A rousing entry in a consistently engaging supernatural saga that shows no signs of slowing down.
This fourth installment of Tansley’s paranormal YA series follows a modern-day teenage spellcaster as she confronts dark magic in the 16th century.
Four families have been locked in a “life-and-death struggle” with numerous outside enemies for centuries. To uncover the origins of that bond, high schooler Kat, a Langley heir, puts together a powerful spell. She and several friends, including at least one ancestor from the other three families (Kingsley, Radcliffe, and Mallory), use magical mirrors to travel to their ancestral homes and gather the spell’s ingredients. Their enemies, which include “dark warlocks,” target each set of travelers and one individual’s fate is thrown into question. Later, Kat casts the spell, which sends her and three allies to 1591 England and into the bodies of their ancestors. They arrive just as six families are planning their centennial renewal of the sinister Dark One’s seal. However, Kat, who’s currently inhabiting the body of Lorelei Langley, soon learns of a plan to weaken that seal and allow a terrifying evil to escape. Tansley, following up The Girl Who Loved Ghosts (2019), packs this series entry with supernatural elements, including the eponymous ghosts, scene-stealing telepathic gargoyles, and, of course, time travel, which Kat attempts without the magical-mirror portals. The novel’s first half, with the search for ingredients breaking the cast up in various locales, moves at a sluggish pace, mostly due to relentless nods to earlier installments, which also involved travel into the past. However, the story picks up when it centers on Kat and Lorelei; the author skillfully tackles their dual personalities, as it’s clear when Kat is checking in with her friends (such as romantic interest Evan in Ian Kingsley’s body) and when Lorelei, who’s unaware of Kat’s presence, takes the reins. The final act, while exciting, is more invested in setting up another sequel than in providing a firm resolution.
A rousing entry in a consistently engaging supernatural saga that shows no signs of slowing down.Pub Date: today
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 332
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
