The complexity of the folklore and its romantic twists will engage fantasy readers on many levels.
Indian folklore drives the fate of a princess and her homeland.
Raised in Shalingar, Princess Amrita has known a father who serves as a kind protector of his people, as well as friendship and first love through Arjun, who was raised alongside her in the royal palace, but never her mother. Now betrothed to Sikander, the ruthless dictator of Macedon, Amrita loathes the prospect of becoming part of his harem. When Sikander “gifts” the teen an enslaved oracle named Thala, who warns her of Sikander’s scheme to overtake Shalingar, Amrita flees for her life, rescuing Thala in the process. Together, these two strong young women rely on their talents and each other as they search for a way to restore peace to the land, develop their true identities, and find the Library of All Things in order to access the stories of their lives and of loved ones. Along the way, ancient tales of magic, mythical entities, and everlasting love provide clues to the paths they must take. The rich, beautiful worldbuilding and thought-provoking questions on the power of experience, stories, and fate—and how they weave together—mitigate the occasional uneven pacing and jumps in Amrita’s first-person narration.
The complexity of the folklore and its romantic twists will engage fantasy readers on many levels. (Fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-59514-858-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Bulky, balky, talky.
In an updated quest for the Holy Grail, the narrative pace remains stuck in slo-mo.
But is the Grail, in fact, holy? Turns out that’s a matter of perspective. If you’re a member of that most secret of clandestine societies, the Priory of Sion, you think yes. But if your heart belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, the Grail is more than just unholy, it’s downright subversive and terrifying. At least, so the story goes in this latest of Brown’s exhaustively researched, underimagined treatise-thrillers (Deception Point, 2001, etc.). When Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon—in Paris to deliver a lecture—has his sleep interrupted at two a.m., it’s to discover that the police suspect he’s a murderer, the victim none other than Jacques Saumière, esteemed curator of the Louvre. The evidence against Langdon could hardly be sketchier, but the cops feel huge pressure to make an arrest. And besides, they don’t particularly like Americans. Aided by the murdered man’s granddaughter, Langdon flees the flics to trudge the Grail-path along with pretty, persuasive Sophie, who’s driven by her own need to find answers. The game now afoot amounts to a scavenger hunt for the scholarly, clues supplied by the late curator, whose intent was to enlighten Sophie and bedevil her enemies. It’s not all that easy to identify these enemies. Are they emissaries from the Vatican, bent on foiling the Grail-seekers? From Opus Dei, the wayward, deeply conservative Catholic offshoot bent on foiling everybody? Or any one of a number of freelancers bent on a multifaceted array of private agendas? For that matter, what exactly is the Priory of Sion? What does it have to do with Leonardo? With Mary Magdalene? With (gulp) Walt Disney? By the time Sophie and Langdon reach home base, everything—well, at least more than enough—has been revealed.
Bulky, balky, talky.Pub Date: March 18, 2003
ISBN: 0-385-50420-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2003
A slow-burn romance but a burnout of a plot.
A young witch unintentionally releases a fatal curse in this frenemies-to-lovers romance.
The Foggy Mountain Wildlife Refuge on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is the perfect place for Iris Gray and her mother, who, as witches, have a special affinity for helping animals but keep their magic secret. College intern Pike Alder, who assists at the sanctuary, has an incredible talent for getting under Iris’ skin and freely expresses his intense dislike and mistrust of witches. When she reaches her boiling point with his arrogance, Iris comes up with a spell to work through her frustration. Unfortunately, her magic goes awry, and the curse that should have burned away without impact instead goes into an injured owl that takes flight, leaving the sanctuary behind. With Pike accompanying her for safety at her mother’s insistence, Iris sets out into the forest to find the owl; if it dies before Iris can reverse the spell, the curse could burn Pike alive. The Pacific Northwest rainforest setting is palpable as the two trek through the backcountry in search of the owl, and their banter moves the story forward as romantic feelings start to build. Unfortunately, Iris’ repetitive internal dialogue, always reminding readers of the stakes, lessens any tension and makes subsequent scenes feel inevitable. Characters are cued as White.
A slow-burn romance but a burnout of a plot. (Fantasy romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72822-945-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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