An inspired take on monsters and myths.
“She is a monster and a miracle.”
Atia is the last of the blue-hued, silver-haired Nefas monsters that feed on fear and nightmares. She lives an exiled, nomadic life disguised among mortals as one of them, while nursing a grudge against the Gods who killed her parents. As a Herald, Silas is a messenger for the Gods and an escort for souls to the After. His role stems from a sentence for crimes committed in a prior life he cannot recall. When Atia violates the Gods’ laws while protecting a human scholar of magic and monsters, Silas must dutifully place the Gods’ curse upon her, quashing her powers and marking her kind for extinction. Yet the Nefas and the Herald choose to tentatively unite against the Gods, who have stolen from them both. With help from mortals and monsters alike, Atia and Silas travel across kingdoms to unmask the truths of the theocracy that governs Gods, monsters, and mortals. Atia’s fortitude and unwavering self-acceptance embolden her allies and perhaps will inspire readers as well. The narratorial duties shared between Atia and Silas are a natural exchange that showcases the mutual respect between the begrudging partners. While romance simmers throughout, it doesn’t come at the expense of Atia’s identity, making this narrative a standout in a spate of female-led mythological tales. Silas is cued white; some secondary characters have brown skin, and there is some queer representation.
An inspired take on monsters and myths. (Fantasy romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781250897442
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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