Fans of action-packed dystopias will enjoy Tavin's attempts not to lose himself in the ferocity of his power, and they will...
An 18-year-old boy doesn't want the phenomenal cosmic power that's turning him into an out-of-control killing machine in this trilogy's middle volume.
Since his capture at the conclusion of Wordless (2014), Tavin has been a prisoner—albeit one kept in luxury—of the Godspeakers. Forced to bear the awesome responsibility of the Word of Death, Tavin wants only to avoid hurting people with the murderous impulses boiling under his skin. His sadistic and manipulative keepers, however, intent on molding him into a killer, force him to gruesomely, though not gratuitously, torture and murder an endless parade of fuzzy animals. Tavin must escape the Godspeakers and their sinister plot to conquer the world, but he and the other adolescent Words are under constant surveillance. Even if he escapes and finds Khaya, the beautiful Word of Life whose escape precipitated Tavin into this life of terrible luxury, can the Word of Death ever be loved by his polar opposite? With the help of the other Words (all thinly characterized if quite likable), Tavin must escape or become the world's most dangerous weapon. Worldbuilding shows its seams: a technologically advanced society relies on the whims of children; generations of cross-national breeding seems always to produce Words who exhibit exactly the most superficial stereotypes of one parent's ethnicity.
Fans of action-packed dystopias will enjoy Tavin's attempts not to lose himself in the ferocity of his power, and they will stay tuned for Volume 3 and its likely romantic angst . (Science fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7387-4222-9
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and compelling voice.
A second chance prompts a deadly game of wits.
Lu Mingshin is about to be executed. Her fiance, Prince Ren, has ordered her death after using her family’s wealth to vie for the position of crown prince from his half brothers, each of them born to one of the widower king’s Royal Ladies. If that wasn’t enough, Mingshin learns that her Uncle Yi arranged her mother’s murder, and Aylin, her two-faced noblewoman cousin, will be marrying Ren instead. On the verge of death, Mingshin desperately wishes for another chance—only to see flashes of light and wake up two years in the past. With her memories of the future intact, Mingshin intends to not become a victim again, training in combat and vowing to endear herself to King Reifeng to secure her family’s safety. Strange dreams reveal the source of the magic that allowed her to jump back in time. A powerful mage is also on Mingshin’s tail, along with the ruthless enemies she’s already aware of. As Mingshin starts to rewrite her life’s story, new individuals come into play: a visiting Elder with questionable motives; Princess Yunle, who becomes a new best friend; and Prince Jieh, one of Ren’s rivals for the throne. Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of imperial China, this debut novel’s structure has a few oddities, but the clever premise and intriguing and suspenseful plot will keep readers engaged.
A fresh and compelling voice. (Fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781454949923
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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