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Shadow Players #2
A Kingdom for a Stage: An Asian-Inspired Young Adult Fantasy of War, Blood Magic, and Rebellion
Caught in a war between the rebels and the invading colonizers, Jetta must make an impossible choice—save her people or protect her sanity.
The second book in Heidi Heilig’s acclaimed Shadow Players trilogy blends traditional storytelling with ephemera to weave an enthralling fantasy that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir will sink into.
Jetta is a wanted criminal. The army wants her for treason against the crown, for the sabotage of Hell’s Court temple, and for the murder of General Legarde. They also want her for the power in her blood—the magic that captures wandering spirits to give life to puppets, to rocks, to paper . . . to weapons. They’re willing to trade the elixir that treats Jetta’s madness for the use of her blood. The rebels want her, too, to help them reclaim their country. Jetta may be the one who can tip the scales in this war.
But Jetta fears using her power will make her too much like Le Trépas, the terrifying and tyrannical necromancer who once held all Chakrana under his thumb—and who is Jetta’s biological father. She’s already raised her brother from the dead, after all. And scared off Leo, the only person who saw her as she truly is. With Le Trépas at large and a clash between the army and the rebels becoming inevitable, Jetta will have to decide if saving her country is worth sacrificing her soul.
Acclaimed author Heidi Heilig creates a rich world inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and French colonialism. Told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view, as well as with chapters written as play scripts and ephemera such as songs, maps, and letters, A Kingdom for a Stage is a vivid, fast-paced journey that weaves magic, simmering romance, and the deep bonds of family with the high stakes of epic adventure. It will thrill fans of Stephanie Garber and Renée Ahdieh.
The second book in Heidi Heilig’s acclaimed Shadow Players trilogy blends traditional storytelling with ephemera to weave an enthralling fantasy that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir will sink into.
Jetta is a wanted criminal. The army wants her for treason against the crown, for the sabotage of Hell’s Court temple, and for the murder of General Legarde. They also want her for the power in her blood—the magic that captures wandering spirits to give life to puppets, to rocks, to paper . . . to weapons. They’re willing to trade the elixir that treats Jetta’s madness for the use of her blood. The rebels want her, too, to help them reclaim their country. Jetta may be the one who can tip the scales in this war.
But Jetta fears using her power will make her too much like Le Trépas, the terrifying and tyrannical necromancer who once held all Chakrana under his thumb—and who is Jetta’s biological father. She’s already raised her brother from the dead, after all. And scared off Leo, the only person who saw her as she truly is. With Le Trépas at large and a clash between the army and the rebels becoming inevitable, Jetta will have to decide if saving her country is worth sacrificing her soul.
Acclaimed author Heidi Heilig creates a rich world inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and French colonialism. Told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view, as well as with chapters written as play scripts and ephemera such as songs, maps, and letters, A Kingdom for a Stage is a vivid, fast-paced journey that weaves magic, simmering romance, and the deep bonds of family with the high stakes of epic adventure. It will thrill fans of Stephanie Garber and Renée Ahdieh.
438 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2019
26 people are currently reading
1829 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Heilig
11 books1,327 followersHeidi grew up in Hawaii where she rode horses and raised peacocks, and then she moved to New York City and grew up even more, as one tends to do. Her favorite thing, outside of writing, is travel, and she has haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko'olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in Africa while lions roared in the dark.
She holds an MFA from New York University in Musical Theatre Writing, of all things, and she's written books and lyrics for shows including The Time Travelers Convention, Under Construction, and The Hole. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their pet snake, whose wings will likely grow in any day now.
She holds an MFA from New York University in Musical Theatre Writing, of all things, and she's written books and lyrics for shows including The Time Travelers Convention, Under Construction, and The Hole. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their pet snake, whose wings will likely grow in any day now.
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July 31, 2019
Hey everyone! Here are the content notes for A KINGDOM FOR A STAGE behind the spoiler tag, just in case no one wants to casually see them!
Want to read
February 11, 2019Listen. The first book's cover may be one of my favorites but this is EVEN BETTER I have never seen such a beautiful combination of pretty and creepy that also screams "necromancy", as it should
[I can't wait!]
[I can't wait!]
December 23, 2019
Warnings: blood use in magic, gun violence, war, colonialism, racism, descriptions of dead bodies, mention of reproductive coercion, mentions of torture, mention of suicide
Rep: Bisexual and mental health rep (bipolar) in main character (ownvoices), biracial love interest, queer and PoC characters, including trans rep
Heilig takes us back into Chakrana fighting for its freedom, with Jetta as a crucial piece in the war between Chakrana and Aquitan. Now that the Aquitans are aware of her necromancy, she is in greater danger, and not just from the wanted posters of hers that gone up. The military applications of her necromancy mean that she is to be a tool that might turn the war. At first, imprisoned by the Aquitans, she seeks to learn all she can about her skills, so that she may have a better understanding of how best to apply it; the medicine made from precious lithium is another benefit in the scenario. Still, she is planning her escape from their clutches, and her brother being her revenant has its perks. Then when she is with the rebels, the fact that they have also rescued Le Trepas means that she has to contend with him throughout their journey to the rebel base camp. With her own guilt in her mind, and his whispers of teaching her more things, Jetta has a complicated journey with her own necromancy in this sequel.
Like the first book, Jetta's first person perspective is regularly interspersed with 'extra content' - conversations between other characters depicted as play script, songs, and letters. Her story in this book is a lot about the depths of her powers, and her complicated feelings on it. With her mother's trauma, and thus her restriction on using her powers, she has always feared necromancy to bring her closer to Le Trepas, the monster of their modern legends. And now, having brought her brother back from the dead, she still has a lot of complicated thoughts about it. Obviously, she also doesn't like using the spirits for violence, as would be used in times of war, and Le Trepas giving her new insight on it makes her more afraid. Alongside this is her fear of her medicine dosages always at risk of running out; so we have a character who is fighting war on two fronts.
I also loved the secondary characters in the story - Leo was of interest from the last book, and in this book, you get to him being conflicted with his actions even more. His desire to help Jetta with her powers and with her illness doesn't always line up well, like when he has to betray her to help her; I still feel there were better ways to communicate that to her. The other two characters I liked were Theodora and the Tiger, who have a nice star-crossed romance subplot going on, but also have a good arc with what and how they help the Chakrana side. The Tiger's own story about his family history was an interesting addition to the plot, and was crucial to the ending. Akran's guilt over serving in the army and the resolution of his arc was done well, as was Jetta's father's disability. Just the simple fact that Jetta's powers could be used to drive mobility aids, as suggested by Theodora, was a good addition to the story. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, is brilliant in bringing out all the characters - I think somewhere mid-way while I was busy sketching away while listening to this and was so in the zone, I sort of forgot for a minute that it wasn't a cast of actors, but a single narrator doing the voices!
The central conflict of the Aquitan occupation and their colonialism wiping out the culture of Chakrana was well-written in this book, too. The ways in which machines were used in this novel was interesting, as was exploration of the mythology behind the necromancy. The build-up of the world has been extensive, and yet I love the addition of more details to it. The ending brings a change in the scenario of the war, but also gives the characters a new villain to face in the next book, so can't wait to see what happens!
Rep: Bisexual and mental health rep (bipolar) in main character (ownvoices), biracial love interest, queer and PoC characters, including trans rep
Heilig takes us back into Chakrana fighting for its freedom, with Jetta as a crucial piece in the war between Chakrana and Aquitan. Now that the Aquitans are aware of her necromancy, she is in greater danger, and not just from the wanted posters of hers that gone up. The military applications of her necromancy mean that she is to be a tool that might turn the war. At first, imprisoned by the Aquitans, she seeks to learn all she can about her skills, so that she may have a better understanding of how best to apply it; the medicine made from precious lithium is another benefit in the scenario. Still, she is planning her escape from their clutches, and her brother being her revenant has its perks. Then when she is with the rebels, the fact that they have also rescued Le Trepas means that she has to contend with him throughout their journey to the rebel base camp. With her own guilt in her mind, and his whispers of teaching her more things, Jetta has a complicated journey with her own necromancy in this sequel.
Like the first book, Jetta's first person perspective is regularly interspersed with 'extra content' - conversations between other characters depicted as play script, songs, and letters. Her story in this book is a lot about the depths of her powers, and her complicated feelings on it. With her mother's trauma, and thus her restriction on using her powers, she has always feared necromancy to bring her closer to Le Trepas, the monster of their modern legends. And now, having brought her brother back from the dead, she still has a lot of complicated thoughts about it. Obviously, she also doesn't like using the spirits for violence, as would be used in times of war, and Le Trepas giving her new insight on it makes her more afraid. Alongside this is her fear of her medicine dosages always at risk of running out; so we have a character who is fighting war on two fronts.
