YA Fantasy Review: Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

Egalley thanks to Strange Chemistry

Synopsis from Goodreads
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.
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9/10

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I don't read YA fantasy often, but when I do I'm incredibly lucky to rely on it as a pretty great read. Kristine Cashore, Maria V. Snyder, Sarah J. Maas, Laura Lam or Sherry Thomas with her Burning Sky - they all hit the mark and were highly rated reads on this blog.

Now I can add Danielle L. Jensen to this list.


Stolen Songbird is a classically European fantasy, and while it has a vague few villages and small towns in the background, we know nothing of the political landscape of the land as all the action happens beneath a mountain where a whole kingdom of trolls is locked down by a five hundred year-old curse.

It's a tiny place, kept from being crushed underneath the mass of rock by a magical shield which needs constant reinforcement. There are no lights apart from some moonlight and magical orbs, there is a river going through, so the trolls can have fish, but mostly they are forced to rely on trade with people who bring everything to them in exchange for trolls' gold.

One of these trade items is kidnapped Cécile. A redheaded, strong-willed 18 year-old singer who trolls believe might help them destroy the curse if she is bonded with their prince, Tristan.

Cécile had my full admiration from the beginning. The girl is no doormat, ladies and gents. She fought her kidnappers, she fought her circumstances, and when she understood the position of the prince and the people he was trying to protect, she fought for them with all her heart.

Tristan was such an interesting character as well! Multilayered, manipulative, controlled, hiding under a spoiled prince facade, he had tons of responsibilities and worries and he really did not want to be bonded to Cécile.

Working together against multiple political intrigues and so many enemies, including Tristan's own father these two just could not catch a break. This was a bittersweet, beautiful story, greatly paced, logically structured, and I was extremely satisfied with how it ended.

There were things that could have added more conflict to the plot, and it would have definitely benefited from a longer book but frankly, it was a yummy read anyway. Recommended for all the fans of the authors mentioned above. Read it!

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Я спокойну могу поставить Даниэль Л. Дженсен в ряд с такими авторами как Мария В. Снайдер, Кристин Кашор, Сара Дж. Маас и Шерри Томас с её Горящим Небом, ибо у неё получилась наивкуснейшая книга подросткового фэнтези.

Украденная Певчая Птичка - это классическое европейское фэнтези. Однако мы плохо себе представляем политический ландшафт этого мира, так как большая часть действия происходит под горой, где находится волшебное королевство троллей, замкнутое проклятьем ведьмы от челевеческих глаз вот уже 500 лет.

Упомянутая ведьма, Анушка, по словам троллей, сначала обрушила гору, затем перерезала глотку королю троллей, а затем наложила на всех троллей заклятье, запретив им выступать за пределы своих подземелий.

И вот теперь королевство живёт под магическим щитом, удерживающим огромные валуны от падения на головы троллей и полагается на торговлю с близлежайшими деревушками в обман на золото и магические клятвы молчания.

Одним из объектов торговли становится похищенная из соседней деревушки 18-летняя Сесиль. Рыжеволосая, упрямая талантливая певица, Сесиль, по пророчеству троллей, в магическом союзе с принцом Тристаном сможет разрушить висящее над ними проклятье.

Однако ни Сесиль, которая противится похищению и брачному союзу с троллем с самого начала, ни Тристан, у которого свои мотивы против освобождения от проклятья, от такого развития события не в восторге.

И вот теперь оба пытаются лавировать в гуще политических интриг, направленных на то, чтобы погубить Тристана и его новобрачную, не влюбиться в друг друга, что только осложнит их борьбу за выживание и освободить тех, кто возлагает на них обоих все свои надежды.  

Горько-сладкая и остроумная история любви, чёткий, логически построенный сюжет, читается быстро и очень увлекательно. Советую от всего сердца. Красиво, ярко, вкусно. Читайте!