A well-balanced story of both teenage and godly dramas.
One modern-day valkyrie can see the signs: “Ragnarök is coming.”
Brynhildr Martel is named after the valkyrie Brunhild, but as the youngest of three sisters, one of whom is “the smart and responsible one” and the other “the talented and lovable one,” she’s never felt like her legendary namesake. At 17, she’s still learning to be a valkyrie, in between her shifts in the gift shop at Chicago’s Ravenswood Medieval Faire, where her family lives. When the faire is besieged by a troll, an undead army, and more creatures straight out of Norse mythology, Bryn knows that Ragnarök (or the end of the world) is nigh. With a half-giant and a berserker by her side, she plans to save the day—but it would help if her sisters ever listened to her. Bryn might be a valkyrie, but in between worrying about Ragnarök and guiding the dead to Valhalla, she has other pressing concerns, like what to say to the cute new boy at the faire and how to deal with all her family drama and the fact that she’s grounded—again. The contemporary setting combined with Norse mythological elements is fresh without being overwhelmed by too much godly interference, leaving room for Bryn to contend with all sorts of magical creatures and make plenty of mistakes along the way. Principal characters are coded white.
A well-balanced story of both teenage and godly dramas. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781368100991
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Melissa de la Cruz Studio
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
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
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
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