Series fans will not be disappointed by this return to a world where danger lurks around each corner.
Seventy-three years after the events of The Death Cure (2011), the Maze Runner world expands in this trilogy opener.
Isaac and Sadina are about to go on the adventure of a lifetime. Their island home has been safe from the Flare virus and infected Cranks, but when a ship called The Maze Cutter arrives with all but one crew member dead, everything changes. Now they’re making a long journey to medical clinics in Los Angeles because Sadina’s DNA could provide a cure for the latest version of the Flare. In Alaska, Alexandra, Nicholas, and Mikhail, who together form the Godhead, battle for supremacy. Lastly, Orphan Minho is sent to fulfill his destiny: trekking to Alaska to find the Godhead—though he has a secret plan of his own. Each chapter has subsections that follow a specific character, allowing readers to jump between various perspectives, keeping the action and intrigue levels high. This entry brings new life to the series with its diverse, international cast and expanded universe that explore the implications of the protagonists’ earlier choices. The younger islanders are naïve about how things are working in the rest of the world, as faith in the Godhead shapes existence for the people of the new world. Here Dashner takes his original idea to a larger stage: Entire nations hang in the balance, and nothing is cut and dried.
Series fans will not be disappointed by this return to a world where danger lurks around each corner. (Dystopian. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 979-8-9859552-0-0
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Akashic Media Enterprises
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
A great read offering entertainment, encouragement, and plenty to reflect upon.
A gay teen contends with time travel—and homophobia through the decades.
All Cuban American Luis wants is to be prom king with his boyfriend, but tiny upstate New York boarding school Antic Springs Academy, with its strict, Christian code of conduct, won’t even let them hold hands in public. After a disastrous prom committee meeting at which his attempt to make the event welcoming of queer couples is rejected by the principal, Luis gets quite literally knocked into the past—specifically, ASA in the year 1985. There he meets Chaz, a Black student who attended the school at the same time as Luis’ parents and who died under mysterious circumstances after being bullied for his sexuality. Luis now faces a choice between changing the past to help Chaz and preserving his own future existence. Fortunately, he has Ms. Silverthorn, a Black English teacher and beloved mentor, who offers him support in both timelines. The narrative explores the impacts of homophobia and being closeted, remaining optimistic without shying away from the more brutal aspects. Luis is a multifaceted character with an engaging voice whose flaws are confronted and examined throughout. The solid pacing and pleasant, fluid prose make this a page-turner. Luis’ boyfriend is cued as Chinese American, and his best friend is nonbinary; there is some diversity in ethnicity and sexuality in background characters, although the school is predominantly White.
A great read offering entertainment, encouragement, and plenty to reflect upon. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0710-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Will appeal to fans of fast-moving fantasy adventures.
Pledged to each other since childhood, Adraa and Jatin navigate the complex politics of their respective kingdoms.
Adraa is the heir to Belwar, and while powerful in most types of magic, she has yet to take the royal ceremony to prove her competency in all nine forms and, with it, her right to someday rule. With half its population Untouched by the Gods—unable to use magic—Belwar struggles with inequities between the Touched and Untouched, reminiscent of societal class divisions. Adraa’s strong sense of duty to her people leads her to fight against the corruption within her kingdom. Jatin, heir to their more magical neighbor Naupure, has spent years polishing his nine colors of magic at the academy, away from the realities of ruling. He and Adraa compare their magical prowess and progress through letters. When Jatin finally leaves the academy, a series of mishaps results in both of them hiding their true identities even as they grow closer in their fight against a ruthless gang. This intricate world with magic-fueled, action-packed fight scenes and snarky, colloquial banter is loosely infused with Asian Indian cultural references. The story also discusses questions of gender inequality, freedom, self-worth, and identity. Adraa and Jatin both have black hair; in contrast to the cover image, the text makes clear that Adraa is very dark-skinned while Jatin has lighter brown skin.
Will appeal to fans of fast-moving fantasy adventures. (deities and their powers, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-12421-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
