Clever and affecting in a vividly imagined world.
Sharpe’s debut novel applies a fresh fantasy premise to a classic coming-of-age tale.
London teenagers Ellie, Midge, Scott and Marty have their share of typical adolescent issues, from nagging self-doubt to sudden bouts of anger. But their biggest problem is an unusual one: A mysterious purple cloud has swept across the globe, taking with it every person between the ages of 18 and 65, leaving behind an uncanny aura of goodwill. Interpersonal conflict has come to a halt, London’s hospitals are empty, and the elderly have been cured of their aches and pains. Still, the four main characters are plagued by what Ellie names “the Missing Feeling”; they’re haunted by their absent families and the knowledge that adulthood is coming much quicker than they’d anticipated. The four soon discover that the Purple’s peaceful aftereffects are wearing off, and a group of power-hungry citizens are preparing to take advantage of the destabilized society. Aided by several plucky older guides, the friends set out to ensure the world’s safety, a quest that proves inextricably tied to their own journeys of personal and spiritual growth. These themes could easily become preachy, but with a consistently light touch and a winning penchant for the absurd, Sharpe instead puts forth an earnest, entertaining story with significant emotional weight. It’s not a perfect book—the pacing sometimes falters, the many threads of the narrative occasionally struggle to cohere, and the teenage characters all seem like simple variations on a Nice Kid archetype. But the problems those kids face, and their reactions to them, always feel authentic and relatable, even in the context of a shockingly altered world. Early on, as Midge wishes for someone she can trust, Sharpe writes: “For her, the subject of second persons had long been a prickly one. Reliable second persons rarely swam in the waters of her world.” Sentiments like that will resonate with readers of all ages, and this book’s great strength is its keen insight into the nature of human fear, hope and love.
Clever and affecting in a vividly imagined world.Pub Date: June 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475147001
Page Count: 356
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 24, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Lush, gorgeous, precise language and propulsive plotting sweep readers into a story as intelligent as it is atmospheric.
In 16th-century Madrid, a crypto-Jew with a talent for casting spells tries to steer clear of the Inquisition.
Luzia Cotado, a scullion and an orphan, has secrets to keep: “It was a game she and her mother had played, saying one thing and thinking another, the bits and pieces of Hebrew handed down like chipped plates.” Also handed down are “refranes”—proverbs—in “not quite Spanish, just as Luzia was not quite Spanish.” When Luzia sings the refranes, they take on power. “Aboltar cazal, aboltar mazal” (“A change of scene, a change of fortune”) can mend a torn gown or turn burnt bread into a perfect loaf; “Quien no risica, no rosica” (“Whoever doesn’t laugh, doesn’t bloom”) can summon a riot of foliage in the depths of winter. The Inquisition hangs over the story like Chekhov’s famous gun on the wall. When Luzia’s employer catches her using magic, the ambitions of both mistress and servant catapult her into fame and danger. A new, even more ambitious patron instructs his supernatural servant, Guillén Santángel, to train Luzia for a magical contest. Santángel, not Luzia, is the familiar of the title; he has been tricked into trading his freedom and luck to his master’s family in exchange for something he no longer craves but can’t give up. The novel comes up against an issue common in fantasy fiction: Why don’t the characters just use their magic to solve all their problems? Bardugo has clearly given it some thought, but her solutions aren’t quite convincing, especially toward the end of the book. These small faults would be harder to forgive if she weren’t such a beautiful writer. Part fairy tale, part political thriller, part romance, the novel unfolds like a winter tree bursting into unnatural bloom in response to one of Luzia’s refranes, as she and Santángel learn about power, trust, betrayal, and love.
Lush, gorgeous, precise language and propulsive plotting sweep readers into a story as intelligent as it is atmospheric.Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781250884251
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
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