An exhilarating ride.
In a future when magic dominates, a young woman’s search for her sister leads her to the frontlines of the war between England and India.
Centuries ago, meteors crashed into Earth, creating infinity wells of magical energy. Seizing the opportunity to expand England’s power and restore its imperial power, the queen first conquered France and then sent her forces to India, igniting a war. Four hundred years on, Adya Sachdev is a technomancer who possesses a rare ability to fix and awaken electrical machines. Her skills allow her to feed her family and pay off their debts to the cruel crime lord Huda, but they also make her a target of the British, who would use her to do their bidding. When Adya is captured by Huda’s men, she finds herself in the company of handsome thief Jagan Dsouza, whom she must work with to escape Huda’s clutches and continue searching for her twin sister, Priya. Priya left home to pursue their dead parents’ ambitions of awakening a machine powerful enough to expel the British from India. Accompanied by an unlikely team of allies, including Mohan (her optimistic brother), Dsouza, maharaja’s daughter Sonya, and a talking motorcycle, Adya navigates a complicated web of political intrigue, faces unimaginable dangers head-on, and discovers the truth of her power and who she could be. This breathless techno-fantasy adventure abounds in terrifying and electrifying thrills; the nonstop action hinders character development but will keep readers riveted.
An exhilarating ride. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781665921817
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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
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