Rough around the edges, but a sweet finish.
A battle over the fate of the entire afterlife forms the climax of this duology closer that follows 2025’s Immortal Consequences.
The series opener established the range of diversity in race and sexuality of the central cast members—August, Emilio, Irene, Masika, Olivier, and Wren—and their conflicting choices of loyalty to one of the three factions dedicated either to defending or destroying purgatory’s Blackwood Academy. Now, the six deceased main characters are well positioned for this climactic whirl of physical and emotional storms, real and seeming betrayals, clinches, quests, and further wrenching sacrifices. Aside from some psychological torture, most of the violence lies in the background of the story, and heaven and hell are conspicuously absent from the duology’s worldbuilding; with their emotional entanglements, the author’s dead cast members behave much like living teens. Her prose, unfortunately, sometimes flatlines: “She saw the apathy in Irene’s glowing eyes, the unwavering determination….” Still, giving readers plenty of chances to pick favorite couples or characters, Marie sweeps her lovers through steamy passages and waves of intense feelings toward a general reunion in the midst of battle, expressions of eternal devotion, and apotheoses both personal and relational that lead to resolutions ranging from tragic to cute.
Rough around the edges, but a sweet finish. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9780593898840
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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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