Jepp, Who Defied the Stars

Author: Katherine Marsh
Goodreads Rating: 3.69
Pages: 369
Format: ARC from BEA13

Fate: Is it written in the stars from the moment we are born? Or is it a bendable thing that we can shape with our own hands? 
Jepp of Astraveld needs to know. 
He left his countryside home on the empty promise of a stranger, only to become a captive in a luxurious prison: Coudenberg Palace, the royal court of the Spanish Infanta. Nobody warned Jepp that as a court dwarf, daily injustices would become his seemingly unshakable fate. If the humiliations were his alone, perhaps he could endure them; but it breaks Jepp’s heart to see his friend Lia suffer. 
After Jepp and Lia attempt a daring escape from the palace, Jepp is imprisoned again, alone in a cage. Now, spirited across Europe in a kidnapper’s carriage, Jepp fears where his unfortunate stars may lead him. But he can't even begin to imagine the brilliant and eccentric new master—a man devoted to uncovering the secrets of the stars—who awaits him. Or the girl who will help him mend his heart and unearth the long-buried secrets of his past.
Masterfully written, grippingly paced, and inspired by real histori­cal characters, Jepp, Who Defied the Stars is the tale of an extraordinary hero and his inspiring quest to become the master of his own destiny.

Probably one of the highlights of reading this book is that your main character is a dwarf, and the entire time I read this book, I had the voice of Tyrion Lannister running through my head. What a great way to read this book, but even without that it was a phenomenal story. Another fun fact about this book? It's written in blue ink which is so, so different and awesome.

I really loved Jepp and his optimism towards everything and that he tried his hardest to protect Lia. I loved how the story was also told as Jepp looked back on his decisions. We saw both where he was and how he got there at the same time. When the story he was telling finally caught up with the timeline, you were feeling everything that Jepp was and you wanted nothing more than to ease the pain that he was feeling.

Another great thing about this book is the setting. I loved that it was a historical fiction, but was centered around Jepp, instead of a figure that we know or being a paranormal sort of story. I loved the following Jepp's trail through Europe from Spain to his final destination.

This book really came out of left field and wowed me. Not only that, but I think it is one of the most under appreciated books of 2012. I even wish that it hadn't taken that long for me to read because otherwise I would have spent all the time recommending it to people. It was refreshing and different and I loved every heartbreaking word. If this isn't on your To Be Read Shelf, maybe it should be.

The Court's Decision: