by D. M. Fife ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2012
A new series that fans of smart, action-oriented fantasy can’t miss.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
In this YA fantasy debut, an average kid begins secret training with the Knights of the Light to battle the Dark.
Thirteen-year-old Danny Firoth has just started eighth grade. Over the summer, he and his friends—Chris, Matt, and Alonso—began playing the fantasy card game Knights, which pits “the forces of good, neutral, and evil against one another.” The lovely Sabrina Drake, the school’s newest student, also happens to enjoy the game. Danny forms an instant crush on her, and they become lab partners in science class. But Danny’s life isn’t perfect, which bully Steven Rooney proves by challenging him to fight. During the fight, however, Danny sees his opponent’s moves in ghostly silhouette—before they happen. His world gets even stranger when he encounters a dragon battling a shadow creature in the school after-hours. Sabrina soon reveals to him that the card game Knights represents a real-world struggle, and he has the gift of sight. Danny is tested by Sir Syndil Sartak Tribolari (an Elvin Knight of the Light) and invited to join the White Rock Academy of Illumination. He and several friends (who also have the sight) enroll as squires and train to become Knights who battle the Shadows. Recruitment to the Knights has risen to thwart the Dark’s growing power. Debut author Fife takes the familiar concept of light versus dark (as well as elves, dragons, and dwarves) and applies bumper-to-bumper polish. Though his main characters are eighth-graders, Fife’s robust, psychologically nuanced prose may appeal more to older teens; the egotistical Alonso frequently responds to difficult situations by saying, “Whatever,” and Matt, who learns to distrust the Elves, flirts with the path between Light and Dark. Danny’s “Ghostsight” and Fife’s concept of the Bonded (swords empowered by the essences of departed Knights) are fascinating; these touches help turn a clever mystery into a propulsive series opener.
A new series that fans of smart, action-oriented fantasy can’t miss.Pub Date: March 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9853247-0-4
Page Count: 322
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by Marti Dumas illustrated by Stephanie Parcus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2017
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
More by Marti Dumas
BOOK REVIEW
by Marti Dumas
BOOK REVIEW
by Marti Dumas
by Paul Langan Ben Alirez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2004
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.