Woven of many compelling threads, the final tapestry does not live up to the sum of its parts.
In a Celtic-inspired fantasy land, a young weaver struggling for survival makes a deal with a storied spirit.
Seventeen-year-old Ella learned to weave at her father’s knee, but since his death in debtors prison, she’s braved life in the slums of Eidyn Crag alone. Interactions with Odina, a wealthy client, provide a glimpse of what life could be, and a bargain with the Bean-Nighe, a Scottish folkloric figure, brings the vision tantalizingly closer. Through Odina, Ella meets Callum, a magnetic and mysterious young man who promises her the world—for a price. What ensues is a dark tale that explores themes of poverty and power, vulnerability and exploitation. Ella, and her audience with her, learns the steep price of trust misplaced. The backdrop of mixed Scottish and Irish folkloric elements is muddy in contrast to the clarity and bite of the central themes, the worldbuilding a dilution of the rich traditions it borrows from. In contrast to the fictional Scottish setting, Odina is named as coming from a real Indigenous nation, the Mi’kmaq; Mi’kmaq culture and her experiences as a Native woman in predominantly White Eidyn Crag are not explored. Unusually for a fantasy world, birth control is raised as a concern. Troublingly, however, the efficacy of the calendar method is misleadingly overstated. Ella and Callum are cued as White.
Woven of many compelling threads, the final tapestry does not live up to the sum of its parts. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4197-5267-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Frustratingly slow and lacking in magical wonder.
Despite living her happily-ever-after, Evangeline can’t help but strive to recover her lost memories in this trilogy closer.
Evangeline Fox awakens in the strong arms of Prince Apollo, her apparent husband, who swears to protect her from the evil Lord Jacks, who stole her memories. Unfortunately, Evangeline remembers nothing of her long and complex journey in the Magnificent North or her past romances; only the pain in her heart lets her know something is missing. At Wolf Hall, Evangeline seeks ways to unlock her missing memories, including enlisting the help of a mysterious guard named Archer, even as Apollo’s behavior becomes more and more controlling. The pacing and plot feel stagnant at first, with Evangeline remembering things in flashes and moments of brief feelings, but things finally pick up once her memories return. With the point of view rotating among Evangeline, Apollo, and Jacks, there are few narrative surprises, but it’s intriguing to delve into the minds of an antagonist and a Fate. The story’s inclusion of the legendary Valors and the fantastical fairy-tale setting are unfortunately overshadowed by the love triangle’s dramatic tug-of-war romance. Likewise, the book’s various themes—power, hope, stories, and the nature of humanity—are of interest but handled in an unfocused way. The conclusion, at least, is satisfying, and it hints at future tales set in this world. Evangeline, Jacks, and Archer read white; Apollo has dark hair and olive skin.
Frustratingly slow and lacking in magical wonder. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781250851208
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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