Fans of this fictional world will enjoy seeing more of it—and appreciate that the story’s conclusion leaves the door open...
Malin and her allies must stop underworld goddess Ereshkigal’s plan to release the dead on Earth in this sequel to Between the Blade and the Heart (2018).
Having recently lost Asher to the underworld, Kurnugia, Valkyrie-in-training Malin is tasked by Odin with recovering a legendary protective cloak and his missing weapon, Gungnir, which can kill any being and is currently in the possession of Baldur in Kurnugia. With her sorceress roommate, Oona, and a new ally, Valeska, the swarthy, winged daughter of an Alkonost (relatives of the sirens) and a Valkyrie’s son, Malin infiltrates the immortals’ afterlife. The heroes quickly overcome obstacles in many short action scenes. After completing their mission, they return to a world in crisis—sinkholes, extreme weather, and riots indicating the potentially apocalyptic situation. Making matters worse, Odin has made himself scarce. To figure out what’s going on—and how to stop it—Malin must dig into her dead mother’s secrets, uncovering more twists of fate. Luckily, her development over the first installment—learning that her mother’s lack of attachment to others isn’t an inherent Valkyrie trait—makes assembling her team of allies easier (and results in less romantic waffling). The sprawling, multicultural, multimythological world and its massive cast are explained in an extended glossary.
Fans of this fictional world will enjoy seeing more of it—and appreciate that the story’s conclusion leaves the door open for more adventures. (glossary) (Fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-08480-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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