An ambitious and imaginative series opener that mixes ecological allegory with character-driven fantasy.
A teenager grieving the loss of her father discovers a mysterious connection with two young otters from rival tribes in Mason and Moore’s YA fantasy novel, the first in a series.
Thirteen-year-old Ayana Outerbridge is headed north with her mother for another summer at her grandparents’ isolated homestead on the Pacific Northwest coast. Once these trips were times of joy—now, the experience feels hollow (“One minute, Ayana had a father. The next ― POOF! ― she didn’t”). At the same time, in the waters just offshore, a young river otter named Sleek violates tribal law by entering a sacred cave to retrieve a magical gift for Gloss, the headstrong daughter of the sea otter king. The cave—once part of a luminous, mind-awakening realm known as Liminal—has been overrun by a monstrous predator, and Sleek’s trespass could reignite the war between the river and sea otters. Gloss chafes under the strict rules that forbid females from hunting or wielding weapons. Her clandestine efforts to prove herself collide with Sleek’s mission. Unbeknownst to both of them, Ayana’s fate may be linked to theirs. The story effectively blends naturalism with high fantasy. The authors construct a dense but coherent mythos that frames the ocean as both a literal and symbolic frontier, rendering underwater societies with distinct hierarchies, dialects, and beliefs. Gloss, in particular, emerges as a standout character—a female warrior determined to break caste and gender restrictions (“I will defend my Raft just as you do. Better than you do.”) Ayana’s arc is more introspective, centering around her grief and alienation. Her skin condition (vitiligo) and conversations with her late father’s memory add emotional depth, though her connection to the fantasy plotline remains mostly suggestive in this first volume in Mason and Moore’s series. While the novel’s early chapters can be dense with exposition, especially in the undersea scenes, the pacing soon quickens, and readers are rewarded with richly imagined action, interpersonal tension, and a final act that sets the stage for an expansive saga.
An ambitious and imaginative series opener that mixes ecological allegory with character-driven fantasy.Pub Date: March 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781735833019
Page Count: 524
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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