Engaging heroes headline a diverting fantasy that never takes itself too seriously.
Youthful interdimensional travelers scour a queendom to find their nemesis in this fourth installment of Supplee’s YA series.
Teenager Winnie, her wizard boyfriend, Kip, and her younger stepbrother, Mikey—multiversal travelers—have just returned to Earth from an alternate world. But a time guardian needs them to stop the nefarious wizard Thaddeus Krell, who’s determined to steal a Frama-scope (a device for traveling to other realms). He’s located in Frama-12, now called Boge-Landia, a place the youngsters have already traveled to. Mikey is happy to return; his soul is tied to General Takka, a toad-like “voga” prince who’s currently frozen in a block of ice there, and Mikey/Takka hopes to reunite with his Boge-Landia mother, Queen Bogen, even if he’s in his 6-year-old human “vessel.” The region’s oracle threatens to take away Kip’s magic if he keeps using it, as it interferes with her own search for Krell. But how can Winnie and Kip help track down the fiendish wizard without magic? Winnie also worries about Mikey, since he’ll no longer exist if Takka “decide[s] to reinhabit his original body.” Supplee’s breezy tale doesn’t progress with much urgency; rather than immediately hunt for Krell, the kids visit the queen first and agree to complete her task (finding Mikey/Takka’s missing prince brother). The trio’s relationships are superbly rendered; Winnie truly cares for her brother, and her romance with Kip is still relatively new—a shuffle of minor squabbles and “yummy” kisses. Readers unfamiliar with the preceding entries in the series will initially be lost as they attempt to parse such narrative elements as Mikey’s link with General Takka or the reason behind Kip’s bogus Aussie lilt. These story points eventually make sense, and the growing perils enliven the adventure (someone threatens to thaw Takka’s frozen body, and an apparent attempt to poison the queen’s sons comes to light). The travelers all get the chance to showcase their unique skills.
Engaging heroes headline a diverting fantasy that never takes itself too seriously.Pub Date: June 8, 2026
ISBN: 9781509265671
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
