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The Colours of Madeleine #3
Um emaranhado de ouro
His visit turned out to be ridiculously brief. Madeleine and Elliot barely talked before word came that he and his father would be bundled back to Cello. On the train platform, Elliot didn’t snap out of the distant fog he seemed to be in. And Madeleine’s nose bled—again!—just as she tried to say good-bye. Now she’s mortified, heartbroken, lost—and completely cut off from Cello.
Cello, meanwhile, is in crisis. Princess Ko’s deception of her people has emerged and the Kingdom is outraged. Authorities have placed the Princess under arrest and ordered her execution. Color storms are rampant, more violent than ever. And nobody has heard the Cello Wind blowing in months.
But Madeleine can’t let go of Cello. It gave her a tantalizing glimpse of the magic she’s always wanted—and maybe it’s the key to the person she is meant to become. She also can’t let go of Elliot, who, unbeknownst to her, is being held captive by a dangerous branch of Hostiles.
What will it take to put these two on a collision course to save the Kingdom of Cello, and maybe to save each other?
For fans of Lev Grossman and Deborah Harkness, this funny, suspenseful, and totally original fantasy comes to its brilliantly colorful conclusion.
Cello, meanwhile, is in crisis. Princess Ko’s deception of her people has emerged and the Kingdom is outraged. Authorities have placed the Princess under arrest and ordered her execution. Color storms are rampant, more violent than ever. And nobody has heard the Cello Wind blowing in months.
But Madeleine can’t let go of Cello. It gave her a tantalizing glimpse of the magic she’s always wanted—and maybe it’s the key to the person she is meant to become. She also can’t let go of Elliot, who, unbeknownst to her, is being held captive by a dangerous branch of Hostiles.
What will it take to put these two on a collision course to save the Kingdom of Cello, and maybe to save each other?
For fans of Lev Grossman and Deborah Harkness, this funny, suspenseful, and totally original fantasy comes to its brilliantly colorful conclusion.
Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2016
19 people are currently reading
1564 people want to read
About the author
Jaclyn Moriarty
37 books1,548 followersJaclyn Moriarty is an Australian writer of young adult literature.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
November 11, 2015
Stunning cover for my most anticipated book of my entire reading future.
A Tangle of Gold found it's way into my greedy hands and, as to a hot buttered bun in a spinning tea-cup, it was beyond amazing. Look, this series is stunning and creative and wild and heart-felt and deliciously winsome. This who have read A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom and have fallen in love with Madeleine and Elliot and Cello know just how brilliant this series is.
What you may not know is that the final book reveals a whole new level of genius-like revelations that will leave you in suspense and awe. There are twisty-twists I did not see coming, suspicions and heartbreak, and reveals that take the series as a whole and raised it, to, like, the next 100 levels of plotting-artistry and flair.
I felt so nostalgic, going back to Cambridge and Cello. This book was brilliant, it whisked me away and a tiny piece of my heart kind of believes Cello is real - I just need some smoke and mirrors...
Thanks to Jaclyn Moriarty for gifting me with one of the literary highlights of (not just the last few years) my reading life with The Colours of Madeleine x
A Tangle of Gold found it's way into my greedy hands and, as to a hot buttered bun in a spinning tea-cup, it was beyond amazing. Look, this series is stunning and creative and wild and heart-felt and deliciously winsome. This who have read A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom and have fallen in love with Madeleine and Elliot and Cello know just how brilliant this series is.
What you may not know is that the final book reveals a whole new level of genius-like revelations that will leave you in suspense and awe. There are twisty-twists I did not see coming, suspicions and heartbreak, and reveals that take the series as a whole and raised it, to, like, the next 100 levels of plotting-artistry and flair.
I felt so nostalgic, going back to Cambridge and Cello. This book was brilliant, it whisked me away and a tiny piece of my heart kind of believes Cello is real - I just need some smoke and mirrors...
Thanks to Jaclyn Moriarty for gifting me with one of the literary highlights of (not just the last few years) my reading life with The Colours of Madeleine x
April 14, 2023
"A sparkleshine of whirldust." (a favorite phrase of Princess Ko) That's how I sum up this wonderful trilogy. The third part is most certainly the most satisfying and isn't that how it should be? The many threads that were pulled out here and there throughout parts one and two are woven together by the end of this volume.
I highly recommend it for its wonderful worldbuilding and the intermittent bits on men like Byron, Vivaldi and Newton. A great cast of characters with some super duper plot twists -- one or two I was starting to guess while others were a complete surprise. Very well done!
I highly recommend it for its wonderful worldbuilding and the intermittent bits on men like Byron, Vivaldi and Newton. A great cast of characters with some super duper plot twists -- one or two I was starting to guess while others were a complete surprise. Very well done!
June 17, 2016
What a delightful end to a totally delightful series. I have enjoyed every quirky, charming word of it! Jaclyn Moriarty writes well and she has an excellent imagination. In this, the final book, she draws all the loose ends together, introduces some huge surprises and generally wraps the whole thing up in a very satisfactory manner.
