Despite an exciting and complex plot, far less special than the first two.
In this far-future trilogy’s conclusion, a disabled archaeology student–cum–military hero deciphers an alien probe.
In 2789, humanity lives on 1,200 different worlds, everyone teleporting effortlessly among star systems—except the fraction of humans who are born Handicapped, their immune systems viable only on Earth. Eighteen-year-old Jarra’s Handicapped, and although she’s accomplished great archaeological and military feats (Earth Girl, 2013; Earth Star, 2014), she feels trapped on Earth. As Jarra and her boyfriend, Fian, provide critical assistance to the Military in decoding an alien probe, anti-Handicapped hostility escalates to an acid attack and a bombing. Jarra’s and Fian’s combined intellects lead to complex realizations (which are exciting though out of the blue; readers are merely along for the ride): there is a danger to humanity that only Jarra can tackle—and only from a distant planet. To that end, she undergoes an extreme and risky physical operation. It cures her disability. (It also places scientifically necessary lights under her skin, coincidentally making her “more beautiful.”) This wish-fulfillment ending severely undermines the series’ social-justice theme about mistreatment of the Handicapped; moreover, it falls into the literary rut of magical cures, implying that (still-) disabled protagonists and happy endings are a mismatch. Readers captivated by the first two installments’ thrilling archaeological excavations will find them absent here.
Despite an exciting and complex plot, far less special than the first two. (Science fiction. 11-16)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-63388-092-4
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Pyr/Prometheus Books
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Reminiscent of fairy tales and full of enchantment.
In this sequel to the 2022 series opener, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw, Sally must mend time itself.
It’s been a year since Sally married Jack Skellington and discovered her Dream Town origins, and she’s spread thin between performing her duties as Pumpkin Queen and managing relations among all the holiday realms. Arguments and misunderstandings have arisen between visitors and residents of each realm, so Sally proposes hosting cultural exhibitions to help smooth over their interactions, starting with one in Halloween Town. To help with the extra work, Sally takes on an apprentice—fellow rag doll Luna, a teen with dreams of going on adventures instead of following in the family business of writing bedtime stories. Chaos ensues during the festivities when a swapped potion ingredient opens a portal that sucks Sally and Luna into Time Town. Even worse, Halloween Town’s magical clock has been destroyed by a shadowy enemy, setting the realm’s timeline to the distant past. To get back to the Halloween Town of her present, Sally embarks on an adventure with Luna and their new friend, a dragon called Scorch. Sally, Luna, and Scorch make a fantastic trio, with Sally’s maturity and bravery contrasting with Luna’s wide-eyed youthfulness and Scorch’s desire to become a hero. Despite a slow start and stereotypical elements in some of the towns, the engaging lore and tense, thrilling race to fix time will engage readers.
Reminiscent of fairy tales and full of enchantment. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: July 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781368089302
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Disney/Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 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.
