A complex and riveting tapestry.
Three lives unexpectedly collide when ruthless gods set them on a course to complete dangerous missions.
Brown-eyed, dark-haired Artair is one of the Sleepless, a monk whose body is occupied by the Other nightly. Black-haired Lucian Prideson, who has skin “the color of cream,” awakens in Artair’s body while the monk sleeps, but his own past remains a mystery. Unsure who he is or why his soul occupies another’s body, Lucian begins to sense a change coming, one that could release him from his captivity. When a mage to the Bloody Claw, a violent god, demands that Artair retrieve a monster from the Jih Forest, which is located in a land controlled by the Queen of Serpents, the monk is forced out of the safety of the monastery and into a world of monsters, both human and otherwise. Elver, a human orphan sacrificed to the Bloody Claw, has been transformed into a monster with poisonous skin by the Queen of Serpents and made to guard the Jih Forest. Ordered to rescue the jih monster that Artair has abducted, Elver, who’s “alarmingly pale,” with white hair and yellow eyes, must leave her familiar forest and reluctantly reacquaint herself with humans. Elver, Artair, and Lucian navigate complicated relationships as their paths entwine. In this duology opener, award-winner Williams’ rich worldbuilding supports an action-packed fantasy that features original character dynamics and a thoughtful exploration of themes of invisible prisons, lost identity, and belonging.
A complex and riveting tapestry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781250409256
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 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
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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