A surreal, weird, and enthralling brew of fantasy, SF, and other elements.
In this novel, a girl experiences an existential crisis when she has her heart stolen.
A nameless girl tells readers her story—how she was perfectly created by a swan. Then she turns her back on the swan and vows to fight Death: “I will make these groping brass hooks of mine into tentacles. I will open my eyes in both directions into emptiness. I will learn to swim in air and land and void.” Her heart is stolen; the world has either ended or will end; her friends are in peril; and the existence of her very soul is to be decided. She goes to Principal Entropy’s School, which human and slightly otherworldly kids attend. It is one of two schools in Horizon, the other being Bleak Academy. According to legend, God created one school and the devil, the other, but it is unclear which is which or if the story is even true. What is true: Giselle, one of the girl’s best friends, is Death’s sister, and she is taken from school against her will. Along with this distressing event, the protagonist faces other challenges. Her first boyfriend steals her heart, leaving behind the husk of a girl. But her comprehension of what may be wrong with her started with her first kiss in a hallway during an apocalypse. And all of this makes sense in a roundabout way: It simply has to do with the truth of the world. Moran’s compelling novel is a unique, original story. With elements of fantasy, SF, weird fiction, and fairy tales, the book not only defies genre definitions, but also invites readers to enjoy a roller-coaster ride that is frequently disorienting but often funny, invigorating, empowering, and heartbreaking: “To be heartless is to lose your stories.” The tale doesn’t waste time explaining its worldbuilding; facets of it seep into the unreliable narrative subtly but not enough to form a concrete, step-by-step guide for the audience. In this way, readers experience Horizon in the same way as the hero, through the fuzzy line between the metaphorical and the literal, slowly understanding that things are not quite right with this world. This allows for an empathetic, deep connection with the protagonist in what is a heady, fantastical journey.
A surreal, weird, and enthralling brew of fantasy, SF, and other elements. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-5007-5731-1
Page Count: 431
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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