ARC Review: The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos, translated by Hildegarde Serle

Title: The Missing of Clairdelune
Series: The Mirror Quartet #2
Author: Christelle Dabos
Translated by: Hildegarde Serle 
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Europa Editions; May 7, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

When our heroine Ophelia is promoted to Vice-Storyteller by Farouk, the ancestral Spirit of Pole, she finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the public spotlight and her special gift is revealed to all. Ophelia knows how to read the secret history of objects and it could be no greater threat to the nefarious denizens of her home. Beneath the golden rafters of Pole's capitol, Citaceleste, she discovers that the only person she is able to trust is Thorn, her enigmatic fiance. Ophelia again finds herself unintentionally implicated in an investigation that will lead her to see beyond....

 

Picking up where the first book in the series ended, The Missing of Clairdelune is an excellent follow up to A Winter’s Promise. Part whodunit type of mystery with a lot development on both the character and world building front, The Missing of Clairdelune was an exciting story with enough twists and reveals to keep me on my toes. It was a thoroughly engrossing read, and at this point, I’m truly invested in this series.

The Missing of Clairdelune wasn’t a fast-paced kind of story, but overall, it was a good one. It was detail oriented, and dealt with complex issues—many of which had no easy solution. Around every corner there seemed to be something going wrong for someone, and there was more often than not a ripple-effect that reached even the main character, Ophelia. There were secrets, and some hard truths, which sometimes offered a different perspective on certain places and people. And for every question answered—or just hinted at—about the Rupture, the arks, the ancestral spirits, and Farouk’s obsession with his book, there were always more that were yet to be solved. By the end of the book, I still had more questions than answers.

I said it about A Winter’s Promise, and I think it applies here too: some of the best aspects about The Missing of Clairdelune is the characters. The whole cast is uniquely interesting, and the further development of both romantic and platonic relationships was remarkably well-done. Ophelia is such a fun character to read about. I liked her personality and quirks. The development to her character was also something to take note of, and I was also glad to see her asserting herself more as she figured out how to handle being Vice-Storyteller. Thorn was still kind of an enigma. For the most part the scenes where he and Ophelia interacted with one another were interesting, because they were very different characters. That being said, the direction his character went in was unexpected and very intriguing. Also among my favorite characters was Berenilde, Thorn’s aunt, and Rosaline, Ophelia’s aunt.

The setting was also interesting. Pole was an exceedingly dangerous place where alliances could turn at the drop of a coin, and the environment was constantly cold no matter the time of year. So, much of the book remained indoors where illusions were used as a substitute for the poor weather, which was primarily in Citaceleste where much of the story took place. It was all very cool. That being said, I was glad when the story eventually went outside of Citaceleste, because while it’s an intriguing place, I was also interested in seeing other parts of Pole.

Overall, The Missing of Clairdelune is the best book I’ve read so far this year. Plus, given the way the story ended, I’m very interested in what’s in-store for the characters in the next book in the series….

About the author...

Christelle Dabos was born on the Côte d’Azur in 1980 and grew up in a home filled with classical music and historical games. She now lives in Belgium. The Mirror Visitor, her debut series, won the Gallimard Jeunesse-RTL-Télérama First Novel Competition....

About the translator...

Since graduating in French from Oxford University, Hildegarde Serle has worked in London as a newspaper subeditor at The Independent and The Sunday Telegraph. She has a diploma in translation from the Chartered Institute of Linguists. She lives in London, but her heart lives on the Quai aux Fleurs in Paris...

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by Europa Editions via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (78): Tame Impala, Lauren Daigle, & Lion Babe

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I’m still listening to Currents by Tame Impala. One of my favorite songs from the album is The Moment.

Adri: I couldn't believe I missed the initial release date for Lion Babe's new album, Cosmic Wind. I'm still in the process of listening to the full album, but for now I can say Western World featuring Raekwon is my favorite song from it.

Andrea: I was singing this song while Lauren Daigle was performing on the Billboard Music Awards. My daughter was shocked to learn that I knew the actual words to something that she hadn't heard of prior to seeing Daigle's performance on the BBMAs. I actually love listening to and singing You Say during my daily travels, so I thought I would share it for Music Monday. Enjoy!

  

What are you listening to this week?

I listened to We Need to Talk by Tayla Parx

April already looked like a great month for music, because of Lizzo’s album—and I feel like I’ve been waiting for it since the beginning of the year. Then, I came across We Need to Talk by Tayla Parx. With Tayla Parx’s history of working with artists like Khalid, Ariana Grande, and more—as a songwriter or featured artist—I was very excited to listen to We Need to Talk. This album had a great sound. The composition of the tracks is solid, the lyrics are interesting, and the whole album is lively. It leaves a distinctively good impression and a craving for more music from Parx. Even the interludes and shorter tracks have their own uniqueness—like Disconnected and Happy Birthday—they made a strong impression, and I wished they were longer. Of course, there are a number of other songs that are as equally good as Disconnected. Including the opening track, I Want You, which serves as an easy intro and hints at what comes next, and the mellow vibe of Read Your Mind. Overall, We Need to Talk is an excellent album that showcases Parx's talent....

• (We Need to Talk was released on April 5, 2019)

Have you listened to this album? If not, would you? If so, what do you think about it?

Music Monday (77): The Brothers Johnson, Kimbra, & Grace Jones

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Adri: I first heard a Grace Jones song a long  time ago. Despite the fact that I've been listening to Hurricane, I only recent  stumbled on to the album of the same name. I love the entire album and wish I could find a CD. This is and Sunset Sunrise are among some of my favorites from the album....

Andrea: As you know by now I love to add those oldies to my playlist. This week I'm listening to Strawberry Letter 23 by The Brothers Johnson.

  

Breana: I’ve been listening to Primal Heart by Kimbra. It was one of the best 2018 albums I listened to last year. One of my favorite songs from it is Lightyears. I love this song so much, and almost a year since the album’s initial release date, there’s finally a music video for it....

What are you listening to this week?

Review: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Title: Binti
Series: Binti #1
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Source/Format: Borrowed from the library; Paperback
More Details: Science Fiction; Fantasy; Novella
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; September 22, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive....

I’ve read a couple of books by Nnedi Okorafor before—namely Akata Witch and its sequel, Akata Warrior. I liked both of them, and since then Binti has been on my TBR list. I liked Binti. It was a quick read, and a pretty unique take on a coming-of-age story. It was one girl’s journey to a university while struggling with the expectations placed on her by family. And while the story was an interesting one, I was conflicted about parts of the ending. It was good, but after everything that happened, there were aspects about it that were almost too neatly done. I did like the technology here, particularly the descriptions of the ship—“Third Fish”— which Binti boarded toward the beginning of the novella. I liked what Okorafor did with the Meduse, especially their unique appearance. I also liked Binti’s character, and that’s a good thing since the novella was from her perspective. Her hesitation and doubt about the decisions she was making were clearly illustrated in the narrative: she was chasing her dream while trying to maintain a feeling of being connected to the traditions of her family. At the same time she was going against their wishes while having to leave them behind on earth. Overall, Binti was an interesting read. I’m looking forward to eventually reading the rest of the trilogy.

Have you read Binti? If so, what did you think about it?