Lovable characters, daring missions, and striking villains make this supernatural tale a rousing read.
Pirates, an airship, and a sea witch collide in this historical fantasy set in 1806.
If Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign isn’t enough to keep most people frightened, the fact that there’s a sea witch lurking in the waters definitely will. That is, if they find out about her. Unfortunately for Capt. Ryland Coldwell, who lost his ship and crew, he’s very much aware of the witch and her schemes. Many years ago, Ryland and Gwenifer Byrnes were in love, but she became involved in dark magic and turned into “a monster.” When he tried to kill her by sinking his ship, she crashed into the depths of the sea. In those murky waters, Gwenifer made a deal (“She had sworn an oath to something sinister, and instead of departing this world, she had been spared”). But Ryland was affected, too: He was cursed with immortality. Plagued by the witch’s machinations, he is now stuck in the West Indies, unable to escape by sea. So imagine Ryland’s good fortune when he happens upon an airship stranded in a cove. Helping the crew combat some pirates intent on stealing the airship, Ryland earns enough goodwill with the captain to secure passage on the craft. Traveling by air instead of by sea means that he can avoid the witch’s storms that have kept him trapped in the West Indies. And maybe, he can finally get his revenge on the woman who sentenced him to this wretched life and has haunted the seas for the last century (“I’ll find you, witch, he thought, feeling his jaw clench. Be ready”). Ryland is prepared for his immortality to end, but the airship’s crew, especially the beautiful, young female engineer, Emmeline Whittock, will make this decision his toughest one yet. In this riveting book, Dunnewin delivers richly developed characters in a tale of adventure, love, and loss. The crew of the airship is small, but the mates have distinct personalities that make them a captivating bunch. Still, Ryland, a reformed pirate, is the true star of the story, and is likely to steal readers’ hearts. This complex, well-drawn character is the type of morally gray hero that will stick with the audience long after the vivid novel has ended.
Lovable characters, daring missions, and striking villains make this supernatural tale a rousing read.Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 596
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Lovely historical fantasy breathes new life into an old tale.
A beautiful young peasant is selected to become a spy in an enemy king’s court in Liang’s take on an ancient Chinese legend.
Xishi is extraordinarily beautiful. Even as a lowly peasant girl in Yue, she’s been told all her life that her looks set her apart from others. But beauty doesn’t matter much to Xishi. After all, it wasn’t enough to save her beloved little sister, Susu, from being murdered by the invading Wu army. But one day, Fanli, a great military advisor to the king of Yue, comes to Xishi’s rural village and tells her she has been chosen for a special mission. She must leave home, learn the ways of aristocratic life, and be sent as a concubine to the Wu King, Fuchai, and become a spy in his court. Xishi is so beautiful, she should be able to seduce Fuchai and manipulate him to endanger his own crown. Xishi is terrified to leave for the rival court, but she wants to avenge Susu’s death more than anything. When she arrives in Fuchai’s court, her legendary beauty and skill as a seductress win her the king’s heart, and Fanli’s plan looks like it will work. But despite her hatred for the nation that killed her sister, Xishi comes to understand that the citizens of Wu, and even Fuchai, are human beings just like her, and her mission of vengeance might not leave any room for her to live her own life. Liang’s plot follows the large arcs of the legend, and she skillfully fills the pages between plot points with careful character work. What would it feel like to spend years lying to everyone around you? How do large-scale wars stop people from recognizing their common humanity? Do your ideals matter if they prevent you from forming real relationships?
Lovely historical fantasy breathes new life into an old tale.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781250289469
Page Count: 336
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spanning centuries and continents, this is a darkly romantic and suspenseful tale by a writer at the top of her game.
When you deal with the darkness, everything has a price.
“Never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” Adeline tried to heed this warning, but she was desperate to escape a wedding she didn’t want and a life spent trapped in a small town. So desperate that she didn’t notice the sun going down. And so she made a deal: For freedom, and time, she will surrender her soul when she no longer wants to live. But freedom came at a cost. Adeline didn’t want to belong to anyone; now she is forgotten every time she slips out of sight. She has spent 300 years living like a ghost, unable even to speak her own name. She has affairs with both men and women, but she can never have a comfortable intimacy built over time—only the giddy rush of a first meeting, over and over again. So when she meets a boy who, impossibly, remembers her, she can’t walk away. What Addie doesn’t know is why Henry is the first person in 300 years who can remember her. Or why Henry finds her as compelling as she finds him. And, of course, she doesn’t know how the devil she made a deal with will react if he learns that the rules of their 300-year-long game have changed. This spellbinding story unspools in multiple timelines as Addie moves through history, learning the rules of her curse and the whims of her captor. Meanwhile, both Addie and the reader get to know Henry and understand what sets him apart. This is the kind of book you stay up all night reading—rich and satisfying and strange and impeccably crafted.
Spanning centuries and continents, this is a darkly romantic and suspenseful tale by a writer at the top of her game.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7653-8756-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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