Enjoyable festive fare.
In Christmas, Pennsylvania, the holiday season is a riot of overblown consumerism—and the efforts of a group of disillusioned teens to expose its true origins lead them to unleash forces of evil.
Ever since brown-skinned Jake’s dad died, Christmas has been his “own personal waking nightmare”—which is tricky, since his family owns Valverde Evergreens, a Christmas tree farm. With the help of friends Abe (who’s Jewish) and Wyn (who has dark brown skin), he’s determined to prove that the truth of Christmas is, as Wyn informs him, “much darker than the mainstream media wants you to believe.” Drawn to an old box in the Midwinter Monster Museum that whispers an ominous plea only he can hear (“Use the knife. Set us free”), Jake accidentally releases the trapped spirits of the witch-queen Perchta and her “strange, monstrous Yuletide beasts” who feed on humanity’s fear, anger, and pain and seek to vanquish the light of the warrior-mage the Yulefather. This quippy, energetically illustrated story includes Yule lore from various European cultures, including Iceland’s Yule Cat, Jólakötturinn, and the Welsh Gray Mare, Mari Lwyd. This lighthearted series opener will appeal to readers looking for fast-paced, not-too-scary thrills. The work is elevated by the skillful, beautifully colored artwork, which makes strong use of light and shadow and expresses the emotions of the wide-eyed human characters and the panoply of Yuletide creatures.
Enjoyable festive fare. (cover gallery, behind the scenes) (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9798894883205
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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