An immersive, darkly exhilarating read.
In Pettersen’s new series opener set in the same universe as her Raven Rings trilogy, a young wolf hunter is drawn into an ancient struggle to which her family holds the key.
Born into a leading family of blood readers, Juva, 19, left home to hunt wolves rather than read blood samples and craft fake fortunes for the vulnerable, like the desperate blood users whose addiction will kill them. Hunting’s a messy but vital job; wolf blood fuels the city of Náklav’s magical stone gates that serve as travel gateways. Her hunting companions are Juva’s chosen family now, but confused images from her father’s death haunt her. Did the devil kill him? Was the devil a wolf? Why did her mother insist Juva saw nothing, then demand she tell no one? What impels Juva to sketch wolves, then burn her drawings? Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Juva, the Might, a long-banished magical force, is returning to upend the powers of the vardari, shadowy immortals like Nafraím, who supplies readers with blood and bribes Juva’s blood-addicted ex-boyfriend to inform on her family. Taut and suspenseful, the intricate plot unwinds and repeatedly resets as Juva (and readers) uncover truths buried in ancient lies and traumatic memories. More human than superhero, anxious, ethical, passionate Juva’s an apt heroine for hard times. The masterful worldbuilding and vivid Nordic setting populated with compelling secondary characters (most read as blond, Scandinavian analogs) are well served by the stirring prose.
An immersive, darkly exhilarating read. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-64690-015-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Arctis Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
A spectacular return to a magical world.
Following the events of Impossible Creatures (2024), a devoted Guardian teams up with a brave princess to fight her power-hungry uncle and save the Archipelago’s dragons from a strange new threat.
Jacques the dragon summons Christopher Forrester back to the Archipelago from the human world: Dragons are dying, and no one knows why. Meanwhile, on the island of Dousha, Princess Anya’s grandfather, King Halam, has been murdered, and her father accused—though she knows he’s innocent. When Christopher and Anya take refuge on the islet of Glimt, the Berserker Nighthand helps them see how their twin missions to save the dragons and free Anya’s father are connected. They work together to create an antidote for the poison that’s killing the dragons and to keep Anya and her father safe from her murderous uncle. Meanwhile, Nighthand and Irian, the part-nereid ocean scholar, pursue their own important secret mission. Divided into three parts—“Castle,” “Dragons,” and “Revenge”—and containing elements of fairy tales, fantasy, and Shakespeare, this story continues the storyline established in the series opener, yet because it introduces new characters and obstacles, it could also stand alone. Dark-blond Anya (“five feet tall and all of it claws”) is a match for white-presenting Christopher, who, though he still misses Mal, finds that “it made a difference to have someone to move through the world with again. A friend changed the feel of the universe.” Mackenzie’s delicate, otherworldly art adorns the text.
A spectacular return to a magical world. (map, bestiary) (Fantasy. 10-15)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780593809907
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
PROFILES
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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