What happened in Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta - Recaptains

The basics

Title: Quintana of Charyn

Author: Melina Marchetta

Series: Lumatere Chronicles #3

- Finnikin of the Rock (September 2008)
- Froi of the Exiles (October 2011)
- Quintana of Charyn (September 2012)

Add it: Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.

Read a full summary of Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta below. If you can’t remember what happened in Quintana of Charyn and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.

In short

Froi stays with the Priests of Trist for a time, before setting out to reunite with his family. He encounters Gargarin & Lirah near the Osterian border just as Finn is about to kill Gargarin. Obviously, he stops him. Isaboe discovers Quintana’s presence in the valley andis about to kill her when Tesadora and Phaedra stop her. I just realised that this is becoming repetitive. Gargarin, Froi and Lirah attend the meeting of the Provincari at Sebastabol where it is decided that Quintana will retain the title of Queen and be allowed to raise the Little King. They want Gargarin as the regent, but when they insult Lirah, he refuses their offer. Isaboe loses her baby son, and helps Quintana deliver hers, after which, she feeds him herself. The armies of Paladozza, Turla, Lascow and Nebia unite and rescue Quintana from the valley, reinstating her as queen, Tariq as King, and Gargarin as the regent. After a bit of confusion involving an inquisitive kid and misplaced letters, Froi is betrothed to Quintana. The valley beyond the Lumateran border is given to the Charynite settlers, and everybody lives happily ever after. The end.

What happened in Quintana of Charyn?

• Isaboe walks the sleep of a strange person, who behaves hostile towards her, snarling ans hissing. She wakes up with Froi’s names on her lips, enraging Finnikin. Travanion and Perri are leaving to Charyn to trap Gargarin, who they believe is the mastermind behind Charyn’s attack on Lumatere. Finnikin leaves with them in a fit of rage.
• Froi leaves the Priests of Trist and sets out to find Gargarin & Lirah, and with their help, Quintana. The priests make it clear that his job is to simply find Quintana; he can have no part in her or the baby’s lives.
• Vestie disappears one day when on Lucian’s mountain. They find her with Quintana. Tesadora takes a liking to her and starts helping and caring for her.
• Finn is about to kill Gargarin when Froi comes upon them and threatens to kill Finn unless he drops the dagger. Once Finn finds out the truth about Gargarin, the two groups part ways, with Finn declaring that Froi is dead to Lumatere, now that he has chosen Charyn.
• Isaboe fonds out about Quintana and goes down to the valley to kill her, but Phaedra stops her before she can kill her, and she and Tesadora together convince Isaboe to spare her life.
• Froi, Gargarin and Lirah travel into the woods but are ambushed by a small army. Finn saves Froi. That night, the two groups relay their stories to each other. Perri recognises Gargarin’s face, who he says was imprisoned in Lumatere for ten years during the curse for being a traitor and helping the novices of Lagrami. But the truth is, in a twisted coincidence of fate, it was Arjuro who had been imprisoned in Gargarin’s place. Arjuro’s real reason for being in Lumatere was to search for Froi.
• Froi, Gargarin and Lirah travel to the Priests of Trist to see Arjuro, only to find him gone. They then go to Sebastabol, where the Provincari are meeting to decide the fate of the land and Gargarin represents the priests. Gargarin proposes that Quintana be acknowledged as the Queen and be allowed to raise the Little King. The Provincari want him to be regent, but their proposal is not agreeable, so the group of three leave and head towards Serker, joined halfway by Perabo, the keeper of the caves.
• On great lake of Charyn, they are ambushed by Bestiano’s army which has captured Arjuro. They demand Gargarin’s surrender in return for Arjuro’s freedom. Froi tricks them, and Perabo takes them to the Lasconian army, and they are later joined by the Turlans and Paladozzan army.
• Isaboe discovers that Charyn had been cursed not by evil, but by the spirits of the babies that were lost that day, and by letting Quintana’s baby be born, they will be laid to rest.
• The Nebian army surrenders for the good of Charyn. Froi and few others together kill Bestiano.
• The street lords discover the women hiding in the valley and take them hostage. They plan to kill Quintana once the baby is born.
• Isaboe’s baby, a son, dies once he is born. She and Finniin go to visit Quintana in the cave as inspired to by their dreams. They find Quintana in labour. In order to hide it from the men outside, Isaboe sends word that it is she who is in labour. They take away the little king, Tariq, with them until it is safe for mother and child to be together.
• The Nebian army and Froi arrive at the valley to defeat the street lords. Quintana returns to the capital, while Froi stays back. Gargarin tells him not to make contact until he hears from him first.
• After months of waiting with no word, Froi travels to Citavita. Gargarin claims to have sent several missives to Isaboe & Finn regarding Froi, but they haven’t received anything. Quintana is getting betrothed to one of the eligible bachelors who’ve come to present themselves.
• At the last minute, a contingent from Lumatere arrives to present Froi as their candidate for the Queen’s hand. Apparently, Gargarin’s letters never reached them because Jasmina kept taking them for herself.

How did it end?

Froi marries Quintana, and Finn gives the valley beyond Lucian’s mountain to the Charynite settlers, which is now called Phaedra’s valley. Gargarin is the regent. Lirah and Arjuro live in the godhouse opposite the palace, and are sneaked into the palace at night to be with the family.

Phaedra and Lucian have another bonding ceremony in front of the whole kingdom.

Isaboe sends Froi’s ruby ring to Quintana as a token of friendship between two queens.

Anything else?

Provincaro: Leader of a province. p.: provincari, f.: provincara
Oracle: One who is gods’ touched and comes with the great abilities.
Citavita: Capital of Charyn

The different kingdoms:

Other recaps for this series:

• Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles #2)
• Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1)