Over the course of the three books I have grown to love Cello with its magic and its colours. I am also very attached to Madeleine and Elliot and although the ending for them was predictable it was also satisfying. Many of the other characters like Holly and Princess Ko also grew on me. I will miss them all.
I recommend this series to anyone who likes a bit of magic in their lives.
Over the course of the three books I have grown to love Cello with its magic and its colours. I am also very attached to Madeleine and Elliot and although the ending for them was predictable it was also satisfying. Many of the other characters like Holly and Princess Ko also grew on me. I will miss them all.
I recommend this series to anyone who likes a bit of magic in their lives.
April 25, 2016
Well, if this isn't a pretty deus ex machina. The complicated problems established in this series are solved by a teenager wielding symbolic power - just before that power is undercut, naturally - through advance knowledge of two other teenagers This is just after someone conveniently explains why the Colors are such a problem, using an explanation centered on a concept pulled out of the clear blue sky, which everyone accepts as truth - probably because time (and the page count) is dwindling down.
Which leads to my main problem with the worldbuilding, and that's the way the science of the World and the magic of Cello are interwoven. As soon as it began to involve real scientists, I started to dislike it - and then it devolved into a conspiracy involving a ridiculous quest, and I liked it even less.
The perfect positioning is the global problem. There are problems on the individual level, too, like a character's moodiness. That couldn't possibly be due to, you know, teenage hormones or people changing or being imperfect. Nope! It's because of a devious attack by Grays and a Green injection and Vermillion candy, and wouldn't you know - that's a lethal combination! Not lethal in the deathly sense, though, just in the moody sense, which can be cured instantaneously, conveniently enough! The real crisis can still be addressed before the world falls apart.
I wish I were kidding. There is no characterization in this book, and the book suffers as a result. In fairness, this isn't meant to be a character-based story, because the people are so clearly secondary to the puzzle pieces slotting neatly into place.
But I don't like the puzzle pieces, either. There's some craft I like, some carefully foreshadowed details that are well done, but they're bogged down under the weight of extensive repetitious writing reaching for atmosphere, centuries of scientific experimenting, allied evil cabals that are hobbled when a teenager gets in front of a television camera, and two friends who conveniently have the skills to create something alchemists have given up on.
Which leads to my main problem with the worldbuilding, and that's the way the science of the World and the magic of Cello are interwoven. As soon as it began to involve real scientists, I started to dislike it - and then it devolved into a conspiracy involving a ridiculous quest, and I liked it even less.
The perfect positioning is the global problem. There are problems on the individual level, too, like a character's moodiness. That couldn't possibly be due to, you know, teenage hormones or people changing or being imperfect. Nope! It's because of a devious attack by Grays and a Green injection and Vermillion candy, and wouldn't you know - that's a lethal combination! Not lethal in the deathly sense, though, just in the moody sense, which can be cured instantaneously, conveniently enough! The real crisis can still be addressed before the world falls apart.
I wish I were kidding. There is no characterization in this book, and the book suffers as a result. In fairness, this isn't meant to be a character-based story, because the people are so clearly secondary to the puzzle pieces slotting neatly into place.
But I don't like the puzzle pieces, either. There's some craft I like, some carefully foreshadowed details that are well done, but they're bogged down under the weight of extensive repetitious writing reaching for atmosphere, centuries of scientific experimenting, allied evil cabals that are hobbled when a teenager gets in front of a television camera, and two friends who conveniently have the skills to create something alchemists have given up on.
June 16, 2019
Fabulous end to a great trilogy.
In the Kingdom of Cello has increasing colour attacks and the cracks between their world and ours have been sealed and are now guarded. As we learn more about the tangles of the world, we also learn more about the characters and how they are all tangled together.
Recommended for fans of YA Fantasy that don't need all the tropes that usually go along with the genre.
In the Kingdom of Cello has increasing colour attacks and the cracks between their world and ours have been sealed and are now guarded. As we learn more about the tangles of the world, we also learn more about the characters and how they are all tangled together.
Recommended for fans of YA Fantasy that don't need all the tropes that usually go along with the genre.
April 13, 2017
A Tangle of Gold is the final book in The Colours of Madeline trilogy by Aussie author Jaclyn Moriarty. You can find my first two reviews here and here. I commented in my review of the second book that the series title didn't quite work for me, because Madeline's parts of the story in the first two books were the less engaging parts.
It's fair to say that, in the third book, Madeline finally comes into her own. I can't say much more than that, because it'd be spoiler-tastic, but at last she becomes more than bizarre homeschooling, her mother's illness, and her quirky friends. Events in Cello rather than in the World (what they refer to Earth as) are definitely where the story is at, and they drive events. But there's a lot more crossover, not just a parking metre-based postal service, so the World side of things gets a lot more interesting.
There are things that you need to know about these books if you are considering giving them a go:
* Moriarty's prose is beautiful. It's lyrical and strange at times, but always beautiful. I'm sad that she never truly described the Cello Wind (which is alluded to often but remains off camera, so to speak). It would have been glorious.
* Her world-building is astonishingly detailed. As a result, sometimes the story feels like it's dragging a little, but things are always happening -- even if their significance doesn't become clear till later. Which brings me to...
