(I can't believe I forgot to write feedback on this?)

A wonderful prequel to Danielle L. Jensen's Malediction Twitter, made all the more bittersweet because we all knew what was coming. These books have surprised me with how great they are across the board and have basically made sure I will check out whatever Ms. Jensen writes next!

I had only just finished the initial trilogy (The Malediction Trilogy) by Danielle L. Jensen when I began this book, a prequel. It was definitely nice to have some of these characters very fresh in my mind as I went in to this.

I wasn't entirely enamored of the trilogy. I thought that the first book was a great YA book with a lot of promise, but the series then seemed to change direction and it was less of a YA 'forbidden' romance as it was a political fantasy with a touch of romance. What The Broken Ones does is nicely set up the ultimate direction of the trilogy. Looking back on the trilogy, I can definitely see where this would have been very nice to have read before going in to the trilogy.

This prequel does not follow Tristan of Trollus and Cecile, though Tristan is in the book. Instead, because this is more of a political romance, we follow Marc, who is the right-hand to the leader of Trollus, but he is also a leading informant to those who want to overthrow the current regime. Marc's girlfriend is Penelope, a daughter to the Duke of Angouleme. We did (or we will) learn a little about both of them in parts of the trilogy, but this is really their story and how they fit into the other books.

Just as the other books are told from different viewpoints - Tristan and Cecile - this book is told from both Marc's perspective and from Penelope's. Their roles, we come to learn here, are much more important - incredibly major- compared to the almost footnote feel they had (will have) in the trilogy.

And I liked them more. Cecile, who started out strong and became a bit simpering toward the end, became much less interesting, whereas Penelope is a strong female character whose role in a major political conspiracy is truly fascinating. And yet she never loses her sense of love and passion for Marc as well.

The political intrigue works really well here, but so does the romance. I'd be much more interested in reading more about these two if there was more to tell.

Looking for a good book? The Broken Ones by Danielle L. Jensen is a prequel to her popular Malediction Trilogy, but this book succeeds where the end of the trilogy let the reader down.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I re-read the entire series of Danielle Jensen's Trolls books ine after the other and it was well worth it to achieve the full experience. This one perhaps does not work so well as a standalone but as a companion book it is an excellent way to reconnect with chars we loved but didn't get enough of in the main trilogy. It is heart-wrenchingly beautiful and bittersweet.

I’d have read this series a bit earlier than now, except that just as I was going to get started, this prequel novel was announced, so I decided to wait. If you’ve not already started the series, I’d recommend reading this in series order rather than publication order, because I don’t think I would have wanted to go back and read this after reading even just book one.


The Broken Ones is sort of like Trolleo and Juliet. Well, they’re both trolls. Only these trolls are more like faeries because they’re all hot and magical and stuff. Except Marc isn’t hot because the trolls are cursed, so his face is deformed. The curse on the trolls is the coolest part of the book, and I love that Pénélope thinks Marc is hot af just as he is. There’s a star-crossed thing going on with them because initially she was too high status for him, and then, when her blood disorder was revealed, he was too high status for her. They give no shits though. And they even take potions that doom them, although it’s not poison like in R&J, and only she dies.

Though objectively, there’s a lot about The Broken Ones I’d expect not to like, it really worked for me. It’s not a massive ship, but I really like March and Pénélope, as well as the political maneuverings.

This is a Prequel to the Malediction Trilogy and as such it does help if you have read the trilogy so can you work out who is who and understand the story better.

I really liked the book and will now be reading the seires to find out what happens in them

The Broken Ones was a beautiful and captivating prequel. I completely forgot how good this series is until now. I can't wait to finish reading the whole trilogy.

This prequel takes place two years before the first book, Stolen Songbird. It is the story of Marc and Penelope, their love, and how their actions truly affected the world that we see in the trilogy. I never realized how important of a role they had in the world before Cecile came, it really made me appreciate the characters a lot more.

So I didn't do my research before I started this book, it was only after that I saw the author recommends you read the first two books of the trilogy before starting this one (I've only read the first, so far). It wasn't too confusing for me, since I've read book one and knew the world. There were a few things I was a tad confused about, but I figured it out in the end. The other mistake I made was not reviewing what happened in Stolen Songbird, since I've read it 3 years ago (I think), I've forgotten some of the things that happen and just who some of the characters were, it took me a while to remember who everyone was.

I absolutely loved Penelope and reading from her point of view. She was such a kind soul. I never realized how much I needed this story until I read it. Her story is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

The world building in this book was fantastic as always. Danielle does a great job creating a setting and explains the world she created, she definitely doesn't let you down in the prequel. I was mesmerized at some of the settings, it was as if I could step into them myself. But I think the best part of the world, was seeing what it was like before Cecile arrived and being able to kind of compare and contrast.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading the prequel if you loved the trilogy. If you're like me and still haven't read book two, or if you haven't started the series all together, make sure you read book 1 and 2 before you read this prequel.

