An intricate and enjoyable adventure with a striking cast.
The lives of four young people entwine in this YA fantasy full of magic, escapades, and secrets that can change their world.
Growing up on the streets of Bogudos, Erevan learned a lot about life, survival, and loyalty. Now a budding mercenary alongside his adoptive father, Sir Lee, the teenager still carries guilt over a debt he owes to an old friend, who’s stuck in jail because of Erevan’s mistake. When Nya, a mysterious courier with a covert mission, offers to hire him and Sir Lee to guide and protect her on an unforgiving, dangerous route, Erevan is the first to say yes despite some misgivings. Meanwhile, in the country of Lanasall, Aireyal has been accepted into the prestigious Darr-Kamo magic school despite her big secret: She cannot perform magic yet. It is Aireyal’s greatest desire to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Grandmage June Ando, one of the most important people in the Senate of Mages. Aireyal is running out of time to ignite her powers before her sham is unveiled. When she befriends Zale, an apprentice apothecarist and fellow classmate, she doesn’t realize that she is getting enmeshed in a secret that involves two powerful mirrors, a mythical dragon egg, and the political fate of their world. Avery’s fantasy adventure follows Erevan’s and Aireyal’s parallel stories in an intertwined narrative that becomes richer and fuller with every new chapter. Both characters yearn for acceptance, hope for a better future, and struggle under the weight of pressures and expectations. Aireyal’s battles with anxiety and low self-esteem are particularly poignant. The storytelling deftly explores these characters’ inner lives while building a vivid world full of diverse people and magic. Little by little, Avery unveils the true scope of the tale. The story eventually encompasses history, politics, social unrest, and mythology as well as different perspectives on truth, trust, and power. The two main characters are 16 years old but often sound and act younger. This makes the tone of the narrative slightly incongruous but not enough to offset what is otherwise a superb start to a new series.
An intricate and enjoyable adventure with a striking cast.Pub Date: April 22, 2022
ISBN: 979-8-9856228-2-9
Page Count: 434
Publisher: Stories by Storytellers
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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