Part fantasy, part fairy tale, part action-adventure—and all heart.
What would you risk for acceptance?
Ferra bemoans the loss of Ephemeral, the girl she loves, and wishes to be so “beautiful” and “unique” that she will return her affection. Ferra’s prayer is answered by a magical being who turns her into a living porcelain figure. Now extremely fragile, Ferra damages her face, leaving an empty hole where her left eye was. Wanting to cross the sea to be with her lost love, she overhears young pirate captain Brigantine bragging about her ship’s prowess. With a crew desperate for cash, Brig takes the job. They set sail, hot-tempered Brig clashing with know-it-all Ferra nearly the entire way. Ferra will do anything to be worthy of Ephemeral’s attention, while Brig has something to prove to the floating city of pirates who banished her. What follows is an extended tale exploring the importance of accepting oneself, including one’s so-called imperfections. The story is fun, sweet, and exciting and is set in a rich fantasy world where magic is rare but very real. Offering moments of genuine depth, it challenges the toxic idea that people should change just to please another. Barna’s illustrations add oodles of energy as well as visual expansions of the worldbuilding. Before her transformation to white porcelain, Ferra had light-tan skin and brown hair; green-skinned Brig resembles an ogre-type, and the population of this world reflects various real-world and fantastical races.
Part fantasy, part fairy tale, part action-adventure—and all heart. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781534487765
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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
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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