As ferociously compelling as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, with which it invites comparison.
First in an otherworld fantasy trilogy, nominally for young adults, that first appeared in the U.K. in 2010, from the author of Opposite of Amber (2011, etc.).
In a dramatically arresting opening scene, we meet young Sidhe narrator Seth MacGregor as he aims a crossbow bolt at the head of his beloved older half brother Conal in order to save him the agony of being burned at the stake as a witch. How he reaches this point occupies the first half of the book. The realms of the immortal Sidhe and mortal humans are separated by a magical barrier, the Veil, created in the distant past by Sidhe witches, and time flows differently on either side. Seth and Conal are sons of Sidhe clan leader Griogair. Conal's mother, the witch Leonora, is Griogair's bonded partner, while Seth's is the cruel and vindictive Lilith, adviser to the Sidhe queen, Kate NicNiven, who nurses ambitions to destroy the Veil (but to what end?). At 8 years of age, Lilith sent Seth to live in his father's dun, where he was ignored and belittled until Conal befriended him. Despite Conal’s reassuring presence, Seth burns with rage and resentment; only his loyalty to Conal keeps him from self-destruction. Later, thanks to royal intrigue, Conal and Seth are exiled to the mortal realm, where they find themselves in a grim late-16th-century Scotland. Although they attempt to live quietly, compassionate Conal practices minor healing arts, but even these attract the unwanted attention of the new priest—a fanatical witch-burner who, the brothers are intrigued to learn, may not even be human. And thus we reach that arresting opening. Set forth in gritty, visceral detail, along with a few anachronisms (“When do they plan to evolve?” Seth wonders of the benighted Scots), curses, sex, violence and drinking, Seth grows in stature, understanding and empathy while learning to wield his rage as a weapon. One minor drawback: much of the deeper plotting takes place offstage.
As ferociously compelling as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, with which it invites comparison.Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7653-3322-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.
This YA SF novel features a teen who must halt a virus that will kill two-thirds of humanity.
In Silver Oak, Maryland, Alice Sherman is a high school junior enjoying lunch near her campus basketball court. With her is Archie, her brother, a senior and science prodigy who likes equations more than his fellow students. Alice has been Archie’s one true friend since their mother left six years ago. Alice is about to catch up with Lalana Bunyasarn, her best friend, when a sudden “streak of electricity zaps through” her head. The agony intensifies until a Voice enters Alice’s mind, asking her, “Do you want this pain to stop?” The Voice then instructs her to go up to Bandit Sakda, a classmate playing basketball, and say that she loves him. Bandit is a beautiful Thai boy who’s talented and arrogant. Strangely, the Voice calls her Malice and says not to fall for him because “it’ll only make what you have to do later harder.” Eventually, Alice learns that the Voice belongs to someone from 10 years in the future who needs help saving humanity. A virus will be created by a person Alice knows that will wipe out two-thirds of the world population. Following the Voice’s directions can save everyone—except the person Alice is ordered to kill. Dunn’s (Star-Crossed, 2018, etc.) latest YA adventure offers increasingly tantalizing twists that gleam in succession like nested matryoshka dolls. Alice will charm readers with her quirks, especially her devotion to Chris Hemsworth of Marvel’s Avengers films. Tension builds as characters in the large cast, including crushworthy Zeke Cain and the brilliant Cristela Ruiz, become potential targets for Alice’s mission. Details about Thai culture add a splendid dimension to the narrative; for example, Bandit is pronounced “bun-dit” and means “one who is wise.” While the notion of a high school killer may not sit well with some, the author doesn’t use the device lightly. Her book takes a strong anti-bullying stance, doing so through an entertaining narrative that doesn’t resort to preaching. The author’s heart and craftiness make a sequel welcome.
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64063-412-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)
A convoluted fantasy offering a series of morals about justice, mercy, human treatment of animals and human treatment of other humans.
A cluster of animals have been educated by a World War II veteran and his activist wife. The animals, a now-vegetarian mix of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, live in harmony on Cloudburst Mountain. Following their scriptures (the Bible, Animal Farm and judgments such as “Humans Are Evil”), they plan for the day when they will kill all the humans and rule the world. The tale follows the adventures of their coyote prophet Justice and human ally Cody as they travel the United States preparing other animals for “The Rebellion.” Though they meet mostly repellent, violent humans and mistreated animals, they also encounter enough well-meaning, victimized humans to make Cody question his alliance with the cause of human genocide. Meanwhile, the grandson of the original human missionaries to the animals threatens the entire endeavor as he plans to mine the mountain for uranium. Ultimately, the animals succeed in murdering the vast majority of the human race, giving them hope for a shining new day. This overly complex tale is dense with purple prose and far too many extraneous characters–for example, Gordon “Raindance” Fell, the Shadow Shaman of the Pokihallah tribe; and Forest Victor, who appears for the first time late in the story, saying of his never-mentioned-before dead wife, “if only her hatred of the evil deeds of the baby seal killers hadn’t drawn her and her cameras into a combative stance.”
Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)Pub Date: June 21, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-39274-1
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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