An emotionally rich tale that’s sweeping despite its brevity.
A duplicitous ruler keeps an evil force at bay while lying to his kingdom in Armstrong’s fantasy debut.
King Magnus rules Evlontus, where, nearly 30 years ago, the monarch banned citizens from using and inevitably abusing magic. He also enforces a sense of unity by stoking fears that his brother, Cassius, is at war with Evlontus. Soldiers attack the realm, critically wounding Evlontus’ heroes, such as Capt. Japheth; however, the warriors are all part of Magnus’ ruse. In reality, Cassius is not a renegade warlord; he lives in the Shadow Wood Forest in a temple known only to Magnus and his prophet, Basil. Cassius holds an evil force within his body to keep it from harming anyone else. Complicating matters, however, is Basil’s prophecy that Ellendarra, a talented warrior who’s replaced Japheth in the field, will end Magnus’ rule. The king, meanwhile, plans to rescue Cassius from his fate as a vessel for evil; he orders Basil to create an enchanted dagger to drain away the darkness from Cassius’ heart. Magnus hopes to transfer the evil to Japheth, whose ruination he finds more palatable. In order to get close enough to Cassius to stab him and quickly heal him with a potion, the king sends Ellendarra to seduce him. Armstrong knows exactly where to place the dramatic twists in this condensed epic fantasy. Despite the presence of clashing armies, which would suggest a sprawling narrative, this tale focuses tightly on its core cast. The dialogue style creates an atmosphere of vicious intimacy, as when Basil tells Ellendarra that she’s a “flawed and damaged mortal whose past deeds have fed the darkness like poison to the veins.” The prose also occasionally conjures the magic of nature: “The forest was beautiful, the sunlight seeping in through the tall trees in a way that made the leaves glimmer.” The nuanced portrayal of Magnus provides a philosophical counterpoint to Japheth, who believes that “A king should serve his people,” not manipulate them. After true romance blossoms between Cassius and Ellendarra, the plot accelerates and offers satisfying surprises. It’s likely that the characters will travel an even bumpier road in a sequel.
An emotionally rich tale that’s sweeping despite its brevity.Pub Date: May 2, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tender and moving portrait about the transcendent power of art and friendship.
An artwork’s value grows if you understand the stories of the people who inspired it.
Never in her wildest dreams would foster kid Louisa dream of meeting C. Jat, the famous painter of The One of the Sea, which depicts a group of young teens on a pier on a hot summer’s day. But in Backman’s latest, that’s just what happens—an unexpected (but not unbelievable) set of circumstances causes their paths to collide right before the dying 39-year-old artist’s departure from the world. One of his final acts is to bequeath that painting to Louisa, who has endured a string of violent foster homes since her mother abandoned her as a child. Selling the painting will change her life—but can she do it? Before deciding, she accompanies Ted, one of the artist’s close friends and one of the young teens captured in that celebrated painting, on a train journey to take the artist’s ashes to his hometown. She wants to know all about the painting, which launched Jat’s career at age 14, and the circle of beloved friends who inspired it. The bestselling author of A Man Called Ove (2014) and other novels, Backman gives us a heartwarming story about how these friends, set adrift by the violence and unhappiness of their homes, found each other and created a new definition of family. “You think you’re alone,” one character explains, “but there are others like you, people who stand in front of white walls and blank paper and only see magical things. One day one of them will recognize you and call out: ‘You’re one of us!’” As Ted tells stories about his friends—how Jat doubted his talents but found a champion in fiery Joar, who took on every bully to defend him; how Ali brought an excitement to their circle that was “like a blinding light, like a heart attack”—Louisa recognizes herself as a kindred soul and feels a calling to realize her own artistic gifts. What she decides to do with the painting is part of a caper worthy of the stories that Ted tells her. The novel is humorous, poignant, and always life-affirming, even when describing the bleakness of the teens’ early lives. “Art is a fragile magic, just like love,” as someone tells Louisa, “and that’s humanity’s only defense against death.”
A tender and moving portrait about the transcendent power of art and friendship.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781982112820
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
