For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever
When Cécile is suddenly snatched from the road and taken deep
beneath a mountain. She is introduced to the Trolls of Trollus.
Cécile has not only been taken prisoner, but soon learns she is to
be wed to the prince. The longer she stays in Trollus, the more she
gets to know the people, politics, magic and even finds friends.
Cécile grows to become a very strong willed character throughout the
book. As she begins to feel torn between the people of Trollus and
her family above. With the signs of rebellion, Cécile and Tristan
soon find they are on the same side and become closer.
My favorite part of the book was the
world building. I loved traveling even further beneath the mountain
into the mines and the labyrinth. The descriptions of the gardens,
waters and palace are those of a fairytale and that is what really
made the story for me.
After five centuries the trolls are about to have their whole world
change before their eyes. Cécile and Tristan have people to fight
for, and are willing to give up everything for. So the big question
is...what will happen next!?
April 1st 2014 by Strange Chemistry http://danielleljensen.com/
https://twitter.com/dljensen_
1.
If you could spend one day in
Trollus, where would you spend the majority of it, and why? (the garden,
labyrinth, palace, etc.)
The glass gardens when they are all lit up, because
I think they are the most romantic and magical place in Trollus.
2. Which of the following people would you choose to direct/produce the movie of Stolen Songbird: Jim Henson, Chris Columbus, or Peter Jackson?
Peter
Jackson, because I love how he treats fantasy worlds.
3. The world of Trollus is very detailed and complex. At any time during the writing period did you have to draw a map of the city to help visualize the setting? If so will you be making the map available online?
I have zero artistic skills, so making a map myself has never been in the cards. I think some people find maps really helpful for understanding fantasy worlds, while others just flip by them. Unfortunately for those who are the former, I am the latter. I can close my eyes and visualize Trollus quite easily, and I’ve hopefully done a reasonable job describing that vision within the story. As to whether something would be designed and made available online or in subsequent volumes, that remains to be seen. It would be cool, but such things cost money.
3. The world of Trollus is very detailed and complex. At any time during the writing period did you have to draw a map of the city to help visualize the setting? If so will you be making the map available online?
I have zero artistic skills, so making a map myself has never been in the cards. I think some people find maps really helpful for understanding fantasy worlds, while others just flip by them. Unfortunately for those who are the former, I am the latter. I can close my eyes and visualize Trollus quite easily, and I’ve hopefully done a reasonable job describing that vision within the story. As to whether something would be designed and made available online or in subsequent volumes, that remains to be seen. It would be cool, but such things cost money.
Krista, I
know you were particularly interested in what the palace looked like. I
envisioned it as a smaller, two story version of Versailles, complete with all
the gardens. Trollus is located in what was once a valley, so everything would
be terraced rather than flat.
4. Best break from writing: Food Binge, Television Binge, or Music Binge?
4. Best break from writing: Food Binge, Television Binge, or Music Binge?
Don’t
even tease me! I haven’t had a break in so long.... But if I had a choice, it
would be a combination food/television binge.
5. Best idea for comicon costume: Sluag, Pure Blood Troll, Magical Princess Cecile
5. Best idea for comicon costume: Sluag, Pure Blood Troll, Magical Princess Cecile
It would
be hot and cumbersome, but I’d go as one of the sluag. I like costumes where
your identity is concealed. But it might be fun to go as the Queen/Duchesse. Or
Anaïs, because she has the best dresses.
6. I heard you like Dragons and would like one of your own in the land of Pern. Have you considered writing a story with Dragons? If no, tell us a little about what your working on next?
6. I heard you like Dragons and would like one of your own in the land of Pern. Have you considered writing a story with Dragons? If no, tell us a little about what your working on next?
I
love dragons so much, especially the ones from Pern! I haven’t considered
writing a story purely about dragons mostly because I’ve never had a story idea
that does them justice. That said, you observant types might have noticed there
is a statue of a dragon in Trollus... Just saying.
As
to what I’m working on right now, my time is utterly consumed with writing book
2 in The Malediction Trilogy.
Danielle L. Jensen
STOLEN SONGBIRD, April 1, 2014
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