schon wieder loben.The Sweet Far Thing spielt sich innerhalb weniger Monate ab, doch durch die extrem langatmige Erzählweise gewinnt man den Eindruck, es zögen Jahre ins Land, in denen wirklich nichts Interessantes passiert. Als Ausgleich ist dafür alles recht vorhersehbar.Die letzten Kapitel ziehen dann aber doch ordentlich mit der Action an und alles, was man schon die ganze Zeit erwartet oder erhofft hat, kommt endlich in Gang. Wenig überraschend kommt dann aber auch das Ende daher, das einen vor allem frustriert zurück lässt. Nichts von diesem Buch bleibt so deutlich hängen wie das Gefühl, allein zu sein und nirgendwo hinein zu passen, begleitet von dem Schmerz des Verlustes, der Hoffnungslosigkeit, und irgendwie klingt die Botschaft stark nach: “du kannst dich noch so abrackern, am Ende bringt es dir ja doch nichts als Enttäuschung”.Auch wenn die Mädchen es immerhin schaffen, letztlich ihren eigenen Weg einzuschlagen, und die Möglichkeiten der anbrechenden Zukunft erst einmal positiv klingen, wird das alles von der trägen Erzählweise und dem wenig motivierenden Ausgang dieser Trilogie überschattet.Um ein ganz eindeutiges Fazit zu ziehen: lasst die Finger davon. Diese Buchreihe, die im ersten Band mit recht vielversprechenden Ideen begann, ist letztlich eine große, Zeit verschwendende Enttäuschung und wird mit jedem Band schlechter. Zu empfehlen sind die Fortsetzungen vermutlich nur jenen, die nach A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemmas Visionen) schon völlig begeistert von Schreibstil, Charakteren oder was auch immer waren, alle anderen investieren ihre Zeit lieber in Bücher mit der Aussicht auf Unterhaltungswert.

[aelizabethj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

reread : I still think that this book in the series could use a good editor ( 200 pages of back and forth in the realms could really stand to be trimmed ) and I am yet again confused on how Felicity's path is somehow neatly resolved, but all in all, I do enjoy this books.

[rbernard907 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing, one of my favorite books of all time. It is a bit long, but I didn't care I couldn't put it down. It is the last book that has to tie loose ends, it normally is long anyway. I loved that Kartik and Gemma got together in this book. Again beautiful language, and an ending that left me in tears. When an author is brave enough to kill off a major character, you have something that stands out as more complex and therefore special, to invoke such emotion in the audience. If you have not read this book, I suggest you do so because you are missing out.

[cecily2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 / 5

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. I read A Great and Terrible Beauty quite a while ago and enjoyed it, even though I thought there were flaws; then I started to read Rebel Angels and gave up on it halfway through. I probably would have given up on the series if I hadn't read and enjoyed Libba Bray's new book, Beauty Queens.

Things I liked: I was entertained; I was surprised by the ending, but thought it was good/appropriate; Felicity.

Things I didn't like: the language felt a bit sloppy/awkward at times - to give one example, the characters "groused" lines of dialogue on at least three occasions, two of which were quite close together.

I felt that there could have been more description in certain places. It often seemed jarring when the characters traveled in the realms, because they go so abruptly from one point to the other with little description of what each point actually looks like or what they see in between.

While I enjoy long books, it felt like this one could have been condensed in several areas.

Anyway, I'm glad I read it. I'm interested to see what Libba Bray's new series will be like.

[doingdewey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This third and final book in the Gemma Doyle series was incredibly similar to the second. Maddeningly slow to get started, but with beautiful descriptions of locations. Again, Gemma allows her friends to push her into making stupid decisions and even makes some of her own. This was also by far the worst about stringing you along forever before telling you anything about what was really going on. Although this review is mostly negative, that’s simply because the changes compared to the first book in the series are mostly bad things. I still enjoyed the world the author created and the evocative descriptions. I would definitely recommend the whole series; just don’t expect to like the sequels quite as much as the first book.

[princess0starr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the size of this book daunted me a little, I tore through it. The plot twisted in ways I didn’t think, and the ending was gut-wrenchingly good. (In that NOOO must these characters die, stay here, I love you! way) I loved Gemma’s dealings with everyone trying to get her magic and how she tries to stay on her own path without descending into darkness. Ann’s story was completely heart-breaking for a good chunk of the book, and I almost cheered when she decided to take her life and destiny into her own hands. The only thing I didn’t like was the third-person prologue—it makes sense in context, but it’s jarring to see the narrative out of Gemma’s head. I was afraid that the size of the book would mean a long, drawn out ending book that will. Not. End, but I loved every page of this.

