Both thoroughly researched and absolutely modern, this harkens back to the slightly soapy but still reasonably intelligent...
Herman, best known for nonfiction about what royalty get up to in (and out of) the bedroom (Sex with Kings, 2004, etc.), changes direction to enter the teen-crossover field with straight-up historical fantasy.
Drawing on Alexander of Macedon and throwing in some additional magic and mayhem, Herman has created an ensemble cast of teens poised to conquer or be conquered: historical figures Alexander, Hephaestion, and Cynane, original characters Katerina, Jacob, and Zofia. Unsurprisingly, things start slowly, with a large number of people to put in place and a world to build, but once most characters are in Alexander’s Pella (other than Persian Zofia), the plot starts crackling: Alexander’s mother, Queen Olympias, is evil; his half sister Cynane is not much better, seducing Heph to break up a friendship and cast a spell of power. Country girl Katerina has unexpected power and strength, and country boy Jacob finds himself allied with the egalitarian, zealous, and thoroughly unpleasant Aesarian lords, Macedon’s most immediate enemy. Mixed with the plot and counterplot are genuinely sexy (although graphically tame) scenes, plenty of historical-fact–dropping (only occasionally obvious), and hints that magic is waking up in the world after a long dormancy.
Both thoroughly researched and absolutely modern, this harkens back to the slightly soapy but still reasonably intelligent mass-market historicals of an earlier era, updated just right for today’s audience. (author’s note, author Q-and-A, discussion questions) (Historical fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-373-21172-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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