Returning fans will be pleased with this neatly wrapped up duology closer.
A witch and a warrior must form a sacred bond to protect all magic in this sequel to 2023’s Night of the Witch.
Fritzi and Otto have settled in at the Well, and the local villagers, aware of the existence of magic following their battle with Dieter, largely accept the Black Forest witches. With Dieter assumed to be dead “or as good as,” the couple turn their attention to other matters—becoming a bonded pair, chosen by the goddess Holda to be a champion (Fritzi) and a warrior (Otto). They also hope to convince the coven that wild magic isn’t inherently bad. But the bonding ceremony goes awry, and they discover that Dieter is not only still alive, but he’s also secretly bonded with Fritzi, using her as a conduit to uncover the council’s secrets, thus putting all magic in danger. Fritzi, Otto, and their friends embark on a quest to find magical artifacts in order to stop Dieter. This book continues the exploration of paganism and Christianity in 16th-century Germany with a focus on free will versus fate in both religious traditions; knowledge of the earlier entry is a must. The slow pacing of the book’s first half picks up as the action intensifies. The authors switch between the leads’ first-person perspectives, but it’s easy to lose track of who is speaking. The cast members’ camaraderie, humorous dialogue, and sense of found family elevate the story, however.
Returning fans will be pleased with this neatly wrapped up duology closer. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781728277554
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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