Language English Originally published October 2010 Genre Fantasy literature Country United States of America | Media type Print (Hardcover) Publisher Random House | |
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Publication date December 9, 2003 - December 26, 2007 Series A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing Similar Libba Bray books, Boarding school books, Young adult fiction books | ||
Gemma doyle trilogy by libba bray series review
The Gemma Doyle Trilogy is a trilogy of fantasy novels by American writer Libba Bray. They are told from the perspective of Gemma Doyle, a girl in the late nineteenth century. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy consists of three books: A Great and Terrible Beauty (published December 9, 2003), Rebel Angels (published 2006), and The Sweet Far Thing (published December 26, 2007).
Contents
Book review libba bray gemma doyle trilogy
Plot
This series is a cross between period fiction and Fantasy. The story revolves around Gemma Doyle, a young woman sent from her home in British India to the boarding school, Spence Academy, after the mysterious death of her mother. There she meets Ann, Felicity, and Pippa, three other remarkable young women and together they discover the dark past of their school, revolving closely around a mystical group referred to as The Order. In the first book, they find out that this group of sorceresses was forced to disband after one of their own, a woman named Sarah Rees-Toome, betrayed them. Throughout the series Gemma learns of her own heritage and the magical powers she possesses, including the ability to enter "The Realms," a magical world in which dreams can become reality, but everything seems to have a cost. This series addresses some of the issues faced by women in the late 1800s, and creates parallels to issues faced by women today. There are many female characters, and the struggles they encounter on their journey to becoming empowered both within and outside of The Realms ring true. Other themes include dissecting dualities (in particular, the duality between good and evil;) free will versus fate; going against social norms; power; and, most of all, the concept of choice.
The three books in the trilogy span just one year, with A Great and Terrible Beauty beginning in June 1895 and The Sweet Far Thing ending in June 1896.
Characters
Gemma Doyle, Felicity, Ann, Pippa, Mary Dowd, Kartik, Sarah Rees-Toome, Circe
Film
In July, 2006, Icon Productions, the film production company run by Mel Gibson, announced that it would adapt the book into a film based on A Great and Terrible Beauty, to be written and directed by Charles Sturridge. People have been rumored to be playing the characters, but author Libba Bray has confirmed that no one has been cast. Author Libba Bray discusses the current status of the film on her webpage. In 2009, Bray announced that Icon relinquished the rights of the film, and so the film version of the book will not be made.