Fantasy tales that downplay the fantastical but highlight older heroes with some success.
Two long stories featuring supernatural elements and small-time drug dealers at odds in America’s Northwest.
In the short novel The Twig Lady, Heloise Allen is an aging Wickon, or white witch, who’s joined other members of her sisterhood at their training camp in the Three Sisters Wilderness area. They plan to induct 10 novice teenage witches and instruct them in how to use their brooms to fly, among other things, while enjoying camping and playing flying softball. In the woods with them are three troublemaking, Satan-worshiping witches who’ve turned three hikers—who were illegally moving marijuana through the forest—into dangerous woodland creatures. The good-hearted Wickons hope to help the endangered young men.Later, Heloise and others confront a new influx of drugs in her hometown of Timberville. In the novelette “A Crystal for Charity,” retired professors Ned Franks and Steve Jensen find themselves in possession of a crystal that allows them to turn invisible for about four minutes at a time, which injects newfound intrigue into their boring lives. Ned concocts a Robin Hood–inspired plan to steal from a local drug dealer in a Walmart parking lot and give the money to a charitable cause. But his and Steve’s actions put them on a collision course with undercover cops and mysterious men in a gray van. Often, it’s high schoolers who grapple with paranormal threats in genre fiction, but Averill’s double feature refreshingly centers on protagonists with a bit more life experience. In both stories, the characters approach the supernatural with a teacher’s pragmatism, which makes sense given Heloise’s and Ned’s roles. However, this point of view takes much of the wonder out of things such as flight, transmogrification, and invisibility. The tales share a few thematic elements, such as metaphysical powers and drug dealing, but their main link seems to be their Oregon setting, although more hallmarks of the Pacific Northwest might have strengthened this lean connection.
Fantasy tales that downplay the fantastical but highlight older heroes with some success.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-958004-25-8
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Ink Start Media
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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