An inventive romp through a variety of intriguing worlds with captivating characters.
This third installment of a YA fantasy series stars an intrepid hero.
Anonymous’ tale follows The Legends of Eve: Book of Fire (2020) and focuses on “Fujita, the School of Wind and Wisdom.” Fujak is a young man of the Fuj family. It has been some two years since he was at Fujita, and he returns with friends. But Fujak is nervous. He brings along a romantic interest named Tayna, who is greeted by Fujak’s father with a dagger pointed at her throat and some tough questions. Quite the welcome indeed; still, Tayna passes the initial inspection. Meanwhile, the people at Fujita are in a festive mood. But things take a turn when a prophet informs Fujak that trouble is just around the corner. According to the seer’s prediction, “This parade, this festival, this happiness and dancing is only the precursor before the death that sweeps through this Kingdom…this year.” Fujak is just one of several characters who will be tested. As the prophet tells others, “The world as you know it will burn, but from its ashes may come hope.” And so begins an imaginative adventure with an extensive cast that incorporates the elite Crystal Soldiers, creatures called Archons, and even a sexual experience for Fujak. Although there is a lot to keep track of, the narrative rewards patience with unexpected developments. At several points, Fujak even addresses readers directly. Then there are numerous changes of scenery that include an icy tundra and a lush rainforest. But chapters tend to be heavy with conversations, and the dialogue is often unproductive and marked by ellipses, as when one character says: “Please tell me…you aren’t thinking about going in there.” Such assertions are not particularly creative in a work that so often bursts with surprises. Still, other portions of dialogue put a twist on the genre. For instance, talk of understanding the nature of Archons (“Do we consider them monsters…for merely wanting to survive?”) helps make this engaging story something more than just a tale of good versus evil.
An inventive romp through a variety of intriguing worlds with captivating characters.Pub Date: July 15, 2022
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 688
Publisher: DreamWords Publishing, LLC
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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