Review: Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen

What the book is about...

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.

My initial expectations...

To be honest, I had little to no hopes for this book when I first picked it up to read. The biggest turn off in my opinion was the trolls. All I could picture in my head at first were those short and chubby little pencil toppers that I used to collect as a kid and it was hard to even fathom a relationship between a beautiful girl and something so ghastly. 

What I liked about this book...

Have you ever picked up a book and from the very first page you knew you were going to love it? Well, that my basically my first impression of Danielle L. Jensen’s debut novel. The words flow perfectly and so does the dialogue. In short, the characters are witty, passionate, and the developments individually and amongst one another are beautiful and heart-wrenching. At first, I was a bit confused about how Prince Tristan, who was exceptionally rude from the start, could catch the heart of Cecil, such a caring and innocent young girl. But as the plot played out and the characters were more and more open towards one another, I admired how believable the author had been able to make the Prince’s outside demeanor seem, even to her readers. 

What I didn't like about this book...

If I could give one downfall to this amazing novel it would be the overall vagueness of the setting and its history. There were many places in which the author could have given the readers a more detailed account of the history of the trolls and the outside world. Throughout the plot the readers are presented with only bits and pieces of information about the trolls and their history and it was ultimately very frustrating trying to connect them all. Hopefully Jensen will elaborate in the sequel, Hidden Huntress.

My overall views...

It’s a very long book with very long chapters, which is usually something I just cannot tolerate. This book is definitely an exception. There’s never a dull moment, with so many twists and turns that leave me begging for more. While the ending was somewhat predictable, I believe it was a necessary display of the developments the characters had made and had been building upon throughout the book.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars on Goodreads!

Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes. I’d recommend this book to both fantasy and romance lovers. Though many stray away from fantasy books because they seem so complex at a glance, this book is very comprehensive overall.

Would I read it again? Yes. Not anytime soon, but eventually.

Favourite quotes...

“I think it is our nature to believe evil always has an ugly face,” he said, ignoring my question. “Beauty is supposed to be good and kind, and to discover it otherwise is like a betrayal of trust. A violation of the nature of things.”

“I cannot stop the world from moving. All I can do is be prepared for when it does.”

“Dying was and easy thing to accomplish, effortless in its agony. It was living that was hard, requiring endless toil and labor, and for all one's efforts, it could be stolen in an instant.”

“They aren't ugly." I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. "more like beautiful things that have had the misfortune of being broken.”

“You looked ridiculous walking around the city carrying an empty wineglass. I don't care to be associated with a drunk. Particularly one who damages glassware.”

What did you guys think? Did you like the romance? Did you like the ending? Have you ever read any books that didn't sound so appealing at first, but then they turned out to be amazing?