The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle Trilogy #3)

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More About This Book

Overview

* “A huge work of massive ambition.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father alaudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order—the mysterious group her mother was once part of—is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A #1 Book Sense Bestseller A New York Times Bestseller A Publishers Weekly Bestseller A USA Today Bestseller A 2008 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

  • The Sweet Far Thing
    The Sweet Far Thing  

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The concluding volume in the trilogy begun in A Great and Terrible Beautyis a huge work of massive ambition, an undertaking that involves the plaiting and tying off a dozen plot threads-impending war in the realms and heroine Gemma Doyle's control of its magic being the central thread but, perhaps, not the most interesting. In chronicling Gemma's first year at Spence Academy, Bray has, over three books, widened her canvas from finishing school to fin-de-siècle London, weaving in the defining movements of the era-labor strikes over factory conditions, suffrage, the "radical" Impressionists just across the Channel, even fashion trends like bloomers for women daring enough to ride bicycles. Gemma is both buffeted and bolstered by her exposure to these developments, and readers experience how they shape her burgeoning understanding of who she is and who she may become. Some of Gemma's struggle is about power. As exalted as she is within the realms for her role as High Priestess of the secret society, her "otherness" marks her as unsuitable for proper Victorian circles. Gemma chafes not only at the physical constraints of a corset but at the myriad restrictions placed on women. Her quest is to break free, but at what cost? Bray poses these vital questions without sacrificing the gothic undertones of the previous volumes-the body count is high, and the deaths, gruesome. That creepiness is balanced by the fully realized company of players, including the insufferable headmistress, Mrs. Nightwing, the acid-tongued Felicity Worthington, hunky heartthrob Kartik and, of course, Gemma herself, a heroine readily embraced. Ages 14-up. (Dec.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
VOYA
Things have not gone well for Gemma since she bound the magic of the realms to herself. Former ally Kartik becomes an enemy. A mute woman in lavender appears in her visions and sends her cryptic messages. After decades of lying in a burnt ruin, Spence School rebuilds the East wing with disturbing results. Gemma's friends fare no better. Her undead friend, Pippa, grows dependent on magic. Felicity's inheritance depends on the good intentions of a malicious gossip, and Ann struggles to break free of her predestined fate as governess to her cousin's mucus-oozing children. As the magic within Gemma grows more unpredictable and the line between reality and the realms grows fainter, she learns that nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. All good things must come to an end, and so must Bray's historical fantasy saga. Bray certainly deserves accolades for creating well-written, multi-genre fiction with complex characters. At 800-plus pages, however, the book suffers from too much detail and not enough action. There are many interesting tidbits sprinkled about the book like literary Easter eggs, but by page 500, the reader might begin to tire of repeated descriptions of the strife between the realms' citizens, the political machinations of the Rakshana, and Gemma's indecisiveness. This book is, in short, put-downable, an entirely undesirable attribute for a series finale. Nevertheless readers will want to find out the fate of their favorite characters as the novel moves towards its poignant ending. Reviewer: Angelica Delgado
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
Children's Literature
This is the third and final book in "The Gemma Doyle" trilogy. It takes place a short time after the events of the second book Rebel Angels. The girls are still at Spence Academy. Gemma has bound the magic to her. Felicity and Ann still long for the freedom to live their lives as they see fit. Along with their upcoming debuts, Gemma and the girls must also face the mysterious Order and the Rakshana. Each group is vying for control of the realms. Within the realms, tensions are also rising. Gemma is the only one who can set everything right again. I do not think it fair to judge a series by a single book. My position only gets worse when the book in question is the last one in the series. As you can already guess, I have not read either one of the previous two books of "The Gemma Doyle" trilogy. But I am forced to say that I have no desire to. This book was enough. It could have been the feeling of being bashed over the head by all the quotes and allusions in an almost juvenile show of intelligence. It could have been the moments when the book's pace slowed to an agonizing crawl. Or it could be the moments of high danger that come to a screeching halt as the main characters frolic in the magical secondary world, the realms. In the end, this book wraps itself around the reader like a tight corset that just keeps getting tighter and tighter—until we pass out for lack of oxygen. This is a must miss book. Reviewer: Monserrat Urena

