A slow burn that does not disappoint.
A necromancer and her paramour uncover the truth about their divided empire.
Nedra, a small-town girl–turned–powerful conjurer of revenants, is feared throughout the Allyrian Empire after killing its corrupt Governor Adelaide. Surrounded by her army of reanimated corpses—including her twin sister, Nessie, who needs other souls to not lose her humanity—Nedra tries to navigate the responsibilities she feels to both them and her homeland. Dabbling with dark forces she does not quite understand, she reaps souls to feed to her sister. Handsome Grey Astor, a wealthy boy from a disgraced family who has been quickly rising through the emperor’s ranks, is desperate to help Nedra. As her swelling feelings for Grey collide with her obligations, Nedra discovers that the truth of her necromantic powers and the history of the empire may just destroy both her and Grey. Nedra is a flawed heroine, both strong and loyal, struggling to control a dark power that could subsume her. Revis’ (Give the Dark My Love, 2018, etc.) thrilling conclusion takes its time building, touching upon nuanced issues like economic disparity and wealth inequality, deliberately building into a white-hot conflagration that smolders with intensity. The ending feels a tad rushed but should nonetheless please with its thoughtful mix of romance, dark fantasy, and exploration of abuse of power. Characters default to white.
A slow burn that does not disappoint. (map) (Dark fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5951-4719-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
The well-paced romantic tension is a highlight of this enjoyable duology closer.
Even a war driven by gods can’t sever communication between journalist lovers Iris and Roman in this steampunk-adjacent romantic adventure.
A prologue sets the scene: Dacre, a god strummed to sleep by magic in Divine Rivals (2023), will not slumber forever. His willingness to wage war to acquire more powerful magic leads him to lay waste to entire towns, and Inkridden Tribune journalist Iris Winnow and war correspondent Roman Kitt can no longer be assured the other is safe—or even still alive. In Iris’ world of cigarette smoke, copper pipes, and driving goggles, colleagues affectionately call each other by their last names, watch each other’s backs, and face danger on the front lines. Though Underling Correspondent Roman is traveling with Dacre’s army, he questions why he was healed of his grievous wounds, while at the same time, he gradually recovers memories of Iris and recalls that she was special to him. Their magically connected typewriters allow for the rediscovery of their love and for communicating potentially deadly information about the invasion of Hawk Shire. The story primarily unfolds from Iris’ and Roman’s viewpoints, and while the prose occasionally uses well-worn phrases, Anglophiles will particularly enjoy the worldbuilding, and returning readers will welcome appearances from Capt. Keegan Torres; her wife, Marisol; and Dacre’s archnemesis—and wife—the goddess Enva. Main characters present white.
The well-paced romantic tension is a highlight of this enjoyable duology closer. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250857453
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Truly fantastic.
This dark fantasy duology opener has a magic school, a death, and five students who find themselves stranded in the wilderness.
Ren Monroe is a promising student wizard at Balmerick, a private school in the city of Kathor. Along with her best friend, Timmons, Ren is one of the few welfare students attending on a scholarship, and despite being one of the most accomplished people at the school, finding a placement in one of the top houses is proving difficult and is a hurdle in the way of the secret mission Ren has set out to accomplish. When a portal spell goes awry and Ren, Timmons, and four other students from different walks of life are thrown together into the Dires, an uncharted land where the last dragons lived, one of them ends up dead and the rest need to learn to work together to make their way back home before they succumb to the harsh environment or the terrifying revenant following them. This may well be the chance Ren was looking for to prove her worth. Placing elements of a locked-room mystery and an original magic system within the familiar trappings of a school for magic, this is a no-holds-barred tale of revenge, atonement, and the pursuit of justice set in a world diverse in skin color and social classes. Ren is a protagonist for the ages: equal parts smart, calculating, and ruthless, forming a lethal package as an avenging angel.
Truly fantastic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-868-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
