This middle volume offers a rising plot and ever bigger baddies; anyone who makes it this far is definitely in for Volume 3.
The second outing in Herman’s Blood of Gods and Royals series following Legacy of Kings (2015), continuing the tale of Alexander the Great and his compatriots as teens.
A cast of dozens, with eight narrative perspectives (six teens and two adults), full of reawakening magic, sex, and lots and lots of violence: it’s the formula behind George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire, and there’s no doubt it has appeal. Indeed, the present-tense narration and the short, sometimes-choppy sentences (“The two men guarding the doorway relax when they see him. ‘Good job,’ he says, clapping them on the back. He waves to his men on the other tower. Where’s Phrixos?”) on occasion make this sound like the chapter-book version of exactly that stripe of epic fantasy, although the lack of certain trappings like a map or list of important figures (many of them historical) leads to a needlessly confusing reading experience. Regardless, fans will love this volume: the stakes are higher, the romantic permutations continue unabated, and the impressive battle scene is lovingly rendered. It’s a strangely balanced romantic fantasy, both old-fashioned (misogyny; wicked, promiscuous queen) and forward-thinking (Alex seems to be asexual; Cynane owns her sexual desires and actions), and set in a time and place that guarantees multicultural exoticism.
This middle volume offers a rising plot and ever bigger baddies; anyone who makes it this far is definitely in for Volume 3. (author’s note; discussion guide) (Historical fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: June 28, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-373-21192-0
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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