A sequel for existing fans only.
The fateful love story between a teen girl and a boy from the afterlife continues in this follow-up to Ferryman (2021).
Dylan and Tristan crossed over to the land of the living, inhabiting borrowed bodies on borrowed time. Dylan should have died in the train accident that sent her to the wasteland, and Tristan should have kept to his mission there as a ferryman of souls. Now, as Tristan adjusts to modern living and Dylan recovers from her injuries, they discover their actions have dire consequences. Not only did they leave a gap behind that allows wraiths to follow them into the living world, causing havoc wherever they go, but they are also now physically bound to one another, and if they are separated for too long, they will die. Unbeknownst to them both, another ferryman is following Tristan’s and Dylan’s tracks. This time around, the pair’s tale focuses on the very real, very dull world of school, dances, and petty jealousies—in between fighting deadly creatures and the otherworldly forces that wish to keep them apart. The contrast is as stark as the age difference between Dylan and Tristan (she is 15; he has been around for centuries) and as jarring as their love, which is lacking in chemistry. The narrative also follows the more interesting ferryman Susanna as she pines for a different life. Main characters are cued White.
A sequel for existing fans only. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1846-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
A lightly developed cozy fantasy.
Two former best friends-turned-crushes in Northern California must push through an awkward reunion to solve a crime and save a classmate.
Sage Bishop, 17, has two major problems: Bishop Brews, her family’s beloved magical apothecary, is struggling financially thanks to the big-box store competitor that opened in the next town, and her grandmother just hired Ximena Reyes, the ex-bestie who broke Sage’s heart by ghosting her after they kissed in middle school. Sage knows the “emotional recovery tonic” she’s developing can cure heartbreak and solve her problems. But when a batch she brewed is stolen during a break-in and administered to a local teen, erasing all her memories, Sage (who’s “prone to accidentally misbrewed tonics”) realizes she must have made another mistake. The town council threatens to close Bishop Brews, and without a counter brew, the tonic’s effects on the victim could be permanent. Desperate, Sage reluctantly teams up with Ximena to catch the culprit, and they must confront their own unresolved issues in the process. This story shines brightest in its worldbuilding, which uses plants’ aromatherapy properties to explain brewing magic, creating a believable low-fantasy setting. The romance and characters feel fairly one-note, however, and the mystery is straightforward. But those seeking will-they, won’t-they drama followed by a happy ending may enjoy this light story. Sage is cued Black, Ximena presents Latine, and the supporting cast is diverse in race and sexuality.
A lightly developed cozy fantasy. (coven character list, love tonic recipe) (Fantasy romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780593897621
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Eragon continues his Rider training in this dense sequel. After the epic battle at Farthen Dûr, Eragon travels to the elven city Ellesméra to complete his magical education. There he learns from Oromis and Glaedr, a wounded Rider and his dragon who have been hidden for years, ever since Galbatorix overthrew the old order and slew the Riders. Meanwhile, inhuman servants of Galbatorix have invaded Eragon’s home village Carvahall, hoping to capture Eragon’s cousin Roran. Roran leads the villagers to join the Varden rebellion against Galbatorix’s tyranny. Another epic battle concludes the story and brings the cousins together just in time for a revelation of dark secrets. Suffused with purple prose and faux-archaic language, this patchwork of dialogue, characters and concepts pulled whole cloth from the fantasy canon holds together remarkably well. Dramatic tension is maintained through the interweaving of Eragon’s and Roran’s adventures, though too much time is spent on the details of Eragon’s training. Derivative but exciting. (Fantasy. 12-15)
Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-375-82670-X
Page Count: 704
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2005
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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