A satisfying story evocative of fairy tales.
Bad girls steal hearts—literally—in this Sapphic sophomore novel.
In a magical version of 18th-century Poland, three girls are bound to serve three extremely powerful, abusive, elderly witch sisters. Beata, aka Morning, serves White Jaga; Marynka, or Midday, serves Red Jaga; and Zosia, who is Midnight, serves Black Jaga. Gifted magical powers that can transform them into murderous monsters, each is tasked with murdering princes and bringing their hearts to their Jagas to give their Jagas power. When Beata and Marynka team up to bring their Jagas the highly coveted pure heart of Prince Józef during his annual winter Karnawał, they quickly discover that Zosia is on the same quest. Fiery Marynka has always been obsessed from afar with sleek, powerful Zosia, but as their dangerous competition continues to ratchet up, the two begin to realize that their obsessive rivalry may, in fact, be a simmering desire. All three long for freedom, but what that means for each of them is something they’ll need to figure out for themselves. The well-realized setting adds a richness to the third-person narrative, which is focalized through Marynka and Zosia. Whiteness is the default, although there are Muslim and Jewish secondary characters, and same-gender attraction is the norm. Some intriguing worldbuilding aspects are underexplored, but fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy and readers craving morally gray queer characters will happily make room on their shelves for this one.
A satisfying story evocative of fairy tales. (pronunciation guide, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-001-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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