An immersive sequel with higher stakes, romance, and satisfying relationship dynamics.
Riven, Asa, and the Boomslang’s crew are back, facing new dangers in Requiem, a human colony in Alpha Centauri.
It’s been four months since the fateful events of City of Shattered Light (2021), when Asa saved her sister, Kaya, and Riven lost her friend Ty to Asa’s all-powerful father, Luca Almeida. The duo, alongside their outlaw friends, are taking odd jobs in the crime-ridden matriarchal city of Requiem. When they become the target of a hacker, Riven and the crew join the Ascension Trial for choosing a new matriarch, a process bound by rules that can keep them safe for a time. But before they can complete the trial’s dangerous tasks, a new revelation about Luca Almeida’s nefarious plans for Requiem surfaces—along with the news that Ty is still alive but, just like Kaya, irrevocably changed. Asa, Riven, and now Ty (although apart from the central action) alternate perspectives as the story spirals and old enemies become allies. This sequel skillfully mixes found family and aliens with adventure and politics, with the added emotional core of romantic tension between Riven and Asa and the gang’s ongoing grieving over the friend they believe lost forever. Altogether, it’s a heady combination that entertains and engages while centering an overall diverse cast.
An immersive sequel with higher stakes, romance, and satisfying relationship dynamics. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781635830842
Page Count: 456
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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