I also loved the secondary characters in the story - Leo was of interest from the last book, and in this book, you get to him being conflicted with his actions even more. His desire to help Jetta with her powers and with her illness doesn't always line up well, like when he has to betray her to help her; I still feel there were better ways to communicate that to her. The other two characters I liked were Theodora and the Tiger, who have a nice star-crossed romance subplot going on, but also have a good arc with what and how they help the Chakrana side. The Tiger's own story about his family history was an interesting addition to the plot, and was crucial to the ending. Akran's guilt over serving in the army and the resolution of his arc was done well, as was Jetta's father's disability. Just the simple fact that Jetta's powers could be used to drive mobility aids, as suggested by Theodora, was a good addition to the story. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, is brilliant in bringing out all the characters - I think somewhere mid-way while I was busy sketching away while listening to this and was so in the zone, I sort of forgot for a minute that it wasn't a cast of actors, but a single narrator doing the voices!
The central conflict of the Aquitan occupation and their colonialism wiping out the culture of Chakrana was well-written in this book, too. The ways in which machines were used in this novel was interesting, as was exploration of the mythology behind the necromancy. The build-up of the world has been extensive, and yet I love the addition of more details to it. The ending brings a change in the scenario of the war, but also gives the characters a new villain to face in the next book, so can't wait to see what happens!
January 9, 2023
RESEÑA DEL LIBRO 1 Y 2
Tenía mucha curiosidad por estos libros ya que había escuchado cosas de todo tipo y en general las críticas no eran demasiado buenas, por lo que los empecé con las expectativas un poco bajas. Y me alegro de haberlo hecho porque los he disfrutado bastante.
👍Por un lado, la ambientación me ha parecido fantástica. Estamos en un mundo ficticio donde existe la nigromancia. Por ejemplo, nuestra protagonista, Jetta, puede usar las almas de los muertos y atarlas en objetos, por lo cual, estos cobran vida. De esta manera se gana la vida junto a su familia, realizando espectáculos amblantes con sus marionetas "vivas".
👍En la historia es muy importante el tema de la salud mental ya que Jetta tiene una especie de Bipolarismo y eso se transmite de una manera muy buena en el libro a través de escenas y pensamientos bastante caóticos.
👍También tendremos conflictos bélicos ya que el país esta en guerra, un enfrentamiento entre el ejército del Rey y los Rebeldes, quienes se oponen a su mandato.
👍Es muy bonito que se le de tanta importancia y valor a la familia como pasa en esta historia. El amor de unos padres, el sentido de pertenencia a un lugar o a unas personas.
👍Hay personajes muy interesantes como lo son Leo, Akra, El tigre, Theodora, Checky...
Pero por otro lado...
👎El principio es bastante confuso y el ritmo es bastante denso, por lo que esto puede desanimar a algunos lectores/as y que abandonen la lectura.
👎Hay historia de amor pero no es el tema principal de la historia, y aunque para mi eso casi siempre ha sido positivo, en este caso me ha fallado. Me ha faltado emoción en los romances existentes o me hubiera gustado que se hubiesen desarrollado de otra manera
En general, han sido unas lecturas muy originales y estoy deseando leer el tercero para saber el desenlace de todo
4/5
https://addicionaloslibros.blogspot.c...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnNEqhULimP/
Tenía mucha curiosidad por estos libros ya que había escuchado cosas de todo tipo y en general las críticas no eran demasiado buenas, por lo que los empecé con las expectativas un poco bajas. Y me alegro de haberlo hecho porque los he disfrutado bastante.
👍Por un lado, la ambientación me ha parecido fantástica. Estamos en un mundo ficticio donde existe la nigromancia. Por ejemplo, nuestra protagonista, Jetta, puede usar las almas de los muertos y atarlas en objetos, por lo cual, estos cobran vida. De esta manera se gana la vida junto a su familia, realizando espectáculos amblantes con sus marionetas "vivas".
👍En la historia es muy importante el tema de la salud mental ya que Jetta tiene una especie de Bipolarismo y eso se transmite de una manera muy buena en el libro a través de escenas y pensamientos bastante caóticos.
👍También tendremos conflictos bélicos ya que el país esta en guerra, un enfrentamiento entre el ejército del Rey y los Rebeldes, quienes se oponen a su mandato.
👍Es muy bonito que se le de tanta importancia y valor a la familia como pasa en esta historia. El amor de unos padres, el sentido de pertenencia a un lugar o a unas personas.
👍Hay personajes muy interesantes como lo son Leo, Akra, El tigre, Theodora, Checky...
Pero por otro lado...
👎El principio es bastante confuso y el ritmo es bastante denso, por lo que esto puede desanimar a algunos lectores/as y que abandonen la lectura.
👎Hay historia de amor pero no es el tema principal de la historia, y aunque para mi eso casi siempre ha sido positivo, en este caso me ha fallado. Me ha faltado emoción en los romances existentes o me hubiera gustado que se hubiesen desarrollado de otra manera
En general, han sido unas lecturas muy originales y estoy deseando leer el tercero para saber el desenlace de todo
4/5
https://addicionaloslibros.blogspot.c...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnNEqhULimP/
July 2, 2022
A Kingdom for a Stage (Shadow Players #2) by Heidi Heilig is a sequel that I definitely preferred to the first book in the series. One of my favorite things about this is the format with the sheet music, scripts from plays, and letters and the world of the story. It was good to see the characters again, especially some that get to take a little more of a front seat this time around. While the finale isn't quite at the top of my read list, I'm still interested in seeing how this series ends.
July 12, 2020
A Kingdom for a Stage occurs a few weeks after the events of For a Muse of Fire. Readers are once again welcomed into Chakrana, a mystical land of ghosts and jungles. I have mixed feelings about this books. On one hand, the world was interesting, as was the use of spirits, while on the other, the plot was predictable and very few things actually happened. Character relationships formed way too quickly, and I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. The story was fun, but did not separate itself from other fantasies I've read. A Kingdom for a Stage was, to put it plainly, an ordinary YA fantasy.
March 9, 2020
In Japanese, there's this word まあまあ (maa maa), which when roughly translated, means something along the lines of "so-so," "passable," or "meh." That basically sums up my feelings for this book; there was nothing I particularly disliked about it, but there was nothing I particularly liked about it, either. It was まあまあ.
May 12, 2021
This was my favorite of the 3! I loved getting to know the world more and the characters!
April 30, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
One of my favorite lines of A Kingdom for a Stage is, "you think peace requires a victory", because it so fully encapsulates the heart and soul of this series. Sure it examines the bonds of family, winged machines, and blood magic, but it also looks at the very real consequences of colonization. The ways that it becomes about victory requiring defeat. Where just leaving is never an option that comes to mind. A world in which peace requires blood soaked battlefields, not white flags.
A Kingdom for a Stage looks at whether people can be saved. Whether anyone is purely good or bad. It explores the nature of loyalty and being turned, against our will, into a weapon. In this world of ghosts, possessions, and miracles, do intentions and relative goodness mean anything? While this series, as a whole, is certainly slower paced than one might expect, what I love about is that it truly dives into the nitty gritty. There is plenty of action, but it always feels grounded in ethical conversations about the 'right' thing to do.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
One of my favorite lines of A Kingdom for a Stage is, "you think peace requires a victory", because it so fully encapsulates the heart and soul of this series. Sure it examines the bonds of family, winged machines, and blood magic, but it also looks at the very real consequences of colonization. The ways that it becomes about victory requiring defeat. Where just leaving is never an option that comes to mind. A world in which peace requires blood soaked battlefields, not white flags.
A Kingdom for a Stage looks at whether people can be saved. Whether anyone is purely good or bad. It explores the nature of loyalty and being turned, against our will, into a weapon. In this world of ghosts, possessions, and miracles, do intentions and relative goodness mean anything? While this series, as a whole, is certainly slower paced than one might expect, what I love about is that it truly dives into the nitty gritty. There is plenty of action, but it always feels grounded in ethical conversations about the 'right' thing to do.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
December 15, 2019
There are spoilers for For a Muse of Fire (first in the series) below. You can find my review for that book here.
