An energizing and magnetic whirlwind.
Facing the looming threat of a dying world, a group of magical outcasts fights to end the reign of the immortal Witch Lord in this final installment of the Metamorphosis duology.
A wound in time and space connects Earth to the City of Eyes, a land of chaotic magic ruled by the power-hungry Witch Lord. To save both worlds, Eli, a White assassin with the Heart of another world thrumming in her chest, and Tav, a Black boi with the ability to create magic doors, must work in unison to heal the rift. However, every day the Heart’s overwhelming power threatens to consume Eli and the Witch Lord, who, intent on total domination, sends an army of monsters against the rebels who dare to challenge her. The third-person point of view rotates among three characters—Eli, Tav, and the blue-skinned witch Kite—with perspective shifts that ramp up the momentum and suspense. The queer, polyamorous romance is wound with tension and longing that are not based on jealousy while remaining consent-positive. Jerreat-Poole crafts vivid imagery using wild and surprising prose. Snippets of lore tease at a vast universe beyond Earth and the City of Eyes. Amid the witchery and the untamable, sentient magical setting, the characters grapple with the intimate complexities of identity and their understanding of justice. Hopeful and satisfying, the resolution calls the characters into continued action and community engagement.
An energizing and magnetic whirlwind. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4597-4684-8
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Dundurn
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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