A strong superhero yarn for fans of the X-Men and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.
A 16-year-old from a family of superpowered people finds herself on the outs when she fails to develop powers of her own in Pretty’s YA SF novel.
Hanna Super is an anomaly in her appropriately named family. Her deceased mother, two sisters, and two brothers all developed superpowers by the time they were 16, her current age. Her powerlessness means she is left out of, among other things, her family’s vigilante activities. Her older sister, Maria, can control fire. Her brother Toomas has superstrength, and her other brother, Maksim, has the ability to transfer pain from his own (usually self-inflicted) injuries to someone else. Finally, her youngest sister, Marleen, can dissolve anything she touches. Struggling to find her place, Hanna devotes her time to studying the gene that causes the development of powers, discovered by her wealthy scientist father, Artem Super—whose approval she strongly desires. After a lab accident, however, Hanna is cast out of her father’s home. Alone for the first time, she stumbles into an alliance with the mysterious Brotherhood, the group positioned as Artem’s antagonistic rival. The author effectively builds the story’s world (it’s set in an alternate version of Sudovia, an independent former member nation of the Soviet Union) through the natural-feeling incorporation of details via conversations or flashbacks. One particularly clever instance occurs in a flashback to Hanna and Maria’s childhood games involving maps of Kakslinna: (“Maria’s favorite map was the most recent one, where she’d drawn little, red Xs for where to find the best mini pancakes, cinnamon pastries, and cherry pies”); Pretty uses the scene not only to provide depth to the sisters’ relationship, but also to unobtrusively convey details about the history and geography of the setting. Ultimately, the author delivers an exciting superhero story with series potential.
A strong superhero yarn for fans of the X-Men and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780645712315
Page Count: 308
Publisher: Pandora Books
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Some quality worldbuilding, but the story only inches along.
Juliette, the girl with the deadly touch, struggles to fit in with the resistance movement that saved her at the end of Shatter Me(2011).
In training to participate in an inevitable war against the Reestablishment, Juliette Ferrars should feel at home at Omega Point. In addition to no longer being a prisoner, she is surrounded by other people with supernatural gifts. Compassionate Castle tries to help her master her abilities, and Kenji tries to help her fit in, but the devastating nature of Juliette’s power hampers her efforts. Additionally, Adam is acting strangely—in large part because of his work with Castle to determine why he is able to touch Juliette safely—which causes difficulties in their relationship. Soon some of her new comrades are abducted while on patrol by soldiers led by Warner’s father, who demands a meeting with Juliette. The resistance is able to come away from the meeting with a hostage, Warner, who resumes his part in the established love triangle. Too much of the plot relies on Juliette’s withholding of important information and revelations, even against her own judgment. The bloated relationship drama takes priority over the captive resistance members in the buildup to the climax, which finally brings action before setting up the next novel.
Some quality worldbuilding, but the story only inches along. (Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-208553-5
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
This gloriously spectacular finale steals the show.
Following the magical competition of Where Dreams Descend (2020), Kallia experiences a mirror world where it’s difficult to separate illusions from reality.
After falling through a mirror with her mentor, Jack, Kallia enters a dangerous underworld filled with illusions. Magician Daron Demarco desperately searches for her, hoping the trail will also lead to his lost sister who disappeared into a mirror years ago. His path is no easy one, and while looking for the Zarose Gate, Daron unravels countless secrets and mysteries at every turn—despite being blocked by the influential, supposedly peacekeeping Patrons who are led by his aunt. Meanwhile, Kallia and Jack end up in a bustling alternate version of the city of Glorian, created by the Dealer, a powerful magician who reveals that Jack is not what he seems. Though fierce Kallia has lost her magic, she joins a troupe of dazzling performers, all the while seeking a way to escape back to the true world. The stunning fantasy worldbuilding started in the first book continues to delight, but this time the rich, sensational world of the other Glorian offers even more to explore. Entertaining new characters, clever dueling magic, and a touch of romance cap off an unforgettable tale. Kallia and several other main characters are brown-skinned.
This gloriously spectacular finale steals the show. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-20432-5
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
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