* The plot twists. OMG. There are things resolved in the third book that were delicately foreshadowed in the first. And some of these twists blindsided me. I usually guess or at least suspect in the right direction of plot twists, but I was way off base on this one, several times.
If you have the patience to read three 500-page books, and love parallel world stories with a truly unique alternate world and intense, intellectual and quirky characters, then this is the series for you.
It's fair to say that, in the third book, Madeline finally comes into her own. I can't say much more than that, because it'd be spoiler-tastic, but at last she becomes more than bizarre homeschooling, her mother's illness, and her quirky friends. Events in Cello rather than in the World (what they refer to Earth as) are definitely where the story is at, and they drive events. But there's a lot more crossover, not just a parking metre-based postal service, so the World side of things gets a lot more interesting.
There are things that you need to know about these books if you are considering giving them a go:
* Moriarty's prose is beautiful. It's lyrical and strange at times, but always beautiful. I'm sad that she never truly described the Cello Wind (which is alluded to often but remains off camera, so to speak). It would have been glorious.
* Her world-building is astonishingly detailed. As a result, sometimes the story feels like it's dragging a little, but things are always happening -- even if their significance doesn't become clear till later. Which brings me to...
* The plot twists. OMG. There are things resolved in the third book that were delicately foreshadowed in the first. And some of these twists blindsided me. I usually guess or at least suspect in the right direction of plot twists, but I was way off base on this one, several times.
If you have the patience to read three 500-page books, and love parallel world stories with a truly unique alternate world and intense, intellectual and quirky characters, then this is the series for you.
July 26, 2016
This series has been so imaginative, whimsical and intelligent, it shouldn't surprise me that its twists and turns were so deftly delivered in this final instalment.
There's much to love about A Tangle of Gold: beautiful writing, clever plotting (with plenty of action in this book), well-drawn characters and a truly original exploration of concepts of magic and dual realities.
There's a long-awaited moment between Madeleine and Elliot, and I'll confess I was also drawn in by the delightfully chalk-and-cheese relationship that develops (awkwardly at times) between Keira and Gabe.
The idea of the dual existence of The World and Cello, and how those dimensions influence each other, has always been a highlight for me in the series, and this third and final book offers intelligent answers on that front too.
A Tangle of Gold is an engaging and satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that really is a feast for the imagination.
There's much to love about A Tangle of Gold: beautiful writing, clever plotting (with plenty of action in this book), well-drawn characters and a truly original exploration of concepts of magic and dual realities.
There's a long-awaited moment between Madeleine and Elliot, and I'll confess I was also drawn in by the delightfully chalk-and-cheese relationship that develops (awkwardly at times) between Keira and Gabe.
The idea of the dual existence of The World and Cello, and how those dimensions influence each other, has always been a highlight for me in the series, and this third and final book offers intelligent answers on that front too.
A Tangle of Gold is an engaging and satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that really is a feast for the imagination.
February 4, 2016
EXCELLENT conclusion to the series. This monstrous series is like 1500 pages for all three books and of course I've now decided that the next series I'm reading is Eragon...also a billion pages.
Anyway, I'm on the blog tour for this one so you'll hear all my thoughts about the magic and the Colours and the plot twists (!!!) on the 20th of March :)
Anyway, I'm on the blog tour for this one so you'll hear all my thoughts about the magic and the Colours and the plot twists (!!!) on the 20th of March :)
May 11, 2017
Loved it! My dose of whimsical magic.
(I've had my doubts about it.... fortunately I was wrong)
Review to come.
(I've had my doubts about it.... fortunately I was wrong)
Review to come.
February 19, 2016
I was utterly absorbed by both the increasingly complex plot, and the diverse range of characters.
Most satisfying resolution. Can't wait to read them all again, one after the other.
Longer review now at Reading Time.
Most satisfying resolution. Can't wait to read them all again, one after the other.
Longer review now at Reading Time.
June 14, 2016
I have been needing this for what feels like decades! Just give me more of Elliot and Madeleine and a few more bouts of Jagged Edge turquoise rain and I will be happy!
(Who am I kidding, I expect so much after how good The Cracks in the Kingdom was!)
(Who am I kidding, I expect so much after how good The Cracks in the Kingdom was!)
June 5, 2016
A Tangle of Gold carried on the whimsical angle of this series and the wonderfully charming characters with their quirks. I loved the explanation of the colours and how everything came together when it came to the search for the royal family. The world of Cello and how it interacts with the real world where Madeleine is really opens up here as well.
There were so many twists and reveals here which was incredibly satisfying, making the whole series a worthwhile read!
There were so many twists and reveals here which was incredibly satisfying, making the whole series a worthwhile read!
December 2, 2016
There's a saying that you are your own competition. That explains why Jaclyn Moriarty tops herself once again because she has the best competition. She is truly in a class of her own when it comes to originality and imagination. What a series this was.
April 8, 2016
I have mixed feelings about the conclusion of this series. Overall it wasn't my favourite but I love Jaclyn Moriarty and I did want to see how it all played out. There is something she does with her characters that just makes you get so attached to them. And this book has a lot of resolutions!
