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
BOOK REVIEW
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup.
Secrets of the past and familial tensions abound in this sequel that teases forbidden romance.
Quell’s connection to her toushana, or dark magic, poses such a great threat to the magical Order of grand Houses, haughty debutantes, and high-stakes bureaucracy that the powerful Dragun brotherhood has determined she must die. Jordan, a former lover still hurt by Quell’s decision to bind to her toushana, is leading the charge—and unbeknownst to them both, Yagrin, his brother who has long hated the Order, has sided with Quell under false pretenses. The narration alternates among the voices of Quell, Jordan, and Nore, who wants a simpler life than her role as heir to the House of Ambrose can afford her; she’s dedicated to resolving this problem by any means necessary. The racially diverse cast of characters is large and at times unwieldy, but as Quell decides to leave the safe houses that have kept her hidden and reenter the world of lavish magical balls to find her long-lost mother, reminders of the earlier volume—beautiful gowns, cattiness, fish-out-of-water awkwardness—bring all the threads together, allowing for continued worldbuilding and a fuller story. Ultimately, Quell and Jordan’s tension boils over into the passionate romance it was always meant to be as the two partner with Yagrin and Nore to reveal the Order’s biggest secrets and potentially change the future of magic forever.
A romance born from danger with a fantastic buildup. (author’s note, histories of the houses, map, lexicon) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527733
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
An inventive, character-driven twist breathes new life into tired fantasy trends.
Amid a war and rising civil unrest, a young thief discovers the shocking power within her that sparks a revolution.
At 17, Mare knows that without an apprenticeship or job, her next birthday will bring a conscription to join the war. She contributes to her poor family’s income the only way she can, stealing from the Silvers, who possess myriad powers and force her and her fellow Reds into servitude. The Silvers literally bleed silver, and they can manipulate metal, plants and animals, among many other talents. When Mare’s best friend, Kilorn, loses his job and is doomed to conscription, she is determined to change his fate. She stumbles into a mysterious stranger after her plan goes awry and is pulled out of her village and into the world of Silver royalty. Once inside the palace walls, it isn’t long before Mare learns that powers unknown to red-blooded humans lie within her, powers that could lead a revolution. Familiar tropes abound. Mare is revealed as a great catalyst for change among classes and is groomed from rags to riches, and of course, seemingly kind characters turn out to be foes. However, Aveyard weaves a compelling new world, and Mare and the two men in her life evolve intriguingly as class tension rises. Revolution supersedes romance, setting the stage for action-packed surprises.
An inventive, character-driven twist breathes new life into tired fantasy trends. (Fantasy. 13 & up)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-231063-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
BOOK TO SCREEN
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