Awash in bloodshed, this trilogy closer is most interesting for the questions it poses.
Allies and enemies fight for country and love.
In this follow-up to Red Tigress (2021), Ana and company have gone on separate quests. As Ana makes her way to Cyrilia to confront her aunt, the Empress Morganya, Linn is off to the Kemeiran Empire to recruit forces for their cause. Ramson remains in Bregon to discover what he can about regaining the Affinite powers stolen by the siphons. While the villain comes off as somewhat two-dimensional—in it for the power and little else—the evil aunt makes some interesting comments about leadership and winning wars. The ultimate goal is to rid the world of the current corrupt monarchy, and the questions Ana and the others must ask themselves are: What will take its place? What will be best for the people? And who will be the one to lead them? It is the journey to answer these questions rather than the frequent bloody battles that is compelling. Though Ana is the main heroine, the storytelling finds its stride in delving into the ensemble cast, exploring their motivations and watching them come to their personal and sometimes painful resolutions. Cultural and physical markers code the Kemeirans as an East Asian fantasy equivalent, while the Northern Cyrilians read as Russian inspired, and Southern Cyrilians have light-brown skin.
Awash in bloodshed, this trilogy closer is most interesting for the questions it poses. (map, glossary) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-525-70787-5
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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
BOOK REVIEW
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