Well I guessed the twist .
However, I wanted MORE Madeleine and MORE Elliott. I didn't care for the chapters narrated by Keira AT ALL. Also I still hate Belle and Jack. I've always hated Belle and Jack and never understood what they're supposed to be adding to the story. They're so moody?!
I was ultimately really frustrated by Elliott because I felt his character changed completely and I felt that the novel took a shift that was too political but then
I had mixed feelings about the resolutions. Some of them were great and I didn't see coming and some were left totally open-ended so I'm not sure what to think.
Really looking forward to her next novel, Pirates!!
Well I guessed the twist .
However, I wanted MORE Madeleine and MORE Elliott. I didn't care for the chapters narrated by Keira AT ALL. Also I still hate Belle and Jack. I've always hated Belle and Jack and never understood what they're supposed to be adding to the story. They're so moody?!
I was ultimately really frustrated by Elliott because I felt his character changed completely and I felt that the novel took a shift that was too political but then
I had mixed feelings about the resolutions. Some of them were great and I didn't see coming and some were left totally open-ended so I'm not sure what to think.
Really looking forward to her next novel, Pirates!!
March 10, 2016
Perfect book is perfect, and everything I want to yell right now is a spoiler.
July 25, 2016
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing a review copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Tangle of Gold was, by far, my favourite book of the series. It had everything that you could possibly want from a series finale – action, suspense, comedy, etc. I finished the book feeling thoroughly satisfied and couldn’t have asked for anything more.
This book follows Madeleine, Elliot and Keira as they try to rescue the Royal family and send them through the cracks, back into the Kingdom of Cello. However, nothing really goes to plan and madness ensues. Following the ending of The Cracks in the Kingdom, I thought we’d get to see a lot more of Madeleine and Elliot together, but sadly they’re separated almost immediately in A Tangle of Gold. Instead, we get three separate storylines that eventually converge into one. We follow Madeleine as she remains in the World and tries to do everything she can to help the remaining members of the Royal family. But she’s been getting some strange nosebleeds and hallucinations of historical figures… Meanwhile, Keira is in Cello, trying to coordinate rescues with Madeleine but not everything is going to plan. Elliot has been returned to Cello but must stay in hiding from the WSU. He ends up staying with a group of people who changes his mind about what he’s believed all along.
The three separate storyarcs were presented in alternating parts for the first half of the book, which created a lot of suspense because we wouldn’t find out what happened until the next two parts of the book were over. I really enjoyed this format because it gave me little bits of the puzzle and made the reveal really exciting to read about. There were little twists thrown in here and there, and what I thought was true after reading from one perspective, turned out to be false when I moved on to the next part/perspective. The little twists in the book were so good and they kept me constantly guessing and second-guessing everything. And then the major twist in the book! I did not see it coming at all! It seemed a bit obvious after I had reflected on it, but I didn’t expect it at all in the moment, which is a testament to how engrossed I was in what was happening in the book.
I absolutely loved the world of Cello in this book. Because I had spent a few months away from the world, reading this third book reminded me of everything I loved in the first two instalments. I loved the names of all of the provinces: Jagged Edge, Nature Strip, etc. I continued to love how passionate the people from the Farms were about baking and food, and how the men were better bakers than the women. I loved how technologically advanced those from Jagged Edge were and how dated the Farms seemed in comparison. It was just wonderful to be back in a world that was so fun and whimsical. I loved the presence of the Colours in this book and how they were used in the plot. And we finally got an explanation for the existence of the Colours, which made me really happy because it was something that I had wanted from the very beginning. And it did not disappoint!
The long awaited romance between Madeleine and Elliot was so incredibly satisfying. I had been waiting for their relationship to happen since the first book and I’m so glad that everything finally came together. There were also other relationships that I really enjoyed, including an unexpected one between Keira and a Farms boy. I thought it was extremely sweet and wouldn’t mind reading a spin-off about them
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing a review copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Tangle of Gold was, by far, my favourite book of the series. It had everything that you could possibly want from a series finale – action, suspense, comedy, etc. I finished the book feeling thoroughly satisfied and couldn’t have asked for anything more.
This book follows Madeleine, Elliot and Keira as they try to rescue the Royal family and send them through the cracks, back into the Kingdom of Cello. However, nothing really goes to plan and madness ensues. Following the ending of The Cracks in the Kingdom, I thought we’d get to see a lot more of Madeleine and Elliot together, but sadly they’re separated almost immediately in A Tangle of Gold. Instead, we get three separate storylines that eventually converge into one. We follow Madeleine as she remains in the World and tries to do everything she can to help the remaining members of the Royal family. But she’s been getting some strange nosebleeds and hallucinations of historical figures… Meanwhile, Keira is in Cello, trying to coordinate rescues with Madeleine but not everything is going to plan. Elliot has been returned to Cello but must stay in hiding from the WSU. He ends up staying with a group of people who changes his mind about what he’s believed all along.
