Exhausting.
Third in the Rebel Angels series (Bloodstone, 2013, etc.), an otherworld fantasy nominally for young adults, which first appeared in the U.K.
Power-hungry Sithe witch-queen Kate NicNiven has done a deal with an evil power to give her control over the Veil separating the mortal realm from that of the Sithe. The only thing restraining her, a talisman called the Bloodstone, turned out to be a person: Rory, son of rebellious Sithe warrior Seth MacGregor. In the Sithe world, Rory, now a restless teenager, chafes at the constraints Seth imposes on him, not understanding what a terrible threat Kate represents or how much his father loves him. With no companions his own age, Rory frequently slips through the Veil into the mortal realm. Here, he meets and immediately admires the spirited Hannah, a girl with an absent father and a mother who cares nothing for her, not to mention her mother’s abusive live-in boyfriend. Rory tricks Hannah into crossing the Veil, where she immediately feels at ease despite the hostility of many of the Sithe—neither lovable nor noble, they’re brutal and often bloodthirsty partisans. Previously, Kate maneuvered Seth into killing his beloved half brother, Conal, and has already set in motion a tortuous (and, to the reader, largely invisible) plot to destroy him and turn his followers against him. The characters—who are mostly supposed to be very, very old—sound and act like teenagers, showing little sense of proportion and ramping up every confrontation to a pitch of earsplitting intensity. This relentless tangle of passion, politics, and violence, and confusing multiple narrators and viewpoints, while fascinating to series regulars, has pretty much lost any claim to independent intelligibility.
Exhausting.Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7653-3324-7
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun.
Comedy and suspense dominate this imaginative twist on the Dracula legend.
Harnissey, Dracula’s vampire nephew, and his companion, the ancient spider Morleaux, arrive at the old homestead for a visit when Dracula leaves for London. Harnissey, innocent, well-meaning and constantly bumbling, is attacked by the vampire sisters in residence, who intend to take over the castle while the Master is away. He and his intelligent spider sidekick eventually form an alliance with Dracula’s undead butler, a nicely drawn character always surrounded by a halo of buzzing flies, and a kingly, sinister cat, to do battle against a centuries-old vampire sorceress who’s arrived holding a grudge, along with her skeleton army. Bayne has a flair for droll comedy. His monstrous characters stand out clearly and distinctly as individuals, and the author’s clever focus on the other side of Bram Stoker’s novel helps fill out the story. The humorous undead protagonists, who are afraid of ghosts, add plenty of flavor to the story, as does the author’s incorporation of historical detail. The only flaw is Bayne’s tendency toward too-flippant dialogue, which is clearly designed to appeal to adolescents, but is inconsistent with the more sophisticated style used in the narration. Still, this is an entertaining romp that displays originality and inventiveness.
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun. (Fiction. YA)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40242-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.
A princess must choose between her kingdom and her true love.
Princess Alera, heiress to the throne of Hytanica, has reached a crossroads in her life. She has agreed to marry to benefit her kingdom. But Alera is displeased with her father’s choice of suitor, the egocentric and arrogant Lord Steldor. Selected for his firm hand and military skill, Steldor can expect to wield much power over the inquisitive and spirited princess–Hytanic tradition favors the rule of males, so Alera must settle down and defer to her leading man. As preparations for marriage are made, the return of a long-lost child of Hytanica, Narian, from the rival Cokyri people sends shockwaves through the kingdom–and Alera’s heart. The Cokyri are renowned for their violent and bloodthirsty ways, and Narian is welcomed warily by the masses. Alera is quick to warm to him–he is mysterious and daring, fearless and capable. And Narian takes her seriously. Their clandestine relationship leads Alera to take dangerous risks, especially when the Cokyrians’ plans to reclaim Narian as their own come to light. The looming conflict jeopardizes their nascent love affair, as well as the whole of Hytanica. The princess finds herself not only pitted between two suitors but forced to decide between her royal obligations and her heart’s deepest desire. Debut novelist Kluver’s solid world-building skills flesh out this dynamic coming-of-age romance with strong detail and cultural development. Alera is fiery and likable and will find favor among young adult readers. Lively secondary characters, with the exception of a somewhat flat depiction of Steldor, and sharp dialogue, combined with richly imagined Hytanic legend and history, keep the pace of this epic moving until the last scene. However, the tale’s abrupt cliffhanger leaves both major story lines frustratingly stalled until the sequel.
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.Pub Date: April 15, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9802089-7-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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