This story is about a character many who have read the previous three books are already familiar with and know little about. Marc and Penelope.

I really liked delving deeper into this tragic story. I liked seeing another side of things especially a part of the history of the trilogy. I really liked seeing characters I was familiar with act a certain way as if the reader themselves didn’t know the real reason for certain things being done. I just really enjoyed this whole other side! I think those who have yet to read the trilogy will be very interested in seeing it all with fresh eyes.

We get to understand MORE about the bond between man and wife in this world and how devastating it is when someone loses the ones they love while bonded and how our hero Tristin in the trilogy played a part and why Marc survived the bond afterward.

I really liked getting to know our most mysterious character, Penelope. Many know of her in the trilogy but this….oh man THIS, we really got to know her and what made the bond between Marc and her so heartwrenching.

Overall I loved delving back into the world of Trollus and seeing a whole other side of things before Cécile arrives into the picture. I loved how this story played on my heartstrings and made me ache for the characters. I loved Danielle L. Jensen and her stories and the way she writes. I love the world building and I feel like she is REALLY good at making you connect with the characters and the story. I can’t wait to read more from this author. I love her books and I love this whole series. It’s definitely a must own!

A great complement to the Malediction trilogy, The Broken Ones focuses on one of our beloved characters and his somewhat tragic love story. Full of heartbreak, deception and emotion, this is the perfect prequel to complete the series.
Whilst I didn't feel as connected to the protagonists of this novel as I was with Cecile, I still enjoyed following these characters throughout their daily life. It definitely isn't as action-packed but focuses more on the deception and emotional blackmail that takes a backseat in the main trilogy.
I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone who's read and loved The Malediction trilogy.

I had not heard of this series before seeing it on NetGalley so the world is completely new to me. I very much enjoyed reading THE BROKEN ONES and learning about the world that the Malediction Trilogy is set in but, according to the author, it should be read after book two. I'm not sure what I missed out on not having two previous stories under my belt.

THE BROKEN ONES was both interesting and heartbreaking. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the love story definitely pulled at my heartstrings. Penelope and Marc were both easy to like and the supporting cast of characters brought more to the storyline.

The ending of THE BROKEN ONES was shocking. So shocking that it definitely made me interested to see how things turn out in the future for a few of the characters. Book One, Stolen Song, is on my to-be-read list.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Broken Ones by Danielle L. Jensen is the book I didn’t know I needed. I loved The Malediction series and when I found out this would be Marc and Pénélope’s story I was immediately excited to get my hands on it. If you haven’t read this series, you should fix that immediately and don’t forget to add this one into the mix.

I loved seeing what I would consider the backstory of these characters. Really getting to understand how both Marc and Pénélope had an impact on where the whole series went was fantastic. I also loved seeing Tristan from before Cecile entered the picture.

I don’t want to ruin this story for anyone but if you enjoyed the series, you will want to read this prequel. While I’m sad this series is complete, I loved how it all came together and I look forward to more from Jensen!

This YA dystopian fantasy is set in a brutal world where those with the most magical ability are in charge – and if you don’t have any magic, or it has been blighted by iron rot, then you are treated as second-class citizens. If you have the ill luck to be born a cross-breed, then it doesn’t matter how powerful you are, you still will spend your life in servitude.

However, there are those at the highest levels of troll society who feel the draconian rules and constant blood-letting are not only wasteful, but also needlessly cruel. We are in the domain of desperate plotters trying to gain some kind of network of resistance against a scarily powerful monarch, along with courtiers scrabbling for more influence. And two young people are caught in the middle of these mincing machines – can they prevail? This is the question that had me turning the pages.

Jensen has effectively depicted the claustrophobic nature of the society, both literally and figuratively, as the trolls’ kingdom extends underground, with the highest echelons living in beautifully wrought buildings. It is the magical power of the highborn family, who have studied and shaped their abilities enabling them to construct this underworld and prevent it from caving in.

I really liked Marc, the disfigured young man so sharply aware of how the iron rot has scarred his face in a society where appearance is all. It is a nifty way to give one of the main protagonists with a lot of ability some valid vulnerability. Whereas poor, beautiful Pénélope is stunning and wellborn – as well as being compromised with the dreaded iron rot, which has been a closely guarded family secret. She also has the misfortunate to have one of the most truly horrible fathers I have ever encountered in fiction – indeed, the Duke d’Angoulême is a really satisfyingly nasty antagonist.