The three separate storyarcs were presented in alternating parts for the first half of the book, which created a lot of suspense because we wouldn’t find out what happened until the next two parts of the book were over. I really enjoyed this format because it gave me little bits of the puzzle and made the reveal really exciting to read about. There were little twists thrown in here and there, and what I thought was true after reading from one perspective, turned out to be false when I moved on to the next part/perspective. The little twists in the book were so good and they kept me constantly guessing and second-guessing everything. And then the major twist in the book! I did not see it coming at all! It seemed a bit obvious after I had reflected on it, but I didn’t expect it at all in the moment, which is a testament to how engrossed I was in what was happening in the book.
“You’re better than a maple-candy chocolate cheesecake with a cherry-walnut strudel for dessert!”
I absolutely loved the world of Cello in this book. Because I had spent a few months away from the world, reading this third book reminded me of everything I loved in the first two instalments. I loved the names of all of the provinces: Jagged Edge, Nature Strip, etc. I continued to love how passionate the people from the Farms were about baking and food, and how the men were better bakers than the women. I loved how technologically advanced those from Jagged Edge were and how dated the Farms seemed in comparison. It was just wonderful to be back in a world that was so fun and whimsical. I loved the presence of the Colours in this book and how they were used in the plot. And we finally got an explanation for the existence of the Colours, which made me really happy because it was something that I had wanted from the very beginning. And it did not disappoint!
“You said something like, ‘Let’s believe in each other and close our eyes’, and I thought you were crazy, but I did it anyway, and next thing, we were reaching between worlds, and I was holding your hand. To me, it was like I met you right then, like we said everything there was to say. Like all of you was there in the feel of your palm, and the way your fingers wound around mine.”
The long awaited romance between Madeleine and Elliot was so incredibly satisfying. I had been waiting for their relationship to happen since the first book and I’m so glad that everything finally came together. There were also other relationships that I really enjoyed, including an unexpected one between Keira and a Farms boy. I thought it was extremely sweet and wouldn’t mind reading a spin-off about them
March 21, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia for review.
Before I start this review, I just have to say that I am incredibly sad that The Colours of Madeleine series is over. I devoured it so quickly, and I really wish that there were more books to come. I could read about these characters forever.
If that didn’t convince you to read A Tangle of Gold (and its predecessors, if you haven’t already), then I have a nifty list of reasons to convince you:
1) Elliot. Freaking. Baranski.
I rarely adore a character as much as I adore Elliot. He is a character that I would never tire of reading about, or learning new things about, and I wish I could watch him grow up into the absolutely gorgeous and amazing man that I know he will be.
In A Tangle of Gold, Elliot’s life takes a MASSIVE turn, and there will be moments when you’re doubting him, or wondering how he could do X and say Y. But just have patience, because this is Elliot we are talking about, and as I’ve said before: he’s perfect.
2) Madeleine.
Madeleine is lovely. She has grown so much over the course of this series, and I think her character growth reaches a great peak in A Tangle of Gold. She’s a little bit stronger, a little bit more vocal, a little bit more sure of herself and what she wants. She’s an incredible character to read about because her story doesn’t hinge on anything except herself, and her decisions.
3) Elliot and Madeleine.
I shipped these two from the very beginning. And they’ve had their ups and their downs, but in the end, they have always trusted each other and stuck together. The relationship between these two is put under a lot of stress in A Tangle of Gold, practically from the moment it starts, and I spent the entire time wishing that everything would turn out okay. The way these two support each other is absolutely gorgeous. A+ ship, right here.
4) The writing.
Both the writing in A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom was absolutely whimsical and beautiful, and I am happy to say that this was still the case in A Tangle of Gold. I have never read a book so beautifully crafted with words before. Everything is so vivid and truly transports you into the world of whichever character you are reading about. Jaclyn Moriarty’s way with words is goals.
5) The side characters.
Belle and Jack, my sweet little pumpkins. BLESS them. And bless the fact that Madeleine’s mother comments on the fact that they love each other. Because they so do. It’s ridiculous.
Keira, who was practically the main perspective in this novel. I had never warmed up to her in the previous book, but I have to say that I quite liked her by the end of A Tangle of Gold.
Sergio, who is still a frolicking and prancing cinnamon roll who needs to be protected from this world.
Ko, who is so vulnerable and strong. And who should definitely end up marrying Sergio because they’re adorable when they’re together.
And a whole other cast of characters who are so vivid and important.
6) The ending.
Which was perfect, and didn’t leave me wishing that any one thing had been different. Everything that I wanted to happen did happen. And it was beautiful, and the moment I finished, I wanted more. But only because I love this series so much, and would be happy to read several more books aboutElliot these characters and the Kingdom of Cello.
© 2016, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
trigger warning: alcoholic & drug addicted parent, reference to teenage drug addiction, amnesia, attempted murder, death of a child, death by heart failure, and abduction in this novel
Before I start this review, I just have to say that I am incredibly sad that The Colours of Madeleine series is over. I devoured it so quickly, and I really wish that there were more books to come. I could read about these characters forever.
If that didn’t convince you to read A Tangle of Gold (and its predecessors, if you haven’t already), then I have a nifty list of reasons to convince you:
1) Elliot. Freaking. Baranski.
