So Silver Bright
So Silver Bright (Théâtre Illuminata, Act III)by Lisa Mantchev
All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate. (goodreads.com)
In my IMM video last week (and, oh geez, it's been exactly a week since I posted anything on this blog! It just goes to show you how out of it I am. It took me over a WEEK to get one book read and written about. Sigh) I compared Lisa Mantchev's writing to buttercream frosting. To be honest, I didn't even realize I had done that until I received a few comments about the statement. Since I tend to sense things in texture and colour, it was the first thing that came to mind as an apt description of how Lisa's writing makes me feel. It's comforting, sweet, delicious and thick. It's white with rainbow sprinkles. It's creamy. It's just something I could spend days making myself sick over by eating the frosting right from the bowl. ;)I have been fangirling over this series since 2009 when I first picked up Eyes Like Stars. Each book has only strengthened my love of Lisa's storytelling. Not one book disappointed me. I stick to my original statement that I have never read anything like these books. The storytelling and word building make me think that Lisa has that fancy word magic that Bertie has and she's not afraid to use it.In the conclusion to the trilogy, Bertie and her cast of odd, yet endearing friends, have so many adventures and manage to make me laugh, tear up and just love them all the more. The scenes with Her Gracious Majesty at the Distant Castle were some of my favourites.In fact, I think HGM was one of my favourite characters in the way she was written. I was completely in love with the complexity of her character. So unique and interesting!The scene with the confrontation with the Brigands had me holding my breath and tearing up. I even breathed out a gaspy "Noooo!" at one point and had to re-read a page and a bit to make sure I didn't read anything wrong.The Théâtre Illuminata series has been able to evoke so many emotions in me with all three books. I am both sad and happy that it is over. I shall miss the characters (especially the faeries!) but I don't think they would have sustained many more books in a series. I think three acts in this play were exactly enough. I wasn't tired of anyone, (even Ariel won me over in the end), I wasn't frustrated by slow pacing throughout a book because the rest would be explained in the following one. The stage was set just perfectly and the conclusion to the play was satisfying.I have to say that 2009 was the best year for starting a series. That year I was gifted with literature from Lisa Mantchev, Michelle Zink (Prophecy of the Sisters) and Margaret Stohl & Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures). All three of these series are up there on my favourites list (and all three conclude this year!) - and it had been a long time since anything was up there along with Kate Forsyth (Witches of Eileanan) and David Eddings (Belgariad, etc.). Though I am sad to come to the end of these amazing trilogies, I am also looking forward to having more Mantchev, Zink, Stohl & Garcia in my future reading piles!Acts of the Théâtre Illuminata
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