A light, romantic summer read for fashionistas made more interesting by its Australian protagonist.
A white Australian girl spends part of her gap year in Paris.
Lisette, who prefers to go by Lise, should be perfecting her French and visiting museums as per her mother’s instructions, but she’s more excited about finding a boyfriend and buying vintage clothes. Her mother’s Parisian dreams were disrupted when her artist boyfriend—Lise’s father—left her while she was pregnant. Intelligent, hip Lise never met her now-deceased father who had been living in Wales. Her mother’s internet clairvoyant, Madame Christophe, who rents her a room for the summer, also arranges for Lisette to take a French class with a group of slightly older artists, including blond, German Anders, and two friendly young women from Canada and the Philippines. After a fling with Anders, which becomes complicated, Lise meets Hugo, a likable young English antiques dealer—and faces difficult decisions about her future ambitions, desire to learn more about her father, and romantic relationships. Unfortunately, Lise barely speaks to any young French people and experiences a superficial view of Parisian life. For example, an emotional encounter with a Romani woman who curses her on the Metro reinforces stereotypes without offering useful cultural context. Lise and her shopping adventures are engaging, but her endless self-examination is repetitive.
A light, romantic summer read for fashionistas made more interesting by its Australian protagonist. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-76029-363-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
A fantastically rewarding sequel.
She was once merely a sacrifice to the gods, but now she has a chance to rule.
Zahru is certain her story has reached the happy ending she deserves. She survived the Crossing, when she was nearly killed as a sacrifice to the gods; Prince Kasta is gone; and her maybe-boyfriend, Prince Jet, is now ready to be crowned the new ruler of Orkena—while Zahru gets to live her life quietly and consume lots (and lots) of chocolate. But on the day of the coronation, Kasta returns, and, inconceivably, he has the circle of Numet, the mark indicating he is the rightful heir to the throne. The problem is Zahru has the same mark, accompanied by a different kind of magic coursing through her veins, which makes her a contender for the throne as well. And gods help her, but she will do whatever it takes to not let the ruthless, lying Kasta win— even if she must become the villain of her own story. In this charming, well-rounded follow-up to The Kinder Poison (2020), Zahru’s entertaining, funny narrative voice continues to engage and balance out the otherwise heavier tone of a story that deals with power dynamics, dark magic, horrific betrayals, and social injustice and that offers a thoughtful examination of just what a ruler should be willing to sacrifice for the greater good. The cast is diverse in skin tone and sexuality.
A fantastically rewarding sequel. (glossary) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-984835-24-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Peak champagne-filled indulgence. “Malec” shippers will clamor for installments to come.
One true pair Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood get their own spinoff series.
Even when he’s on a glamorous and romantic holiday in Europe with his boyfriend, Alec, Downworlder excitement still finds its way to Magnus. This time, the immortal, bisexual, and biracial (Dutch/Indonesian) warlock stands accused of founding a human cult—the Crimson Hand—in the name of his demon father, Asmodeus. A mysterious gap in Magnus’ memories keeps the truth at bay. Rather than turning Magnus in to his fellow Shadowhunters for questioning, Alec stays loyal to his man. Sexual tension abounds as the two steal moments of sizzling romance while fighting demons and solving the mystery. Though ostentatious in description, setting, and detail, Chu (The Fall of Io, 2019, etc.) and Clare’s (Queen of Air and Darkness, 2018, etc.) collaboration effectively balances star-crossed love with a contagious spirit of fun. While the book-length focus pulls these former secondary characters deservedly into the spotlight, its authenticity is marred by the excessive cologne of its clichéd Adonises. However, the shifting third-person narration deepens characterization by exploring Alec’s internalized homophobia and Magnus’ past. The acknowledgments place the book within the timeline of the City of Fallen Angels (Clare, 2011). The cast of secondary characters notably includes additional queer characters as well as Shinyun Jung, a Korean warlock.
Peak champagne-filled indulgence. “Malec” shippers will clamor for installments to come. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9508-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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