An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.
A young mage and a magical Fae princess become magically entangled as war descends upon their lands in Nielsen’s YA fantasy series starter.
In the Fae realm of the Vail, Lady Dew Drop, known as Dewy, is late for a meeting at the Summer Court. Her aunt, Lady Radiant, Queen Regent of Summer, sends her to “water the marsh grasses” near the River Selden as punishment. After the deaths of her parents, Dewy acutely feels the constraints of being heir to the throne. Meanwhile, in the human kingdom of Telridge, Spense is a mage who’s struggling to get his spells right. He’s the unrecognized biological son of Lord Ferrous and half brother to the older Dirk, a noble and military commander. When Lord Ferrous learns that war with a neighboring land is imminent, he asks Spense to use a Claiming spell to protect the bridge at the River Selden. The young man succeeds at doing so, but he also accidentally catches Dewy in his thrall. She becomes infatuated with him, which leads to her banishment from the Summer Court. Spense feels terrible that his spell is making Dewy compulsively obey him, and he’s determined to reverse it. At the same time, it becomes clear that Telridge could use some magical Fae assistance in turning away its enemies. Nielsen deftly brings the question of consent into unique focus in this YA fantasy series opener. When Spense casually asks Dewy her name and sees that revealing it causes her pain, he understands the gravity of the Claiming spell immediately and his responsibility to Dewy. The action scenes are calibrated for maximum excitement without reveling in violence, as when Dewy uses her water magic: “Spense watched, open-mouthed at the mayhem. Dewy stood...her arms raised in quiet command, as calm as a stone in a stream.” Small cultural details, including Dewy’s puzzlement at human-created art, deftly present the challenges that the heroes face. Nielsen ensures that Spense and Dirk’s relationship also evolves for the next installment while also introducing a remarkable new mission for one of the main characters.
An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781509246229
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
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