A colorful, angsty, character-driven fantasy: Cue the feels.
Two sisters face tough challenges as their island realm simultaneously suffers betrayal from within and invading pirate fleets from without in this sequel to 2024’s Of Jade and Dragons.
Chen picks up two years after the events of the first book in this entry that offers readers fiery explosions but overall focuses more on characters and feelings. Young Aihui Nian is honing her political skills at the intrigue-laden court of Qianlei Palace, while her mechanically adept big sister, Ying, is engineering weapons in response to the invaders’ new submersible ironclads. Nian and Ying repeatedly reunite for adventures (and also go off on separate ones), but their attention and emotional engagement are also occupied by their love interests, mercurial prince Ye-kan and secretive, overprotective Ye-yang, respectively. Ying has multiple encounters with the titular fleet of fearsome, all-woman pirates, but rather than violent or intricately choreographed battle scenes and details about silkpunk technology, the strength of this work lies in its courageous, independent women. What stands out most prominently throughout is a solid sisterly love that endures separation, guilty secrets, devastating revelations, and conflicts of the heart. The author leaves some plotlines ambiguously open, perhaps paving the way for a sequel. Names and dress imply diversity in the cast of this tale set in a world inspired by Qing dynasty China.
A colorful, angsty, character-driven fantasy: Cue the feels. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622780
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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