Offers muted charms.
Expectations weigh heavily—even on those who are passed over.
Princess Elodie will not inherit her mother’s throne even though she’s the eldest. She has trained to be Queen’s Regent to her youngest sister, Brianne, who is the third daughter of a third daughter and supposedly the second coming of the church’s revered New Maiden. But now the Chaplain, who’s also the girls’ father, has usurped even that role from her. Skeptical of the church’s motives, Elodie seeks a potion to put 13-year-old Brianne to sleep until she comes of age at 17. That would mean Elodie could meanwhile rule in her stead. Apothecary Sabine sells her family’s potions, which are given more potency from a special ingredient: Sabine’s tears, which are the manifestation of her magic, a darkness that literally coats her veins in blackness. Sabine accidentally gives Elodie a bottle of her tears, and there’s no telling what the result might be or if Sabine can reverse its effect. The two 17-year-old girls are thrown together in a web of power-grabbing intrigue, diluted prophecies, familial expectations, slow-burn Sapphic romance, and building magic. This fantasy world comes with a layered faux religious backstory, but it includes a few layers too many. Characters fulfill their assigned roles but remain flat on the page, and more is explained than witnessed, so even betrayals feel deflated. The prospect of a sequel set up at the end is likewise lackluster. With one minor exception, most characters are described as pale.
Offers muted charms. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9780316465694
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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