I rarely adore a character as much as I adore Elliot. He is a character that I would never tire of reading about, or learning new things about, and I wish I could watch him grow up into the absolutely gorgeous and amazing man that I know he will be.
In A Tangle of Gold, Elliot’s life takes a MASSIVE turn, and there will be moments when you’re doubting him, or wondering how he could do X and say Y. But just have patience, because this is Elliot we are talking about, and as I’ve said before: he’s perfect.
2) Madeleine.
Madeleine is lovely. She has grown so much over the course of this series, and I think her character growth reaches a great peak in A Tangle of Gold. She’s a little bit stronger, a little bit more vocal, a little bit more sure of herself and what she wants. She’s an incredible character to read about because her story doesn’t hinge on anything except herself, and her decisions.
3) Elliot and Madeleine.
I shipped these two from the very beginning. And they’ve had their ups and their downs, but in the end, they have always trusted each other and stuck together. The relationship between these two is put under a lot of stress in A Tangle of Gold, practically from the moment it starts, and I spent the entire time wishing that everything would turn out okay. The way these two support each other is absolutely gorgeous. A+ ship, right here.
4) The writing.
Both the writing in A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom was absolutely whimsical and beautiful, and I am happy to say that this was still the case in A Tangle of Gold. I have never read a book so beautifully crafted with words before. Everything is so vivid and truly transports you into the world of whichever character you are reading about. Jaclyn Moriarty’s way with words is goals.
5) The side characters.
Belle and Jack, my sweet little pumpkins. BLESS them. And bless the fact that Madeleine’s mother comments on the fact that they love each other. Because they so do. It’s ridiculous.
Keira, who was practically the main perspective in this novel. I had never warmed up to her in the previous book, but I have to say that I quite liked her by the end of A Tangle of Gold.
Sergio, who is still a frolicking and prancing cinnamon roll who needs to be protected from this world.
Ko, who is so vulnerable and strong. And who should definitely end up marrying Sergio because they’re adorable when they’re together.
And a whole other cast of characters who are so vivid and important.
6) The ending.
Which was perfect, and didn’t leave me wishing that any one thing had been different. Everything that I wanted to happen did happen. And it was beautiful, and the moment I finished, I wanted more. But only because I love this series so much, and would be happy to read several more books about
© 2016, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
trigger warning: alcoholic & drug addicted parent, reference to teenage drug addiction, amnesia, attempted murder, death of a child, death by heart failure, and abduction in this novel
April 2, 2016
This, and it's almost impossible to describe how happy this series and this finale has made me. Call yourselves my contentment, because it's not everyday we have a series that so completely satisfy all it sets up in its course.
I started A Corner of White thinking only of Madeleine and Elliot, and the people around them. The setting was not as important to me, it rarely is, in books. What I really love is dialogues and characters, no matter how absurd or ordinary the world they are in.
But Moriarty made me care so much about Cello, and in a more interesting way, she made me care more about our world too, thinking about physics and scholars and poetry, and even politics for God's sake. All of it ran through my head while reading this books, which was amazing, because it's really a book that ~sounds~ like the kind of book that makes you reflect about social and political realities. That's the biggest magic of it. It's not really the traditional story that makes everyone goes "oh, and you can see the way the society is set is a metaphor for how we treat the media..." and so on. What happen is that you get so caught up in the reality of the book, that suddenly you're thinking about your own reality, not because you're analyzing the metaphors, but because you want to try to figure out what's better for the society in question.
Am I making any sense? I don't know. This is the most philosophical I've been reading a book, and I studied literature, I mean, wow.
Anyway, it is fun, don't let this review make you think otherwise. It is light and melancholic and funny and romantic and clever and surprising. Oh, the surprises.
I loved every second of it, and I'll miss Cello so much.
I started A Corner of White thinking only of Madeleine and Elliot, and the people around them. The setting was not as important to me, it rarely is, in books. What I really love is dialogues and characters, no matter how absurd or ordinary the world they are in.
But Moriarty made me care so much about Cello, and in a more interesting way, she made me care more about our world too, thinking about physics and scholars and poetry, and even politics for God's sake. All of it ran through my head while reading this books, which was amazing, because it's really a book that ~sounds~ like the kind of book that makes you reflect about social and political realities. That's the biggest magic of it. It's not really the traditional story that makes everyone goes "oh, and you can see the way the society is set is a metaphor for how we treat the media..." and so on. What happen is that you get so caught up in the reality of the book, that suddenly you're thinking about your own reality, not because you're analyzing the metaphors, but because you want to try to figure out what's better for the society in question.
Am I making any sense? I don't know. This is the most philosophical I've been reading a book, and I studied literature, I mean, wow.
Anyway, it is fun, don't let this review make you think otherwise. It is light and melancholic and funny and romantic and clever and surprising. Oh, the surprises.
I loved every second of it, and I'll miss Cello so much.
