A queer and fantastical romance that enchants in more ways than one.
Fairy mischief descends on Regency England once again.
The Caesar family occupies a delicate position in 1815 London. They are welcome at most society functions because Lady Mary is the daughter of an earl, but they're kept at arm’s length because her husband is a Senegalese freeman, leaving the family's three children at odds as they enter adulthood. The eldest son, Mr. Caesar, knows he ought to find a career and settle down, but he has no interest in doing so—he's a dandy, plus he's only attracted to men. For the most part, he keeps to the sidelines, until he punches a major in the teeth for insulting the older of his two sisters, Miss Caesar. Not long after, Miss Caesar makes a deal with a fairy that turns her into "the Beauty Incomparable," making the Caesars the center of conversation across London. All this sudden excitement brings Mr. Caesar into repeated contact with Captain Orestes James, a Black man who lives his life much more authentically alongside a steadfast group of soldiers called the Irregulars—which causes Mr. Caesar to imagine other possibilities for his life. And who recounts this complex and quirky story for our mortal enjoyment? Just as in Hall’s Mortal Follies (2023), it’s none other than Robin Goodfellow, still in exile from the court of Oberon and grumpy as ever at having to write up yet another story of foolish mortal behavior in order to make ends meet. (And while this volume stands alone fairly well, it will be best enjoyed after having read the first). His deliciously cruel and flippant voice once again provides a clever framework for the story’s balance of levity and gravity. As “the vagaries of mortal physicality mean little” to Robin, the story is fairly closed-door by Hall’s standards, but there are sparks of chemistry between Mr. Caesar and Captain James. And though the romance often takes a back seat to the grander plot, thanks to piles of rich detail, mythological references, and interactions with the Other Court, readers may not even notice.
A queer and fantastical romance that enchants in more ways than one.Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780593497586
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A strong start to an exciting new fantasy series.
A young woman embarks on a treacherous quest to save her town from a cursed forest in Peckham and Valenti’s fantasy novel.
Ferris Creed knows her hometown of Arringfall is running out of time. For decades, the cursed forest of Taking Trees, which surrounds Arringfall and other nearby towns, has spread and devoured everything in its path. The only way to break the curse: find and retrieve the amulets belonging to the 13 spirits of the forest. The one who collects the most amulets and returns them to the Great Elm will receive a boon for breaking the curse and restoring harmony. Every 50 years, a group of well-trained Champions search for the amulets in a dangerous quest called the Great Hunt. On the eve of the 13th hunt, Ferris secretly joins the group of 25 Champions. She is not the only one determined to claim the boon at all costs; deep within the woods, she meets Hendrix Draven, a 652-year-old prince with a very personal motive to win the prize. As the hunt intensifies, Ferris and Hendrix find themselves drawn to each other; however, a shocking discovery threatens Ferris’s life and what remains of Arringfall. This first installment of Peckham and Valenti’s Crown of Hearts and Chaos series is a twisty and sprawling dark romantasy replete with appealing characters in a lush and descriptive narrative. The authors’ prose is haunting and poetic: “The spirits were calling to us from within the cursed forest and I could almost believe there was something more than death awaiting us at the sound of that cry.” Ferris Creed is a well-developed protagonist whose journey anchors the novel as she grows from a young woman determined to save her sister from the woods into someone whose connection to the forest may be deeper than she realizes. Her compelling relationship with the mysterious Hendrix starts slowly but builds in intensity as their attraction deepens. In addition to a map at the beginning of the novel, the text includes detailed drawings between the chapters.
A strong start to an exciting new fantasy series.Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781916926585
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 29, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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