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780440237778
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 4/28/2009
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 848
  • Sales rank: 82,662
  • Age range: 12 years
  • Lexile: 0640L (what's this?)
  • Series: Gemma Doyle Trilogy, #3
  • Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 2.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Libba Bray
Libba Bray

Libba Bray is the author of the New York Times bestselling Gemma Doyle trilogy, comprised of A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, their son, and two cats. Visit her at www.libbabray.com.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE March 1896
SPENCE ACADEMY FOR YOUNG LADIES

There is a particular circle of hell not mentioned in Dante's famous book. It is called comportment, and it exists in schools for young ladies across the empire. I do not know how it feels to be thrown into a lake of fire. I am sure it isn't pleasant. But I can say with all certainty that walking the length of a ballroom with a book upon one's head and a backboard strapped to one's back while imprisoned in a tight corset, layers of petticoats, and shoes that pinch is a form of torture even Mr. Alighieri would find too hideous to document in his Inferno.

"Let us keep our eyes trained toward heaven, girls," our headmistress, Mrs. Nightwing, pleads as we attempt our slow march across the floor, heads held high, arms out like ballerinas.

The loops of the backboard chafe the sides of my arms. The block of wood is unyielding, and I am forced to stand as stiff as the guards at Buckingham Palace. My neck aches with the effort. Come May, I shall make my debut a full year early, for it has been decided by all parties involved that at nearly seventeen I am ready and that it would do me good to have my season now. I shall wear beautiful gowns, attend lavish parties, and dance with handsome gentlemen—if I survive my training. At present, that outcome is very much in doubt.

Mrs. Nightwing paces the length of the ballroom. Her stiff skirts whisk-whisk across the floor as if to rebuke it for lying there. All the while she barks orders like Admiral Nelson himself. "Heads held high!
Do not smile, Miss Hawthorne! Serene, somber expressions! Empty your minds!"

I strain to keep my face a blank canvas. My spine aches. My left arm, held out to the side for what seems hours, trembles with the effort.

"And curtsy . . ."

Like falling souffles, we drop low, trying desperately not to lose our balance. Mrs. Nightwing does not give the order to rise. My legs shake with exhaustion. I cannot manage it. I stumble forward. The book tumbles from my head and lands on the floor with a resounding thud. We have done this four times, and four times I have failed in some fashion. Mrs. Nightwing's boots stop inches from my disgraced form.

"Miss Doyle, may I remind you that this is the court, and you are curtsying to your sovereign, not performing in the Folies Bergere?"

"Yes, Mrs. Nightwing," I say sheepishly.

It is hopeless. I shall never curtsy without falling. I shall lie sprawled upon the gleaming floors of Buckingham Palace like a disgraceful stain of a girl, my nose resting upon the boot of the Queen. I shall be the talk of the season, whispered about behind open fans. No doubt every man will avoid me like typhus.

"Miss Temple, perhaps you will demonstrate the proper curtsy for us?"

Without ado, Cecily Temple, She Who Can Do No Wrong, settles to the floor in a long, slow, graceful arc that seems to defy gravity. It is a thing of beauty. I am hideously jealous.

"Thank you, Miss Temple."

Yes, thank you, you little demon beast. May you marry a man who eats garlic with every meal.

"Now, let us—" Mrs. Nightwing is interrupted by loud banging. She closes her eyes tightly against the noise.

"Mrs. Nightwing," Elizabeth whines. "How can we possibly concentrate on our form with such a terrible racket coming from the East Wing?"

Mrs. Nightwing is in no humor for our complaining. She takes a deep breath and clasps her hands at her waist, her head held high.

