The Kingdom of Back

by Marie Lu

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1524739014
• ISBN13: 9781524739010
• Release Date: March 2020
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Very nostalgic

I liked this book. It is 90% history and 10% fantasy. I'll admit the fantasy didn't really make sense, but I didn't think it had to - the focus was on Nannerl's emotional development. Though it may frustrate some readers that Nannerl isn't more fiery, from the historical evidence, it seems like that was pretty accurate to her personality, and I thought her subtlety of action was interesting on its own.

Mozart's sister reimagined

Marie Lu, known for her fantasy and science fiction has created a well-written and imaginative story about the childhood of the Mozart siblings. Wolfgang Mozart had an older sister nicknamed Nannerl, and together they imagined a fantasy land called the Kingdom of Back. Nannerl, like her brother, is a enormous talent in terms of playing and composing music, but it is 18th century Europe and women are not allowed to openly compose or have musical careers. Her greatest wish is to be remembered forever. Enter Hyacinthe, a faerie prince from the Kingdom of Back, who offers to make Nannerl's wish a reality, if she will complete a series of tasks for him. At first Nannerl is enthusiastic as she follows his wishes, but soon realizes that there is a sinister price that comes with Hyacinthe's demands. She realizes she must rethink her priorities. A big theme is this novel is the constraints that were placed on women in this time, and it made me wonder how many talented women throughout history were unable to pursue their dreams. Four and a half stars.

The Plot was Astounding

This book I have to say was a major favorite. I was skeptical if this book was based on someone real, but after reading the Acknowledgements I was surprised and sad. I related to this character on a personal level especially because I also have a younger brother prodigy. I was most ashamed of not learning about how Mozart's sister was never mentioned in school, but she left some of her work within her brothers music. I love this character and sibling relationship. I could not put down this book. It made me see something with my brother that I had never seen before.

Another Look at History

I'm a little ashamed to say that I had no idea Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart existed prior to this book. I'm not big on classical music, so there really wasn't a way for me to know of her, but I'm nonetheless sad that I had never heard of her before this. I mean, I'd heard of Wolfgang Mozart plenty before, but never her which is terribly sad. Because this was my first introduction to her, despite the fact that it was fictional, I became very invested in her story. I found myself entranced by this unique and fantastical take on her life, and her relationship with her brother. It is inherently a very fragile thing, given the nature of how society treated her versus her brother, but it was handled very well in my opinion. Truthfully, this style of book was a little unexpected from Marie Lu (who I only know of from her dystopian work), but she clearly knew what she was doing. So far, its my favorite work from her yet!

The Kingdom of Back is a wonder!

I was so very lucky to get an ARC of this book from BookishFirst. This novel was really really good! It is combines history and magic into a fantastic story and I loved it! This book follows the childhood of Nannerl and Woferl (Maria Anna and Wolfgang) Mozart who in real life to stave off boredom on their long journeys by coach, created an imaginary kingdom called the Kingdom of Back. Marie Lu has written a wonderful book and has added the concept that that kingdom was in fact real. She deftly weaves fact and fiction together to create this dark masterpiece where Nannerl is trying to leave her mark in a time when women are seen and not heard, unless you are a prodigy and that only lasts till you are grown. She is promised by Hyacinth, a mysterious figure from the Kingdom, that in return for doing some task, he will grant her wish. But all is not as it seems and the twists were great! Also, I did not like their father. He pushed both of them so hard traveling all through Europe, showing them off to royalty as prodigies and expecting perfection and compositions at the drop of a hat to pay his bills. This book shows the love between Nannerl and her brother and after I read this story, I had to go and learn more about Maria Anna Mozart. I am glad that Marie Lu has written this book so that Maria Anna will no longer be forgotten.