A duology closer incorporating magic, war, and love and set in a lush, well-described fantasy China.
The fate of the human kingdom—and the immortal and demon kingdoms as well—hangs on one girl and what her heart decides in this sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (2025).
Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng, who’s heir to the mortal throne of the Kingdom of Rivers, have returned to Àn’yīng’s village. They have a plan that will protect her family and the rest of the kingdom from the demon mó forever: a marriage between them, which will create a political alliance linking the mortal and immortal realms. But working against them are the demonic forces, led by Yù’chén’s mother. Yù’chén, whom Àn’yīng is impossibly drawn to, is key to the bonds between the three kingdoms, just as much as Hào’yáng and Àn’yīng are, and ultimately fate will bring them together, to violent ends. Àn’yīng’s travels through the dark kingdom of the demons and the heavenly kingdom of the immortals are grounded in Chinese mythology and folklore, and the worldbuilding includes familiar fantasy components, such as glittering gowns and dangerous, seductive men. Àn’yīng’s story and the choices she makes are engrossing enough, but her confused love triangle, while adding conflict, isn’t given enough space to fully develop. Still, this is a readable work that effortlessly incorporates Chinese elements, such as dragons and an immortality pill, that enrich the story.
A duology closer incorporating magic, war, and love and set in a lush, well-described fantasy China. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780593813881
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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