Fizzles into a pat denouement instead of igniting fiery readerly devotion.
As the French Revolution burns its way through history, Camille Durbonne and her friends must carve their path to survival in this sequel to All That Glitters (2019), originally released as Enchantée.
In a Paris in the throes of social and political change, Camille and her sister, Sophie, now have a safe house and the riches that allow them to live freely. For Camille, that means turning away from the magic that nearly destroyed their lives to become a printer like her father, producing successful pamphlets that give voice to less fortunate girls. Camille still yearns for that magic, but giving in may cost her not only the love of Lazare, the balloonist who has her heart, but her own life when the king, supported by the revolutionaries, declares all magicians traitors to France. Suddenly her beloved Paris is the most dangerous place for Camille and her friends to be. This novel features an enchanting group of characters and a thoughtful thread about Camille’s progressive understanding of how her identity cannot be divorced from her magic. But as the alternate history focuses on the persecution of elite magicians, it undermines the complexities of the French Revolution and both its hopes and horrors. Both the main characters’ laughable plot to save the magicians as well as one-note villains further weaken the story. Most main characters are White; Camille’s beau Lazare is brown-skinned, with French and Indian heritage.
Fizzles into a pat denouement instead of igniting fiery readerly devotion. (glossary, historical note) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-29555-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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