Book Jacket
Aside from her troublesome attraction to magick, Flora Fyrdraaca has spent her entire life doing what's expected of her. Who else is going to keep order in her crazy family? Yet at sixteen, she realizes that this life has been strewn with secrets and lies. Lies have kept her from becoming a ranger, from perfecting her use of magick, from claiming her hidden birthright.
And then there's the matter of Flora's true mother. Tiny Doom, killed years earlier by the Birdies, the Rupublic of Califa's evil overlords. Was even her murder a lie? Flora is sure of it--and she will do whatever it takes to find her, whether in the Waking World or Elsewhere.
Certain that only Tiny Doom can free Califa from the Birdie's rule, Flora embarks on a journey that takes her from sea to island to desert, and into an alliance with a brooding stranger with secrets of his own. But only when Flora is very far from home does she discover how much the future of Califa is at stake--and how far the Birdies will go to destroy her.
Review
Flora's back! I adore Wilce's series (beginning with Flora Segunda and Flora's Dare). The characters are brilliant and dysfunctional and heroic. The setting is positively fantastic--it may be my favorite fantasy setting ever. I know that's a huge claim. I haven't really thought it through, but Califa is definitely in my top five.
Since I have such an intense love for the places and people of the first two books, I was initially dismayed with Flora's Fury. Flora pretty quickly goes to new locations and primarily hangs out with new characters, with the exception of her loyal dog Flynn. Apparently I love Wilce's world as a whole more than any specific characters, because I ended up loving this book.
The criminal island of Barbacoa was super fun. I really liked Tharyn the wer-bear. And I loved Handhands haunting and helping Flora through her adventures. And of course, Flora remains awesome. She is older now, but still extremely self-involved and selfless at the same time. She wants to help her family and her country, but she usually does so in her own way, without considering the actions or needs of others. This makes her incredibly complex and relatable. People are contradictory a lot of the time, and Flora is no exception.
For some reason, the Flora series doesn't get as much press or attention as it deserves. Let's change that! Read Flora, and spread the word of its greatness!
Five out of five long distance packages.
Release Date: May 2012
Reading Level: Grade 8+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: YPL WIL
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