Product Description

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Having bound the wild, dark magic of the realms to her, Gemma has forged unlikely and unsuspected new alliances both with the headstrong Felicity and timid Ann, Kartik, the exotic young man whose companionship is forbidden, and the fearsome creatures of the realms. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test those bonds. As her friendship with Felicity and Ann faces its gravest trial, and with the Order grappling for control of the realms, Gemma is compelled to decide once and for all which path she is meant to take. Pulled forward by fate, the destiny Gemma faces threatens to set chaos loose, not only in the realms, but also upon the rigid Victorian society whose rules Gemma has both defied and followed. Where does Gemma really belong? And will she, can she, survive?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25947 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

About the Author
Libba Bray has worked as a waitress, a nanny, a publishing assistant and as an advertising copywriter. Raised in Texas on a diet of British humour, underground bands, suburban dysfunction and bad TV, she now lives in New York with her husband and young son.

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
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.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

A-MUST-READ!
I enjoyed The Sweet Far Thing as it was a incredible end to the trilogy.

I however think that Rebel Angels the one before was better, The Sweet Far Thing ties up the loose ends and at some parts left me speechless and utterly shocked.

If you enjoy books set in the 1800's and you like books with magic and creatures, this book is for you as it has the romance and etiquette of a 1800's novel but also has the magic and adventure of fantasy novel.

The not so good parts in this book are, I found that a lot of the book nothing was really happening and you find something out about one of the characters, I will not share that information! I found it very disappointing.

Previous Novels

A Great and Terrible BeautyRebel Angels

A love story masterpiece- beautiful on so many levels
I loved this third and final book to Libby Bray's masterpiece. A very gifted writer who kept me enthralled throughout the whole triology. I hope to find more great works by this very talented author.

I'm also surprised how well the author captured London living, and their mannerisms - its pretty uncanny. Don't be put off thinking its a children's story, this book has many levels to it. I'm 27 and loved it.

I hope this book gets more press- its well derserved.