Chime was my first Franny Billingsley book, but it definitely won’t be my last. If you are looking for a lush, old-meets-modern folk tale full of magic and plot twists, I cannot recommend Chime highly enough.
Chime
Briony is a wicked girl, or so she’s been told by her stepmother. The opening scene of Chime depicts Briony ready to be hung for her sins, as she’s admitted to crimes she truly believes she committed. Friends, I want to give this magical book a hug. It took me on a splendid journey, the sort I so rarely get to go on, where I never knew what would happen next.
I will admit I had trouble getting into Chime, but I pressed on because my trusted reviewers enjoyed it. You see, I had trouble finding my bearings, as much of Chime is written in an old sort of English where people say ‘thee’ but then cars and electricity would pop up and I’d have no idea what century the book was set in. Yet, everything clicked for me about 100 pages in and I fell in love with Briony, Eldric and Rose. Billingsley’s writing is absolutely charming and feels like a layer cake with it’s complexity.
My heart was full from Eldric and Rose, two very different characters who had Briony’s back. I feel really dumb writing that but it’s true. I alternated between swoons and smiles. Eldric is compared to a lion because lions are awesome and gets up to trouble with Briony and teaches her to box and is just the coolest. Rose is seemingly not all there, but I came to a different conclusion, and well she says lots of weird things, but she’s kind of the key. That’s all I can say. AND GUYS there are big huge reveals in Chime and oh my God the ending was totally gasp worthy.
Chime is a gripping novel with beautiful language, you’ll want to rush through to find out what happens to Briony, but I suggest taking it slow and savoring Billingsley’s mastery of the written word.
Disclosure: Received for review via Shelf Awareness.
Other Reviews of Chime by Franny Billingsley:
Books I Done Read
Things Mean A Lot
The Allure Of Books
Janicu’s Book Blog
Forever Young Adult
Chachic’s Book Nook
The Book Smugglers
Purchase Chime here* Yes I am an affiliate shill, but at least I’m honest about it. Spending your cashmoney at Amazon after clicking the link means a small portion of the proceeds will benefit Good Books And Good Wine at no additional cost to you.
Latest posts by April (Books&Wine) (see all)
- House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen | Audiobook Review - March 23, 2025
- Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review - March 16, 2025
- Prince Of The Palisades by Julian Winters | Audiobook Review - March 8, 2025
I freaking loved Chime! The writing was just gorgeous, and the characters were amazing. Glad to see you felt similarly! =)
I’ve loved the cover of this forever! Sounds a little steampunk-y…and love the idea of magic. I feel very into books about magic at the moment. Is it Halloween around the corner? lol maybe, anyway this made me throw it in the TBR. Thanks!
I absolutely adored Chime. I really expected to not like it, but as soon as I started reading I was totally sucked in. It’s a way different style and time/place than I usually read, but I think that only made me like it more. I’m glad you liked the book!
I was expecting to love this one because of the glowing reviews that I read prior to getting a copy and even though that didn’t happen, I still enjoyed reading it. I have a feeling I’ll like it more with a reread.
This is one of my favorite reads of the year! It’s so gorgeous! Awesome review!
I loved, loved, loved Chime! It was the first ebook I bought for my nookcolor, just because I loved the cover so much. The story, and the author’s writing, was so unique and refreshing that I just fell in love.
I really, really enjoyed this book as well when I read it. The writing was just gorgeous and I can’t wait to read more by this author. And the ending was just perfect for the book. What a great review!
awww I loved this one! good review!
Allison has been pushing this one on me for a while now! 🙂 Glad to see that you liked it too! I’ll definitely have to get to this one soon 🙂