[arbjames · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now that Gemma has eliminated the threat posed by Circe, she can take her time to decide the ultimate fate of the realms' magic she bound to herself. However, not everyone is content to wait. Strange stirrings in the Winterlands, disturbing visions of a mute lady in violet, and startling signs of life from Circe start to convince Gemma that she doesn't have as much time as she thought. When her family becomes a target, she has to learn quickly who to trust. Will she choose wisely? I think I liked Gemma the least in this third novel of the trilogy. She really became a spoiled, self-centered teenager here, using the magic in incredibly irresponsible ways. At 800+ pages, she had ample opportunity to grate on one's nerves! In the second book there seemed to be hope that she would understand the great responsibility that she has, but that understanding came much too late for way too many people in this third and final book. The ending was unsatisfactory as there is much left to be done in the realms to forge a lasting peace, and I just don't see Gemma as being quite self-sufficient enough to make the choice the does in the end. All in all, though, a great trilogy.

[wiseyoungfools · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very glad to have finally finished this series finale (5 years later!). I love Libba Bray, but I found Gemma and her friends to be so tedious in this book. Overall, I love the themes of this series -- a group of repressed Victorian girls find a door to a hidden world in which they are rulers. There's so much good stuff here. I really wish this last book could have been condensed, because it went pretty scattershot at the end.

[katie1802 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I finished I just sat there and thought, WOW. Words really can't describe this book, I absolutely loved it. Gemma is one of the few female protagonists I actually like and I think her story had a perfect if not very sad ending. The last line in the book was perfect for a conclusion to this breathtaking trilogy. I think this series will stay with me for a very long time.

[jaguar897 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although, I feel that Libba Bray threw in everything even the kitchen sink in this one I do believe that it was a good conclusion to the series. Again, Gemma and the girls must deal with very serious issues on both internal and external levels. As they attempt to restore the Realms they must look inside themselves. The result is a harrowing journey through darkness and into light.

[alwright1_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gemma is forced to (finally) decide what to do with the magic of the realms now that forces of evil have begun to openly move to seize it. The time has also come for the girls to leave school and make their debuts along with choices about their futures.OMG that was soooo loooooong. (Apparently teen Victorian lit puts me in the mood for txt speak.) Seriously, make a decision. Any decision. The realms and your lives are in danger. Do NOT play games in a castle.I enjoyed most of the themes here, and, for the most part, I was glad of the way things ended, as well, but by the end of it, when she talked about every character's longing, I was mostly just longing for her to get on with it. Yay for strong female characters. Still pretty glad I read the series.*Spoilery Bits!!!*++++++++++++++++++1. Thank goodness Ann finally had some strength, but I wish she had kicked a little more booty in the realms, too. She was kind of inconsequential there. 2. Yay for GLBTQ characters, but did she really have to be abused as a child first? 3. Kartik being gone was really the easy way out. It would've been a lot harder to explain how they got on with their life if he had continued to exist in this world.

[librarybrandy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was unimpressed with the conclusion of this series. This last installment was far more predictable (and I had the conversation with myself: do I have a better feel for Gemma's character? Is that why I see what's coming?--but no, it's just predictable, right down to the Big Reveal of Pippa and Felicity) and Gemma was all over the place. The previous two books show her to be a strong, smart girl, but now here she makes some of the most idiotic decisions.

I'd still recommend the series to people, but this ending didn't light my world on fire. And the ending conversation with the headmistress, about how the girls should be taught to THINK and not just Be Fine Ladies? Ugh. A good message, sure, but could it have been any more heavy-handed?

[amaraduende · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ah, Kartik!

This series was very fun to listen to. I'm not sure if I would have READ them, but the reader of the audio books was very good. I loved having a fun, interesting story to listen to in my car. Also, my Indian accent is WAY better now. :D

[eatcakes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This definitely filled my craving for a good series! I enjoyed all the books and the characters offered a good variety of good and evil, magic and the hum drum of everyday. The historic aspect lent an extra bit of interest to the writing as well.

[willowwaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorties of the Gemma Doyle series. I would recomend this book to many others! It was great!

[dmorrison_98 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good ending but I think I was looking for a little more variety, kind of felt it was much the same thing as the first two books. I enjoyed the first book of the trilogy the most. A lot of repeated info in this book from the first two, too much...

[bookgal123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely and fierce ending to a wonderful series. Although it was a tad long and slightly repetitive in parts (a smidge more editing would not have gone amiss), in the end I was happy that I made the effort.

[stephxsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I must admit, I began THE SWEET FAR THING, the last in Libba Bray’s enormously successful magical series, with some trepidation, having heard some bad things about it. However, I was far from being disappointed. This novel wraps up the series in a bittersweet way, and yet, knowing how the series concentrated so much on flawed characters and radical opinions (for their time, anyway), I would not expect anything else as its ending.It is nearing the season of Gemma’s debut, where she will be presented to the queen as a lady, but Gemma has far more important things on her mind than pretty gowns and airheaded girls. For one thing, Mrs. Nightwing, the headmistress of Spence Academy, and her friend Miss McCleethy, a member of the Order who wants Gemma to relinquish her magic, are finally putting into action plans to rebuild the East Wing, destroyed in a fire years ago when one of the last great priestesses of the Order and former headmistress of Spence, sealed the Realms shut for the time being. Bad things soon start to happen: workmen disappear forever in the middle of the night, and the disappearances are blamed on the gypsies.The Rakshana continue to threaten Gemma if she does not give her magic to them, and she fears they may start to hurt her family if she does not give them what they want. Kartik, the disowned Rakshana who is linked to Gemma by the death of her mother and his brother, does not act toward Gemma how she wish he would act toward her. To top it all off, Felicity’s in danger of losing her inheritance if she doesn’t rein herself in for her debut, and Ann seems to be digging her own grave as a governess when she will not seize the opportunity to make something out of herself with her singing and acting talent.And then, things go from bad to worse. A lady in a lavender dress begins to appear to Gemma in visions of warning, and rebellion is definitely stirring in the Winterlands. Pippa has gone beyond just petty with her delusions of grandeur, and the forest folk are beginning to distrust Gemma as she has not shared her magic with them. And when a particular day in May arrives, it may be the end of the world as everyone knows it, unless Gemma and her motley group of friends give it their all…and win some and lose some in the end.I get the feeling that a lot of people don’t like this book because it does not have a happy ending. But this is a fact that I appreciate because, hey, in real life, there are few perfect happy endings. Do not be daunted by its length (800+ pages), because the finale, a bittersweet one that left me crying for hours, is something that cannot be imagined: it must be read.

[simplykatie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

if you want to see a spoiler-full review, scroll down. if not, avoid this review. this book left me luke-warm. but at the same time, there were so many lovely moments in the book that i liked it better than "rebel angels."good tie-up to the series, i wasn't left with many questions.so. he dies. and seriously, i saw it coming, i respect that the author has little to no control over who dies, and i see the ending that she was trying to achieve.as a feminist, i appreciate that ending.as a teen librarian, i can name about one teen out of twenty that *might* understand that ending and appreciate it. especially considering the first two books in the trilogy are this back and forth, back and forth, on-again, off-again love/hate affair between these characters.i, myself, was upset at the ending after re-reading and reading over 2,000 pages. a simple task for me. i can't imagine a teen's reaction to the book after that.i feel almost like the audience was over-estimated. that the good lesson -- girls can be independent, they don't need a boy -- was heavy handed. and that gemma's story was completely unresolved. and i've been bummed ever since i closed the book.maybe a re-read will set me right. but even reading libba bray's explanation about the ending didn't make me feel right. even if she *did* quote "no one is alone," which is one of my favorite songs *ever.*however, this - in my opinion - does not detract from the trilogy. and i know that i will definitely be re-reading it.

[susanbevans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this concluding novel from Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Gemma and her friends at Spence Academy deal with the strict rules of their Victorian society, worry about making their debuts and becoming women, and hope to find a way out from under the tight control of their fathers and brothers. At the same time however, they must sort out the lethal mystery that surrounds the Realms, a complex alter-universe peopled by mythical creatures and the undead. Gemma must decide what to do with the magic that is bound to her - which tribes to make alliances with, and which to deny, for the safety of all concerned. In this book she will discover her strengths and the fears and desires she holds closest to her heart. She must decide who to trust, and who needs to be let go.The only beef I have with this book is that it did seem overly long in parts. I felt the full weight of the 800+ pages, especially toward the beginning. I could have done with less tedious information about parties and balls and talk of the girls' debutante "season", and had more time in the Realms. It's the magical part of the novels that I enjoyed the most.Libba Bray is a fantastic writer with an incredible imagination . You sort of fall into her books, and she makes you see everything through the eyes of her wonderful characters. The story was really thrilling and enchanting. I was so anxious to learn the fate of the girls, and at the same time I wasn't ready for the story end. This is such an epic, moving story and I am a sucker for happy endings, so I was upset to hear that perhaps this wasn't going to be a fairy tale ending. But after finishing the book, I realize that it needed to end the way it did. It was a heart-wrenching, beautiful conclusion to the trilogy.This series is a journey of four young women searching for their place in the world and managing the magic inside themselves. They suffer the same hopes, dreams, fears and insecurities as the modern young woman. I would recommend this book to young women who like mysteries and intrigue, and fantasy stories that drag you into the lives of the characters. The Sweet Far Thing is a masterpiece of Gothic fiction.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the slightly unsatisfying conclusion to the story of The Realms. Gemma Doyle is a society misfit a few months from her London debut, a school girl and friend, and the current holder of all the magic of another world. Sometimes she can be annoyingly blind, but she is charmingly full of impulsive generosity and occasional spite. While nothing on par with the ghost girls dragging their toes across the floor, there are some really creepy moments.But it is in the horror that I though this book fell a little flat. BY the time we visited the winterlands, I found them so full of gore I started to ignore it. I found the sudden transitions from tension in the Realms to pettiness at school quite jarring.And I felt that there were too many plot ends to be tied up - some of resulting knots felt forced, and Gemma's final plans seemed a little pat.

