An enjoyable light fantasy.
After Princess Eliza de Loegria’s father banishes the boy she loves, she runs away to find him and discovers an unlikely, life-altering bond.
Nineteen-year-old Silas Bennett, who’s no fan of arrogant royals, has a plan: secure a professorship in Pravusat by proving his hypothesis about magic stealing and flee Loegria, where he could be killed for being an Animal Affiliate with shape-shifting magic. But the best-laid plans oft go awry, and an ill-fated bargain throws Eliza and Silas into each other’s paths. They end up bound together by gold bracelets given to them by a Stone Caster—and the only way to break the spell is to “fall madly in love” and engage in “a passionate kiss.” Can they overcome their mutual prejudices and antagonism and weather their inner storms to get what they want—and do they even know what they truly want? This sequel to Casters and Crowns (2024) is propelled by classic genre tropes, although some of the emotional beats feel rushed. The story alternates between the leads’ third-person points of view. Eliza, plagued by self-doubt, high emotions, and action-hero impulses, is refreshingly idealistic; snarky and cynical Silas is an effective foil, although the enemies-to-lovers storyline comes across at times as forced. But the core themes—balancing love and fear, connection and betrayal, and unlearning the dehumanization of others—resonate deeply, and the storytelling is warm and sincere. Eliza has pale skin, and Silas has dark eyes and “honey-brown” skin.
An enjoyable light fantasy. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781639934355
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
© Copyright 2025 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.
