Illusions, treachery, and abductions abound as Ophelia’s perilous adventure continues.
With the true reason behind Thorn’s proposal revealed at last and the cruel extent to which the Pole’s nobility is willing to go to gain and keep power now starkly clear, Ophelia is in more danger than ever and must seek protection from the ark’s mercurial family spirit, Farouk. But every favor in the Pole comes at a cost, especially when it is a favor from an immortal with a singular obsession. Ophelia, with her talent as a reader of objects, is thrust unwillingly and precariously into the center of the court even as other prominent nobles begin to disappear under suspicious (even impossible) circumstances. When she receives anonymous threats demanding that she abandon her impending marriage and leave the Pole lest she die, Ophelia must decide whom she can possibly trust in a world whose schemes and illusions go centuries deep. The author continues her masterful architecture in this second installment as the arks, the family relationships, and the characters’ histories all gain greater depth and dimension. The “fragments” that comprise the mythology punctuating the narrative have shifted from intermittent mystery to fundamental memory underpinning the entire world history. Ophelia remains refreshingly awkward and clumsy, and, though unlabeled, she continues to offer a mirror to asexual spectrum readers. Major characters default to white.
With this deeper tumble into the web, more intricate the weave becomes. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60945-507-1
Page Count: 540
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
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Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
23
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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. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Belial, Prince of Hell, makes his move on London in this trilogy closer.
With 11 ensemble characters (not counting the odd Greater Demon) to juggle, Clare uses up most of her chunky page count untangling the romantic snarls of the first two volumes—plus chucking in occasional attacks by lesser demons or raving maniac Tatiana Blackthorn to give her demon-slaying Edwardian-era Nephilim something to do besides steamily tonguing one another, lengthily weltering in secret longing and self-loathing, or (at last!) explicitly consummating their ardor. The angular figures posing stiffly in Curte’s randomly scattered tableaux do little to either raise or turn down the heat of a narrative that runs to lines like: “He was about to crush his lips to Alastair’s…when a scream split the air. The scream of someone in anguished pain.” Eventually Belial does get around to launching his evil scheme to take over London and then the world despite already bleeding from two wounds previously dealt by legendary magic sword Cortana. The love matches among the tight circle of friends are notably diverse, involving couples whose various members include some who are part Indian or Persian, those who are gay or straight, and even the formerly undead. The book closes with a tidying-up epilogue and even a bonus story, “Aught but Death,” which focuses on Cordelia and Lucie.
Fiendishly romantic from start to (eventual) finish. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9781481431934
Page Count: 800
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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