** Here Be Spoilers**
Oh man, I loved this book! From the plot-line to the characters, everything was done well. It was a worthy sequel to For a Muse of Fire, which was a huge relief after some of the sequels I’ve read lately.
Jetta is a great character. She’s tough without being cold and emotionless. In fact, her emotions are a big part of what makes her so tough. She has an illness that is most definitely bipolar (as confirmed by the author). I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but books that feature mental illness with consideration and respect automatically get extra points from me. This one in particular means a lot, since I also have bipolar. It is a mental illness that is rarely represented in YA, and even more rarely mentioned in the fantasy genre. Heidi Heilig’s choice to not only feature it in a fantasy, but to show both the positive and negative aspects of it is pretty stinking cool. But I digress.
In this book, Jetta has been offered a medication that will help with her illness, in exchange for the use of her blood by the crown. Whoever uses the blood can bind souls to inanimate objects, essentially animating-and controlling-them. The crown wants to use her power as a weapon against the rebels, who Jetta sympathizes with.
The rebels also want to use Jetta. Meanwhile, she’s afraid to use her power at all, worrying that it will make her like her biological father. He’s a monstrous necromancer, and everyone is afraid of what would happen if he- or another like him- came to power.
Of course, there’s also ye random romantic entanglement with Leo, another rebel. I’m not a huge fan of their relationship because it often came across as an unnecessary distraction from the rest of the plot, but I admittedly don’t like most dramatic bookish relationships.
I liked that Heilig didn’t pull punches. I was justifiably concerned about what would happen to some of the characters in the book. I like when an author gives things a sense of urgency, and she does that very well. I raced through this book, enjoying every moment of it.
I feel like this series is very underrated and deserves way more hype. It’s well-written and fast-paced, with memorable characters and an interesting plot. The mental illness representation just pushes it even higher in my esteem. I highly recommend this book.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
** Here Be Spoilers**
Oh man, I loved this book! From the plot-line to the characters, everything was done well. It was a worthy sequel to For a Muse of Fire, which was a huge relief after some of the sequels I’ve read lately.
Jetta is a great character. She’s tough without being cold and emotionless. In fact, her emotions are a big part of what makes her so tough. She has an illness that is most definitely bipolar (as confirmed by the author). I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but books that feature mental illness with consideration and respect automatically get extra points from me. This one in particular means a lot, since I also have bipolar. It is a mental illness that is rarely represented in YA, and even more rarely mentioned in the fantasy genre. Heidi Heilig’s choice to not only feature it in a fantasy, but to show both the positive and negative aspects of it is pretty stinking cool. But I digress.
In this book, Jetta has been offered a medication that will help with her illness, in exchange for the use of her blood by the crown. Whoever uses the blood can bind souls to inanimate objects, essentially animating-and controlling-them. The crown wants to use her power as a weapon against the rebels, who Jetta sympathizes with.
The rebels also want to use Jetta. Meanwhile, she’s afraid to use her power at all, worrying that it will make her like her biological father. He’s a monstrous necromancer, and everyone is afraid of what would happen if he- or another like him- came to power.
Of course, there’s also ye random romantic entanglement with Leo, another rebel. I’m not a huge fan of their relationship because it often came across as an unnecessary distraction from the rest of the plot, but I admittedly don’t like most dramatic bookish relationships.
I liked that Heilig didn’t pull punches. I was justifiably concerned about what would happen to some of the characters in the book. I like when an author gives things a sense of urgency, and she does that very well. I raced through this book, enjoying every moment of it.
I feel like this series is very underrated and deserves way more hype. It’s well-written and fast-paced, with memorable characters and an interesting plot. The mental illness representation just pushes it even higher in my esteem. I highly recommend this book.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
December 30, 2020
I read this book a few months ago and remember enjoying it. However, the fact that I have pretty much forgotten everything that happened in it, is a little concerning. Either I have a really bad memory, or this book was not very memorable. One of the two, maybe a combination of both.
I plan on re-reading this, because I do want to read the 3rd book.
I plan on re-reading this, because I do want to read the 3rd book.
December 5, 2019
4 stars for a thrilling plot!
December 7, 2019
I am really enjoying this series. It’s unique and thrilling. Can’t wait for the next one.
Read
November 11, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Racism
Suicide mentioned
Dead bodies
Torture mentioned
Gun violence
War & colonialism themes
Racism
Suicide mentioned
Dead bodies
Torture mentioned
Gun violence
War & colonialism themes
November 11, 2025
This series is so slept on
April 30, 2021
There is something so very creative in this series compared to other YA series I've read and I can't help it, but really want to follow it through.
───────────────────
I don't reread any books prior to releases of their sequels and I didn't do it here either, but luckily the book wasn't hard to keep up with without a summary and the dots were connected very quickly. I did enjoy the slightly faster pace to this one in comparison to A Muse of Fire, not because it would have been boring otherwise, but rather because Jetta is now more in tuned with her abilities and I was looking forward to what else she can do with it. She didn't disappoint.
We got to see new places this time around and I really liked seeing how Theodora was pulled into this in a much bigger way than before, I did think that her more brainy position compared to the rest brought in something very interesting.
The story's multiple narratives that go over the normal words, music, letters and then back again between all three was another thing I really enjoyed of it. That being said however, French words are in an abundance here and to someone like me where English is my second language, I found some difficulties staying very interested when they were used a little more than I would have hoped. She tries to include English in between to get the words across, but this to me would still be one of the cons of the series for sure.
Surprises wise, I really enjoyed seeing Jetta joined by probably, the least likely person we were ever going to see in a bigger focus. This in turn lead to a much bigger focus on Jetta's mental illness which once again provides an interesting contrast to the usually perfect protagonist I read about. I do admit that I had a tiny hope that she will fall from grace a bit, but she perseveres. The magic system is so interesting and the ending sequence of the book with the necromancy aerial battle of sorts was fantastic.
One more thing I wished wouldn't happen, was Leo's return in the story, in this way to be exact. Jetta is a YA heroine, meaning that it's a slim to none chance she's going to be acting with her mind instead of her heart towards a love interest, even when they're dumbass traitors who think that it's a good idea to play violin outside during their escape and they're supposed to be quiet. It's not just her either, even Theodora has thirsty moments that have no business being in this story with how interesting everything else that's happening.
I do hope that it's going to have an awesome conclusion because it really deserves one with how strong these two entries are, killing Leo would earn it an immediate 5 stars btw, regardless of anything else in it.
───────────────────
I don't reread any books prior to releases of their sequels and I didn't do it here either, but luckily the book wasn't hard to keep up with without a summary and the dots were connected very quickly. I did enjoy the slightly faster pace to this one in comparison to A Muse of Fire, not because it would have been boring otherwise, but rather because Jetta is now more in tuned with her abilities and I was looking forward to what else she can do with it. She didn't disappoint.
We got to see new places this time around and I really liked seeing how Theodora was pulled into this in a much bigger way than before, I did think that her more brainy position compared to the rest brought in something very interesting.
The story's multiple narratives that go over the normal words, music, letters and then back again between all three was another thing I really enjoyed of it. That being said however, French words are in an abundance here and to someone like me where English is my second language, I found some difficulties staying very interested when they were used a little more than I would have hoped. She tries to include English in between to get the words across, but this to me would still be one of the cons of the series for sure.
Surprises wise, I really enjoyed seeing Jetta joined by probably, the least likely person we were ever going to see in a bigger focus. This in turn lead to a much bigger focus on Jetta's mental illness which once again provides an interesting contrast to the usually perfect protagonist I read about. I do admit that I had a tiny hope that she will fall from grace a bit, but she perseveres. The magic system is so interesting and the ending sequence of the book with the necromancy aerial battle of sorts was fantastic.
One more thing I wished wouldn't happen, was Leo's return in the story, in this way to be exact. Jetta is a YA heroine, meaning that it's a slim to none chance she's going to be acting with her mind instead of her heart towards a love interest, even when they're dumbass traitors who think that it's a good idea to play violin outside during their escape and they're supposed to be quiet. It's not just her either, even Theodora has thirsty moments that have no business being in this story with how interesting everything else that's happening.
I do hope that it's going to have an awesome conclusion because it really deserves one with how strong these two entries are, killing Leo would earn it an immediate 5 stars btw, regardless of anything else in it.
November 4, 2019
So once again I'm left with a book that I thought was the last of a duology but feels like the second of a trilogy and I just don't know what to do with that.
First of all, I love this cover so much! I thought the first cover was fantastic but this one is absolutely amazing too.
