Magical realism done well: a whirlpool of adventure that will suck readers right in.
Magic and mayhem meet adolescent angst in this gripping Caribbean tale set in Guyana.
Fifteen-year-old Danesh navigates life as a dyslexic student in a high school where he receives little support and in a community overrun with alcoholism and hopelessness. Despite being raised Hindu, Danesh is disconnected from his parents’ religion thanks to his irreligious grandfather. Seen as a troublemaker, Danesh finds comfort in his relationships with his grandfather, best friend, and the ocean, where he once experienced a surreal moment that he is unsure even happened. While seeking solace in the company of the ocean, Danesh encounters an ethereal creature and discovers an entire underwater world that he traverses better than his real life. Thrilled and curious, Danesh finds he has a mission, one which may see him become the hero he’s always dreamed of being and which may help him uncover his life’s purpose. With writing that gives an authentic voice to its Creolese-speaking protagonist, carefully describing internal struggles as well as physical landscapes, Baksh (Children of the Spider, 2016) creates a complex world with an inclusive cast of black and East Indian characters. The descriptions of authentic cultural symbols and practices of Guyanese people, some of whom are Hindu or Muslim, make Danesh’s exploration of a nearby—yet unseen—mystical aquatic land shrouded in stories of Greco-Roman mythology more believable.
Magical realism done well: a whirlpool of adventure that will suck readers right in. (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-976-8267-23-8
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Blouse & Skirt Books
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy.
Prison life gets even more punishing in this fantasy series opener.
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan is 10 years into a life sentence at “death prison” Zalindov. She’s succeeded her late father as the titular prison healer, dosing patients with herbs and possessing extensive, modern medical knowledge of bacteria, viruses, and immune systems. Aside from cheerful innocent/MacGuffin Tipp, Kiva befriends few fellow prisoners and even fewer guards, most of whom are harshly abusive. While Naari, a new female guard, and Jaren, a handsome new prisoner, chip away at her frozen facade, Kiva volunteers to undertake an epic Trial by Ordeal on behalf of the Rebel Queen, the newest political prisoner. Under pressure to save her friends, the Rebel Queen, and herself—and losing hope of rescue or release—Kiva faces four elemental magic Trials sans innate talent. In between grueling, gruesome spectacles, Kiva also acts as an epidemiologist, tracking down an illness plaguing the prisoners. The claustrophobic setting—evoking the horrors of a Siberian gulag or Nazi concentration camp—exudes dread and brutality; levity and lightness are minimal. A predictable romance ensues, and generic fantasy clichés abound—royals and rebels, lost heirs, vague magic—hastily concluded with a trite plot twist and setup for a sequel. Most main characters read as White; there is a diversity of skin tones in this fantasy world.
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy. (map) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-43455-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Only marginally intriguing.
In a remote part of Utah, in a “temple of excellence,” the best of the best are recruited to nurture their talents.
Redemption Preparatory is a cross between the Vatican and a top-secret research facility: The school is rooted in Christian ideology (but very few students are Christian), Mass is compulsory, cameras capture everything, and “maintenance” workers carry Tasers. When talented poet Emma disappears, three students, distrusting of the school administration, launch their own investigation. Brilliant chemist Neesha believes Emma has run away to avoid taking the heat for the duo’s illegal drug enterprise. Her boyfriend, an athlete called Aiden, naturally wants to find her. Evan, a chess prodigy who relies on patterns and has difficulty processing social signals, believes he knows Emma better than anyone. While the school is an insidious character on its own and the big reveal is slightly psychologically disturbing, Evan’s positioning as a tragic hero with an uncertain fate—which is connected to his stalking of Emma (even before her disappearance)—is far more unsettling. The ’90s setting provides the backdrop for tongue-in-cheek technological references but doesn’t do anything for the plot. Student testimonials and voice-to-text transcripts punctuate the three-way third-person narration that alternates among Neesha, Evan, and Aiden. Emma, Aiden, and Evan are assumed to be white; Neesha is Indian. Students are from all over the world, including Asia and the Middle East.
Only marginally intriguing. (Mystery. 15-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-266203-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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