As for the outcome – well I didn’t see that coming! It left me feeling more than a tad winded and as soon as I’ve shaved off more books off my crazily teetering TBR pile, I shall be returning to this series. I want to know what happens next… And if your taste runs to dystopian fantasy brimful of emotion and unexpected plot twists, then this one comes recommended.

While I obtained the arc of The Broken Ones from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
8/10

I struggled a little with this book because my preconceived notion of trolls is ugly, nasty creatures. The author challenged my preconception and presented me with a unique story. I was wrapped up into the world of Trollus and the fates of Tristan, Marc, Penelope and the King. Fans of Fantasy should give this series a try.

I was so happy when Danielle announced that she was writing a prequel and it would be the story of Marc and Penelope!

I knew the story was heartbreaking but it also gives us so much insight about the characters we meet in the Malediction Trilogy and really helps us understand them better too!

Reading from both Marc and Penelope's POV was the perfect way to see their friendship and love emerge, even if they both thought it was one-sided in the beginning. I had wanted to know more about Penelope and not only reading about her story but having her POV was the best way to see how strong she was and how messed up her family really was. The power plays and the political intrigues more common than any sort of affection. Marc I had always liked as a character but in this book I got to love him even more. Torn between duty and his heart and trying to juggle what's right with what he wanted and see him struggle with the choices he had to make and see others make was so heartbreaking!

We meet and get to know Anäis as a different person that the girl she has become in Stolen Songbird, and her love for her sister and how she behaves and puts the cause and others before her own ambition made me see her in a very different way. Tristan we get to see from Penelope's eyes and from Mark's eyes and it's so clear how he presents himself to the world and how she has to hide his cause and what he wants to do. Tristan does have quite a bit of growing up to do in this book, and it really broke my heart how he treated Marc sometimes.

For some reason I expected the story to be centered about Marc and Penelope and had completely forgotten how very shrouded in power struggles and political manouvering everything was in Trollus, and how their story could not have been otherwise. The Duke of Angouleme and his power games with the King and how he tries to manipulate everything, how Tristan tries to hide his real self and real purpose, how Marc and Penelope struggle to find their own happiness within that maelstrom, it was all both fascinating and so very heartbreaking!

If you've read The Malediction trilogy, you really NEED to read this one and if you haven't read the trilogy yet, what are you waiting for??

I was fortunate to have this book ahead on netgalley and I liked to being back into that universe even if our heroes were not Tristan and Cécile.

I sincerely think this book is a kind of gift to the fans of the serie. Moreover, it contains many spoilers and I advise to read this book after volume 2 or 3, but not start with this prequel. I took pleasure in being back in the universe of the goblins, we discover it here, with two characters who have lived in it for a long time. They are certainly privileged by their status of nobility, but soon we realize that their condition is far from perfect and we understand why Tristan, Marc and Anaïs decided to act and form the rebellion.

Moreover, the big discovery of this book is Penelope, until then, we only heard of her, especially by Mark, but in this prequel we are in her head and she is a remarkable young girl. She has always been at the mercy of her father and her physical condition which must be hidden, she is rather a sweet girl full of dreams, but she shows a lot of courage. When she learns that her friends are part of the rebellion, she will support them in her own way and try to protect them from her father, she acts at best and I appreciated what she has done.

As far as the plot is concerned, we clearly know where the story leads us and the end is just as sad as I thought it was going to be. However, I can not help but tell myself that this book is not necessary to love the trilogy, it really is a gift from the author to her readers, it remains distracting, but I reserve it for the fans.

*eARC received from publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
5/5

This was the prequel I never knew I needed!

Marc and Penelopes story was always one I wanted to know more about. Marc is easily one of my favorite characters from Stolen Songbird and he has a very heart breaking past. We know the story between Marc and Penny when he tells Cecile briefly what happened with his own bonding in Stolen Songbird.

This was so much more then perfect. Penelope is not a character we know other then a bit of her tragic story. It was wonderful getting to meet the girl that Marc gave up so much for. It was also amazing getting to see what Marc was like before all this happened. He is definitely changed by these events and it is apparent in the difference in his character between Stolen Songbird and this book.

I have so much more appreciation for Marc as a character. Even with the events at the end of the book he does so much to protect those he loves. And this is a story that makes that even more apparent. It was was a heart breaking ending but we find out more about how Marc survived the ending of his bond.

Overall I was so pleased with this book and loved it so much! :)

Advanced copy received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

As you can see I gave this five stars so I think that kind of speaks for itself. It was everything I wanted it to be. It was a story in itself and not just an introduction to the Malediction trilogy. It had mystery and intrigue, action and romance. It was heartfelt and heartrending, especially that epilogue. Jensen’s writing a great, its beautiful but also easy to read and she writes her characters so flawlessly. That’s not to say they don’t have flaws, they do, they have many and I love them even more them. I also love that the villains have equal depth and charisma as our much loved heroes do.