Second, I loved/hated being back in this world with it's well-crafted beliefs and mythology. It's a wonderfully built world that's been ransacked by war and other atrocities. I loved the way that Jetta grew between this book and its predecessor, she's a little bit wiser and a little bit stronger which is good because her position in the revolution relies on both.
So here's where my reservations come in to play. I didn't really care of the ending. The last 100 or so pages felt a little disjointed. There was some resolution for the stories that had been playing out across both books but as far as some of the big things that happen at the end, it seems like we kind of just have to guess? We're given some clues but there isn't a firm resolution.
I don't know. Maybe that's just me. I like firm resolutions and there were still so many things I had questions about.
First of all, I love this cover so much! I thought the first cover was fantastic but this one is absolutely amazing too.
Second, I loved/hated being back in this world with it's well-crafted beliefs and mythology. It's a wonderfully built world that's been ransacked by war and other atrocities. I loved the way that Jetta grew between this book and its predecessor, she's a little bit wiser and a little bit stronger which is good because her position in the revolution relies on both.
So here's where my reservations come in to play. I didn't really care of the ending. The last 100 or so pages felt a little disjointed. There was some resolution for the stories that had been playing out across both books but as far as some of the big things that happen at the end, it seems like we kind of just have to guess? We're given some clues but there isn't a firm resolution.
I don't know. Maybe that's just me. I like firm resolutions and there were still so many things I had questions about.
April 1, 2021
Trigger and content warnings are under spoiler tags.
Having adored For a Muse of Fire, I was so excited for Heidi Heilig's second book in The Shadow Players Trilogy, A Kingdom for a Stage, especially as Heilig is one of my favourite authors. But while I really enjoyed it, I was a little disappointed - but my disappointment has absolutely nothing to do with Heilig's story or writing.
A Kingdom for a Stage is an important book for the trilogy; things are discovered, identities are revealed, Jetta learns more about her power, and she becomes more involved with the rebels and a key part in them trying to win back their country. It's fast paced, and intriguing, and complicated. There are times when it's completely devastating, and others where your heart is in your mouth. It feels like a second book in some places - putting things into place so the final book can happen - but while still being exciting and completely gripping. I honestly love this series and these characters, and revelled in seeing where the story took them next.
There's a lot about this book I can't talk about in much detail without giving away major spoilers, but there's one thing I did want to touch on in more detail.It was great to see more of Xavier and Theordora when Jetta is imprisoned, seeing how they think and what their plans are, but also how they can be kind of conflicted. Xavier is now General Legrand as Jetta killed his father at the end of the previous book. But he's also not his father. He wants to make him proud, and he makes choices and decisions with that in mind, but he's also not callously cruel. I very much got the idea if he had been raised by someone who wasn't so evil, he would have been a decent guy. But the subjugation of Chakrana and specifically the rebels, bringing them back under the control of the armée, is his duty. Theodora is actually pretty awesome. She's clever and so inventive, and just wants to create and learn, and she has created things that aren't meant for violence. But she's also the daughter of the former general and sister of the current general, and with her skills, she also has a duty to perform. Though she treats Jetta with more kindness and respect than anyone else. It was awesome getting to know them both better and understand where they're coming from.
Then Jetta is rescued, and the book focuses on travelling to safety, and learning what the rebels are up to and planning once they're there. And danger is imminent the whole time. I loved how Jetta got to learn more about herself and her powers. I loved discovering who the Tiger is, and just how awesome - if sometimes coldly strategic - he is. I loved getting to see the other characters again, especially Cheeky and Tia. I loved learning about Akra and his life now, after being brought back from the dead by Jetta. I loved seeing how everything that was happening effected Jetta's relationship with Leo. I loved being with these people and being in this story.
But there isn't a huge amount that happens in the great scheme of things. What does happen is integral to the story, there just didn't feel like there was a lot of it. It's not that the story was slow, or boring at any point, because A Kingdom for a Stage isn't either. It's not without action, there's actually quite a bit of it. It has a bloody earthshaking conclusion that is going to have epic consequences for the final book in thr trilogy. My issue, I guess, is the length.
The book is 446 pages long. It's a fairly big book, and experience tells me that a hell of a lot goes on in books that are quite long, so I was expecting more. And when I finished, I wanted more. The length is deceptive, because the font of the text is on the larger size. And a fair number of pages are the scripted chapters, the letters, the posters and flyers, and the sheet music, which adds to the length, but takes even less time to read. I flew through A Kingdom for a Stage in no time at all, because of the size of the font and ephemera, and it's not as long as it seems. If the font was smaller, it would probably be the length of your average novel, but because it's been formatted to seem longer, I was left feeling surprised that not as much happened as I expected. Honestly, the story itself is great, it's awesome, I enjoyed (if "enjoyed" is the word to use, a fair number of awful things happen) every second of it. My issue is the design and formatting of the book (and I don't mean the inclusion of the ephemera here, I think they're incredible). If the font was smaller, the book itself would be physically smaller, and so my expectations would have been different. So I did finish feeling somewhat disappointed. I think it's unfair to the readers, because it feels kind of misleading. And I feel it's also unfair to Heilig, too, because the book they wrote doesn't deserve my disappointment. It was brilliant! It's a weird one, because I finished last night thinking, "That's it?" and feeling a little short changed, but also having absolutely no issue with the story itself.
It took writing this review, to actually think about the story I read, to realise that my problem isn't with the story at all, and to separate my disappointment from it. I really, really loved A Kingdom for a Stage. It's fantastic, and really moves the story forward to a place that has left me really excited to see where things will lead in the final book, On This Unworthy Scaffold. Just keep in mind the length of the book deceptive.
Having adored For a Muse of Fire, I was so excited for Heidi Heilig's second book in The Shadow Players Trilogy, A Kingdom for a Stage, especially as Heilig is one of my favourite authors. But while I really enjoyed it, I was a little disappointed - but my disappointment has absolutely nothing to do with Heilig's story or writing.
A Kingdom for a Stage is an important book for the trilogy; things are discovered, identities are revealed, Jetta learns more about her power, and she becomes more involved with the rebels and a key part in them trying to win back their country. It's fast paced, and intriguing, and complicated. There are times when it's completely devastating, and others where your heart is in your mouth. It feels like a second book in some places - putting things into place so the final book can happen - but while still being exciting and completely gripping. I honestly love this series and these characters, and revelled in seeing where the story took them next.
There's a lot about this book I can't talk about in much detail without giving away major spoilers, but there's one thing I did want to touch on in more detail.It was great to see more of Xavier and Theordora when Jetta is imprisoned, seeing how they think and what their plans are, but also how they can be kind of conflicted. Xavier is now General Legrand as Jetta killed his father at the end of the previous book. But he's also not his father. He wants to make him proud, and he makes choices and decisions with that in mind, but he's also not callously cruel. I very much got the idea if he had been raised by someone who wasn't so evil, he would have been a decent guy. But the subjugation of Chakrana and specifically the rebels, bringing them back under the control of the armée, is his duty. Theodora is actually pretty awesome. She's clever and so inventive, and just wants to create and learn, and she has created things that aren't meant for violence. But she's also the daughter of the former general and sister of the current general, and with her skills, she also has a duty to perform. Though she treats Jetta with more kindness and respect than anyone else. It was awesome getting to know them both better and understand where they're coming from.
Then Jetta is rescued, and the book focuses on travelling to safety, and learning what the rebels are up to and planning once they're there. And danger is imminent the whole time. I loved how Jetta got to learn more about herself and her powers. I loved discovering who the Tiger is, and just how awesome - if sometimes coldly strategic - he is. I loved getting to see the other characters again, especially Cheeky and Tia. I loved learning about Akra and his life now, after being brought back from the dead by Jetta. I loved seeing how everything that was happening effected Jetta's relationship with Leo. I loved being with these people and being in this story.
But there isn't a huge amount that happens in the great scheme of things. What does happen is integral to the story, there just didn't feel like there was a lot of it. It's not that the story was slow, or boring at any point, because A Kingdom for a Stage isn't either. It's not without action, there's actually quite a bit of it. It has a bloody earthshaking conclusion that is going to have epic consequences for the final book in thr trilogy. My issue, I guess, is the length.
