Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (2020)
Description
Fantasy. Historical Fiction. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML:From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes a historical YA fantasy about a musical prodigy and the dangerous lengths she'll go to make history remember her�??perfect for fans of Susanna Clarke and The Hazel Wood. Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart. Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish�??to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age�??her tyrannical father has made that much clear. And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true�??but his help may cost her everything. In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother… (more)
Media reviews
Being half German, I've grown up on the Scandinavian folk and fairytales and love them. The Kingdom of Back isn't a fairytale retelling but a completely original story based on the real Mozart siblings. I find that a lot more interesting than the usual fairytale retellings that are so popular. The
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cover art is pretty and completes the Scandinavian fairytale vibes within the story.
The characters are interesting and keep you guessing the whole book. Little Wolfgang's pure heart would make anyone melt. His relationship with his sister Nannerl is so sweet it'll make your teeth hurt. Their father made me really mad many times though. My heart ached for Nannerl. Her father was so awful toward her and doted on Wolfgang. He constantly reminded her that she was a girl and couldn't compose music. Her father was so controlling that if he even had a little suspicion that she was composing music there would be hell to pay. Little Wolfgang encouraged her to write anyway and would leave the ink, quill, and lose leaf paper where she could use it when their father wasn't around. Wolfgang had savant skills for composing music and playing any instrument he touched. As he grew up, their father paid special attention to him and set up concerts with Wolfgang as the star and Nannerl barely mentioned.
All Nannerl wanted was to compose beautiful music and her greatest fear was to be forgotten. Society's oppressive attitude toward women caused Nannerl to make a deal with a powerful creature that would make her work famous. Instead, her world gets turned upside down as the creature drains the life from Wolfgang by giving him an illness. Horrified, Nannerl realizes the creature is killing her little brother to make way for her to be the one in the spotlight instead of Wolfgang. She had naturally felt jealousy toward her brother because he was doted on for playing the same music she could with the difference being that he was a boy. The love for her brother is stronger and she does anything it takes to save him, not caring anymore if anyone will remember her.
I can't imagine what it would be like to listen to the Mozart children perform. When I was a dorky high schooler all I listened to was classical music. No boy bands for me, just old men that have been dead for over 100+ years. There's a certain magic in classical music that you won't find in music today. Fantasy and fairytales just feel like they should be paired with classical music. It may be because a lot of those type stories and music were written around the same time period and in Europe.
I really liked this as an audiobook. It was a quick listen for me but there is a lot of magic packed in it and somehow it never felt rushed to me. The Kingdom of Back is a clean historical fantasy that anyone can read or listen to. Happy reading! 📚 Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I really enjoyed this story. Believe it or not, this was the first time that I have read any of Marie Lu's work. I love music so I was really drawn to the premise of this story. I read the bulk of this book in a single day and couldn't get enough of Wolferl and Nannerl's story. I am so glad that I
There was a point at the start of this story that I thought that this book was going to be mostly set in the fantasy world of the Kingdom of Back. I was wrong. This book really reads like an historical fiction with short trips into fantasy. The fantasy elements were a nice addition to the story but I felt like the relationship between Nannerl and her brother, Wolferl, and their music was the main focus of the story.
Nannerl is Wolferl's older sister. The world knows Wolferl as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and he is remembered by everyone. But who remembers his sister who shared his talent? As children, they were both very gifted musicians and played for important audiences everywhere. They were not treated the same though. Nannerl is expected to help supervise her younger brother and knows that being a wife and mother is in her future. She is allowed to play her music but composition is strictly considered a man's domain.
I really enjoyed the magical elements of this story. Hyacinth was a great character and I loved that I was never quite sure of his motivations. I thought that the descriptions of the scenes within the Kingdom of Back made this world come alive. All of the things that they were faced with in this land were exciting and helped to move the story along.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well done story involving a historical figure from a unique point of view. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of Marie Lu's work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers via Bookish First.
