A slick, funny, and fresh revamp of an old hero.
A teenage upstart desperately attempts to escape the hostile planet of Apokolips.
Orphaned and with no memories of his parents, Black student Scott Free has no fondness for Apokolips or the Goodness Academy, Granny Goodness’ school where most students end up in military service or, worse, the X-Pit. After surviving the prison maze of beasts and deadly traps, Scott was informally adopted by Himon, a genius Black inventor and the school janitor. Himon’s granddaughter, Bekka, is sick and a cure may be available on Earth if Scott can pull off this escape. Scott’s roommates believe he can help them get out as well, but they are unaware of Himon’s role in the plan. Complicating matters, a new Fury has arrived: Big Barda. The Furies, Granny Goodness’ chosen warriors, are an all-female group of students who keep the peace. As Bekka’s health declines, Scott will need a miracle to escape from Apokolips. Johnson’s sharply observed Mister Miracle origin story flows across each page, enhanced by Isles’ surgically precise linework. Johnson’s characters struggle with decisions and the weight of their consequences. Not one of them gets it right all the time, but through their attempts, readers witness truth, teamwork, and trust. Isles’ future-forward character design and liquid movement reveal in brilliant ways mood, urgency, and the scale of the choices each person makes. This is an exciting read that will leave readers hoping for a continuation of the story.
A slick, funny, and fresh revamp of an old hero. (Graphic science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77950-125-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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
Truly fantastic.
This dark fantasy duology opener has a magic school, a death, and five students who find themselves stranded in the wilderness.
Ren Monroe is a promising student wizard at Balmerick, a private school in the city of Kathor. Along with her best friend, Timmons, Ren is one of the few welfare students attending on a scholarship, and despite being one of the most accomplished people at the school, finding a placement in one of the top houses is proving difficult and is a hurdle in the way of the secret mission Ren has set out to accomplish. When a portal spell goes awry and Ren, Timmons, and four other students from different walks of life are thrown together into the Dires, an uncharted land where the last dragons lived, one of them ends up dead and the rest need to learn to work together to make their way back home before they succumb to the harsh environment or the terrifying revenant following them. This may well be the chance Ren was looking for to prove her worth. Placing elements of a locked-room mystery and an original magic system within the familiar trappings of a school for magic, this is a no-holds-barred tale of revenge, atonement, and the pursuit of justice set in a world diverse in skin color and social classes. Ren is a protagonist for the ages: equal parts smart, calculating, and ruthless, forming a lethal package as an avenging angel.
Truly fantastic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-868-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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