The book is 446 pages long. It's a fairly big book, and experience tells me that a hell of a lot goes on in books that are quite long, so I was expecting more. And when I finished, I wanted more. The length is deceptive, because the font of the text is on the larger size. And a fair number of pages are the scripted chapters, the letters, the posters and flyers, and the sheet music, which adds to the length, but takes even less time to read. I flew through A Kingdom for a Stage in no time at all, because of the size of the font and ephemera, and it's not as long as it seems. If the font was smaller, it would probably be the length of your average novel, but because it's been formatted to seem longer, I was left feeling surprised that not as much happened as I expected. Honestly, the story itself is great, it's awesome, I enjoyed (if "enjoyed" is the word to use, a fair number of awful things happen) every second of it. My issue is the design and formatting of the book (and I don't mean the inclusion of the ephemera here, I think they're incredible). If the font was smaller, the book itself would be physically smaller, and so my expectations would have been different. So I did finish feeling somewhat disappointed. I think it's unfair to the readers, because it feels kind of misleading. And I feel it's also unfair to Heilig, too, because the book they wrote doesn't deserve my disappointment. It was brilliant! It's a weird one, because I finished last night thinking, "That's it?" and feeling a little short changed, but also having absolutely no issue with the story itself.
It took writing this review, to actually think about the story I read, to realise that my problem isn't with the story at all, and to separate my disappointment from it. I really, really loved A Kingdom for a Stage. It's fantastic, and really moves the story forward to a place that has left me really excited to see where things will lead in the final book, On This Unworthy Scaffold. Just keep in mind the length of the book deceptive.
September 4, 2023
Jetta está en busca y captura. Los dos bandos de la guerra la quieren por el poder de su sangre. Cuando Jetta está dispuesta a pactar con el Tigre, el Lider revolucionario de los chakranos, cae en manos de los aquitanos. Lo que no se espera es que Leo, el chico que más le importa está con ellos, junto a sus dos hermanos, el General de las tropas aquitanas y la científica más aclamada de Aquitania. Ellos quieren que también les ayude con la guerra a cambio de ofrecerle un elixir que le ayudará a controlar su malheur. Pero Jetta no está dispuesta a ello y hará todo lo posible para salvarse tanto a sí misma como a su familia y a su país.
La verdad es que hacía bastante tiempo que había leído el primer libro de esta historia y tenía miedo de no acordarme bien de las cosas pero una vez que empecé a leer todo me vino rápidamente a la mente y fue muy fácil situarme de nuevo en la historia. Tengo que decir que esta segunda parte me gustó tanto como el primer libro. La historia avanza a un ritmo adecuado con unos giros en la trama que sin ser muy sorprendentes enganchan y además tiene los toques justos de intriga y misterio que hacen que no puedas soltar el libro. Otra cosa que me sigue encantando es la ambientación del libro, Chakrana es un reino en guerra cansado del dominio de los aquitanos y me encantó ver como en este libro seguimos descubriendo diferencias entre la cultura de ambos reinos, que podría ser entre cualquier país asiático y Francia. Gran parte de la historia tiene lugar en la selva frondosa y húmeda que recubre buena parte de Chakrana y donde Jetta se esconde junto a los rebeldes. La verdad es que me encanta como la autora describe todo, los lugares, la ropa, la comida, etc, te ayuda a hacerte una idea muy clara en tu mente y es algo que enriquece bastante la lectura. La pluma de la autora es ágil, fluida y rápida, sabe manejar y llevar muy bien la trama, sumergiéndote desde el minuto uno en la historia. Además me encanta que haya capítulos narrados como si fueran los diálogos de una obra teatral y algunos pentagramas que representan canciones ya que están muy en sintonía con la historia que se narra. En cuanto a los personajes, tengo que decir, que me encantan y además están todos muy bien construidos, además todos tienen su papel en la historia. Por destacar mencionaría a Jetta quien ha evolucionado bastante desde el primer libro. Me encanta ver cómo está dispuesta a todo para salvar a las personas a las que quiere y como lucha frente a su malheur para que no llegue a controlarla. En cuanto al romance a pesar de que no tiene mucho peso en la historia me gusta la manera en la que la autora lo maneja y creo que le viene bien al libro. Otra cosa que también me ha gustado es que en este libro conocemos un poco más cómo funcionan los poderes de Jetta o de Le Trépas, creo que es un sistema de magia/poderes muy original. En cuanto al final está lleno de acción y te deja con mil ganas de leer la continuación aunque si soy sincera hubo una cosa que no me acabó de gustar aunque por lo demás el libro me encantó y lo leí en nada.
La verdad es que hacía bastante tiempo que había leído el primer libro de esta historia y tenía miedo de no acordarme bien de las cosas pero una vez que empecé a leer todo me vino rápidamente a la mente y fue muy fácil situarme de nuevo en la historia. Tengo que decir que esta segunda parte me gustó tanto como el primer libro. La historia avanza a un ritmo adecuado con unos giros en la trama que sin ser muy sorprendentes enganchan y además tiene los toques justos de intriga y misterio que hacen que no puedas soltar el libro. Otra cosa que me sigue encantando es la ambientación del libro, Chakrana es un reino en guerra cansado del dominio de los aquitanos y me encantó ver como en este libro seguimos descubriendo diferencias entre la cultura de ambos reinos, que podría ser entre cualquier país asiático y Francia. Gran parte de la historia tiene lugar en la selva frondosa y húmeda que recubre buena parte de Chakrana y donde Jetta se esconde junto a los rebeldes. La verdad es que me encanta como la autora describe todo, los lugares, la ropa, la comida, etc, te ayuda a hacerte una idea muy clara en tu mente y es algo que enriquece bastante la lectura. La pluma de la autora es ágil, fluida y rápida, sabe manejar y llevar muy bien la trama, sumergiéndote desde el minuto uno en la historia. Además me encanta que haya capítulos narrados como si fueran los diálogos de una obra teatral y algunos pentagramas que representan canciones ya que están muy en sintonía con la historia que se narra. En cuanto a los personajes, tengo que decir, que me encantan y además están todos muy bien construidos, además todos tienen su papel en la historia. Por destacar mencionaría a Jetta quien ha evolucionado bastante desde el primer libro. Me encanta ver cómo está dispuesta a todo para salvar a las personas a las que quiere y como lucha frente a su malheur para que no llegue a controlarla. En cuanto al romance a pesar de que no tiene mucho peso en la historia me gusta la manera en la que la autora lo maneja y creo que le viene bien al libro. Otra cosa que también me ha gustado es que en este libro conocemos un poco más cómo funcionan los poderes de Jetta o de Le Trépas, creo que es un sistema de magia/poderes muy original. En cuanto al final está lleno de acción y te deja con mil ganas de leer la continuación aunque si soy sincera hubo una cosa que no me acabó de gustar aunque por lo demás el libro me encantó y lo leí en nada.
January 16, 2021
THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Totally going on my favorites shelf because all of Heidi Heilig's books do.
Okay, where do I even begin??? The first book, For a Muse of Fire, was an incredible story and put together in such a creative way that I adored everything about. Shadow puppeteers, blood magic and controlling souls, a country occupied by colonists, an actual family for the main character, beautifully written characters, and of course, the lush setting.
The sequel, A Kingdom for a Stage, picks up a few weeks later, and while the pacing was a little slow, I enjoyed it so much. Compared to book one, where Jetta is on the move very fast, this book takes a while to move, but we get a deeper look at important characters in that time. Speaking of characters, I thought that they seemed a little bit hard to understand. Perhaps it's realistic, but at times I couldn't tell whose side certain people were on.
But honestly, this book had it all. One of my favorite moments was
Oops, this review is very spoilery, but here is my main burning question:
In summary, my thoughts after finishing it are:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WHY
OH. MY GOD.
I need the third book NOW but it doesn't come out until spring break...so I guess that will be motivating me for the first half of this semester.
Heidi Heilig, if you ever read this review, thank you for these books.
Totally going on my favorites shelf because all of Heidi Heilig's books do.
Okay, where do I even begin??? The first book, For a Muse of Fire, was an incredible story and put together in such a creative way that I adored everything about. Shadow puppeteers, blood magic and controlling souls, a country occupied by colonists, an actual family for the main character, beautifully written characters, and of course, the lush setting.
The sequel, A Kingdom for a Stage, picks up a few weeks later, and while the pacing was a little slow, I enjoyed it so much. Compared to book one, where Jetta is on the move very fast, this book takes a while to move, but we get a deeper look at important characters in that time. Speaking of characters, I thought that they seemed a little bit hard to understand. Perhaps it's realistic, but at times I couldn't tell whose side certain people were on.
But honestly, this book had it all. One of my favorite moments was
Oops, this review is very spoilery, but here is my main burning question:
In summary, my thoughts after finishing it are:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WHY
OH. MY GOD.
