A descriptive action-packed fantasy in a vivid world, this novel is for readers interested in seeing its protagonist use her...
An exciting second installment in King’s Hundredth Queen series takes readers from one disaster to another along the way to restoring the Tarachand Empire.
After leaving the city of Vanhi, Kalinda and her party decide that they must find Prince Ashwin, as he is the heir to Rajah Tarek’s throne. The prince summons Kalinda to Iresh, the capital of Janardan, a country that borders the Tarachand Empire and has taken in Tarachand refugees. Once there, Kalinda is asked to fight in another tournament to see who will be Prince Ashwin’s champion to take back and rule the Tarachand Empire from the bhuta Warlord Hastin. After the previous book’s tournament to wed Rajah Tarek, Kalinda swore she would never fight again, but if she does not, a foreigner will rule her people. She is unsure she can trust the other contestants to rule—or even Prince Ashwin himself. The plot is, predictably, filled with deception and intrigue. The narration switches perspective between Kalinda and her sweetheart, palace guard Deven, since they are separated for most of the book. All of the characters are persons of color, as the world is inspired by (but hardly faithful to) Sumerian mythology, according to the author’s note. King treats the readers to stunning descriptions of Kalinda and her sister warriors’ characters, even giving villains redeeming traits and hints of sympathy.
A descriptive action-packed fantasy in a vivid world, this novel is for readers interested in seeing its protagonist use her powers and wit to smash the patriarchy. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-61109-749-8
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Skyscape
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A promising, page-turning romantasy.
An 18-year-old girl’s days of hiding her true supernatural identity are tested when she’s embroiled in the mystery surrounding a prominent professor’s death.
The Palmers are a secretive supernatural family in Cornwall, England. Nicole and her brother, Dylan, pretend to only be Seers like their father and younger sister, Bells, but they’re actually Empyreals—rare, powerful hunters who can shape-shift into any being’s deadliest predator. Nicole knows that if she and Dylan ever transform, the Wake, or shadowy organization that controls the paranormal world and killed their Empyreal mother, will force them to join their ranks or die. Nicole believes she can decode a final message from her mother hidden in The Wild Hunt of Odin, a famous folkloric painting, but after Diana Westmoore, the professor and art collector who owns the painting, dies suddenly, the Wake send their best Empyreal assassin, Kyan McCarter, to retrieve the painting and hunt the supernatural killer. Kyan and Nicole are immediately drawn to each other, even though he’s lived monastically for centuries, and she’s been taught to avoid the Wake at all costs. Their forced proximity causes proverbial sparks to fly. Filled with intriguing worldbuilding, a swoony forbidden romance, and a diverse collection of fascinating mythological creatures who coexist in the human and supernatural worlds, this series opener is ideal for fans of Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Sally Green. Main characters are cued white, Dylan is queer, and the supporting cast includes diversity in race and sexual orientation.
A promising, page-turning romantasy. (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781335006950
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years.
Big-town girl stuck in a small-town world full of lies falls for another girl.
Astrid's parents moved both her and her sister away from their New York City home years ago to a small town symbolically called Unity Valley. Since then her mom has drunk the society Kool-Aid, and her dad takes mental vacations in the garage to smoke weed. Astrid doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Two friends keep her sane: her closeted BFF, Kristina, and Dee, a star hockey player she met while working for a local catering company. Sparks fly between Astrid and Dee, causing Astrid to feel even more distanced and confused. Meanwhile, Kristina and her boyfriend/beard Justin use Astrid as cover for their own same-sex sweethearts, adding more fuel to the fire. King has created an intense, fast-paced, complex and compelling novel about sexuality, politics and societal norms that will force readers outside their comfort zones. The whole town—even the alleged gay characters—buy into the Stepford-like ideal, and King elegantly uses Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" to help readers understand life inside and outside of the box. Only Astrid knows what she wants. She’s in love with Dee, but she's not sure if she’s a lesbian. She’s ignoring all of the labels and focusing on what she feels.
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-19468-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
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