Richly constructed and wholly riveting.
Seventeen-year-old twin sisters become living legends in this reimagining of the Firebird folktale.
Tóurensi tradition dictates that one royal twin will become queen, responsible for the country, while the other will become the Firebird, responsible for maintaining the country’s magical balance. Where once Tóurin’s magic was abundant, requiring minimal payment in exchange for access, there is now a Fading, and those who do not (or cannot) pay may lose limbs—or their lives—to the Firebird. When the queen dies unexpectedly, Izaveta prepares to take her place while her twin, Asya, receives a Calling to right a magical imbalance related to their mother’s death. Desperate for answers, Asya struggles to wield the Firebird’s power even as she grows closer to Yuliana, the beautiful, antagonistic palace guard who shadows her. Asya’s naïve perspective alternates with Izaveta’s cunning as they each navigate the royal court, the increasingly dangerous consequences of Asya’s unfulfilled Calling, and the threats posed by foreign interests and the powerful Church. Asya’s exhilarating, tightly plotted fights and Izaveta’s clever political machinations play out against Slavic-inspired historical and cultural elements to create a thoroughly compelling tale of strength and sisterhood. A White default is assumed for main characters; some secondary characters have dark skin, and one secondary character communicates through sign language.
Richly constructed and wholly riveting. (map, pronunciation guide) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-335-14796-7
Page Count: 488
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Truly fantastic.
This dark fantasy duology opener has a magic school, a death, and five students who find themselves stranded in the wilderness.
Ren Monroe is a promising student wizard at Balmerick, a private school in the city of Kathor. Along with her best friend, Timmons, Ren is one of the few welfare students attending on a scholarship, and despite being one of the most accomplished people at the school, finding a placement in one of the top houses is proving difficult and is a hurdle in the way of the secret mission Ren has set out to accomplish. When a portal spell goes awry and Ren, Timmons, and four other students from different walks of life are thrown together into the Dires, an uncharted land where the last dragons lived, one of them ends up dead and the rest need to learn to work together to make their way back home before they succumb to the harsh environment or the terrifying revenant following them. This may well be the chance Ren was looking for to prove her worth. Placing elements of a locked-room mystery and an original magic system within the familiar trappings of a school for magic, this is a no-holds-barred tale of revenge, atonement, and the pursuit of justice set in a world diverse in skin color and social classes. Ren is a protagonist for the ages: equal parts smart, calculating, and ruthless, forming a lethal package as an avenging angel.
Truly fantastic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-868-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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