Fans of the series will likely be entertained, but those who disliked Halflings (2012) shouldn’t seek redemption here.
The second installment of the Halflings trilogy picks up right where readers left off, with Nikki Youngblood caught smack-dab in the middle of a love triangle between the two half-men, half-angels assigned to protect her.
Tensions are even higher now that Nikki, Mace and Raven (plus a trio of Halfling ladies and Will, everyone’s resident guardian angel) are forced to exist in close quarters on a yacht bound for Europe as the host of heavenly bodies continues its quest to uncover the dark forces that threaten the worlds of both men and angels. The ocean voyage is a necessity, as the “creatures from the pit” have been cast into “dry places,” and it allows Nikki time to explore her unique talents as a Seer. Unfortunately, much like its predecessor, this outing is plagued by heavy-handed Christian overtones that exclude nonbelievers and an indecisive heroine whose declarations of love for her suitors change with the wind, making it hard to put any stock in her feelings for either. Though the power of the love triangle suffers as a result of Nikki’s waffling, at least by the novel’s end her true identity is revealed, and readers will at long last understand what Damon Vessler and his army of Darklings have in store.
Fans of the series will likely be entertained, but those who disliked Halflings (2012) shouldn’t seek redemption here. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-310-72821-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Zondervan
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
A complex depiction of a family in turmoil.
A Punjabi girl and her family reconcile their Indian customs and Sikh faith with their new lives in late-20th-century America.
Mira Singh is grieving a loss too shameful to talk about. Growing up in a mostly White suburb in Long Island after her family left Queens, she was teased for her hairy legs and Indian lunches, but she had memories of a happy childhood and her faith in Guru to anchor her. When her sister, Ritu, falls in love with a Muslim boy and is quickly married off to a fellow Sikh to avoid gossip, Mira starts to see flaws in the customs she never questioned before. Her brother Jazz was mercilessly bullied at school, and her brother Jeet felt the heavy weight of living up to his parents’ expectations at all costs. Mira and her siblings each experiment with activities their parents forbid and struggle to understand against a backdrop of worries about community judgment. It’s not until the Singhs suffer a terrible loss that they are forced to consider each other’s perspectives. Chapters move forward and backward in time, slowly revealing the central mystery in a tantalizing way, ultimately flashing forward to 2018. The writing feels heavy-handed at times, but the book encourages readers to wrestle with questions of parental abuse, individual dreams, personal sacrifice, and religious faith as Mira and her siblings navigate a multitude of challenges.
A complex depiction of a family in turmoil. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781627204262
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Apprentice House
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Slow but relentless, tensely atmospheric.
Temple helper Seyo aspires to become a priestess though she believes her soul is stained.
In a nation of lightbearers, Seyo is immune to fire, “an unholy ability no amount of confessions could cover.” Flouting temple rules can lead nowhere good; her highborn friends can’t protect her. But even cautious Seyo never imagined that entering the Heart, the forbidden network of caves beneath Laijon, would unearth an ancient lie that could bring about the end of her world. The narration is the story’s weakest element, often jumping around, with context given too late, although the plot unwinds at an engaging pace once it finds its feet. Seyo is a detached narrator: retiring and passive, though remarkably resourceful when her increasingly dire circumstances demand it. She constantly waffles, often to the detriment of others and herself, which may frustrate some readers although it’s refreshing to see a protagonist who is allowed to fail due to consistently developed flaws. The supporting characters are more dynamic, gradually revealing the depths of their inner lives through the limited lens of Seyo’s perspective. The worldbuilding is strong, and the mythology, politics, history, and geography of the world are richly developed. The nations of this world—Laijon, Ai’Biro, Pirthyia, Nazak, and Vedoa—are distinct in culture, and their citizens are diverse in physical appearance. Unfortunately, some of the racial descriptions and vocabulary used are problematic.
Slow but relentless, tensely atmospheric. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9798886050660
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Enclave Escape
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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