An action-packed and satisfying conclusion.
The final installment of the Aurora Cycle finds Squad 312 in far-flung reaches of space and time, racing to save the galaxy from being consumed by the Ra’haam.
After the disastrous battle of Terra that concluded the previous book, this entry opens with the members of Squad 312 in confusion. Squad leader Tyler Jones has just witnessed the abrupt disappearance of the Ra’haam-destroying Eshvaren weapon with Aurora and Kal aboard, while the ship bearing the remaining three members cannot be found at all. Where have they gone? Or rather, when? The weapon needed to save the galaxy has been severely damaged and flung into a terrible future, while Scarlett, Zila, and Finian have gone in the opposite direction, a couple of centuries into the past. Independently, the three cohorts must figure out what they are meant to do within their timelines, how to get back home, and how to defeat the Ra’haam. This volume is the most action-packed of the trilogy, with nonstop plot twists, battles, and revelations at every turn. Loose threads from previous installments are tied up, romances blossom, and throughout, there’s no shying away from the violence of battle. Even so, there’s room for humor, as the banter and affection between the humanoid squad members, who are diverse in skin tone, remains at the fore. The happy ending may be a tad melodramatic, but who’s complaining?
An action-packed and satisfying conclusion. (series overview and cast list) (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5247-2088-9
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
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
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