A crafty, well-paced LGBTQ+ fantasy series opener.
A spiritual island gets overrun by vampires in this YA fantasy debut.
In the city of Tyr on the island of Trosika, Riordan “Rio” Proventus is a novitiate at the temple of Astara, Goddess of Light and Mercy. One day, he and his mentor, Hali Egmund, witness a ship pull into port with its flag upside down and at half-mast. Sailors drag a struggling woman off the ship, a vampire who has killed some of their crew. The sight chills Rio because he knows the island’s history—that Prince Philip Sakata died fighting vampires 800 years ago. After the creature is subdued, Rio and Egmund walk to the Hands of Light Healing Clinic, where they channel Astara’s power to cure others. While Rio works, the Goddess speaks through him, saying, “The emperor has fallen.” He then dreams of war and Prince Philip. He wakes with a raven tattoo on his chest, the mark of Astara, making him a messenger in the coming conflict. Meanwhile, Turi Rand, Rio’s roommate, has an encounter with an older woman. He feeds her, and, in return, she gives him a pouch of bones for protection. Soon, clan Ishima invades Trosika from the mainland. As vampires and mages bring chaos, hope lies in an 800-year-old tomb. Andrews crafts a sleek series opener bolstered by consistent action, a straightforward magic system, and strong LGBTQ+ representation. Rio and Turi are “kinji,” which encompasses gays, lesbians, and those “in between, being neither, or having aspects of both, or shifting back and forth from one gender to another.” Turi learns that kinji are sacred to Mormo, Goddess of Death and the Underworld, whom he fed while she was disguised as an older woman. Later, Rio’s surprising paramour appreciates his “beautiful green-and-brown eyes,” and their lovemaking is tender without being overly explicit. While the scope of the violence done to Astara’s followers is horrendous, the author sharpens it by noting that the Goddess “didn't lift a finger to save all of those people.” The story hints that the sequel will feature a more direct involvement by deities, including Bel, God of War.
A crafty, well-paced LGBTQ+ fantasy series opener.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2021
ISBN: 979-8479162534
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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
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