A successful blend of Regency and paranormal romance.
This lengthy but constantly entertaining series opener set in 1814 invents a large society of witches comprising much, it seems, of the British aristocracy.
Although witches appear to be equally common in the underclasses, only witches from the nobility go to school to hone their magical skills. Danger strikes when the evil Greymalkin Sisters, long dead, come back as powerful ghosts and kill witches all over London. Emma, one of three cousins descended from the disgraced but powerful Lovegrove family, comes into her powers unexpectedly at the very beginning of the novel. Cormac, a magnificently handsome young lord who previously kissed Emma, works for the Order of the Iron Nail, an organization of male witches who control the entire witch society. The Order suspects Emma in the murders, but even though she’s always around when someone dies, Cormac believes she’s innocent. Harvey balances a large cast with an intricate plot with flair, freely drawing on Regency romance tropes. Emma and Cormac, who has the expected “chiseled features,” dance around their mutual romantic attraction, but the plot’s emphasis centers on the witchy murders. The little time Harvey spends with scrappy little Moira, an urchinlike witch girl called a Madcap, may make some readers wish the book had focused on the other end of society; perhaps they will see more of Moira in sequels.
A successful blend of Regency and paranormal romance. (Paranormal suspense. 12 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8027-3443-3
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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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