A smart, suspenseful adventure with an ending that begs for a sequel to tie up loose ends.
In a world in which edem—time-altering, extradimensional magic—is feared and policed, a motley group of teens with ties to the impossibly secure Vardean prison attempt to expose the corruption at its root.
After their mother died due to a stranger’s edem use, siblings Cayder and Leta found distinct ways to cope. Cayder immersed himself in the study of law, determined to someday prosecute edem abusers, while Leta sought to understand the force that took their mother’s life. Liquid and apparently sentient, edem originates from a place called the veil, where the boundaries of time and space are more permeable, and the authorities are focused on controlling access due to its unpredictable, often dangerous effects. When Leta is charged with starting a deadly fire, she’s brought to Vardean—where Cayder is a public defense apprentice and their childhood friend, Kema, is now a guard. Cayder processes the plight of his sister and his client, Jey, the son—and accused murderer—of the Regency General, and his allegiances are further tested when Elle, another high-profile prisoner, claims knowledge of a sinister Regency plot. Expansive and original worldbuilding grounds each character’s distinct perspective as the action picks up and the stakes mount. Cayder, Leta, and Elle read as White; Jey is cued as biracial, with a White father and South Asian fantasy-equivalent mother, and queer Kema has brown skin.
A smart, suspenseful adventure with an ending that begs for a sequel to tie up loose ends. (government hierarchy chart) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-11237-3
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist.
The mother Annabel Price thought was dead returns with a story about where she’s been—but 18-year-old Bel knows she’s lying.
Ever since Rachel Price’s unexplained disappearance 16 years ago, true-crime fans have come up with plentiful theories about what happened. Bel and her family members, who are white, cobbled together lives for themselves after a jury found Bel’s father, Charlie, not guilty of murdering his wife. Beset with medical bills for his elderly father, Charlie recently agreed to participate in a documentary about the unsolved mystery. Black British filmmaker Ramsey Lee is well into the process of interviewing the Prices when his project gets an unanticipated boost after an exhausted, disheveled Rachel staggers back into town. Rachel is eager to resume her role in the family, but the inconsistencies in her accounts raise alarms for Bel. With the help of the youngest member of the filmmaking team, Bel sets out to learn what really happened. Along the way, someone else disappears, and Bel uncovers a tangle of lies that make it impossible for her to trust people she thought she knew. When things come to a head the night of her grandfather’s 85th birthday party, Bel ends up in a race for her life. The last quarter of the novel tears along at a breakneck pace before arriving at a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593374207
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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