Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway- Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Today WinterHaven Books has the wonderful opportunity to review, Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield. Special thanks to Itching for Books for hosting this blog tour as well as allowing us to participate.

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Release date: May 7th 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Purchase: Amazon / B & N

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful — and most hunted — girl in England.“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing — and she is swept into darkness.When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses — women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

My Thoughts:

Amy Butler Greenfield unleashes a unique and fresh tale of a supernatural element sure to mesmerize many readers. 

Lucy lives on an island with her guardian Norrie, whom survived a ship wreak. Norrie had that was set above all others: There must be no singing. Ever. The next rule was to wear her necklace and to not take it off.
Pretty simple, right? Not for Lucie. Once she pulls the pendant over her head, music floats in the air, calling her to sing. Against her guardians warning and wishes, Lucie and Norrie were swept away back to London and seperated from one another.

Lucie escapes a mysterious Ravendon House. Creepy things fly in the air, and Watchers guard the city. Lucy learns what she is and that her kind is hunted and almost extinct. She meets a group of scholarly types who need her help to overthrow the evil Scaregrave. and end the power he has over the nasty Shadowgrims. Not only does he hold a sort of power over them, he does over the young King as well. In doing so, she must learn to work pure magic and not the dark magic that calls to her. 

I loved the premise of this book and was fascinated with the Chantress theme. The story started off a bit slow in my opinion, but I was intrigued enough to see where the story was going.  There was a particular area in the story that slowed the pace down, which was where she was learning magic. I liked Lucie enough. She was a curious teen who had a rebelious streak. She proved to be a strong character and dedicated to the cause. She meets Nat and Penebrygg, who she trusted and who introduced her to their secret group. I really liked Penebrygg. He wasn't quick to judge and was open minded. He really reminded me of a sweet ol' grandpa. Nat...he came off a bit cantankerous. I thought he had a chip on his shoulder and wasn't quite fair to Lucie, therefore, I wasn't a fan. But....there's a but. By the end of the story my feeling changed and we got to see a little more of who he truly was and why. I would have liked to learn more about him though.

I do wish that there had been more chemistry and a stronger connection between Lucie and Nat. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more. I felt there were many opportunities to amp up the chemistry. and earlier on. I was satisfied with the way things ended though. 

This wasn't a fast paced story, but provided enough to keep those pages turning. There is one piece to this story that really touched me. There is a note Lucie finds from her mother. Let me just say that the ending was my favorite part. Not because it was at an end, but because of what transpires. I admit, I got a little emotional. It was a beautiful and perfect way to end the story.
 
 

About the Author

Amy Butler Greenfield was a grad student in history when she gave into temptation and became a writer. Since then, she has become an award-winning author.
Born in Philadelphia, Amy grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and later studied history at Williams College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Oxford. She now lives with her family in England, where she writes, bakes double-dark-chocolate cake, and plots mischief.

Official links: www.amybutlergreenfield.com | twitter.com/ab_greenfield

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