A heartfelt farewell to a dazzling world.
Charlotte Sand and the Order of Guardians are openly rebelling against the tyrant Lorraine the Pure, challenging Luc de Montaigne to trust his feelings and help them.
In this follow-up to Lady of Steel and Straw (2024), Cardinal Lorraine continues drugging rightful heir Artus, exerting her own power. She rules with fear, but eight weeks ago, Captain Luc de Montaigne refused her orders for the first time and was imprisoned. Now, Charlotte and the Order are leading scattered rebellions as they await Artus’ coming of age in six weeks, when he can ascend the throne. Lorraine frees Luc, who pretends he’ll cooperate with her, only to murder his most loyal lieutenant when Luc won’t help her control the wraiths—souls taken from the dead, which she plans to forge into an army. Luc escapes her control and seeks out Charlotte and the Order, whom he betrayed. Still, he knows they offer the only hope of defeating Lorraine and saving Niveaux. This is a complex, nuanced story of politics, power, and how a person’s environment can twist them beyond recognition. The pacing occasionally drags due to the six different viewpoints and the large, racially diverse, and well-developed cast of characters, each requiring attention both as individuals and for their roles in the larger story. Luc and Charlotte’s dynamic continues to exhibit a push-pull tension that may test readers’ patience. Still, the rich relationships among minor characters are captivating.
A heartfelt farewell to a dazzling world. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: yesterday
ISBN: 9781682636671
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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