Resolution still looks far off, but sparks fly as hooves and hearts pound.
In this second episode, Adams’ horsey epic gallops through a whirlwind of betrayals and rescues to a climactic assault on a rebel stronghold and several fateful developments.
Picking up the action from the opener, Of Fire and Ash (2021), characters meet, part, and meet again as the three storylines continue to intertwine. But also again, it’s the horses that steal the show: fire-blasting Mindar, ridden by willful queen Ceridwen; coltish sea-demon Ghost, bonded to secretive princeling Rafi; and an unnamed and possibly legendary dawnling, reputedly able to heal wounds and the object of a relentless search by new Scroll Jakim’s captors. The four-legged cast includes numerous other rides who are able to bond and share powers with humans—notably stone-eye tigers, whose glance numbs the minds of prey—and they add considerable color and vim to the lengthy series of battles, journeys, chases, and flights that bring profound changes to Jakim’s life while leaving Ceridwen far from her realm but personally closer to Rafi and his cause. Still, prospects look dim for the leads in this multiracial world, pitted against foes who consistently outmaneuver them, being plainly smarter as well as more powerful and ruthless. Will one more volume be enough for good hearts and worthy steeds to win out? Only time will tell, as the author hasn’t, yet.
Resolution still looks far off, but sparks fly as hooves and hearts pound. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2023
ISBN: 9798886050783
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Enclave Escape
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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