"We shall carry on, like England herself. If she could withstand Cromwell, the Wars of the Roses, and the French, surely you may overlook a bit of hammering. Think how lovely the East Wing shall be when it is completed. We shall try again—steady! All eyes are upon you! It won't do to scurry to Her Majesty like a timid church mouse."

I often imagine what sort of position Nightwing might seek out were she not currently torturing us as headmistress of Spence Academy for Young Ladies. Dear Sirs, her letter might begin. I am writing to inquire about your advert for the position of Balloon Popper. I have a hatpin that will do the trick neatly and bring about the wails of small children everywhere. My former charges will attest to the fact that I rarely smile, never laugh, and can steal the joy from any room simply by entering and bestowing upon it my unique sense of utter gloom and despair. My references in this matter are impeccable. If you have not fallen into a state of deep melancholia simply by reading my letter, please respond to Mrs. Nightwing (I have a Christian name but no one ever has leave to use it) in care of Spence Academy for Young Ladies. If you cannot be troubled to find the address on your own, you are not trying your very best. Sincerely, Mrs. Nightwing.

"Miss Doyle! What is that insipid smile you're wearing? Have I said something that amuses you?" Mrs. Nightwing's admonishment brings a flush to my cheeks. The other girls giggle.

We glide across the floor, trying our best to ignore the hammering and the shouts. The noise isn't what distracts us. It is the knowledge that there are men here, one floor above us, that keeps us jittery and light.

"Perhaps we could see the progress they've made, Mrs. Nightwing? How extraordinary it must be," Felicity Worthington suggests with a sweetness bordering on pure syrup. Only Felicity would be so bold as to suggest this. She is too daring by half. She is also one of my only allies here at Spence.

"The workmen do not need girls underfoot, as they are already behind schedule," Mrs. Nightwing says. "Heads up, if you please! And—"

A loud bang sounds from above. The sudden noise makes us jump. Even Mrs. Nightwing lets out a "Merciful heavens!" Elizabeth, who is nothing more than a nervous condition disguised as a debutante, yelps and grabs hold of Cecily.

"Oh, Mrs. Nightwing!" Elizabeth cries.

We look to our headmistress hopefully.

Mrs. Nightwing exhales through disapproving lips. "Very well. We shall adjourn for the present. Let us take the air to restore the roses to our cheeks."

"Might we bring our paper and sketch the progress on the East Wing?" I suggest. "It would make a fine record."

Mrs. Nightwing favors me with a rare smile. "A most excellent suggestion, Miss Doyle. Very well, then. Gather your paper and pencils. I shall send Brigid with you. Don your coats. And walk, if you please."

We abandon our backboards along with our decorum, racing for the stairs and the promise of freedom, however temporary it may be.

"Walk!" Mrs. Nightwing shouts. When we cannot seem to heed her advice, she bellows after us that we are savages not fit for marriage. She adds that we shall be the shame of the school and something else besides, but we are down the first flight of stairs, and her words cannot touch us.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 667 )

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 670 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 15, 2008

    Sweet FAr Thing

    I love this book! I was on the edge of my set when reading parts of it. Near the end I even started crying. Libba Bray is a wonderful author. Her writing made me feel like I was Gemma (the main character). I must say you should read her other two books ¿A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. Sweet far thing is the third book in this series. This book is mostly for girls but there is some war like scenes. My favorite part is the hot romance between Gemma and her lover Kartik. Their love is delayed a lot, which made me a little unhappy. I would of like to see on things happen between them I want to say more but I don¿t want to ruin the ending. Gemma and her friends must find a way to save the realms and our world from the evil Winterlands, or is it the Winterland that is evil? Who is the bad guy? Who can Gemma trust? This book has many fantasy creatures like pixies, nymphs, gargoyles, and many other magical being. This book won¿t bored you believe me.

    7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 7, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9780316031844

    AMAZING!!!