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decided to give this book a try.There was a point at the start of this story that I thought that this book was going to be mostly set in the fantasy world of the Kingdom of Back. I was wrong. This book really reads like an historical fiction with short trips into fantasy. The fantasy elements were a nice addition to the story but I felt like the relationship between Nannerl and her brother, Wolferl, and their music was the main focus of the story.
Nannerl is Wolferl's older sister. The world knows Wolferl as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and he is remembered by everyone. But who remembers his sister who shared his talent? As children, they were both very gifted musicians and played for important audiences everywhere. They were not treated the same though. Nannerl is expected to help supervise her younger brother and knows that being a wife and mother is in her future. She is allowed to play her music but composition is strictly considered a man's domain.
I really enjoyed the magical elements of this story. Hyacinth was a great character and I loved that I was never quite sure of his motivations. I thought that the descriptions of the scenes within the Kingdom of Back made this world come alive. All of the things that they were faced with in this land were exciting and helped to move the story along.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well done story involving a historical figure from a unique point of view. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of Marie Lu's work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers via Bookish First.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
Mozart became famous while still a child, and he often performed with his equally talented sister Nannerl. As they travel around Europe, the two made up and told stories of the Kingdom of Back, which forms the basis of this fantastical novel. Nannerl's relationship with her brother is full of love
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and tension, especially as the two work on compositions together, for which Wolfgang receives full credit. There is plenty of both history and fantasy in this novel, but I hope it engages more readers in discovering more about this overlooked and talented woman (as it certainly did for me). Show Less
LibraryThing member Lea.Pearl
The Kingdom of Back is a new take on Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart's story. Why is it called 'The Kingdom of Back'? Because "everything is backward"!
This story is a sublime mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. The way both genres are woven together, you almost forget what type of book you're
Nannerl struggles with the path already paved for her life and obeying her father as she grows through the story. All she wants to do is compose her own music, but instead she gets to watch her younger brother, Woferl, write his own music and essentially live the life she wants. The siblings share a fantastical realm, The Kingdom of Back, that mirrors our own. But not everything is as it seems and not everyone can be trusted.
Full of history and imagination, this story is a definite page-turner that kept me entertained the whole way through!
This story is a sublime mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. The way both genres are woven together, you almost forget what type of book you're
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reading. It's a slow-paced novel so there are some repetitive parts and some things tend to drag on, but I found myself intrigued enough that I wanted to keep going.Nannerl struggles with the path already paved for her life and obeying her father as she grows through the story. All she wants to do is compose her own music, but instead she gets to watch her younger brother, Woferl, write his own music and essentially live the life she wants. The siblings share a fantastical realm, The Kingdom of Back, that mirrors our own. But not everything is as it seems and not everyone can be trusted.
Full of history and imagination, this story is a definite page-turner that kept me entertained the whole way through!
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
I really enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of this book, but I had trouble giving into the fantasy, although the author's note at the end offered explanation for some of the things that were hanging me up.
LibraryThing member Kiaya40
I loved this book! I don’t know why I haven’t heard much about it because it’s fantastic.
This is one of my favorite authors and this story swept me away into a whole other world. It’s a lush fantasy and great escapist read and I love this take on Mozart and his sister, their family and the
I love how they put music in this story and the fairies, the forest , the whole other backward world known as the kingdom of back.
I love pretty much everything about this and I got lost in it and read it all at once. It’s a very unputdownable book and a clean read too.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s very entertaining, enjoyable and delightful.
This is one of my favorite authors and this story swept me away into a whole other world. It’s a lush fantasy and great escapist read and I love this take on Mozart and his sister, their family and the
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story.I love how they put music in this story and the fairies, the forest , the whole other backward world known as the kingdom of back.
I love pretty much everything about this and I got lost in it and read it all at once. It’s a very unputdownable book and a clean read too.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s very entertaining, enjoyable and delightful.
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Awards
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2022)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Children/Young Adult)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2020)
Tome Society It List (2022)
Language
Original publication date
2020-03-03
ISBN
9781524739027
Local notes
Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her.