A sincere and compelling fantasy story for those who feel like outcasts.
One girl must choose between her own safety and the survival of those she loves in Blake and Raven Penn’s YA fantasy novel.
Meleya of Misthaven is a magi, a person who possesses magical powers. She lives in the land of Evgard, a medieval-like realm where being a magi is illegal. Her parents were arrested for breaking this very law and now reside in prison, where they’ll remain until Meleya serves her time in the dragon guard as a proxy soldier. While in training, Meleya makes friends with Solvai, whose father died in battle and whose mother is an experienced soldier, and Brigan, an heir to a noble title. Also on their squad is Bjorn, who loathes magi with a passion, and Edrea, who’s ambitious and hates anyone who gets in her way. Everything is going according to plan—Solvai is made captain and Meleya and Brigan bond with dragons—when their home is attacked and Meleya has to make a drastic decision. She can either stay safe and sacrifice the lives of the guard’s dragons, or she can save them and reveal herself to be a magi, putting herself and her parents in danger. Meleya knows what she what must do, even if the consequences are drastic. She and her squad are moved to the Outcast Outpost in the dangerous lands known as Dragon Mists, where unspeakable horrors await them. The authors return to The Skystone Chronicles for another great fantasy adventure with magic, dragons, and more. Meleya is a wonderful heroine with convincing internal struggles over being a magi (“My head was buzzing, my pulse out of control. What was I thinking? Using etherarchy out in the open?”) and anxiety about the fate of her parents, as well as inspiring willpower and a heart of gold. Her friends, Solvai and Brigan, are compelling characters with their own complexities and personal turmoil. This story of oppression, war, and political intrigue is well balanced by a fun sense of adventure and entertaining humor.
A sincere and compelling fantasy story for those who feel like outcasts.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9798987789544
Page Count: 502
Publisher: Good Lux Creative
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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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