    I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It had everything- a little romance, awesome action, suspense, and more. I have only read two books in my entire life that made me cry, this was one of them. I love how it is told in present tense, too. The best thing about this book is how it all comes together in the end. It's like a mystery in a way. You have to put the pieces together like a puzzle and in the end it is just amazing when all the questions are answered. PERFECT story.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 2, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780964729230 9781590525135 9780316015844 9780312360269

    Loved it

    So I loved this series! It has become one of my favorites. This book, the last in the series, was a bit dragged out, but it still kept me reading and not wanting to put it down. I hated the ending with one very important character dying. I cried when it happened, so even though I didn't like that it happened, if a book can stir that kind of emotion, it is good. I'm not a very emotional person anyway and the fact that the book hooked me in and made me feel shows that it's worth reading. The characters are excellently developed and they make you feel what they are feeling. Very good book.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 17, 2009

    I didn't like the ending

    Kartik and Gemma should be together in some way (in the realms even). It wasn't a happy ending. She is still lonely. You read books to lift your spirits and inspire you, make you hopeful. At least that is why I read books. I was disappointed.

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 20, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780778324331 9780689867040 9780375844744

    Angieville: THE SWEET FAR THING

    And so ends the trilogy that began with A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY , continued with REBEL ANGELS, and concludes in this final volume, THE SWEET FAR THING. I liked the first one well enough because of its unique blend of a wild, magical, mythical realm barely constrained behind stiff Victorian curtains. I really got into the second one as the plot became more complex, Gemma came into her own powers, Felicity and Ann's stories became more layered, and poor beautiful Pippa was relegated to the Realms indefinitely. When I saw how thick the third one was, my eagerness ratcheted up a notch. After all, I have been sitting around lately asking for longer books. Suddenly, here one is.

    Unfortunately, 800 pages later, the best thing about it remains the first four words, it's lovely title, taken from a poem by W.B. Yeats. And it does capture the extremely bittersweet feel of the last portion of the book. But somehow this installment failed to capture my imagination. It frustrated me more than anything. Instead of making good use of everything she fought for in REBEL ANGELS, Gemma spends the entire novel trying to decide whether or not to do what she decided to do at the end of the last book. Not until the final pages does she get a grip on herself and do what needs to be done. I thought we were done with crippling indecision in the previous books. I wanted the Gorgon to just let loose and throttle her! Meanwhile, Felicity and Ann are apparently thirteen again and spend the majority of their time being petty and distrustful, backstabbing Gemma whenever they get the chance. Pippa is the most interesting of the original friends, munching on the berries of the dead in all her Miss Havisham glory. But her path is extremely predictable. And Kartik? Fiery, beautiful Kartik? Sigh. The end to his story had far too much in common with Merlin's fate for my taste. I will say that the scene where Gemma and Kartik place their hands inside the stone was achingly beautiful. But, as with much in this hefty book, it was too little too late and I'm left feeling sad. Wishing, somehow, it could all have gone differently.

    2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 17, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

    The third and final book in Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy, THE SWEET FAR THING picks up a few months after REBEL ANGELS ended.

    It's now spring, and Gemma has been unable to reenter the realms with or without her friends since the Christmas holidays, when she sealed all the magic inside herself. She has grown uneasy with dreams of the supposedly dead Circe and the absence of Kartrik, despite his pledge to support her. As Mrs. Nightwing oversees the rebuilding of Spence Academy's long destroyed East Wing, Gemma discovers a door that leads into the realms. Soon she, Felicity, and Ann have rejoined Pippa in the realms.

    All is far from well, however. Within the realms, the various tribes strive to convince Gemma to share her magic, and she finds herself unable to trust any of them. Circe is not dead after all, and her warnings frighten Gemma. And what of the new visions, in which Gemma sees a former student of Spence Academy, who writes of the Tree of All Souls?

