A fast-paced race to a satisfying, winning end.
Six witches get caught up in the excitement and danger of illegal broom racing in an alternate historical Mississippi.
In a world where children with magic are taken to the colonizing government’s schools, sisters Mattie and Emma are drawn to broom racing’s potential to help support their family and save themselves. Luella, whose magic was bound by the government after an incident in the residential school she was forced to attend, is their teacher and guide. Their team, the Night Storms, includes Billie Mae and Loretta, who read Black, and Cheng Kwan, who is transgender. They fight discrimination and overcome sabotage to win their races and their freedom. The author’s note describes the cast’s identities: Mattie and Emma are Choctaw and Black, Luella is Mexican and Choctaw, Chinese American Cheng Kwan speaks Cantonese, and Loretta, who uses a leg brace, has had a stroke. Emma, who is deaf, uses sign language and some lip-reading. This range in representation accurately highlights the broadly diverse experiences of folks in the South. There are also loving and intentionally presented queer relationships and experiences, highlighting the fact that there has always been and will always be room for queer folks in our communities. DuVall’s beautiful art is clean and luminous but so understated that it’s hard at times to follow the setting and characters through the panels. A scrapbook-style epilogue showing the witches’ futures is heartwarming and uplifting, however.
A fast-paced race to a satisfying, winning end. (Graphic fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781646142675
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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