Review: The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Published: December 26, 2007
Links: IndieBound
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Amazon, Barnes & Noble
(available as Kindle/Nook and Audio editions)
Audiobook borrowed from the library

Synopsis from Goodreads

Review

NOTE: This reviews contains spoilers

Oh, Gemma. How I long to alternately hug and slap this child!

She really is such a lovely girl, but there are times that she’s just…. such…. a teen-ager!! *sigh*

And yet, there’s no denying that despite the many blindnesses she almost willfully cultivates, she is trying, desperately, to do the right thing in the face of total uncertainty of what that might be and against overwhelming odds. And that’s what gets me about Gemma every time: underneath the foibles she may possess, she is such a good, kind-hearted girl.

Once again, Libba Bray returns us to both late-nineteenth century London and the Realms, drawing us back into the lives of Gemma and her friends (and foes) and into yet another mystery, and this time she’s working against more than just Circe… she’s battling evil primordial!

For those that had wondered at some of the subtle allusions to the thorny issues the characters face, issues that are still very pertinent in this day and age – child abuse, sexual awakening and inter-racial attraction – everything you wondered about will be addressed and laid to rest. I have to mention that while these leitmotifs where in no way the driving force behind these books, I loved the way they were just part of the reality that these characters lived among, not unlike the reality we live in. It made me think that this is the way to shine a light on the darker aspects of human nature, both prejudice and evil, and show it for what it is. But that it was done so deftly speaks to the prowess of Libba Bray’s craft.

I was so sad to see this story come to an end, but what a glorious ride it was! If you love full rich world building, you should read these books. If you love characters that leap off the page and are entirely real, you should read these books.

I cannot stress it enough, READ. THIS. SERIES. NOW!!!

While this series is set in a historical setting, which may not be every reader’s cup of tea, Libba Bray’s last two books have been entirely contemporary in timing and are so hysterically witty and heartbreakingly beautiful, you’re only cheating yourself if you don’t take the chance to read Going Bovine (which I reviewed last year) and Beauty Queens (which I plan to review soon).

Now go and get lost…in a book!