A satisfyingly complex and magical introduction to a new world.
A powerless teen struggles to forge her own destiny in a tyrannical kingdom in this Chinese-inspired fantasy world.
In this series opener, Yining lives in a small village in the Iron Mountains, one of the Three Kingdoms, earning a meager living by pretending to be a fortune teller—and all the while yearning to make her own fortune and explore the outside world. Adopted as a child, she knows nothing about her birth parents and only has two possessions from her original life: a wooden ring and a threadbare handkerchief. Yining’s downtrodden life begins to change after she meets a talking carp in a pond, who reveals that she has a magical heritage connected to her ring—a “great gift and responsibility.” Having learned fighting skills from her now-deceased uncle and been taught to pickpocket by her abusive step-aunt, Yining embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads her to the Iron Mountains’ handsome Prince Zixin—and far beyond. The atmospheric descriptions slow the pacing, but they underscore Yining’s awareness of the beauty of palace life, which contrasts with the prince’s merciless rule. The themes of power, inequality, and truth ground this story, balancing the fantastical fairy-tale motifs that draw upon both Chinese and European tales. The romance, a slow-burn relationship that’s hampered by distrust, provides a nuanced exploration of love and power dynamics.
A satisfyingly complex and magical introduction to a new world. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780316576208
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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