    Outside the realms, there is just as much uncertainty. Gemma prepares for her debut and tries to make her peace with her father and brother. Felicity's headstrong behavior has put her on the verge of losing her inheritance and freedom. Ann must decide whether to risk everything on the chance of a career in the theatre.

    As dark forces spread through the realms and the girls' debuts approach, Gemma must find more strength in herself than she ever thought possible, and decide just what kind of woman she wants to be -- for herself, not anyone else.

    Fans of the trilogy will tear through this book, eager to reach its conclusion and learn the fates of all its characters. Bray's descriptions of Victorian life and the mysterious realms are as colorful as ever. Gemma makes a sympathetic if sometimes frustrating narrator, believable in her struggle to make the right decision. At over 800 pages, THE SWEET FAR THING is far longer than either of the books before it, and there is some repetition to the earlier scenes, but those who love the world will be happy to spend as much time there as they can. Toward the end, the plot picks up to a heart-pounding pace. Between cheering the happier parts of the ending, and grieving over its inevitable sadness, readers will be glad to have lived through this tale with Gemma and her friends.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 1, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Very good

    This was such a great read. I could relate to all the characters. I'm actually kind of sad the series is over... I would love to read about Gemma and all of her new experiences as she grows older/wiser, etc.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 6, 2012

    Love

    Loved it soo much!!
    Very well played Miss Bray:)

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 23, 2011

    LOOOOOOOVE IT!!!

    This book was so amazing! The only thing that I didn't like was that it had to end:(

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 13, 2010

    Stunning and Tragic

    This book was an incredible ending to the trilogy but I absolutely bawled at the ending!!! I won't spoil it, but it is somewhat tragic...

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 8, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    One of my new favorite series!

    I loved it. Like it's maybe one of my new favorite series... because it combines all my favorite things. I adore historical fiction, I really like fantasy-ish other-worldly stuff, and I like Young Adult where there is a flawed but kickass heroine. These books are phenomenal, I would recommend the series to anyone!

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 6, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780786297054 9780061214677

    Amaziing!

    if you are into magic, fun and frienship with a touch of romance this novel is totally for you, the first time i read it i couldnt put it down. i know this is not a good review but seriously give it a try with this book, you'll really enjoy it

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 5, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I LOVE YOU!

    The last of the Gemma Doyle trilogy was a story that made me think. I haven't been this in love with a series in a very long time and my love affair with books has been widespread. It takes a really great book to make my emotions act up to the point where it can make me cry, yell out in frustration, and laugh out loud with sheer joy. The love portrayed between Gemma and Kartik was undeniably one of the sweetest and most gentle of love stories. This book offers so much more than just mystery and fantasy, it gives greater depths into what true friendship is all about and how life may not seem so different as it is written in a book. We can all take a piece of it and apply it to our own lives. I heart Libba Bray!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 21, 2012

    Enchanting

    Every page had me holding my breath and I gave up the luxury of a good night's sleep to read as much as i could.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 2, 2012

    .

    =)

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 23, 2012

    Woah

    Many people are saying that they didnt like the ending. I will not spoil anything, although i thought the ending was crafted beautyfully. Libba did the only thing, really, to end this series with no open ends and a new begging for all. Whos to say what will happen to gemma, or kartik, or felicity, ann, and the rest of the relms? Right then the future is bright for them to shape it as they like. An absoluty wonderful story.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 8, 2012

    Good book.... poor kartik

    Why kartik???????????)': i cried so hard!! Will he and gemma be together again when she dies? Or is she going to meet someone else?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 30, 2011

    I want another!!

    I loved the entier seriece though i do wish there was a continuation to know what has happend to them all and the relms. :'(

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 27, 2011

    Omg! Me gusta!!!!

    Iv read this book many times and i still never get tired of it... but the end makes me cry and want a forth book

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 26, 2011

    Amazing!

    I loved this book soo much. I was a bit disappointed with the ending but i loved the rest so much that the end didnt really matter

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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