Lively feminist conceits dressed in too-familiar vampire garb.
Teenage love must overcome immortal evil in DeKelb-Rittenhouse’s (Faerie Rings: The Book of Forests, 2009) young-adult vampire novel.
Teenager Lauren Whitfield has a lot on her plate—getting good grades, working on her creative writing, and hiding her crush on her best friend, Kayla Price. Her life becomes much more complicated, and much more dangerous, when she and Kayla begin working at the too-good-to-be-true vintage clothing store Deja Nous. The amazing clothing in the store pales in comparison to the gorgeous owner, Elizabeth Valiant, and both Lauren and Kayla become enthralled with their beautiful boss. Yet just as Lauren begins to bloom as a young woman under Elizabeth’s tutelage, she and Kayla also begin to wither. The girls are constantly exhausted, plagued by bad dreams, and have trouble eating anything but rare meat. Lauren is horrified when she finally learns the cause of her ailments: Elizabeth is a centuries-old vampire, and she is grooming Lauren and Kayla to become her next immortal lovers. Lauren must find a way to free herself from Elizabeth’s thrall and thwart her intentions before it’s too late. It’s encouraging to have lesbian main characters as well as positive portrayals of bisexuality in YA fiction. The implicit and explicit feminist calls to arms and defenses of the “inconvenient” women of history and fiction are also refreshing. As a vampire tale, however, the novel does almost nothing new. Elizabeth is the lesbian vampire vixen, a stereotypical role as old as Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1871 novella, Carmilla, which Dekelb-Rittenhouse references in the novel. The conventional signs of a vampire attack and seduction are portrayed with almost mechanical efficiency: animal transformation, alluring characters who only appear at night, mesmerism, neck wounds, exhaustion, dreamlike visions, increased sensuality, cravings for blood and raw meat, etc. Finally, Lauren’s confrontation with Elizabeth and the conclusion itself feel rushed.
Lively feminist conceits dressed in too-familiar vampire garb.Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-0984531844
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Tiny Satchel Press
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sequel that delivers on the worldbuilding set up by its predecessor.
The royal families of Hálendi and Turia come together once more to fight against the threat of ancient mages who seek to control the entire Plateau in this sequel to Shielded (2020).
A royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Riiga proves to be a trap designed to lure the kings of both Hálendi and Turia, but the newly crowned King Ren of Hálendi manages to evade it. Meanwhile, Princess Chiara of Turia, herself possessing no magic, formulates a plan to find her kidnapped father and prove herself useful to her family. Ren volunteers to go after her and agrees to help her with her quest. In the process, they discover that what the mages are really after are the keys to the mythical Black Library, which contains long-hidden powerful artifacts and records of ancient mages’ knowledge—and that they will use any means at their disposal to find these keys and the location of the library itself. This sequel introduces welcome new characters as well as bringing Jenna, Enzo, and Mari back into the fold, and the villains become more developed characters. While slow to start, the adventure shifts back into gear in the second half with plenty of action sequences amid the chaste, blooming romance that develops between Ren and Chiara. Characters’ skin tones range from pale to olive.
A sequel that delivers on the worldbuilding set up by its predecessor. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11857-3
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
This gloriously spectacular finale steals the show.
Following the magical competition of Where Dreams Descend (2020), Kallia experiences a mirror world where it’s difficult to separate illusions from reality.
After falling through a mirror with her mentor, Jack, Kallia enters a dangerous underworld filled with illusions. Magician Daron Demarco desperately searches for her, hoping the trail will also lead to his lost sister who disappeared into a mirror years ago. His path is no easy one, and while looking for the Zarose Gate, Daron unravels countless secrets and mysteries at every turn—despite being blocked by the influential, supposedly peacekeeping Patrons who are led by his aunt. Meanwhile, Kallia and Jack end up in a bustling alternate version of the city of Glorian, created by the Dealer, a powerful magician who reveals that Jack is not what he seems. Though fierce Kallia has lost her magic, she joins a troupe of dazzling performers, all the while seeking a way to escape back to the true world. The stunning fantasy worldbuilding started in the first book continues to delight, but this time the rich, sensational world of the other Glorian offers even more to explore. Entertaining new characters, clever dueling magic, and a touch of romance cap off an unforgettable tale. Kallia and several other main characters are brown-skinned.
This gloriously spectacular finale steals the show. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-20432-5
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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