Outlandish, serious, and entertaining, this is ideal for readers who enjoyed the first volume.
Norma and Barney battle demons and angels in separate quests to keep their relationships running smoothly in this sequel to The Watcher's Test(2018).
Earth is the universe’s only neutral plane; the other 12 are divided into angelic planes or demonic ones. Travel between the planes is restricted, but Dead End has a portal between them. Norma has had Dead End rebuilt as a hotel so they can charge the demons who insist on visiting. But Norma’s soul won’t stay tethered to her body, which is handy at times—and when it becomes a problem, her best friend Badyah is there to help. Barney, who is trans, is happy living with his boyfriend Logan, but their relationship is strained by Barney’s lack of work. When a demon employs Barney in the Demon Wrestling Federation, Barney must hide his new source of income from Logan. But he can only keep up his lies for so long, and there is more behind the demons’ plot than Barney knows. Steele’s imaginative artwork is set on thick pages in rich color. Everyday character flaws and relationship foibles seem dramatic in this vividly imagined world, where diversity is the norm (hijabi Badyah is one of the only straight human characters; brown-skinned Norma Khan has autism), and good and evil are not always clear-cut.
Outlandish, serious, and entertaining, this is ideal for readers who enjoyed the first volume. (Graphic fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-910620-62-5
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Nobrow Ltd.
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2019
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
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