An enjoyable read.
Everyone in Giddel is bestowed a magical gift by the age of 5—but not Princess Beatriz.
When the whyzer tells Beatriz on her seventh birthday that she must one day enter the Valle de los Fantasmas to receive her gifting, she is pitied and regarded as useless. Now 17, her duty is to marry someone who will help protect her kingdom from their enemies, the Himzo. Desperate to receive her gift and marry whom she wants, she makes an oath with the Ancient One to enter the valley. Beatriz runs away with the help of her maid, Laude, and some other servants. But things don’t go according to plan, and she and Laude are left alone in the wilderness before being rescued by handsome Himzo merchant Zichri and his men. Overcoming her mistrust, Beatriz accepts Zichri’s offer of protection, and they journey to the valley together. But Beatriz and her new suitor hold secrets that threaten everyone’s happiness and safety. Although the beginning is slow, the pace of this story, set in a detailed, Latin-inflected world, picks up in the second half. It is overall a fun read for readers who like their fantasy mixed with a bit of romance. Beatriz’s character develops throughout, and she outgrows her initial pompous haughtiness; secondary characters are fleshed out. Beatriz and Zichri have dark hair and brown skin; other characters are diverse in appearance.
An enjoyable read. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64526-342-5
Page Count: 296
Publisher: IlluminateYA Fiction
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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
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