Just one more point I wanted to mention, it’s not recommended that you read this prequel novel before Stolen Songbird (book one) or Hidden Huntress (book two in The Malediction Trilogy) as there are some minor spoilers for the future plot. And whilst it can be read as a standalone, I do highly recommend you go read Stolen Songbird and Hidden Huntress first because then you will get to meet and fall in love with Marc and Tristan as I did and this prequel will mean so much more to you.

**If you have not read the Malediction trilogy yet, be aware that my review brings up a subject that you may not know about and thus could be considered a spoiler.**
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I loved the first two books in the Malediction trilogy (and haven't yet read the third book, unfortunately), and I was excited to read about one of my favorite secondary characters, Marc! His compassion for people and generally good soul made him a favorite in my heart from the start. However, his tragic past was masked a bit in the trilogy, and so I was intrigued that Danielle Jensen decided to tell his story to those of us who wanted to know. I knew it would be sad, given that the trilogy occurs after his love, Penelope, died, but I vastly underestimated the depth of my sadness by the end of this book. It made Marc's character even more of a tragedy to me, and it wrenched my heart even more to know how happy he could have been if Penelope lived.

Marc Biron is the nephew of the king of Trollus and a member of the revolution which hopes to overthrow the king in favor of his son, Tristan. While Marc knows his duty should be to his people and his cousin, his admiration for Penelope d'Angouleme has begun to blossom into a dangerous desire to throw it all away for love. Penelope was born with an affliction, which causes her to be unable to heal in the ways most trolls, and this means she will never be allowed to bond with another troll, let along a royal one like Marc. When her life is threatened by her father and she runs to Marc for help, they set in motion a chain of events which threaten to destroy not only themselves but everyone in their world. Sometimes love doesn't conquer all...

Penelope was as sweet as I imagined her to be! It made me angry how her sister and friends wouldn't let her in on their plans, that they looked at her as weak and a liability. The fact that her relationship with Marc made her just that was both depressing and frustrating. I could feel her pain when she knew she would die, and I could feel her love when she did what she had to in order to save Marc and the revolution. They were such a tragic couple, like Romeo and Juliet up until the end. It was magical, romantic, and ultimately a heart-wrenching story of love gone horribly wrong.

I would highly recommend reading this book before the trilogy, because it helps you better understand how everything came to be for the first book in the series. You will have a better appreciation for all that Anais has gone through as well, as Penelope's sister and Tristan's one-time love.

I loved revisiting the world of the Maledition trilogy once more. Jensen picks thr perfect chatacter viewpoint to give us an enthralling look at the back story and the world of Trollus. Marc and Penelope's story was both gripping and really sweet.

Marc and Pénélope's story is deep, touching, and heartbreaking. Even though the end is known from the beginning, it's hard not to yearn for a happily ever after ending for these two amazing character.
Jensen weaves a tragic love story that hits the heart, filled with the usual twists, turns, and schemes. I'm so glad the world of Trollus was expanded on along with new characters to love and old characters to hate even more.

At the time of reading this book, it had been three years since I read Stolen Songbird, so I was mostly going into it without much idea of the plot of that story, except for some key characters in it. This prequel, The Broken Ones, is about Marc and his wife, Penelope, and is told in their alternating narratives, as well as an epilogue from Tristan’s. It gives a glimpse into life in Trollus before Cecile’s arrival and the whole prophecy setting in motion. This is about the problems with the trolls who were afflicted, and how their lives were affected by the curse upon them, and the centuries of living underground thereafter.

In terms of court intrigue, the story serves a smorgasbord of mystery, and plots. There is the resistance growing in the sidelines, Tristan’s and Marc’s relationship with their friends being tested, Penelope and her sister thrown into it as spies, and the Duke (their father) setting trap after trap for them all. It was wildly unpredictable and wholly thrilling to read this book – I honestly couldn’t put it down because I was so busy, my eyes burning through the pages as I was afraid what might befall the characters. I mean, I remembered some characters being in SS and some not, so I could guess at some things, but Jensen still kept me on my toes. And in a week of disappointing books, this one has lifted my spirits.

As a prequel or as a story in itself, this book is outstanding. If you are planning to start with this series, however, please read Stolen Songbird first, at least, so as not to be spoiled for the latter.

About A Songbird's Overture:
A short prequel story about 13-year old Cecile, it gives a glimpse into her life before she was taken to the trolls. Her ambition and her desire to be a songstress like her mother war with her desire to stay with her father and be the dutiful daughter. And when her mother visits her on her birthday, you see how cold she is – for her, her daughter was akin to some apprentice she is taking under her wing, not her own flesh and blood. Short as a story, but still an effective insight into Cecile’s background.