A deeply detailed adventure that weaves magic, SF, and alternate history into a wholly original tale.
A young man land in chaos when he arrives on a mysterious planet where magic reigns.
The first entry in the Across the Asha series introduces John “Mike” Williams, a 25-year-old Tennessee man who is, by unknown entities, unceremoniously stripped and dumped out of an airplane into the ocean, where he’s left “with no clothes and no clues.” Mike is soon rescued from murderous pirates and finds himself on an airship under the command of Ashavan Yuna—an immortal who has merged with the “Asha” spirit world and “is one with the truth.” He learns that he is now on Nocht, an otherworldly planet that often receives “Drifters”—people and animals from Earth who have drifted through the Asha and landed in Nocht. While working on the ship, and hoping that Yuna will soon teach him how to return to Earth, Mike meets Lily Smith (a fellow Drifter who was adopted by the rulers of the Mazu kingdom) when she stows away on Yuna’s ship. With Mazu facing imminent destruction from invading Alari forces who have come to collect on a debt, Lily’s parents implore her to hide away. But she and Mike soon realize that life—and love—might just be worth fighting for. In Parrish’s elaborate world, humans exist alongside dinosaurs, dragons, and other creatures. This highly original adventure combines bits and pieces of reality, magic, and history to create a vivid world and well-rounded characters. Swerves abound (the real reason that Yuna summons Mike to Nocht is genuinely surprising). Harsh language and graphic depictions of violence and torture (with one reference to rape) make this a more mature read, while the sheer breadth of Nocht’s internal politics may fatigue some readers. But Parrish’s capable prose and largely naturalistic dialogue keep things moving along, making this a delightfully unique addition for fantasy fans.
A deeply detailed adventure that weaves magic, SF, and alternate history into a wholly original tale.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9798393044558
Page Count: 589
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.
After 500 years, the Grief of Ages is a distant memory—until dragons hellbent on destruction begin to wake again.
In this relatively brief prequel to the epic The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019), the kingdoms of Virtudom have experienced centuries of relative peace. Marosa Vetalda, the Princess of Yscalin, spends her days behind castle walls under the gaze of her overprotective father, awaiting the date when she’ll be wed to Aubrecht of Mentendon, her ticket to freedom. While the book’s main focus is initially on the political threads weaving the Western kingdoms together, the frailty of best-laid plans is exposed when evidence of the reemergence of draconic beings reaches castle ears. These tales often come from the cullers who make their living slaying these creatures, and who are often blamed for intentionally waking them for profit. No one alive remembers the Grief of Ages, so no one’s prepared when Fýredel, the great High Western dragon, surfaces from the volcanic mountain that towers ominously over Yscalin’s capital city of Cárscaro. What follows is the backstory of how the devoted Yscali kingdom comes to shift allegiance to Fýredel and his master, the Nameless One, a main catalyst to events in The Priory. Overall, this book reads more like history lesson than fantasy adventure, but the sheer terror that befalls the Yscali people as they face Fýredel’s pure evil is both powerful and relevant. Marosa’s plight further solidifies her as a hero worth remembering; her strength and defiance shine through as hope for the future she’s dreamed of slowly flickers out.
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781639736010
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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