A decadent fantasy anchored in childhood delights with vibrantly detailed writing and brilliantly theatrical subplots.
A prophecy tells of a prince and princess who can save the world by joining their warring kingdoms.
“Once upon a nightmare, a princess was born in the kingdom of perpetual daylight.” So begins this dizzying mashup of fairy tales with a kaleidoscopic cast of characters. Princess Lyra and Prince Vesper hail from the dichotomous kingdoms of a world shorn in half by blood magic. Pale Lyra, a royal outsider with “iridescent eyes” and “hair, eyebrows, and lashes so silvery-white and glistening,” is the only person in Eldoria, the kingdom of endless sunlight, whose skin burns when exposed to sunshine. Vesper, “dark-haired, copper-skinned,” and “raven-eyed,” the defiant prince of a dark underworld, is “the only Nerezethite prince who’d been born night-blind in centuries.” When Lyra’s evil aunt Griselda conspires to kill the king, the worlds are further threatened by war and chaos. The greatest hope is a prophecy that tells of a prince and princess who “will be complete and embrace their oddities to bring the sun and moon together again.” In this sublimely detailed fantasy with elaborately drawn characters and breathtaking plot twists, fantasy is unrestrained and oftentimes wordy. Story arcs stop and sputter as they quest their way through magical thorns and honeysuckle brambles, but the patient reader will blow well past bedtime to stay up with this riveting tale.
A decadent fantasy anchored in childhood delights with vibrantly detailed writing and brilliantly theatrical subplots. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3141-9
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
An uneven spin-off that will likely appeal to fans of the original franchise.
Readers return to the world of Agrabah from the Disney film Aladdin, this time from the perspective of Princess Jasmine as she faces her biggest challenge yet.
Tragedy strikes Agrabah and the royal family when the sultan is found dead. Even as she grieves her father, Jasmine must worry about her succession to the throne and the growing concerns of a supernatural evil creeping into the kingdom. Though Jasmine feels unprepared to take her father’s place, she accepts her fate. When a challenger emerges and lays claim to the throne, Jasmine must fight to erase everyone’s doubts about a young woman’s ability to reign and take her rightful place as the first sultana. It is interesting to see Agrabah through the perspective of Jasmine and to encounter characters both familiar and new. Monir builds on the Persian-inspired world by giving the new characters Persian names and including nuanced cultural elements. Fighting against long-held traditions and forging a place for women to be equals alongside men are timely themes, and Monir shows Jasmine’s resolve to be a just and suitable leader despite the frightening situations she often encounters. There is a lot of compelling buildup surrounding the mysterious and supernatural elements haunting Jasmine and her world, but the eventual reveal feels confusing and haphazardly patched together.
An uneven spin-off that will likely appeal to fans of the original franchise. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781368048217
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A few rough bits but inventive and visually stunning.
A young witch whose magic has been burned away undertakes healing journeys both physical and metaphorical in this graphic novel that was first serialized on Instagram.
Mingling riveting illustrations that incorporate fades, flashbacks, and other cinematic effects with a typographically venturesome narrative, Dhaliwal tells a tale of heroic exploits in which allegorical elements are never far beneath the surface. Burned at the stake but rescued by a pair of helpful (if often annoying) witches on a quest of their own, dark-skinned young “Singe” goes in search of her real name and the rest of her burned-away memories, as well as her lost magic, while her body slowly recovers. Along the way to a climax on the shores of Perish Lake, she meets other witches—notably Smoke Witch, a collective gathering of burnt but still aware ashes that rides the night wind—and engages in desperate struggles with three powerful, vividly portrayed demons: Disgust, Doubt, and Despair. The author’s imagination and graphic skills outpace her literary chops, but there’s plenty of entertaining friction and bonding in the colorfully wrought cast, and more than enough action in the plot to make it easy to overlook awkward phrasings and inappropriate word choices. Said plot does take some arbitrary turns, perhaps so that the ending can be left conveniently open. Still, it’s a grand adventure in a richly articulated setting, featuring a racially diverse cast and clever twists aplenty.
A few rough bits but inventive and visually stunning. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781770466999
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
