A detailed, wandering adventure that promises more rewarding clashes to come.
This teen fantasy debut introduces a young heir who must harness his magical ancestry while navigating the perils of romance and politics.
After nearly cataclysmic religious strife, peace reigns in Jaelshead, a rural district at the foot of the Rhye Mountains, and its surrounding regions. Jaseth, the eldest son of Jaelshead’s lord, ponders a future laden with responsibility. He meets Charlie, a tall stranger with gray skin and red eyes, who belongs to the Nea’thi, a benevolent race that evolved underground and guides humanity. Charlie visits because Jaseth is a Bloodkin—a human who possesses magical Nea’thi talents. As Jaseth’s mentor, Charlie whisks him to the capital city of Lille, where Jaseth will receive two years of academy training alongside seven other Bloodkin, including Lolitha, Telgeth and love-interest Sallagh. Initially, the sprawling capital city awes Jaseth, who finds plenty of food, drink and companionship. But as his studies in fire creation and shield building progress, Lille’s dangerous underbelly reveals itself. Lya Vassalion, an assassin’s guild, operates with apparent impunity. As a visit from Queen Thaelique draws near and people start to go missing, Jaseth fears for the lands and people he’ll one day rule. Author Ashford delivers a vibrant world. Readers will want to explore Lille’s square, “bathed in luminescence,” and its “twisting streets leading off into the Quarter, specks of glow lining them.” The hero, while almost a lord, plays the bumpkin to great comedic effect. The novel, however, coasts a bit too long on the charms of a cast that is overly fond of drinking alcohol and smoking “moss.” The majority of the narrative has no central conflict, and the finale’s action arrives suddenly, instigated by an unknown enemy. Still, that finale is orchestrated superbly, leaving readers wanting further exploits.
A detailed, wandering adventure that promises more rewarding clashes to come.Pub Date: June 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482339536
Page Count: 352
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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