A fast-paced, entertaining middle entry for fans of vampires and librarians
Ethical vampire librarian Amber Fang is back in a high-stakes sequel to Hunted (2019).
Six months after walking away from her job as an assassin for the mysterious League, Amber uses her research skills as librarian-in-training to track her missing mother to Antarctica. The compound is kept by the arms-dealing company ZARC Industries and holds more secrets and near-fatal dangers than Amber signed up for—and no sign of her mother. After being rescued by the League and sharing some of the explosive new knowledge she acquired, it looks like working together again is in the cards despite Amber’s reservations. But a vampire on the hunt needs allies where she can get them. Running head-first into danger and armed with her fangs, a high dose of sardonic humor, and librarian jokes, Amber finds that dealing with secret organizations, political intrigue, ninja librarians, a doppelgänger, vampires who want her ovaries, and even an evil AI can be overwhelming. This spy thriller/paranormal adventure introduces more mysteries to be solved, leaving a healthy number of open threads in its wake. Events do have a tendency to happen to Amber as she is pushed around by multiple shadowy organizations, so here’s hoping that in the trilogy closer she will find not only her mother, but also some much-needed agency. Main characters are white.
A fast-paced, entertaining middle entry for fans of vampires and librarians . (Paranormal thriller. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2272-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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