A rousing and gratifying sendoff to a consistently engrossing fantasy series.
A fiendish sorceress wages war against a magic-wielding teen in this conclusion to Shaffery’s YA fantasy trilogy.
The sorceress Dinora has been around for more than six centuries, stealing magic and trapping souls in the fantastical realm of Tenebris. She’s long held a thirst for revenge against this land, and she unleashes an army of conjured stone creatures upon it. The various inhabitants of Tenebris, human and otherwise, unite to battle Dinora’s army, including a teenage girl named Nyla. The sorceress had previously targeted Nyla because the girl inherited the magic of a Mage—Dinora’s nemesis from long ago. While Nyla and others battle the seemingly endless waves of stone creatures, Xander, Nyla’s love, watches the action unfold in a crystal ball. His archery skills can’t do much against enemies of solid rock, but he finds a way to help: He turns to Cedric, Dinora’s captive, centuries-old son,who surely knows how to take out his powerful mother. Shaffery kickstarts this tale with action; Tenebris quickly comes under attack, igniting exhilarating scenes of combat. Striking descriptions highlight the formidable series hero Nyla on the battlefield as she makes her way through the monsters: “Writhing and licking, the tongues of her lilac-colored magic leapt at the creatures… Chips of their jagged stone fell to the ground below like teeth.” The narrative has its share of slower moments as the cast comes to terms with past events that are integral to the series. The author has shrewdly maintained a consummate simplicity across all three installments, focusing on a memorable small-scale country and a handful of standout characters. This installment’s later chapters deliver a worthy conclusion while providing series regulars Nyla, Xander, and their catlike, telepathic friend, Shamira, with finales they deserve.
A rousing and gratifying sendoff to a consistently engrossing fantasy series.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9798986173269
Page Count: 398
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A charming cozy fantasy about defying expectations and finding love.
The lives of two Los Angeles girls inhabiting different universes intersect, proving that love knows no bounds.
Brenda Nguyen has a 19-step plan to save the world. Kat Woo is haunted by her legacy as the chosen one, a role she has no interest in. Brenda, working on an environmental science college scholarship application, stumbles into Sammy’s Coffee and Pick-Me-Ups, which Kat’s family owns. As the girls get to know each other, Brenda at last finds someone who’ll listen to her detailed plans, while Kat discovers she has something to look forward to. The girls, who alternate narrating the story, must defy the odds as their worlds begin to collide. As well as being a love story, this is an exploration of familial expectations: Kat is trying to outrun them, while Brenda is driven to fulfill hers. The girls, who are of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, respectively, complement each other: Brenda learns to live in the present, and Kat begins to look to the future. While there are pixie swarms and mana surges, the action takes a back seat to characterization. Lee’s fully developed parallel worlds are alike in many ways, although in Kat’s, you can buy teleportation spells at Target. The cast is rounded out by solid portrayals of the girls’ friends and family, who are important to the plot.
A charming cozy fantasy about defying expectations and finding love. (author’s note, recommended reading) (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250778024
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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