Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Chantress Fury by Amy Butler Greenfield

Welcome to the blog tour for Chantress Fury by Amy Butler Greenfield! Some of you may remember me revealing the cover for this one, as well as the new cover for Chantress and Chantress Alchemy. Check out my review of this conclusion novel, and enter the giveaway!

My reviews of: Chantress | Chantress Alchemy

Chantress Fury by Amy Butler Greenfield

Book Three of the Chantress series

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: May 19, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Official Summary:

The sea is coming. We are coming. And we will drown you all.

With a song, Lucy can control the wind and the water; she can bring castles and kingdoms to their feet. Since Lucy mastered her powers, King Henry has kept her close as he’s rebuilt England. She’s his best ally—and his workhorse. And now he’s called her to investigate attempted murder: His men claim they were almost killed on the Thames…by a mermaid. All Lucy can glean from the creature they’ve captured is a warning: The sea is coming. We are coming. And we will drown you all.

And then the floods begin. Swaths of London are submerged as the people scramble to defend themselves against the water—and the monsters—that are flooding their streets. As mistrust of Lucy's magic grows, the king relies on Nat, Lucy's great love, to guide them through the storm. But Nat is cold and distant to Lucy. He swore his love only a year before, and now he calls her “stranger.”

Lucy is determined to defeat this powerful new magic alone if she must. But then she hears an eerie song within the water…can it mean that she’s not the last Chantress after all?

Sweepingly romantic and crackling with magic, Chantress Fury triumphantly concludes the powerful Chantress trilogy.

What I Liked:

Yes! This book was a wonderful addition and conclusion to this series! Any small worries or doubts I had from the previous two books were totally addressed in this book, and I finally got to experience the even bigger "big picture" of this series. I absolutely adored this book! I think Chantress is my favorite, but Chantress Fury comes in close second. Very close.

It's been over a year since Nat and Lucy parted ways. Nat is the right-hand man of King Henry, and Lucy is King Henry's fix-all lackey, sent to fix situations and help bring nobles in line with the King's orders. Lucy has been avoiding Nat, pretending she doesn't care about him - and he's been cold with her. When the old, constant threat spills over and threatens to drown the world, Lucy knows she might sacrifice everything - her love, her life, her reputation, her place in London - to save London. 

This book started in such a heartbreaking manner. We all know how Chantress Alchemy ends - I refused to believe that the ending would be permanent for the rest of the series. But when this book starts, we find that it's been over a year since Nat and Lucy separated. Nat believed that it would be better for them not to be together, and Lucy, despite still loving him, begins to believe it. Who wants to be with someone who is always being sent to do the King's dirty work? Someone who London is now beginning to fear, not revere? A "monster", a witch, not a noblewoman. When Nat returns to the kingdom, Lucy does her best to avoid him, but they can't avoid each other forever.

My heart really broke for both of them. Lucy never stopped loving Nat, despite never seeing him and feeling like he didn't want her anymore. Nat felt like he was doing right by Lucy. But when they meet again in this book, they both realize they still love each other. But Lucy pushes him away, telling him that he shouldn't want to be with a "monster".

This kind of self-deprecation would usually annoy me, but it's totally warranted, in this situation. The people of London think Lucy is the one calling the floods, that it's her fault. Magic calls to magic, they say. Eventually, people are calling for her to be burned. Lucy is truly a monster in their eyes, and she feels like one. The powerful magic that is surging and causing the floods is after her, and wants to destroy London because of her. 

Which makes this book all the more beautifully heartbreaking! Not only is Lucy feeling abandoned by Nat, but she is feared by Londoners. And Lucy struggles to find out the identity of the mysterious force that is threatening London. Nevertheless, Lucy remains diligent and strong, determined to work harder than ever, despite her personal problems. 

I really liked the direction of the story. Finally, we get to see the big picture of the series - the powerful force that is trying to destroy London and Lucy. It's an old, elemental force that is not so easy to defeat. The survival of London depends on Lucy - no small task at hand. Mermaids are a part of this - and krakens! All kinds of odd sea creatures pop up in this book. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the stakes are extremely high in this book, and the dangers are very scary.

The world-building, as always, is superbly crafted. Greenfield has such beautiful writing, and her style really lends itself to the genre. Historical fiction requires a lot of things, like a certain manner of speaking for the characters, and little anachronisms. It's clear that Greenfield has done her research and knows what she's talking about! The "history" is aspect is realistic and authentic, and the fantasy aspect is well-written.

The romance is so heartbreaking at first! Nat and Lucy tiptoe around each other at first. But they love each other, and the sparks and flares are there. The romance takes on an... interesting quality, but I think it really works in this book's case. We know that Nat and Lucy love each other, and that there are no others for either of them. Regardless, you have to read the book to really understand what happens with the romance in this book. I love how hard Nat and Lucy both work to find their way back to each other, even when it seems hopeless or pointless or impossible. There is a lot more romance in this book than the other two books - which is GREAT, in my opinion!

This book is a such a great conclusion to the series. The ending is very, very satisfying, and there are no lingering questions by the end of the book. You'll have no trouble picking this one up after the wait between this one and Chantress Alchemy, I promise! Greenfield does an amazing job of reacquainting readers with the story. Prepare yourself for a good one!

What I Did Not Like:

I really can't think of anything! Hopefully no one is bothered by this, as I try to have dislikes in any review, no matter the rating. 

Would I Recommend It:

I would certainly recommend this book! It's pretty much tied with Chantress as my favorite of the series, and I really liked Chantress. I really liked Chantress Alchemy too! This series is beautifully written and very unique - I'd highly recommend the books if you haven't read any of them!

Rating:

4 stars. Definitely give this series a shot, if you can! Historical fantasy, beautifully written, gorgeous romance, lovely story!

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The Excerpt:

The other men in the circle were now coming over to us—and one of them was Nat.  For more than a year, I’d pretended that he meant nothing to me.  Now, in the half-dark of this moonlit night, I stopped acting a part. I was simply myself, hungry for the sight of him.

The King’s right-hand man, Sybil had called him, and he looked it.  He’d always had a quiet strength about him, but now that strength was in the open.  Tall and sure and capable, he came toward me, and what I saw in his face made my heart hammer like a drum…

But then I caught sight of what had been at the center of the men’s circle, and my heart nearly stopped altogether.  It was an enormous barrel, stood on its end. Just visible inside it was a woman, and she was gagged.

Seeing her, I felt sick.  Gags and muzzles and scold’s bridles—until the King had come to the throne, these had all been common ways of stopping a woman’s tongue.  Especially a Chantress’s tongue.  My own godmother had been gagged before she’d been killed, and the memory filled me with horror. 

“What’s going on here?”  My voice was shaking with anger.  “You’re gagging women and putting them in barrels?”  

I could’ve asked the question of any of them.  But it was Nat I was looking at.

Even in the dim light I saw his face change.  When he answered, his voice was guarded, almost steely.  “She isn't a woman, Chantress.  She’s a mermaid.  And she’s gagged because she tried to kill us.”

Check out the first two books in the series:

    

(Click on the covers for more information!)

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. 

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.

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The Giveaway:

Win (1) signed copy of Chantress Fury by Amy Butler Greenfield (INT)

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