Rule delivers a funny, exciting adventure for readers ready to move on from doe-eyed heroines swooning over rugged heroes.
A young woman has been kept hidden for most of her life, but a rare excursion leads to a confrontation with the authorities that are her biggest fear—until she becomes theirs.
At the opening of Rule’s second novel (Strange Sweet Song, 2014), the protagonist’s monthly outing with her twin sister goes badly, and she starts to unravel the dark myth about her kind—the redwing—that has forced her into a life so small she doesn’t have a name. As she learns her own power, she becomes entangled with a secret order of priests, a group of rebels, and the son of the Empress. Though the cover says “yet another Twilight clone,” readers shouldn’t be fooled. Writing in the first person, Rule uses sharp, lyrical prose to describe a culture with its own gods and monsters, mixing ancient worlds and new technology. Although the narrator is blonde with “hyacinth blue” eyes, Rule sidesteps most “chosen one” tropes in favor of dry wit and earthy, original expressions such as “How in wet hell—?” and “Mol’s blazing buttocks!” Romantic moments are sweetly awkward, but it’s action that drives the story. Secondary characters fulfill archetypes, but happily, they’re not all dudes. The attack-happy fighter, the crotchety old lockpick, the stern and determined reporter: all women.
Rule delivers a funny, exciting adventure for readers ready to move on from doe-eyed heroines swooning over rugged heroes. (Fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: March 22, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-03632-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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
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