April 21, 2016
FIVE STARS!!!!!
ahahahaaa i couldnt help myself and finished this book in two days, even though it's really the kind of book that deserves to be taken in small doses and enjoyed gratuitously over a long period of time. i love love love jaclyn moriarty's writing style, and it fits so well with this gorgeous world that she's created. ugh im so upset its over.
remember when i used to hate madeleine? well now i love her. she really grew up and fleshed out in this book, and i couldnt be more proud of her. UGH IM SO UPSET ITS OVER.
i mean, seriously, how can you create a world as amazing and interesting as Cello and then just??? leave it behind????? i reckon that moriarty's gonna do SOMETHING else with it......and she better......soon......
CANT FORGET: PRINCESS KO'S KICKASS SPEECH AT THE END. LIKE THERES A REASON SHES BEEN MY FAVORITE CHARACTER SINCE THE MOMENT WE MET HER. FUCKIN LOVE HER.
---------------------------
Pre-Release:
RIDICULOUSLY PUMPED FOR THIS BOOK
ahahahaaa i couldnt help myself and finished this book in two days, even though it's really the kind of book that deserves to be taken in small doses and enjoyed gratuitously over a long period of time. i love love love jaclyn moriarty's writing style, and it fits so well with this gorgeous world that she's created. ugh im so upset its over.
remember when i used to hate madeleine? well now i love her. she really grew up and fleshed out in this book, and i couldnt be more proud of her. UGH IM SO UPSET ITS OVER.
i mean, seriously, how can you create a world as amazing and interesting as Cello and then just??? leave it behind????? i reckon that moriarty's gonna do SOMETHING else with it......and she better......soon......
CANT FORGET: PRINCESS KO'S KICKASS SPEECH AT THE END. LIKE THERES A REASON SHES BEEN MY FAVORITE CHARACTER SINCE THE MOMENT WE MET HER. FUCKIN LOVE HER.
---------------------------
Pre-Release:
RIDICULOUSLY PUMPED FOR THIS BOOK
March 2, 2016
*I'm going to keep my review short and sweet, not because I don't have plenty to say but because it will be hard to refrain from posting spoilers. This series needs to be experienced first hand. ^_^
Such an amazing conclusion to a brilliant series. Right from the first page I was hooked, Jaclyn Moriarty sure knows how to throw in some unexpected twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Not only that, her writing style is simply flawless, you get so swept up in the story your reality becomes the story. I just simply couldn't get enough, when I finished the last page I just wanted to open A Corner of White and start all over again from the beginning. I just can't praise this series enough.
A wonderfully written story full of fun, suspense, surprises, twists and turns, action, romance and characters you'll simply fall in love with. This series is definitely one to add to your TBR list (I'd bump it up to the next to read ^_^).
A Fantasy world for all to love.
**ARC provided by publisher for an honest review**
Such an amazing conclusion to a brilliant series. Right from the first page I was hooked, Jaclyn Moriarty sure knows how to throw in some unexpected twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Not only that, her writing style is simply flawless, you get so swept up in the story your reality becomes the story. I just simply couldn't get enough, when I finished the last page I just wanted to open A Corner of White and start all over again from the beginning. I just can't praise this series enough.
A wonderfully written story full of fun, suspense, surprises, twists and turns, action, romance and characters you'll simply fall in love with. This series is definitely one to add to your TBR list (I'd bump it up to the next to read ^_^).
A Fantasy world for all to love.
**ARC provided by publisher for an honest review**
September 10, 2016
UGH. Ok. I don't have words for this, but I have to say something because this book, this series, Elliot, Madeline, Keira, Belle, Jack, they all got under my skin and into my heart.
Every character is fully drawn. The story is suspenseful and surprising, but it all makes sense. It's laugh-out-loud funny until it makes you cry.
I'm kind of floored by how much I love this series. I really didn't expect it, but I should know that Moriarty never disappoints.
And now all I want to do is read it from the beginning all over again.
Every character is fully drawn. The story is suspenseful and surprising, but it all makes sense. It's laugh-out-loud funny until it makes you cry.
I'm kind of floored by how much I love this series. I really didn't expect it, but I should know that Moriarty never disappoints.
And now all I want to do is read it from the beginning all over again.
November 3, 2016
I love this series so much. Everything I wanted to happen happened. I was only disappointed that it ended so abruptly, without any time spent on denouement; however by the time the book was over I knew the characters well enough and everything was so well set up that I KNOW what happens next, without the author needing to tell me.
March 4, 2016
As stunning conclusion to a truly remarkable trilogy. I loved it.
March 20, 2016
Deeply satisfying end to a magical series. Clever, complex and utterly enchanting. Loved it.
March 2, 2016
Twists and twists and turns... this was such an amazing series and I'm so sad to reach the end of it. The ending was satisfying though. Full review coming as part of the blog tour later in March.
February 9, 2017
I don't really have words but this was so good. Brilliant series.
March 17, 2017
Originally posted on A Keyboard and an Open Mind 17 March 2017:
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Agggh, writing this review is causing me a lot of angst. Over the few days between finishing the book and beginning this review, I have tried to work out what to rate it. When I first rated it on GoodReads, I gave it four stars, stating in the text of the review that it was 3.5 but I was going to round it up because I loved the first two books so much. But then I thought about it and decided it was really only a three-star read for me, because while it had a few good moments, I didn’t love it as much as the other two. The next morning I was still thinking about what had bothered me overall, and realised there was really only one moment that I really loved, and I wasn’t entirely sure that it outweighed the stuff that frustrated me. So here we are, with a 2.5 star rating for the final book, after two solid four-star reads.
