A unique take on fantasy lit that ably tackles science, magic, and mythology.
War is brewing on the planet of Urath in this intricately built universe where the power of dragons rivals that of the gods.
Journal entries by “a visitor from another world and dimension” introduce us to the world of dragon-ruled Urath: The “light” dragons have been at war with the “dark” dragons, called drakes, for centuries. Only when nine magic pearls are brought together will the corruption of the drakes be corrected. Meanwhile, godlike beings compete for the attention of Urath mortals in a world filled with both magic and science. Dragons can shape-shift, for example, and genetic research revealed that elves, dwarves, humans, and gnomon are all descendants from the same species. The Order of the Balance keeps the universe in check with the help of a small group of Urath mortals imbued with special powers. A host of characters, including Ertha, Mistress of the Rock, and Sirenia, Mistress of the Water, attempt to keep peace. But after they induct two new members—half-elf Alira Zell and her half sister, a full-blooded elf named Al Khimia—to the Order of the Balance, they soon find themselves betrayed by one who wishes to steal the pearls and wield the ultimate power. All of this occurs amid a brewing war that may force dragons and drakes to work together in order to defend themselves from the wrath of the gods. While the prose can be stilted and occasional typos occur, the nonstop action and vivid details largely compensate for the distractions. Reminiscent of a particularly engaging Dungeons and Dragons campaign, author/illustrator Dorety combines scraps of Greek mythology (“The Divine…are powerful super humanoids, and they live and come from their own ‘immortal realms’ on the other side of astral space”) with Tolkien-esque worldbuilding. Loaded with colorful illustrations, this wholly realized universe is wildly fun.
A unique take on fantasy lit that ably tackles science, magic, and mythology.Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2022
ISBN: 9781667867724
Page Count: 186
Publisher: BookBaby
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
An engaging, imaginative narrative hampered by its lack of subtlety.
The Medusa myth, reimagined as an Afrocentric, feminist tale with the Gorgon recast as avenging hero.
In mythological Greece, where gods still have a hand in the lives of humans, 17-year-old Medusa lives on an island with her parents, old sea gods who were overthrown at the rise of the Olympians, and her sisters, Euryale and Stheno. The elder sisters dote on Medusa and bond over the care of her “locs...my dearest physical possession.” Their idyll is broken when Euryale is engaged to be married to a cruel demi-god. Medusa intervenes, and a chain of events leads her to a meeting with the goddess Athena, who sees in her intelligence, curiosity, and a useful bit of rage. Athena chooses Medusa for training in Athens to become a priestess at the Parthenon. She joins the other acolytes, a group of teenage girls who bond, bicker, and compete in various challenges for their place at the temple. As an outsider, Medusa is bullied (even in ancient Athens white girls rudely grab a Black girl’s hair) and finds a best friend in Apollonia. She also meets a nameless boy who always seems to be there whenever she is in need; this turns out to be Poseidon, who is grooming the inexplicably naïve Medusa. When he rapes her, Athena finds out and punishes Medusa and her sisters by transforming their locs into snakes. The sisters become Gorgons, and when colonizing men try to claim their island, the killing begins. Telling a story of Black female power through the lens of ancient myth is conceptually appealing, but this novel published as adult fiction reads as though intended for a younger audience.
An engaging, imaginative narrative hampered by its lack of subtlety.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780593733769
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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