A dense duology closer that should satisfy returning fans.
Shaw, Rosamund, and friends finish senior year at Witch Hall while fighting internal and external enemies in a prophesied war.
After a surprise attack on the Cursed Kingdom, Shaw, the future Witch Queen, must prepare for war with Vinland, the nonmagical empire that’s threatening to obliterate their world. Unfortunately, she’ll have to do it without Rosamund as a familiar and partner, which she finds more devastating than she’d expected. Recognizing her responsibility to the people of her kingdom, Shaw trains with elders—including her father, the Witch King—for the coming war until they discover that the ideological divide between their generations might be too great. Without abandoning the romantic core of the first book, this conclusion dives into military strategy, political lore, and the world’s hierarchies. The analogies to contemporary politics and generational tensions are subtle yet clear, and there’s a focus on peace, inclusivity, and responsibility over power. Despite these strengths, the large swath of characters and their powers becomes confusing, and readers may need to refer to the earlier volume to refresh their memories. The in-depth explanations of military tactics slow the pace, and the tension feels one-note until the end. Despite being so drawn out, the novel wraps up in a satisfactory way. Skye creates a world in which queer sexualities, including polyamory, are a given. The leads present white, and names and physical descriptions cue diversity in the supporting cast.
A dense duology closer that should satisfy returning fans. (content warning) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781250872616
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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