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 fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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
BOOK REVIEW
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