I need the third book NOW but it doesn't come out until spring break...so I guess that will be motivating me for the first half of this semester.
Heidi Heilig, if you ever read this review, thank you for these books.
August 3, 2020
Honestly, I was a bit leery of this one. I mean, I LOVED the first one, but with Heilig's other series, I loved the first one and was pretty disappointed by the sequel, so I walked into this one wary. Which meant that the fact that I loved this one just as much (or really, loved it more) even better.
This one was everything the first one was and more!
We've still got all the Shadow Player necromancy awesomeness, the excellent world building with French colonialism and south east Asian occupied territories (with some deeply engaging liberties taken to expand and streamline the angst), the intrigue of local politics and a wide-scale rebellion, and the unique platform of mixing straight narrative with stage-play and material pieces (propaganda posters, telegrams, sheet music, etc).
The present tense, first person narration is used even more effectively in this one to show Jetta's lack of experience and to capture her struggles with her malheur. This second installment really lets the symptoms of her Bipolar Disorder shine through in a much more visible way than in the first one.
The romance also feels deeper and more viable, the friendships all get even more expansively fleshed out, the intrinsic ties of family connections all get leaned on hard for maximum angst... It's great.
The thing I'm most impressed with, though is the way the there are two openly trans characters and their state of being trans is explicitly exposed without being directly stated, tangentially discussed, or referenced as a transition:
- A trans-female character disguises herself as a boy--by stopping her shaving regimen and foregoing make-up and adopting male mannerisms, with absolutely NO COMMENT on how 'this is how she was born' or how 'she used to be'. The boy-ness is JUST a disguise.
- And a trans-male character reveals his binder while showing Jetta scars, with absolutely NO COMMENT on anything beyond how the binder exists and at one point in time a foreigner saw him as a girl in the chaos of war (which could totally happen to any boy under the age of like 15 in such circumstances, but in THIS case means a little more).
It's EXCELLENT.
The plot carries us forward very well and the complications of warfare and war-time decision making means that the set up for Book 3 looks wonderful. Unfortunately, I have to wait a while longer for the next one as it's expected released date is now March 2021...
I will be picking it up as soon as possible!
This one was everything the first one was and more!
We've still got all the Shadow Player necromancy awesomeness, the excellent world building with French colonialism and south east Asian occupied territories (with some deeply engaging liberties taken to expand and streamline the angst), the intrigue of local politics and a wide-scale rebellion, and the unique platform of mixing straight narrative with stage-play and material pieces (propaganda posters, telegrams, sheet music, etc).
The present tense, first person narration is used even more effectively in this one to show Jetta's lack of experience and to capture her struggles with her malheur. This second installment really lets the symptoms of her Bipolar Disorder shine through in a much more visible way than in the first one.
The romance also feels deeper and more viable, the friendships all get even more expansively fleshed out, the intrinsic ties of family connections all get leaned on hard for maximum angst... It's great.
The thing I'm most impressed with, though is the way the there are two openly trans characters and their state of being trans is explicitly exposed without being directly stated, tangentially discussed, or referenced as a transition:
- A trans-female character disguises herself as a boy--by stopping her shaving regimen and foregoing make-up and adopting male mannerisms, with absolutely NO COMMENT on how 'this is how she was born' or how 'she used to be'. The boy-ness is JUST a disguise.
- And a trans-male character reveals his binder while showing Jetta scars, with absolutely NO COMMENT on anything beyond how the binder exists and at one point in time a foreigner saw him as a girl in the chaos of war (which could totally happen to any boy under the age of like 15 in such circumstances, but in THIS case means a little more).
It's EXCELLENT.
The plot carries us forward very well and the complications of warfare and war-time decision making means that the set up for Book 3 looks wonderful. Unfortunately, I have to wait a while longer for the next one as it's expected released date is now March 2021...
I will be picking it up as soon as possible!
December 29, 2022
Jetta Chantray es una joven artista del teatro de sombras cuya vida dio un giro drástico cuando ayudó a los rebeldes en su guerra contra el ejército. Ahora es una de las criminales más buscadas de todo el reino ya que sus habilidades como necromancien pueden hacer que la guerra se decida para un bando o para el otro. ¿Estará Jetta preparada para enfrentarse a sus enemigos o la magnitud de sus poderes la desestabilizará?
Esta es la segunda parte de la trilogía que se inició con Una musa de fuego. La verdad es que llevaba tiempo queriendo leer esta continuación porque el primer libro me había gustado mucho y tengo que decir que aunque al principio no recordaba muchas cosas de la trama porque había leído el primer libro hacia un montón a medida que iba leyendo me iba situando en la trama y tengo que reconocer que este segundo libro también me ha gustado bastante. Lo que más me gustó del libro fue la ambientación. La historia se desarrolla en Nokhor Khat, un reino que es muy similar a un país del sudeste asiatico y que ha sido colonia francesa. Me encantan las descripciones que hace la autora ya que aunque no son muy detalladas la autora da los detalles justos para que puedas llegar a imaginarte perfectamente todos los lugares en los que transcurre la acción. Otra cosa que me encanta es la edición del libro, me parece muy original y me parece que encaja perfectamente con la trama de la historia que los capítulos del libro estén divididos en actos y que algunas situaciones de la trama se narren como escenas de teatro en las que se incluyen hasta acotaciones. También me encantó que la autora incluyese diferentes partituras porque la música tiene bastante importancia en la historia. Otra cosa que me encanta es que la autora trata temas muy importantes como el trastorno bipolar, el racismo, etc. de una forma muy cercana de tal manera que los lectores podemos llegar a empatizar y comprender perfectamente a los personajes. El tema de la magia y los poderes de necromancien de Jetta me sigue encantado, me parece muy original el tipo de magia que tiene la joven y que esta dependa de las almas de las personas y los animales. En cuanto a los personajes decir que me siguen encantando todos ellos, por destacar alguno mencionaría a Jetta ya que en su personaje vemos las dificultades a las que se enfrenta la joven con sus poderes y la maldición que trae consigo. El romance no tiene mucho peso en la historia pero creo que está bien llevado y me gusta lo que aporta la trama. En definitiva una buena segunda parte que tras su final nos deja con mil ganas de leer la tercera y última parte de esta trilogía y que os recomiendo leer si os gustan las historias de fantasía.
Esta es la segunda parte de la trilogía que se inició con Una musa de fuego. La verdad es que llevaba tiempo queriendo leer esta continuación porque el primer libro me había gustado mucho y tengo que decir que aunque al principio no recordaba muchas cosas de la trama porque había leído el primer libro hacia un montón a medida que iba leyendo me iba situando en la trama y tengo que reconocer que este segundo libro también me ha gustado bastante. Lo que más me gustó del libro fue la ambientación. La historia se desarrolla en Nokhor Khat, un reino que es muy similar a un país del sudeste asiatico y que ha sido colonia francesa. Me encantan las descripciones que hace la autora ya que aunque no son muy detalladas la autora da los detalles justos para que puedas llegar a imaginarte perfectamente todos los lugares en los que transcurre la acción. Otra cosa que me encanta es la edición del libro, me parece muy original y me parece que encaja perfectamente con la trama de la historia que los capítulos del libro estén divididos en actos y que algunas situaciones de la trama se narren como escenas de teatro en las que se incluyen hasta acotaciones. También me encantó que la autora incluyese diferentes partituras porque la música tiene bastante importancia en la historia. Otra cosa que me encanta es que la autora trata temas muy importantes como el trastorno bipolar, el racismo, etc. de una forma muy cercana de tal manera que los lectores podemos llegar a empatizar y comprender perfectamente a los personajes. El tema de la magia y los poderes de necromancien de Jetta me sigue encantado, me parece muy original el tipo de magia que tiene la joven y que esta dependa de las almas de las personas y los animales. En cuanto a los personajes decir que me siguen encantando todos ellos, por destacar alguno mencionaría a Jetta ya que en su personaje vemos las dificultades a las que se enfrenta la joven con sus poderes y la maldición que trae consigo. El romance no tiene mucho peso en la historia pero creo que está bien llevado y me gusta lo que aporta la trama. En definitiva una buena segunda parte que tras su final nos deja con mil ganas de leer la tercera y última parte de esta trilogía y que os recomiendo leer si os gustan las historias de fantasía.
Read
September 6, 2023A Kingdom for a stage irritated me a few times, but not as many as the first one.
