A strong start to a new adventure series.
A boy is pursued by divine beings after he accidentally receives a murdered god’s powers in this series opener populated with West African characters.
Aboki is often bullied for the “curse markings” on his face, but after the other kids ditch him while playing in the forest, he finds a seed that was thrown into space by celestial god Olorun and landed near his village. The seed turns Aboki into an Orisha, a mortal blessed with divine powers. E’shu, the guardian of the Orisha seed that Aboki found, tries to tell him that the seed is being hunted by Olorun’s killer, but before he can fully explain the situation, they’re attacked, first by a voodoo beast and then by Shango, the Lightning Orisha, both of whom are seeking the seed. Now on the run, Aboki must find a way to prove that he can be trusted with the seed’s power before he, too, is killed. Despite the light character development, the fast pace, dynamic action sequences, and plot twists will keep readers engaged and rooting for Aboki and his traveling companions. Regular readers of adventure manga series like Naruto and My Hero Academia will find the premise familiar, but the use of West African mythology by a Nigerian graphic novelist adds a fresh perspective. Featuring a bold, detailed art style and marvelous character designs, this is a worthy addition to any graphic novel collection.
A strong start to a new adventure series. (Manga. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780760390320
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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 thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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