An intriguing, if sometimes unfocused, work of science fiction.
In Goodfellow’s offbeat YA SF novel, a young clone of President Abraham Lincoln tries to make his own way.
Dr. Jason Rose, a geneticist, couldn’t resist the chance to purchase a dead man’s toe on the off chance it may have belonged to Abraham Lincoln himself. He then used DNA from it to create two clones of the long dead president, whom he named Abraham and Link. The twins were raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, by Dr. Rose himself, whom they affectionately called Rosie; he home-schooled them for their entire life and limited their social interactions. But now that the boys are 18, they’re not so easy to control. Link is tired of every decision being made for him and feels like his individuality is slipping away, so he escapes. He ends up living in an abandoned barn, making a bed out of straw bales—but at least he’s free. Link is aware that he probably only has a short amount of time before Rosie finds him, so he asks a few professors at Santa Rosa Central College if they wouldn’t mind him sitting in on their classes, and he even connects with a few classmates as he starts to experience real life. Overall, this is a one-of-a-kind novel that’s part SF, part bildungsroman, and part a vehicle to present readers with general facts about Lincoln. Indeed, the book is overly detailed at times; the info about the president is intriguing, although it sometimes feels a bit like edutainment, but descriptions of such things as vermin in the barn or a character’s eyes seem heavy with unimportant details: “Her eyelashes were short, loaded with mascara. It seemed to be her one concession to make-up. But what did he know? He knew commercials, that’s what he knew. They weren’t gummy or clumpy but….” That said, Link’s desire to experience the outside and find out who he is as a person, instead of just the product of scientific experiment, is certainly affecting, and it may appeal to a readership who enjoy other, more conventional coming-of-age tales.
An intriguing, if sometimes unfocused, work of science fiction.Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1737454700
Page Count: 338
Publisher: Trees and Stars Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce.
Houck kicks off a new story arc in the world of the Tiger’s Curse series with new tigers who live in a northerly setting.
The death of their widowed royal mother touches off a crisis in the Kievian Empire; neither Stacia nor Verusha Stepanov, 17-year-old sword-wielding twin sisters, wants to be named tsarina. But questions of succession get put on hold when a battle with a sorcerer inexplicably turns the two into nonspeaking Siberian tigers. Hints of a cure send them, along with a growing entourage of men to provide assistance (and, perforce, do all the talking), on a long trek. Though most of the cast sticks to genre type, Houck throws in a wild card in the form of hunky, inarticulate Nikolai, who joins the quest because he is enthralled by Verusha—and who also killed his whole family in an act of revenge. Occasional anachronistic dialogue (e.g., “Are you ready, ladies?”) disrupts the tale’s generally earnest tone, as do the clumsy attempts at banter. A third tiger, snarky and blind but conveniently able to see through others’ eyes, trots in late in the story. The events in this setup volume unfold with many a flashback and change in point of view and head toward no sort of resolution—only the cave-dwelling White Shaman of the Tundra’s advice that further journeys are in the offing. The central cast in this Russian-inspired fantasy world presents white; the Indigenous population includes nomadic reindeer herders.
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce. (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798212221696
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
A fantastical romp filled with intrigue and suspense.
Amid the approaching coronation of her cruel half brother, Jura, and agitation by pro-democracy rebels called the Dawnbreakers, Princess Teia Carthan of Erisia carves out her own fate.
Following her parents’ death, Teia learned to fight. In addition to being able to wield fire and water, she’s not above resorting to blackmail, bribery, and murder to ensure her survival. Through master thief Enna, she learns that Jura is after the Dawnbreakers’ symbolic figurehead: Kyra Medoh, a young woman said to be able to control fire, a skill believed to be passed down through the royal lineage. When Teia intercepts Kyra after the thief infiltrates the Golden Palace, the princess tells her she wants to join the Dawnbreakers. Teia plans to gain Kyra’s trust, discover the location of the Dawnbreakers’ base, and use this information as leverage with Jura to get out of the betrothal he’s arranged for her to an abusive murderer. As Teia works undercover, her camaraderie with and attraction to Dawnbreaker Tobias grows, and, moved by Kyra’s idealism, she starts to question her own motivations. Debut author Wang’s tightly written narrative deftly unravels surprising twists and intrigues. While several characters in this duology opener appear too eager to spill their deepest secrets, readers will forgive this weakness and anticipate the second volume. Teia’s mother came from the country of Shaylan; her skin tone is darker than most Erisians’. Kyra has coppery skin and black hair.
A fantastical romp filled with intrigue and suspense. (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781959411772
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Violetear Books/Bindery
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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