A lighthearted novel that simultaneously features heavy environmental themes, multifaceted characters, and lots of charm.
Holman weaves elements of humor, magic, romance, and environmental activism in a quirky ocean-set romantasy.
Jelly, a mermaid warrior native to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific, assumes the role of unlikely eco-hero. Pollution, especially plastic waste, has devastated marine life and rendered mermaids infertile. To preserve their species, they’re sent on missions to conceive children with human men. Jelly, however, has been using these missions to investigate the sources of pollution. As a result, the ruling council, the Trident, arrests Jelly and puts her in a solitary magical prison. While locked away, an enchanted pearl, a family heirloom, forces Jelly to watch a horrifying tableau of nuclear bombs detonating in the ocean, destroying marine ecosystems, and mutating sea life over generations. Despite the grim subject, the author sets the scene with surprising levity, sprinkling aquatic puns throughout: “We were currently on the rocks”; “I floundered between hurt and anger”; and “I found her a little…salty.” The mermaid convinces the Trident to approve one more procreation mission, and she uses the expedition to ask the Serfecti (a powerful and secretive magical group of surface-dwelling beings) to help her convince humanity to stop contaminating the planet. Along with the Surfecti, she meets Mako, who is half mer and half fae; he trains Jelly to control her magical powers, which have been further enhanced by the pearl, and is the lead love interest. Romantasy tropes abound, like handsome cast members (sexy wizards Roan and Gray), and a well-endowed villainous prince and villain, Terrun (“His tight trousers left little to the imagination, especially as his excitement strained the fabric”).
Holman conveys her message of environmental conservation and protection throughout the novel. For example, after Jelly regroups with allies, including pal Simmi, they form a plan to confront ocean pollution. And Terrun’s attempts to capture Simmi, using magic that lets him possess marine animals, allows the author to highlight various forms of ocean life, including sharks. The author also uses solid storytelling and dramatic tension to keep the pages turning: In order to enhance her power and take on Terrun, save Simmi, and rescue all of humanity (which Terrun has targeted as irredeemable for the environmental damage they’ve already caused), Jelly performs a Coactus Fusionem, a dangerous ritual that could be fatal (which, of course, involves becoming physically intimate with Mako). This storyline ramps up the stakes and adds to the fun. With her newfound strength, will Jelly defeat Terrun, and subsequently use her influence to guide humanity in the right direction? As the story concludes, she even pitches an eco-friendly detergent to the local superstore. Overall, Holman (despite the whimsical premise and humorous voice) excels in giving the protagonist depth and motivation for her environmental activism, which is rooted in her mother’s early demise from cancer caused by plastic exposure. The adventure is also brought together with a well-rounded cast of side characters, such as a toxic ex and a loyal best friend.
A lighthearted novel that simultaneously features heavy environmental themes, multifaceted characters, and lots of charm.Pub Date: Nov. 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780998426464
Page Count: 442
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A surprisingly sensual sports romance.
A collegiate diver and swimmer secretly pursue kink together, and risk falling in love along the way.
Scarlett Vandermeer is struggling. Despite a successful recovery from the injury that almost ended her Stanford diving career, she hasn’t been able to get her head together, and it’s affecting her performance. Plus, she’s trying to stay focused on getting into medical school. A relationship would be out of the question. By comparison, Lukas Blomqvist is a swimming idol, a record-breaker who wins medals as easily as breathing, and Scarlett has long been convinced he would never look in her direction—until one fateful night when a mutual friend lets slip that they have something unexpected in common: Scarlett likes to be submissive in the bedroom, while Lukas prefers to take a dominant approach. Now, they both know a big secret about each other, and it’s something neither of them can stop thinking about. It’s Lukas who suggests they have a fling—purely physical, just to take the edge off, so Scarlett can get out of her own head and stop overthinking her dives. Initially, their arrangement is easy to stick to, but the more time they spend together, the more Scarlett starts to realize that what she feels for Lukas is more than physical attraction. Complicating the situation is the fact that Scarlett’s friend Penelope Ross used to go out with Lukas, and the longer Scarlett keeps mum about her true feelings for him, the more difficult it is to keep the situation hidden from another person she really cares about. While Scarlett and Lukas’ relationship does begin as a physical one, their deeper psychological connection takes a little too long to emerge amid all the other storylines, resulting in a somewhat rushed resolution. However, Hazelwood’s latest is proof of the depth and maturity that has emerged in her writing over the years, and it highlights her embrace of sexier, more emotional elements than were present in her original STEMinist rom-coms.
A surprisingly sensual sports romance.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593641057
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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