[girlmike · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this trilogy was compelling but strange. I liked it but I didn't love it. It has been a few months since I read the books but some of the fantasy took off in a strange direction. too strange...

[the_book_queen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, there are not enough words nor time to properly give this book the review it deserves, but I will try! I loved this book, the whole series, actually, and even though I had wished for a slightly different ending, I was still very happy while reading the series, especially this book. Libba Bray is able to write the story so well that you feel like you are actually there with Gemma and her friends, exploring their world and the magical realms. Anyone who doesn't like this series, I am sorry to say, must have some problems!

[klarsenmd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the third, final, and most well written of the trilogy. Gemma has bound the magic of the realms to herself and is able to wield it in her own world while stalling in making the alliance necessary in the realms. She finds herself torn between the realities of the world she lives in and the things she and her friends desperately want.While it was more lengthy than may have been needed, the ending was both tragic enough to bring a swell of tears to my eyes, and uplifting in it's purity and balance. Certainly it was fitting and worth the wait. The beautiful imagery seen in the first two books is found here again, intertwined with darkness and shadow that makes for a wonderful balance. Written for young adults, this is whimisical enough to make me feel giddy and dark enough to keep me coming back for more. Not being a young adult myself, I'm satisfied with a well told story and glad I stumbled upon the set.

[vanesacbez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Sweet Far Thing was the one filled with most action, even though i liked better the first one, it cought up my atention until the very end. It took me almost 3 days to finish it entirely because its 820 pages long and also because the first 20 chapters werent as intense i though and hoped they would have been.One thing i loved from the movie was the love stories between Pippa, Felicity, Gemma and Kartik, the way they always feel the rush to be together altough they shouldn't. I also like the way Miss McCleethy dies and they way they tell it in the book, the feelings the girls show like if it wasnt such a big deal. The one thing i didnt expect was Tom trying to enter the Rakshana or Gemmas father going back to India and those where the things that made the story worth reading for.At the end it all finished the way we all expected it to, Gemma saves the realms and doesnt give up on the magic but gets away for a while. I, personally, wanted it to end in a different way, maybe she would've died and the realms would have disappear with her, or maybe she was the one the tree chooses and Kartik live, that was the only thing i really wanted, Kartick to live. Great book, and i would've read more of them if there were any, but as they say, Everything Eventually Has To Get To An End.

[ramonawray · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was a nice read. A tad long-winded maybe, and not particularly strong plot-wise. I didn't specifically like the way Gemma's magic was used to fit the plot - now she's all-powerful, now she can't manage a thing. And I found her a bit too modern in her views, out of place. I'm sure fans of the series will delight in reading about Gemma's final adventures.

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The final book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy follows Gemma as she deals with her role in controlling the magic of the realms and the impending battle with the dark creatures of the Winterlands. At the same time she and her friends must also face their futures as they prepare to leave Spence Academy and make their debuts.The final book in the trilogy was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Throughout all three books, the main characters have been clearly defined as realistic and flawed teenage girls and it was this characterization that really annoyed me for the first half of the book. However, in the second half of the book, the action picked up and the characters' choices ceased to irritate me.Bray continued to impress me with her ability to skillfully include so many different historical elements. My favourites in this book were references to H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Jack the Ripper, suffragettes, and the development of workers' unions. She also used W.B. Yeats' poem "The Rose of Battle" as the epigraph and weaved themes from the poem very effectively into the narrative.While I think the first half of the book could have been edited to be a little tighter, the final half of the book made up for these flaws. I found it to be a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and I was pleased with how Bray allowed her characters to develop.

[amieg_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great end to the trilogy, but did leave me wanting more!