Banal.
Loresmith Ara and her allies have their final showdown with evil in this trilogy conclusion.
Following Cast in Secrets and Shadow (2021), the heroes standing against Zenar and the evil Vokkan Empire’s conquest are all separated. Ara’s love interest, thief-turned-Loreknight Teth, has been taken prisoner by the empire, where he comes face to face with ArchWizard Zenar and also with the Saetlund prince–turned-traitor, Eamon. Their perspectives, along with that of Zenar’s brother, an empire commander–turned–double agent (code name Dove), reveal what evil Zenar will bring upon the world if he’s not stopped. Meanwhile, Princess Nimhea and Ioth have gone to the Resistance, knowing the time to strike back is coming. Ara’s accompanied by summoner Lahvja and Loreknight Joar as she continues her repetitive storyline of visiting sites from her pantheon of gods to get blessings and forge more weapons for more knights (with no surprises about who the final knights will be). In general, the cascade of revelations is made less effective by this predictability and the lengthy passages of exposition. These infodumps stall an already sluggish pace—only occasionally interrupted by action until a final lengthy battle—and what forward momentum develops is squandered by the constant jumps between storylines. The ending leans heavily on convenience and romantic happily-ever-afters. Racial diversity is linked to fantasy-world geographical areas; characters have a range of skin tones from light to dark. Eamon has a chronic illness.
Banal. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780525954132
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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