A measured but absorbing tale of grit, camaraderie, and preternatural abilities.
Victor’s first installment of a planned fantasy series tells a tale of superpowered 20-somethings in a competition to become royalty in a faraway land.
Friends Eibo, Kiru, Janeen, and Yahri left their loved ones behind to live and compete for the posts of king or queen of the country of Ehre. There’s already trouble at the orientation when a fight breaks out involving some other entrant; also, Yahri is a nowhere to be found, and one of the three remaining friends is accused of a crime. In order for Eibo and the others to make it to Induction, a mere few days away, and earn a necessary sponsorship, they’ll have to track down the perpetually late Yahri and survive encounters with hostile fellow entrants, such as the Sprague brothers. They have skills and special abilities that allow them to excel at one particularly crucial competition: Kiru, for example, can control wind, and Janeen is psychic. But after they stumble onto a sinister plan someone has brewing for the competition, they realize they’re all in unavoidable danger. This book’s likable cast of Black characters speaks in a distinctive dialect that the author describes as a mix of “American English, African American Vernacular English, Haitian Kreyol, and French”; it pairs sublimely with Victor’s lyrical prose describing trees “opting for suits of red, orange scarves, and bright yellow garments” and a post-storm aroma as “earthy, fresh, and tinged with a comforting familiarity.” Despite its succinct chapters told from various points of view, however, this opening installment moves at a slow pace, with relatively few opportunities for superpowered action. In fact, before the story begins, the friends spent 18 months tackling missions in the wilderness, and readers sadly get only a taste of these apparently death-defying missions. Still, they’re part of a dense, meticulously detailed backstory that sequels may expand upon. The artwork by Fulmore and Ebengho features beautifully muted tones, as in an image of a winding staircase and the silhouetted friends standing abreast.
A measured but absorbing tale of grit, camaraderie, and preternatural abilities.Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781954125018
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Tiny Cup Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.
In the final book of Corland’s dark fantasy trilogy, a ragtag band works together to liberate a colony and dethrone tyrants.
A group of spies, thieves, and murderers, united by a common goal of ending the treacherous rule of King Joon of Yusan, regroup after a bloody battle claims the life of one of their own—the banished Yusanian prince, Euyn. However, there’s little time for Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo to mourn. Bounty hunters and assassins are after them, in part because they now possess three of five legendary Relics of the Dragon Lord. Mikail, who’s just found out that he’s the last surviving member of a royal family, wields the Water Scepter of Wei, while Aeri, King Joon’s daughter, holds the Sands of Tim and the Golden Ring of Khitan. The remaining relics—the Flaming Sword of Gaya and the Immortal Crown—remain with King Joon, who’s desperate to have all five to wield a great deal more power. Meanwhile, the cruel Count Seok, who once indentured Sora, has usurped the throne of Yusan. The group has two goals: overthrow the king and liberate the Yusanian colony of Gaya—Mikail’s homeland—so that it can again be a thriving, independent realm. The relics are powerful tools in combat, but using them is adversely affecting Aeri and Mikail’s health. They need allies, but trusting strangers is a dangerous gamble. Corland’s final book in her Broken Blades trilogy is a relentlessly thrilling and action-packed dark fantasy featuring memorable characters, intense battle scenes, romance, and a satisfying conclusion. Alternately narrated by Aeri, Mikail, Sora, Royo, and their long-lost friend, Tiyung, readers benefit from watching the story unfold through the perspectives of each compelling, well-drawn character. The author’s passion for the fantasy genre shines through in the novel’s richly detailed worldbuilding, including vivid descriptions of landscapes and palace layouts, as well as its exploration of magic. Readers will also delight in the sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, as when Mikahil narrates, “Rune thinks he fathered Seok’s son. Truly, the nobility of Yusan has too much time on their hands.”
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781649379153
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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