One of the characters, Lieutenant Pique, annoyed me. He was pointless. Absolutely pointless, except for one thing: , and it's not a pleasant thing.
The romance was really not for me. Leonin was kind of useless until the end where he did an absolutely unprecedented thing that helped the mcs anyways. It got sweet here and there but it was kind of annoying and didn't make sense to me. Even with the other couples that were remarkably more interesting, they just didn't make sense.
I loved the action aspects, and the emotions and the feels and almost everything else. It was so interesting, I was almost hanging onto almost every page. it was so interesting.
That being said, there were still twists that weirded me and confused me and that I didn't like, but whatever, it was good overall, I guess. That being said once again, the overall plot is complicated and well thought out and it made me really jealous reading it. I will give this three stars because I liked it but a third of the time it sent me screaming in confusion and frustration.
But it was nice. I consider three stars to be on the border of bad, but not bad. Kind of just saying, Nice, and would recommend, but it's just nice. because it's kind of bad. Kind of...
...
...
One of the characters, Lieutenant Pique, annoyed me. He was pointless. Absolutely pointless, except for one thing: , and it's not a pleasant thing.
The romance was really not for me. Leonin was kind of useless until the end where he did an absolutely unprecedented thing that helped the mcs anyways. It got sweet here and there but it was kind of annoying and didn't make sense to me. Even with the other couples that were remarkably more interesting, they just didn't make sense.
I loved the action aspects, and the emotions and the feels and almost everything else. It was so interesting, I was almost hanging onto almost every page. it was so interesting.
That being said, there were still twists that weirded me and confused me and that I didn't like, but whatever, it was good overall, I guess. That being said once again, the overall plot is complicated and well thought out and it made me really jealous reading it. I will give this three stars because I liked it but a third of the time it sent me screaming in confusion and frustration.
But it was nice. I consider three stars to be on the border of bad, but not bad. Kind of just saying, Nice, and would recommend, but it's just nice. because it's kind of bad. Kind of...
...
...
April 19, 2020
This book is an action-packed, fast-paced follow-up to "For a Muse of Fire." The story picks right up where Muse left off and it wasn't hard to get back into the swing of things without rereading the first book all over again (which is what I usually do). In the beginning there is a lot of character development. Jetta learns more about what her powers are capable of while she struggles with her mental health issues. Once again she finds herself caught up in political intrigue, now fighting on the front lines beside the rebel leader known as the Tiger, while navigating family issues. Leo and Theodora have a lot of family issues of their own to sort through and there were a lot of plot twists there that I didn't see coming, but by the end I was fully satisfied.
I remember the one complaint I had about the first book is that I was convinced to buy it because it featured a trans character, as I'm always eager for diversity and LGBT rep, but that the character had a very minor role and the fact that she was trans was so vaguely alluded to that I had to google to figure out which character she was. In the second book Tia has a more prominent role, and the main character's attraction to other girls was also noted, when it completely went over my head in the first book. The more obvious rep was nice to see this time around!
My favorite thing in this book was the relationships between the characters. There was a major romance I did NOT see coming (and it was my favorite!), but the focus is still on the war. No one (except maybe Cheeky, who has a one-track mind) was paying more attention to matters of the heart than matters of state, which I loved because it's more realistic than everyone swooning over each other in the middle of serious situations.
I would recommend this series to anyone tired of common romance tropes while still thirsting for a well-told love story, interested in dramatic war fiction, and into necromancy. Can't wait for the final book in this trilogy!
I remember the one complaint I had about the first book is that I was convinced to buy it because it featured a trans character, as I'm always eager for diversity and LGBT rep, but that the character had a very minor role and the fact that she was trans was so vaguely alluded to that I had to google to figure out which character she was. In the second book Tia has a more prominent role, and the main character's attraction to other girls was also noted, when it completely went over my head in the first book. The more obvious rep was nice to see this time around!
My favorite thing in this book was the relationships between the characters. There was a major romance I did NOT see coming (and it was my favorite!), but the focus is still on the war. No one (except maybe Cheeky, who has a one-track mind) was paying more attention to matters of the heart than matters of state, which I loved because it's more realistic than everyone swooning over each other in the middle of serious situations.
I would recommend this series to anyone tired of common romance tropes while still thirsting for a well-told love story, interested in dramatic war fiction, and into necromancy. Can't wait for the final book in this trilogy!
January 21, 2023
Reseña en Instagram
✨Reseña✨
Un reino por teatro es el primero libro que he leído desde que comenzamos el 2023 y es la segunda parte de una trilogía llamada Shadow players. He de confesar que su primera parte, Una musa de fuego, lo leí hace cuatro años así que apenas recordaba nada de ese libro.
Sí sabía que el libro me gustó mucho y que acababa de una manera muy particular, pero apenas recordaba nada y claro, eso hizo que al comenzar a leer estuviese muy perdida.
Pero poco a poco mi memoria hizo acto de presencia y según fui avanzando en la lectura empecé a recordar ciertas cosas que pasaban en el anterior libro y que se habían quedado en el aire.
Y sí bien hay muchas cosas que se aclaran, me ha dado la sensación durante toda la lectura de que no sucedía nada hasta prácticamente el final y no es que eso haya sido un impedimento para disfrutar la lectura, sino que siguen habiendo cosas que se me han quedado un poco en el aire, pero que espero que la autora nos cierre en el último libro.
¿Qué podemos encontrar en este libro? Una fantasía bastante light y diferente, ya que la protagonista es necromante pero no usa sus poderes para matar sino para dotar de vida a objetos o incluso personas. Es un libro más juvenil que adulto y eso se nota a la hora de la relación amorosa, por ejemplo, ya que es muy sutil y apenas tiene peso en la trama.
Pero también encontramos muertes e intrigas políticas, así como varios temas más, entre ellos algo de salud mental.
¿Qué es lo que me ha gustado? La protagonista, ya que me sigue pareciendo una chica valiente y decidida que lucha por lo que quiere y el formato del libro, ya que se han mantenido las partes en forma de obra de teatro y de noticias o carteles publicitarios. También Leo, el protagonista del libro, que ha llegado a confundirme en más de una ocasión.
¿Qué es lo que no me ha gustado? Sigo pensando que la autora deja demasiado en el aire la ambientación del libro. Sé que está ambientado en Francia porque hay palabras en ese idioma, pero si bien Chakrana está inspirada en Asia, no hay demasiadas referencias. Que no haya un glosario.
✨Reseña✨
Un reino por teatro es el primero libro que he leído desde que comenzamos el 2023 y es la segunda parte de una trilogía llamada Shadow players. He de confesar que su primera parte, Una musa de fuego, lo leí hace cuatro años así que apenas recordaba nada de ese libro.
Sí sabía que el libro me gustó mucho y que acababa de una manera muy particular, pero apenas recordaba nada y claro, eso hizo que al comenzar a leer estuviese muy perdida.
Pero poco a poco mi memoria hizo acto de presencia y según fui avanzando en la lectura empecé a recordar ciertas cosas que pasaban en el anterior libro y que se habían quedado en el aire.
Y sí bien hay muchas cosas que se aclaran, me ha dado la sensación durante toda la lectura de que no sucedía nada hasta prácticamente el final y no es que eso haya sido un impedimento para disfrutar la lectura, sino que siguen habiendo cosas que se me han quedado un poco en el aire, pero que espero que la autora nos cierre en el último libro.
¿Qué podemos encontrar en este libro? Una fantasía bastante light y diferente, ya que la protagonista es necromante pero no usa sus poderes para matar sino para dotar de vida a objetos o incluso personas. Es un libro más juvenil que adulto y eso se nota a la hora de la relación amorosa, por ejemplo, ya que es muy sutil y apenas tiene peso en la trama.
Pero también encontramos muertes e intrigas políticas, así como varios temas más, entre ellos algo de salud mental.
¿Qué es lo que me ha gustado? La protagonista, ya que me sigue pareciendo una chica valiente y decidida que lucha por lo que quiere y el formato del libro, ya que se han mantenido las partes en forma de obra de teatro y de noticias o carteles publicitarios. También Leo, el protagonista del libro, que ha llegado a confundirme en más de una ocasión.
¿Qué es lo que no me ha gustado? Sigo pensando que la autora deja demasiado en el aire la ambientación del libro. Sé que está ambientado en Francia porque hay palabras en ese idioma, pero si bien Chakrana está inspirada en Asia, no hay demasiadas referencias. Que no haya un glosario.
