A promising romantic fantasy that’s strengthened by skillful character work.
In Contreras’ fantasy series-starter, an unlikely pair are bound by a goddess to break a historical curse.
The city of Lunaris is isolated from the pain of the past. Indeed, that’s the price its residents pay for asylum there: Their personal histories are erased from their memories, which allows them to live free from trauma. However, this apparent blessing may hide its own curse; as protagonist Ada Temperance Acevedo learns, “safety is an illusion.” When she and her brother, Jordi, arrived in Lunaris as orphaned children 20 years ago, they were given no choice but to abandon their memories and live within Lunaris’ boundaries. Jordi became obsessed with this crime against their agency, convinced that a larger conspiracy was at play. His tendency to stick his nose where it isn’t welcome displeases Ada, who wants nothing more than to keep him safe. A disturbance in the dark magical Shroud surrounding Lunaris—the result of a long-ago curse—results in Jordi being fatally wounded, and Ada bargains with the goddess Mortiana to save him. Later, Mortiana sends her warrior Malachi to collect the debt Ada owes, which involves a magical bond; as a result, Ada learns new things about Lunaris, and about herself. Although the complex worldbuilding and large cast in Contreras’ novel can be overwhelming, the story is grounded by the strength of its protagonist, her relationships, and her determination to uncover the truth. Despite the romantic focus, the emotional weight of the narrative isn’t carried solely by the love story between Ada and Malachi. Ada’s relationship with her sibling is the plot’s driving force, which results in nuanced and well-rounded characterization. Still, Contreras also skillfully develops the slow-burn connection between Ada and Malachi during their forced proximity; their bickering gradually transforms into an intense loyalty that’s sure to satisfy romance fans. A high-octane, cliffhanger ending will hook readers in for the second installment.
A promising romantic fantasy that’s strengthened by skillful character work.Pub Date: April 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798990455191
Page Count: 390
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.
A fantasy adventure with a sometimes-biting wit.
Tress is an ordinary girl with no thirst to see the world. Charlie is the son of the local duke, but he likes stories more than fencing. When the duke realizes the two teenagers are falling in love, he takes Charlie away to find a suitable wife—and returns with a different young man as his heir. Charlie, meanwhile, has been captured by the mysterious Sorceress who rules the Midnight Sea, which leaves Tress with no choice but to go rescue him. To do that, she’ll have to get off the barren island she’s forbidden to leave, cross the dangerous Verdant Sea, the even more dangerous Crimson Sea, and the totally deadly Midnight Sea, and somehow defeat the unbeatable Sorceress. The seas on Tress’ world are dangerous because they’re not made of water—they’re made of colorful spores that pour down from the world’s 12 stationary moons. Verdant spores explode into fast-growing vines if they get wet, which means inhaling them can be deadly. Crimson and midnight spores are worse. Ships protected by spore-killing silver sail these seas, and it’s Tress’ quest to find a ship and somehow persuade its crew to carry her to a place no ships want to go, to rescue a person nobody cares about but her. Luckily, Tress is kindhearted, resourceful, and curious—which also makes her an appealing heroine. Along her journey, Tress encounters a talking rat, a crew of reluctant pirates, and plenty of danger. Her story is narrated by an unusual cabin boy with a sharp wit. (About one duke, he says, “He’d apparently been quite heroic during those wars; you could tell because a great number of his troops had died, while he lived.”) The overall effect is not unlike The Princess Bride, which Sanderson cites as an inspiration.
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781250899651
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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