by Elizabeth E. Wein ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2007
A spellbinding story of great power fits into a series of intensely told tales. Wein has braided the Arthurian legend with ancient Aksum (Ethiopia). By decree of Goewin, daughter of Artos of Britain, Aksum is under quarantine to keep the plague at bay. Her nephew Telemakos, son of Medraut, has already been a spy at age 12. This part of the saga opens with a heart-pounding scene where, distracted by his new sister’s birth, Telemakos is not careful around the palace lions and is grievously injured. Two of the strands that Wein weaves so expertly concern Telemakos dealing with the loss of his arm and what he suffered in The Sunbird (2004) and his struggles with his small sister, a colicky and high-strung baby who will not be comforted by any but him. The third is the political situation in Aksum, in which, to keep them safe, both children are sent to the court of a former enemy in Himyar (Yemen). Readers are plunged deep in Telemakos’s heart and mind, and his fierce intelligence is set in Wein’s sensuous desert landscape of gold and bronze. This volume ends with Telemakos’s realization of the extent of the danger he is in and the information he lacks, and will leave readers desperate for The Empty Kingdom, which cannot come soon enough. (author’s note, glossary) (Historical fiction. YA)
Pub Date: June 14, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-670-06163-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2007
Share your opinion of this book
More by Elizabeth E. Wein
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
Awards & Accolades
Likes
11
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
by Rebecca Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
11
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Rebecca Ross
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Ross
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Ross
BOOK REVIEW
by Rebecca Ross
More About This Book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.