by Christian Klaver ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2021
An enchanting and enthralling series opener.
A teen girl must save London from a Faerie invasion.
In an alternate Victorian era–esque England lives 15-year-old Justice Kasric. Unlike her properly behaved older sister, Faith, Justice longs for the excitement of sea life, intrigued by her often absent merchant father, Rachek. One fateful night, the entire Kasric clan is swept up and taken to Stormholt, a remote and mysterious estate that is guarded by magical cats. Striving to understand what is happening, Justice begins to piece together the fact that her family harbors many secrets and that no one is exactly who they seem. She finds herself traversing worlds, from smog-laden London to the high seas, trying to stave off an impending Faerie war while also struggling against the gender constraints of her time. Klaver’s worldbuilding is immersive and bursting with magic—including dragons, Goblins, ghosts, and zombie dogs, to name a few—but never feels overstuffed due to the thrilling pace. Those who appreciate period fantasies free of romantic intrigue will revel as deeply layered family secrets are revealed (although later in the book a flirtation is teased). With a decidedly Gothic feel of swirling fog and damp old estates, this first volume in a proposed series offers satisfying answers to some questions but leaves enough threads dangling to tantalize further adventures. Human characters default to White.
An enchanting and enthralling series opener. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7443-0376-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: CamCat Books
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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More In The Series
by Rebecca Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 26, 2023
The well-paced romantic tension is a highlight of this enjoyable duology closer.
Even a war driven by gods can’t sever communication between journalist lovers Iris and Roman in this steampunk-adjacent romantic adventure.
A prologue sets the scene: Dacre, a god strummed to sleep by magic in Divine Rivals (2023), will not slumber forever. His willingness to wage war to acquire more powerful magic leads him to lay waste to entire towns, and Inkridden Tribune journalist Iris Winnow and war correspondent Roman Kitt can no longer be assured the other is safe—or even still alive. In Iris’ world of cigarette smoke, copper pipes, and driving goggles, colleagues affectionately call each other by their last names, watch each other’s backs, and face danger on the front lines. Though Underling Correspondent Roman is traveling with Dacre’s army, he questions why he was healed of his grievous wounds, while at the same time, he gradually recovers memories of Iris and recalls that she was special to him. Their magically connected typewriters allow for the rediscovery of their love and for communicating potentially deadly information about the invasion of Hawk Shire. The story primarily unfolds from Iris’ and Roman’s viewpoints, and while the prose occasionally uses well-worn phrases, Anglophiles will particularly enjoy the worldbuilding, and returning readers will welcome appearances from Capt. Keegan Torres; her wife, Marisol; and Dacre’s archnemesis—and wife—the goddess Enva. Main characters present white.
The well-paced romantic tension is a highlight of this enjoyable duology closer. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250857453
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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by Tahereh Mafi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 15, 2011
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre.
A dystopic thriller joins the crowded shelves but doesn't distinguish itself.
Juliette was torn from her home and thrown into an asylum by The Reestablishment, a militaristic regime in control since an environmental catastrophe left society in ruins. Juliette’s journal holds her tortured thoughts in an attempt to repress memories of the horrific act that landed her in a cell. Mysteriously, Juliette’s touch kills. After months of isolation, her captors suddenly give her a cellmate—Adam, a drop-dead gorgeous guy. Adam, it turns out, is immune to her deadly touch. Unfortunately, he’s a soldier under orders from Warner, a power-hungry 19-year-old. But Adam belongs to a resistance movement; he helps Juliette escape to their stronghold, where she finds that she’s not the only one with superhuman abilities. The ending falls flat as the plot devolves into comic-book territory. Fast-paced action scenes convey imminent danger vividly, but there’s little sense of a broader world here. Overreliance on metaphor to express Juliette’s jaw-dropping surprise wears thin: “My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps. My eyebrows are dangling from the ceiling.” For all of her independence and superpowers, Juliette never moves beyond her role as a pawn in someone else’s schemes.
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre. (Science fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-208548-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
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