An adventurous tale of a boy entering a fantasy world that’s hampered by inconsistent character development.
A boy moves to a new town and plays a game that brings him to a magical realm in Sugralinov’s middle-grade fantasy series starter.
When Kenny, who’s about to enter the sixth grade, and his mom move from New York City to Stonewood, Kansas,his most pressing concern is whether his father will meet them at the airport. If his dad shows up, he thinks, things will go “back to the way they were.” When he doesn’t, Kenny realizes that things won’t ever be the same. In Kansas, Kenny’s mom enrolls him at school but then leaves him home alone while she starts her new job. Curious about a mysterious gaming console at the new apartment, he presses the start button and finds himself magically transported into an unknown role-playing game. Sugralinov presents a work in the RealRPG genre, which offers a literary version of a role-playing game; when Kenny’s in the game world, large swaths of text feature player directives, descriptions of tools and adversaries, and statistics such as skill points and power percentages. RPG enthusiasts will be accustomed to this, but others may skim through these sections, as they initially seem insignificant to Kenny’s personal development and it’s unclear how the two worlds are connected. However, during his first day of play, Kenny learns that he can understand his cat’s meows, that real-world time stops while he’s in the game, and that certain improvements in his game life become present in the real world. The protagonist expresses weighty concerns involving his father: “After Dad left, Mom’s laughter had faded. She used to have the best kind of laugh—the kind that lit up her eyes and made everyone else smile. And then one day, Dad was just gone.” However, he doesn’t explore them, either in connection with the game or otherwise, which deprives the story of an anchoring purpose. That said, Kenny’s progress and discoveries in the game world, especially after friends join him on his quest, promise an intriguing continuing series.
An adventurous tale of a boy entering a fantasy world that’s hampered by inconsistent character development.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2023
ISBN: 9798862684476
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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