March 12, 2021
This sequel picks up where Book One left off - Jetta has rescued her father from torture, although he is weak and missing some fingers and his tongue. She pulled her brother back from the grip of death. Her mother is still far away with the other rebels, but she is getting closer to bringing her family back together. All that is missing is Leo, her love interest who left her in her hour of need.
But when she finds herself back in the hands of Leo's legitimate half-brother and -sister, Jetta must fight not to become a tool of both sides of the war.
This book felt much shorter than the first book, but fast-paced and full of twists and turns and action. No second book slump here. Although if you are looking for Heilig's usual touch of romance, you won't find more than a few sweet stolen moments in this installment.
The ending sets up very nicely for Book Three - not quite a cliffhanger but with a clear problem to be solved in the final book.
We get to know Leo's half-sister Theodora pretty well in this book, and a new character, the leader of the resistance known as the Tiger. We also get to know some of the key bad guys a little better, too, - Leo's half-brother Xavier who took over as general when their father died, Le Trépas the original necromancer, and Lieutenant Peak (not sure about spelling because I read the audiobook), one of the most racist and bloodthirsty members of the army.
All scenes not from Jetta's perspective are formatted like a play and just as in the first book, there are songs complete with sheet music interspersed with the story. It was cool to hear the songs come to life by listening to the audiobook.
But when she finds herself back in the hands of Leo's legitimate half-brother and -sister, Jetta must fight not to become a tool of both sides of the war.
This book felt much shorter than the first book, but fast-paced and full of twists and turns and action. No second book slump here. Although if you are looking for Heilig's usual touch of romance, you won't find more than a few sweet stolen moments in this installment.
The ending sets up very nicely for Book Three - not quite a cliffhanger but with a clear problem to be solved in the final book.
We get to know Leo's half-sister Theodora pretty well in this book, and a new character, the leader of the resistance known as the Tiger. We also get to know some of the key bad guys a little better, too, - Leo's half-brother Xavier who took over as general when their father died, Le Trépas the original necromancer, and Lieutenant Peak (not sure about spelling because I read the audiobook), one of the most racist and bloodthirsty members of the army.
All scenes not from Jetta's perspective are formatted like a play and just as in the first book, there are songs complete with sheet music interspersed with the story. It was cool to hear the songs come to life by listening to the audiobook.
November 16, 2019
In the middle of Heidi Heilig's second series, the sophomore entry in her first trilogy, it took me a few moments to remember a lot of details from For a Muse of Fire - details that were plenty, even if that ARC I read in summer 2018 was a little short of finished artwork, maps, sheet music, etc. Reading A Kingdom for a Stage in finished form was a real improvement over that "maps TK" ARC for sure, though the story, this time, has a tendency to drag. That may owe a little bit to the fact that we're much more in the thick of things as far as the Chakran revolution goes. Jetta's necromantic powers make her quite an asset, but the Aquitans aren't going to let their colony go easily. Or quietly. An alternate 19th century this may be, but Heilig gives us some real steampunk twists to the action, giving the Aquitans some fearsome working avions that can easily carpet-bomb an entire village into oblivion - are we sure this is supposed to be the 19th century, or the Vietnam War? Either way, it fits Heilig's ongoing anti-colonialist theme to a T. Though Goodreads still doesn't list the third novel yet, I think we can rest assured it'll happen. Especially with that weapons-grade little cliffhanger...
September 4, 2023
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
Mentiría al decir que no tenía unas mínimas expectativas de este libro, más al enterarme que había salido su versión traducida al español este mismo año. Fue un libro muy similar al primero; Tienen una historia original, llevadera, algo complicada de leer, pero creativa e interesante. Lo único en lo que falló tal vez este libro fue en su distribución de trama.
Me gustó mucho el trasfondo de los personajes más explicado, la aparición de nuevos y sus interrelaciones, pero sentí la trama un poco sosa, como si su trasfondo solo estuviera como más relleno, y digo sentir porque si aporta a la trama, pero lo sentí poco orgánico.
Como toda segunda parte en una trilogía, es el puente entre la primer edición y la última, pero aún así le tenía más expectativas de las cumplidas.
Algo que no le quito al libro, que me mantuvo interesada y enganchada, es la forma en la que está escrito; Los mapas, los actos guionados como obras de teatro, la música, las cartas, etc. Son pequeños detalles que creo que todo lector aprecia y a la gran mayoría le gustan.
Al haber sido un libro simple me quedo corta de palabras, porque si en sí no fue un mal libro, tampoco fue apasionante o espectacular leerlo. Aún así no la siento como una lectura desperdiciada. El cierre fue conciso para la tercer y última parte de esta trilogía, que espero supere esta.
Mentiría al decir que no tenía unas mínimas expectativas de este libro, más al enterarme que había salido su versión traducida al español este mismo año. Fue un libro muy similar al primero; Tienen una historia original, llevadera, algo complicada de leer, pero creativa e interesante. Lo único en lo que falló tal vez este libro fue en su distribución de trama.
Me gustó mucho el trasfondo de los personajes más explicado, la aparición de nuevos y sus interrelaciones, pero sentí la trama un poco sosa, como si su trasfondo solo estuviera como más relleno, y digo sentir porque si aporta a la trama, pero lo sentí poco orgánico.
Como toda segunda parte en una trilogía, es el puente entre la primer edición y la última, pero aún así le tenía más expectativas de las cumplidas.
Algo que no le quito al libro, que me mantuvo interesada y enganchada, es la forma en la que está escrito; Los mapas, los actos guionados como obras de teatro, la música, las cartas, etc. Son pequeños detalles que creo que todo lector aprecia y a la gran mayoría le gustan.
Al haber sido un libro simple me quedo corta de palabras, porque si en sí no fue un mal libro, tampoco fue apasionante o espectacular leerlo. Aún así no la siento como una lectura desperdiciada. El cierre fue conciso para la tercer y última parte de esta trilogía, que espero supere esta.
January 31, 2020
I'm reviewing FOR A MUSE OF FIRE and A KINGDOM FOR A STAGE together because I read them one after the other in a single fiery couldn't-get-enough-streak!
Once again, Heidi Heilig shows how it's done. There is so much to love about this series: deep, intricate worldbuilding, a propulsive, compelling plot, and a story that unfolds in prose, theatrical scripts, handwritten notes, sheet music, signage, and more. The fast-beating heart at the center of it all is Heilig's vibrant cast of characters, especially Jetta, whose first person narration grounds the series. Heilig's own experience of bipolar disorder informs Jetta's story, but Jetta is not defined by her malheur (as it is called in the world of the story). Rather, her experience shapes her choices. And that's really what the series is about: complex characters making complex choices in the midst of larger systems of oppression and injustice. Sometimes that means confronting their own roles in those systems alongside their own personal and interpersonal struggles. I can't wait to see how Heilig brings all these threads together in the conclusion.
Once again, Heidi Heilig shows how it's done. There is so much to love about this series: deep, intricate worldbuilding, a propulsive, compelling plot, and a story that unfolds in prose, theatrical scripts, handwritten notes, sheet music, signage, and more. The fast-beating heart at the center of it all is Heilig's vibrant cast of characters, especially Jetta, whose first person narration grounds the series. Heilig's own experience of bipolar disorder informs Jetta's story, but Jetta is not defined by her malheur (as it is called in the world of the story). Rather, her experience shapes her choices. And that's really what the series is about: complex characters making complex choices in the midst of larger systems of oppression and injustice. Sometimes that means confronting their own roles in those systems alongside their own personal and interpersonal struggles. I can't wait to see how Heilig brings all these threads together in the conclusion.
October 24, 2021
I love this series! It’s a totally unique fantasy world- excellent world building, three dimensional characters, and an incredible magic system. Even more unique is the bipolar representation. I love love love it. It’s so clear to me that the author is bipolar- I put so many tabs in here! My favorite part about this story is the main characters search for treatment. Usually, especially in young adult, bipolar characters resist medication and when they do take it they complain that it “changes them”. As someone who has been happily medicated for a decade, it is more than refreshing to read a character who feels better on medication and who worries when they run out. This is not pro-medication propaganda- it’s just showing a different side of the bipolar experience. Jetta doesn’t suffer from suicidal depression or psychosis in mania, which is what most bipolar character portray. Instead she fluctuates in a more typical way, and has a healthy fear of hypomania. She isn’t strong because she “overcomes” bipolar disorder- she’s strong and she is also bipolar.
It’s not a perfect book, but to me it’s perfect representation.
It’s not a perfect book, but to me it’s perfect representation.
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