Yikes, that was a rambling paragraph.
Anyway.
In my review of book two of this series, I said that one thing I appreciated was the fact that it didn’t give more of the same, but instead built on the first book and took all the concepts further. The same could be said of this book, except that it didn’t have the same effect this time.
One of the issues (probably the main issue) was that Kiera, a secondary character in the second book, became a principle character in this one and I Did. Not. Like. Her. She looked down her nose at everybody, including my favourite characters, and even when she sort of addressed this, I didn’t feel like she stopped, just that she managed to hide her snobbery a bit better. I started flipping forward to see how many more chapters I would have to read from her point-of-view before we returned to Madeleine or Elliot.
Speaking of Elliot, I didn’t like his character arc either. He made a lot of decisions that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. He was using huge leaps of logic to come to the conclusions he based his decisions on, and he always seemed smarter than that.
I can’t say too much about Madeleine without delving into huge spoiler territory, but I will say that the large twist regarding her and her mother that took place was a big enough game changer that it changed the way the story worked, and it just wasn’t the story/premise/situation I fell in love with after that (having said that, the twist itself was the aforementioned one moment I really loved). Elliot and Madeleine had no way of corresponding like they always used to, and that was one of my favourite aspects of the series.
Plot-wise, everything also got quite convoluted. The theories behind the cracks between Cello and the World got very confusing and then there were secret organisations that kind of came out of nowhere playing their parts, and everything go tied up a bit too nicely at the end. I closed the book feeling unsatisfied, and there is little worse than that, particularly when it’s the conclusion of a series that started out so well.
(This review is part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017. Click here for more information).
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Agggh, writing this review is causing me a lot of angst. Over the few days between finishing the book and beginning this review, I have tried to work out what to rate it. When I first rated it on GoodReads, I gave it four stars, stating in the text of the review that it was 3.5 but I was going to round it up because I loved the first two books so much. But then I thought about it and decided it was really only a three-star read for me, because while it had a few good moments, I didn’t love it as much as the other two. The next morning I was still thinking about what had bothered me overall, and realised there was really only one moment that I really loved, and I wasn’t entirely sure that it outweighed the stuff that frustrated me. So here we are, with a 2.5 star rating for the final book, after two solid four-star reads.
Yikes, that was a rambling paragraph.
Anyway.
In my review of book two of this series, I said that one thing I appreciated was the fact that it didn’t give more of the same, but instead built on the first book and took all the concepts further. The same could be said of this book, except that it didn’t have the same effect this time.
One of the issues (probably the main issue) was that Kiera, a secondary character in the second book, became a principle character in this one and I Did. Not. Like. Her. She looked down her nose at everybody, including my favourite characters, and even when she sort of addressed this, I didn’t feel like she stopped, just that she managed to hide her snobbery a bit better. I started flipping forward to see how many more chapters I would have to read from her point-of-view before we returned to Madeleine or Elliot.
Speaking of Elliot, I didn’t like his character arc either. He made a lot of decisions that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. He was using huge leaps of logic to come to the conclusions he based his decisions on, and he always seemed smarter than that.
I can’t say too much about Madeleine without delving into huge spoiler territory, but I will say that the large twist regarding her and her mother that took place was a big enough game changer that it changed the way the story worked, and it just wasn’t the story/premise/situation I fell in love with after that (having said that, the twist itself was the aforementioned one moment I really loved). Elliot and Madeleine had no way of corresponding like they always used to, and that was one of my favourite aspects of the series.
Plot-wise, everything also got quite convoluted. The theories behind the cracks between Cello and the World got very confusing and then there were secret organisations that kind of came out of nowhere playing their parts, and everything go tied up a bit too nicely at the end. I closed the book feeling unsatisfied, and there is little worse than that, particularly when it’s the conclusion of a series that started out so well.
(This review is part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017. Click here for more information).
February 3, 2018
I rate this series as 4.75. I absolutely loved almost everything about this series. Very smart, creative, original. The characters are endearing, the story is clever and captivating. It took me awhile to get into the 3rd book because a couple of the lead characters are relegated to the background, but in the last half of the book all the characters are present.
The book is written for middle grades but I think older kids and adults will enjoy it more. I highly recommend this fantasy series.
The book is written for middle grades but I think older kids and adults will enjoy it more. I highly recommend this fantasy series.
January 23, 2017
I have really loved this entire series. All three books start out slow, but get more interesting and un-put-downable about halfway through.
This third and final book answered all the questions I had and tied everything together with a colorful little bow. I could have used a few more happily ever after extra chapters at the end, but overall I loved it.
This third and final book answered all the questions I had and tied everything together with a colorful little bow. I could have used a few more happily ever after extra chapters at the end, but overall I loved it.
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November 20, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Parent with alcoholism & drug addiction
Amnesia
Heart attack
Death of a child
Kidnapping
Parent with alcoholism & drug addiction
Amnesia
Heart attack
Death of a child
Kidnapping
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