Skip.
Formulaic fantasy-romance enlivened by an innovative take on dragon treasure.
After a childhood marked by her mother’s hatred and her father’s beatings, which scarred her legs but not her heart, 16-year-old Sorrowlynn, like every Faodarian princess (evidently white and generally blonde and blue-eyed, aside from light-brown–haired Sorrowlynn), must pledge her willingness to marry a barbaric Antharian prince to save their countries from the fire dragon (a pact whose origin only nominally makes sense). When she refuses, she, with handsome Antharian horse lord Golmarr, must face and defeat the dragon to survive. The dragon’s treasure is knowledge; killing the dragon transfers to Sorrowlynn everything the dragon and his centuries of victims ever knew. The remainder of the novel includes a few set-piece adventures, kissing, much banter about lustful feelings, and finally facing another dragon, whose treasure is hatred. There is little to make this stand out; Sorrowlynn’s journey is the standard girl-power arc done better by such authors as Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore, foreshortened by the magical knowledge dump; Golmarr (of the “long black hair” and skin like “caramel-colored silk”) is the classic (exoticized and problematic) noble barbarian, whose darker-skinned people are in touch with the earth and their feelings. Oh, and it’s first in a series.
Skip. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-54981-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
Witty and funny, with well-rounded characters who face complex inner moral issues.
In a world dominated by order, chaos threatens to upend tradition when unlikely competitors are chosen to fight for the throne.
Emperor Erasmus is dead, leaving the Great Dragon to decide the future of the Etrusian Empire. Traditionally, the oldest child from each of the five Houses and his or her dragon compete for the throne. However, this time outsiders are called to compete: Chara and her rider, Emilia, youngest daughter of House Aurun, who holds the magic of chaos; Tyche and her rider, Lucian, reformed warrior of House Sabel; Karina and her rider, Vespir, the lowborn, lesbian servant girl and dragon handler of House Pentri; Dog and his rider, Ajax, the wily illegitimate son of House Tiber; and Minerva and her rider, Julia, who are challenged by Hyperia, who believes the throne is her birthright, and her feral dragon, Aufidius. During the stages of the Emperor’s Trial—the Hunt, the Game, the Race, and the Truth—each competitor faces their own personal weaknesses. Multiple perspectives create depth in this complex fantasy world with flawed human characters who have murder, destruction, thievery, and cowardice in their backgrounds. Cluess’ dragons have unique personalities and voices of their own, becoming as central to the story as their human riders. Most characters are cued as white; blonde hair and blue eyes are valorized. Vespir’s lesbian identity is neatly and naturally woven into her character.
Witty and funny, with well-rounded characters who face complex inner moral issues. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-64815-4
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
May well beguile readers with its mix of magic and political intrigue.
A princess fights to save her kingdom while trying to conceal her magic.
On the eve of her 17th birthday, Princess Jennesara learns of her betrothal to the prince of Turia, an alliance made by her father to secure the neighboring kingdom’s military support in quelling the fighting at his borders. Before she is sent away to safety in Turia, she learns of other worrying developments brewing at home: A burned letter references a search for the mages’ library, illicit magic is being used in skirmishes at the borders, and there is a potential betrayal within her father’s circle of trust. She frets, too, about her own secret magic being discovered, for only her older brother, Ren, is supposed to possess magic. On their way to Turia, Jenna’s party is ambushed and she narrowly escapes. She is forced to fend for herself and find her own way to Turia to discover who betrayed her family and what secrets lie in the rumored mages’ library. Jenna conceals her identity and ingratiates herself with her betrothed’s family as she eludes the threat of a shadowy, sinister foe. Though overflowing with common fantasy tropes and featuring lengthy expository passages, this series opener nevertheless features affable characters and moves at a solid clip that will keep readers entertained. Jenna’s people are fair-haired while Turians are olive-skinned with dark hair.
May well beguile readers with its mix of magic and political intrigue. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11853-5
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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