A compelling plot compensates for issues with worldbuilding.
Trapped indefinitely in adolescence and forced to reap souls, the students of purgatory’s Blackwood Academy boarding school have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to escape their fate in this debut.
Wren, August, Emilio, Olivier, Irene, and Masika are “unfortunate acquaintances” nominated to compete in the Decennial Festival, which offers the opportunity to join the Ascended as school leaders or cross over to the Other Side. Either way, it’s a chance to avoid eventually losing all memories and sense of self and wandering the Ether for eternity. But as the competition begins, a mysterious new student who can harness shadow magic appears. In between the Decennial contests, the classmates try to get to the bottom of this mystery, unraveling more threads along the way. Some inconsistent and anachronistic worldbuilding elements are distracting in places. This ancient institution admits students who have died anywhere in the world (their commonality is that each one had a near-death experience before their actual untimely demise), and there’s racial diversity in the supporting cast. The six leads, several of whom are queer, include Wren, August, and Olivier, who present white, as well as Emilio, who’s cued Latine, Irene, who has some Korean heritage, and Masika, who reads Black. The mystery at the heart of the story is compelling and will engage readers all the way up to the cliffhanger ending, which will leave them yearning for the sequel to tie up loose ends.
A compelling plot compensates for issues with worldbuilding. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780593898802
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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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