The Sweet Far Thing

Reader reviewed by Megan

The last book to the Gemma Doyle trilogy, The Sweet Far Thing picks up about three months from the second book. Gemma, in the second book, bound the wild magic of the realm to herself, but now she cannot open the door to the realm. However, as the school begins to rebuild the mysterious East Wing, she finds another door and is able to go back into the realm. But, everything is different now. Her good friend Pippa has sacrificed to the Winterlands to make herself stronger. The magic is unbalanced and creates an open door to her world. When the creatures from the Winterland come after her as a sacrifice, Kartik trades himself so that Gemma may live. Libba Bray captivates readers with a truly amazing end to this trilogy!

Reader reviewed by MRose52

Gemma Doyle is your average 1900's teenage debutante...except for the fact that she has magical powers that she must use to save another world called the realms. The realms is a world were anything is possible, gorgons and centaurs walk, the dead move on, and thorns can be transformed into flowers and rubies. But all is not well. The door to the realms that was closed so long ago has been re-opened, and evil trakers of the winterlands are set out steal the souls of the living as sacrifices for power. Gemma's is having visions of a desperate young girl, but her message is unclear. Can Gemma bring peace to the realms and replace the magic back in the earth without causing or allowing chaos? And will she become her own spirit, or be silinced in a world as restraining as her corsett?

Reader reviewed by the book muncher

This novel is the last of Libba Brays A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy, and even though many people were disappointed in the ending, I, for one, was not.

War is brewing in the realms, and time is running out for Gemma. Gemma, the Order, and the Rakshana are grappling for the power of the realms, and inside the realms, the different tribes want their share of Gemmas power too. Pippa is still in the realms, having found that she cant cross over. Shes different, but no one besides Gemma seems to notice this.

With too many strains in her life, Gemma doesnt know who to trust, and Gemma desperately needs to learn more about the Winterlands. Not knowing who to turn to, Gemma visits Circe, who is trapped in the well in the Temple. In exchange for the information she learns, Gemma gives Circe some magic.

After visiting the Winterlands and finding the Tree of All Souls, Gemma makes it her mission to find the dagger that Wilhemina, the woman who is haunting Gemmas visions, stole and return it to the tree, as Eugenia, the founder of Spence who is trapped in the tree, tells her to do. But Gemma soon finds out the truth in everything, but she doesnt have much time because the souls in the Winterlands are preparing for war.

The ending of The Sweet Far Thing is truly heartbreaking and romantic, and I cried through the end. I am not disappointed with the ending, just a little upset. I wont give any details away to ruin anything. I greatly admire Gemmas character; she has strength and the will to do the right thing, and she has the resolve to see it through. I believe this trilogy should be mandatory to read because it is such an amazing story.

Reader reviewed by Nabi

Gemma's life is filled with problems. There's Pippa who they've finally found but who seems to be changing. And Gemma doubts that it's for the better. Then there's her friends, Ann and Fee who have problems of their own. And Circe, who it appears isn't dead. And then there's the minor problem of the tribes whom she promised magic.

This book, despite the daunting size, is truly amazing. Libba Bray is a genius!

Reader reviewed by Julie M. Prince

All the magic of the realms rests at the fingertips of Gemma Doyle.

Between the strange, scary new visions urging her to take action and the warnings of the forest folk that war will come if she doesnt fulfill her promise to share the magic, Gemma is terrified of the high expectations everyone seems to have. And that doesnt even include those piled on by her own world, courtesy of her family and of the Spence Academy for Young Ladies.

By day, Gemma is being bred into a lady of good standing and reputation. By night, shes desperately trying to understand the world shes expected to govern. Added to the mix is her turbulent relationship with the exotic and forbidden Kartic.

Brays world of wonders is brought to a head in this final sequel in the realms trilogy. The consistency of the authors beautiful writing never falters, nor does the sarcastic wit and humor of her main character.

Gemma is by turns, frustrating in her naivety and amazingly bold in her convictions and actions. Her desire to help friends, Felicity and Ann, gain control of their futures with the use of the magic she holds is admirable. This desire, however, conflicts with Gemmas duty to the realms and the peace of an entire world. The result is a powerful story filled with conflict and no obvious resolution, as Gemma races to find the truth about both worlds and the truth about her own desires.

Readers will be sorry to see the trilogy end but this book will ease those bitter sweet feelings as it ties up story threads and weaves a tale worthy of Libba Bray fans worldwide.

For those who have just discovered the series, be sure to check out A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY and REBEL ANGELS.

Reader reviewed by Rin

I'm sure everyone as read many summaries of all these, so I think it will suffice to say that in this book Gemma and her friends encounter even more terrible, yet wonderful things yet in the Realm as well as in their ordinary lives.

Lbba Bray is a masterful storyteller. In THE SWEET FAR THING Gemma is forced to make many many important choices and, like most imperfect humans, make mistakes and yet she learns from them and tries to fix her mistakes before it is too late.

If you've read the first 2 in this triology, do not miss out on this one. I think it's the best one yet, and the most true to life.

And if you haven't read any of the three, go and pick them up now ;) it's worth it.