A fun, witty, and innovative contemporary fantasy adventure.
In White’s horror-fantasy novel, a vampire livestreamer and his allies look into multiple murders and stumble upon a supernatural conspiracy to end the world as he knows it.
Jade Mourning is a 2,000-year-old fanged creature of the night, living in an Atlanta estate with other online influencers, when he becomes a suspect in a series of mysterious murders. When the clues rule Mourning out, the vampire and Atlanta police Det. Standmoore Owens, along with Mourning’s vampire ally (a woman namedMoreland), join forces to investigate. They soon discover that the culprits are feral vampires known as Wurdulacs. Soon, the unlikely trio uncover a larger plan that could result in the extinction of humans and vampires alike. A solution may lie in unlocking vampires’ genetic code; notably, Mourning encounters a world-renowned geneticist, Dr. Chua Mi Tien, after accidentally teleporting to Singapore. Mourning’s interpersonal relationships are complex; his primary love interest is a human named Daphne, who appears in his livestreams but thinks his vampirism is an act (“When I met Daphne, I was consumed by darkness. She lit me up”). Moreland pursues Mourning, as well, but her attempts to woo him fall short, due to her role in the apparent deaths of his wife and child during a raid of their city in the 1300s. Mourning must also win over Det. Owens, who despises vampires. The story ends with two main characters set to travel abroad on a search for another who’s disappeared. White’s novel may remind readers of Felicia Day’s limited-series podcast Third Eye (2023), in all the best ways. Although some scenes suggest a more mature intended audience, the novel otherwise reads like a teenage dream, abounding with modern references to such pastimes as Twitch and League of Legends. The main character starts off in a place that many might find admirable: He’s famous, rich, talented, and has supernatural powers and multiple romantic options. This sort of status can stagnate a character’s growth, but White has Mourning follow an enticing arc, while also exploring important themes of forgiveness, salvation, and friendship.
A fun, witty, and innovative contemporary fantasy adventure.Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2023
ISBN: 979-8871677261
Page Count: 417
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Though it falters a bit under its own weight, this series still has plenty of fight left.
In this long-awaited fifth installment of Shannon’s Bone Season series, the threat to the clairvoyant community spreads like a plague across Europe.
After extending her fight against the Republic of Scion to Paris, Paige Mahoney, leader of London’s clairvoyant underworld and a spy for the resistance movement, finds herself further outside her comfort zone when she wakes up in a foreign place with no recollection of getting there. More disturbing than her last definitive memory, in which her ally-turned-lover Arcturus seems to betray her, is that her dreamscape—the very soul of her clairvoyance—has been altered, as if there’s a veil shrouding both her memories and abilities. Paige manages to escape and learns she’s been missing and presumed dead for six months. Even more shocking is that she’s somehow outside of Scion’s borders, in the free world where clairvoyants are accepted citizens. She gets in touch with other resistance fighters and journeys to Italy to reconnect with the Domino Programme intelligence network. In stark contrast to the potential of life in the free world is the reality that Scion continues to stretch its influence, with Norway recently falling and Italy a likely next target. Paige is enlisted to discover how Scion is bending free-world political leaders to its will, but before Paige can commit to her mission, she has her own mystery to solve: Where in the world is Arcturus? Paige’s loyalty to Arcturus is tested as she decides how much to trust in their connection and how much information to reveal to the Domino Programme about the Rephaite—the race of immortals from the Netherworld, Arcturus’ people—and their connection to the founding of Scion, as well as the presence of clairvoyant abilities on Earth. While the book is impressively multilayered, the matter-of-fact way in which details from the past are sprinkled throughout will have readers constantly flipping to the glossary. As the series’ scope and the implications of the war against Scion expand, Shannon’s narrative style reads more action-thriller than fantasy. Paige’s powers as a dreamwalker are rarely used here, but when clairvoyance is at play, the story shines.
Though it falters a bit under its own weight, this series still has plenty of fight left.Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781639733965
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A unique story of transcendent love.
An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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