A sexy YA fantasy that creates a deep bedrock for sequels.
Texas novelist Owen (The Cursed King, 2021, etc.) launches a new YA series with a tale of a princess and her nonruling twin who battle an ancient enemy of their kingdom.
In the kingdom of Aryd, 18-year-old Meren is Princess Tabra’s twin. As the second-born of the pair, she must live outside the palace as a peasant with Omma, her caretaker. Should anything happen to her sister, Meren would take her place permanently in the public’s eye. The main threat comes from King Eidolon of Tyndra, an immortal with a penchant for murdering Aryd’s female rulers. Meren finds her primary relief from her drab life in sneaking outside the walls of the city of Enora to the desert. Even as the second-born she has special powers over sand, and she uses them there to sculpt glass flowers for Tabra. Meren also meets with Cain, a handsome desert Wanderer who expects to become the next “zariph” of his “zariphate.” Cain asks Meren to join his Wanderers and travel to Aryd’s Sacred Tree, but she’s kidnapped by a shadowy figure who takes her through a portal to the region called Wildernyss. The coldly attractive man is Reven, a Shadowraith who can manipulate darkness. When he claims to need Tabra’s help, Meren pretends to be her sister and learns Reven’s secrets, which both terrify her and draw her to him. The author playfully leads readers through sharp fantasy twists as Meren and Reven travel together, encountering a petrified dragon skeleton and a harpy eagle that mimics the sound of a woman climaxing. Owen adds modern phrases to keep things fresh (Meren calls herself a “total bitch”) and a bit of political commentary in lines like: “People...don't want to acknowledge a problem exists unless it affects them personally. And leaders, once they gain power, don’t want to risk losing it again.” Reven turns out to have a shocking connection to King Eidolon that further complicates his entanglement with Meren. The finale rattles the status quo enough to pique interest in future installments.
A sexy YA fantasy that creates a deep bedrock for sequels.Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64937-152-2
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh, arresting entry in the vampire genre that revels in violent, bloody delights.
An orphaned teenager tries to connect her sister’s disappearance to their family’s decadeslong relationship with vampires.
Nineteen-year-old Kidan Adane wants nothing to do with her family’s horrifying rules and traditions, which stipulate that Kidan and her sister, June, who are Black girls of Ethiopian heritage, must honor soul-binding contracts with dranaics, or vampires. After their parents died, the sisters were placed in foster care with Mama Anoet. For years, Kidan had thought they were safe from evil—until Silia, their maternal aunt, unexpectedly died, and June and Kidan became the last two living members of House Adane. When June is abducted in the middle of the night by an unknown assailant, Kidan traces the clues to Uxlay University, where worthy leaders are taught how to protect a hierarchical society in which humans and vampires harmoniously coexist. Kidan believes that June was taken by Susenyos Sagad, the formidable vampire who’s bound to her family’s bloodline. As she dives deeper into this cruel new world, the line between her hatred of Susenyos and her growing fascination with him begins to blur. Debut author Girma’s trilogy opener offers a richly detailed, sweepingly imaginative narrative that artfully explores the dark heart of desire, rage, and loss through expansive worldbuilding. Kidan’s powerful characterization is layered, and her journey toward the truth has been crafted with a cinematic eye.
A fresh, arresting entry in the vampire genre that revels in violent, bloody delights. (map, content warning) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780316581448
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
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