Fans should just wait for Winter, coming in fall 2015.
Meyer takes a short break between books in the Lunar Chronicles to explore the back story of evil Queen Levana.
As the title suggests, here Meyer riffs on “Snow White,” positioning Levana as the wicked queen. As the novel opens, Princess Levana and her older sister prepare for the funeral of their assassinated parents. Levana chafes at the knowledge that her sister will take the throne—Levana is intelligent and politically engaged, while her lovely sister seems interested only in sexual conquest. The 15-year-old princess also yearns for kind, handsome guard Evret Hayle, who is unaccountably in love with his beautiful, pregnant wife. Physical beauty is something the scarred princess can achieve only by casting a Lunar glamour; fortunately, she is very skilled in the art. She is so adept, in fact, that she uses it to lure Evret to her bed and to the altar when his wife dies in childbirth; the only blot on her happiness is baby Winter, her stepdaughter—and her sister, and the Moon’s dwindling resources….With this book, Meyer sets herself a formidable challenge. Her overall story and the original fairy tale’s structure both demand that Levana end the book thoroughly evil, creating a deterministic, negative character arc. Although she strives to make Levana initially sympathetic, she must also plant the seeds of her cruelty and megalomania; the result is that Levana goes from merely bratty to out-and-out repellent. The author also deprives herself of the opportunity to play to her strengths: quick, cinematic changes in scene and chemistry between her characters. With virtually no action and no sparks flying, the plot slogs along to an end readers know already, leaving them free to notice Meyer’s malapropisms, grammatical errors and awkward metaphors.
Fans should just wait for Winter, coming in fall 2015. (Science fiction/fairy tale. 13 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-06055-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Jan. 23, 2015
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
After a slow start, an action-packed adventure about embracing vulnerability and trusting yourself.
In this debut by YouTuber Impicciche, a young siren princess is faced with a mission she cannot refuse.
Celeste’s mother, Queen Halia, has always considered her to be too emotional—like the irrational humans. In order to prove herself, Celeste has spent several cycles, the sirens’ unit of time, training to become a member of the Chorus, a militarized unit that patrols the seas. Before her final test, Celeste comes across an attractive human prince, Raiden, whose father is King Leonidas—her mother’s sworn enemy. She ends up saving Raiden’s life, but when her mother learns of her transgression, she offers Celeste the chance to go on a mission that requires her to become human and avoid being executed for treason. The narrative, which initially is strongly reminiscent of “The Little Mermaid,” has some slower moments and repetitive elements that are offset by witty commentary that helps engage readers. The opening drags, but the pace picks up as the story unfolds. Impicciche does a good job of creating a detailed world of siren customs and traditions. Her characters exhibit emotional depth, conveying what it feels like to be lost and betrayed. Sirens have skin of varying colors, including blue, purple, and green; Celeste’s skin is “soft peach.” Raiden presents white, and there’s racial diversity among other humans.
After a slow start, an action-packed adventure about embracing vulnerability and trusting yourself. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 22, 2025
ISBN: 9798212980906
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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