As decadent and delicious as it is dense.
Foody lays all the cards on the table as New Reynes’ power players, from crime lords to politicians, play a final, deadly game in this trilogy conclusion.
In this sequel to King of Fools (2019), the curse holding the Shadow Game together is broken, and malison Bryce is using his shade-making blood talent to replace it with a new curse game in a gambit designed to draw in a notorious figure of New Reynes legend, the Bargainer, as a last-ditch effort at saving the life of his lover, Rebecca. It’s an elaborate game of Assassin, in which each of the 22 participants finds a name written on the back of a special Shadow Game card, specifying their target. The first to collect a chain of five cards wins, and anyone who doesn’t hold their assigned target’s card at the end of the game will die. Alongside the game, the true history of New Reynes and the Revolution—and Enne’s mysterious heritage—are among the secrets that unravel. At times, the sprawling plot (with many viewpoints) could use some pruning, but part of the charm is savoring the large number of well-rounded, shades-of-gray characters as they love, make mistakes, hurt, betray, and try to forgive each other. Relationships are particularly strong—familial, friendships, and romances both toxic and healthy; plentiful queer representation thwarts bisexual erasure in particular. As in previous volumes, the cast is racially diverse.
As decadent and delicious as it is dense. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-335-14586-4
Page Count: 608
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
Exhilarating, nonstop fun.
A murder on The Escape Game, a popular reality TV show, puts the next round of contestants at risk—can they all get out alive?
The previous season of the show, in which groups of teens race to get through escape rooms, ended in disaster when Sierra Angelos and her team discovered another player lying dead in a coffin—her older sister, Alicia. But the network and ruthless executive producer determine that the show will go on. Prickly, olive-skinned Sierra, whom some suspect of murder, is returning—and she’s determined to find the killer. Her new team includes math whiz Carter Kelly, who’s Black; home-schooled, white-presenting Beck Matheson, who designs his own escape rooms and is trans; and Aditya Parvesh, who’s cued South Asian, has a way with words, and was pushed into auditioning by his movie star mother. At first, Team Helsing struggles to gel, but the teens’ shared desire to prove themselves makes them a formidable powerhouse—even if they’re hiding some of their true goals from one another. As clues to the killer’s identity start appearing, the players must try to make it to the finale before someone else becomes the next victim. This thrilling whodunit moves at a page-turning pace; the occasional reveals for the main mystery are well balanced with the tighter sequences of solving the escape rooms. The narration rotates among the central cast, allowing readers to empathize with each character in turn and be privy to even more intrigue.
Exhilarating, nonstop fun. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9798217006120
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
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
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