A brisk, entertaining tale that unfolds in a wonderfully bizarre world.
In this YA fantasy, a teenager finds himself in a strange and precarious land to help a princess he’s never met.
Above the Thames,Londoner Archie spies a girl disappearing through a hole suddenly materializing in the stone floor of a bridge. As many teen boys would do, he soon follows her. He’s suddenly in the Merge, an odd place that’s covered in vines and has no sun. He meets up with the girl, Inez, who tells Archie startling news. He’s a locksmith—able to travel between worlds by opening locks most can’t see. At first, Archie sticks around to learn all about the Merge. But Inez needs a locksmith for her mission, a job Archie gleefully accepts. Though she keeps the operation’s details to herself, Inez’s plan involves a missing princess and a mysterious vote. Meanwhile, the realms in the Merge are in danger; of the nine, three have “fallen.” Looking to take over the remaining realms is a group with diabolical intentions called the SubMerged. The band’s assassins had been chasing Inez before she and Archie even connected. With time running out, the two hurry to reach a kingdom before the enigmatic voting takes place. Shan’s series opener, which originally appeared as three shorter books, presents a cohesive story. Much of this enjoyable volume focuses on Archie’s familiarizing himself with the Merge. Despite offering abundant dialogue, the author doesn’t bog down the tale with Merge particulars. The details eventually come to light throughout Archie’s rousing adventures. Along the way, a king calls him “a Lox,” a locksmith. The hero’s escapades include fleeing horrific creatures known as hell jackals and liberating a prisoner from the Merge city of Suanpan, a “giant casino.” The fast-paced narrative culminates with Inez’s stunning ploy, which isn’t entirely clear until the end. There’s also a surprising resolution, considering that a sequel is planned. Still, Shan leaves plenty of avenues to explore in the second installment, from Archie’s loss of his foster brother to Inez’s mostly unknown past.
A brisk, entertaining tale that unfolds in a wonderfully bizarre world. (author’s bibliography)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-91-000914-7
Page Count: 506
Publisher: Home of the Damned
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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