Clement-Davies (Fire Bringer, 2000) returns with another powerful animal fantasy, in which wolves pit instinct against legend. In medieval Transylvania, scarred by human superstition and violence, a small wolf pack flees the tyranny of Morgra, leader of the Gestapo-like Night Hunters. Their newborn cubs are marked by the prophecy of the Sight, a mysterious power that allows wolves to commune with birds, see the past and the future, and even control the minds of others. Pursued by Morgra’s curse, the pack is destroyed one by one, leaving only young Larka. She must endure harsh testing by the elements, elude those seeking her life, and overcome her own despair in order to hone the Sight, and discover the deepest power of all: the secret of Man. In this staggeringly ambitious allegory, wherein myths, history, even the landscape have rich symbolic resonance, Clement-Davies’s reach sometimes exceeds his grasp. His huge cast, while complex and vivid, can become confusing; too often he preaches through his characters, rather than allowing them to tell their own stories. Still, the tale possesses an epic grandeur, and the poetic language evokes both lyric mysticism and immediate passionate sensuality. As Larka’s messianic destiny unfolds, her journey is filled with tragedy, bitterness, violence, and betrayal; but there is also sacrifice, courage, and a love beyond all loss. Above all, this is a story about stories: how they educate, enrich, and comfort, but also entrap within the dead weight of myth. As much as the reader will learn about wolves, close attention will reveal even more about what it means to be human. A flawed but heartbreaking work of imaginative vision. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-525-46723-8
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 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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