A magically thrilling, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable read.
A teenage girl is inadvertently embroiled in a dangerous mystery.
“Your father was innocent,” the letter reads. Is it the truth? A trap? Either way, 18-year-old Maeve Abenthy is unnerved by this message, signed by an anonymous “old friend” and delivered to her by an otherwhere courier seven years after it was written—and seven years after the Written Doors were destroyed and the citizens of Inverly were lost. These events were all thanks, allegedly, to the evildoing of her father, a once revered scriptomancer. Maeve has since been living under various aliases, terrified that she’ll be found out and punished for being an Abenthy. She knows that otherwhere couriers, the only people able to travel between worlds, use the magic of scriptomancy to deliver the post. A courier she questions about discovering the sender’s identity reveals information that sets in motion her quest for the truth about that fateful day—and her father’s involvement. Bestselling author Taylor’s transformative talent as a world builder shines in her sophomore novel, an epic dark fantasy tale of love, justice, the delicate magic of finding connection, and the complex art of scribing. The prose moves quickly while at the same time incorporating great detail. The main characters are layered, their pain and humanity on par with their abilities to tackle the puzzle before them. Redhaired Maeve is light-skinned; her father had “wheat-colored” skin, and there’s some diversity in skin tone in the supporting cast.
A magically thrilling, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable read. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593404546
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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