A turbulent force driven by breathtaking, high-stakes suspense that resolves with a satisfying sigh.
In this conclusion to an Italian-inspired fantasy duology, Teo di Sangro fights to save her home from invasion and to free other magic users from living in secrecy and oppression.
War and domination under the Eterran empire advance on the land of Vinalia from the outside while the regime of power-hungry men wounds the people from the inside. Streghe (magic users of Vinalia), like the ambitious “sun-browned” Teo, live threatened by subjugation or death at the hands of the Capo, the tyrant forcing Vinalia to unify under his banner. Having escaped the Capo once, Teo and her lover, Cielo (a white genderfluid strega), seek to stop Vinalia’s cycle of violence. In the midst of sizzling schemes and fiery romance, Capetta (The Lost Coast, 2019, etc.) brings to light the pervasive damage that patriarchy inflicts on people and relationships. Another important theme throughout the progression of the conflict is that in war, “there is only a side that loses less.” The dialogue is witty and full of cutting exchanges. Although the story’s pace never slows, Capetta continues to expand on the world around Teo, showing glimpses of cultures beyond Vinalia and how magic changes based on who uses it. Wild with thrilling shifts and electrifying prose, this passionate storm carries the story to a worthy end.
A turbulent force driven by breathtaking, high-stakes suspense that resolves with a satisfying sigh. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-451-47847-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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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