Aside from a splash of politics, pretty much what readers expect of the subgenre and author.
In this Lux spinoff, Evie continues grappling with her identity.
Still coping with the big revelation from The Darkest Star (2018) that Evie was Nadia before losing her memory, Evie struggles with who she is and against her attraction to Luc—she’s unsure if he loves her or if he loved a Nadia who’s gone for good. Meanwhile, April’s still involved in anti-Luxen protests while politicians attempt to pass laws to restrict Luxens’ rights and freedoms, a storyline with clear parallels to real-world situations. The anti-Luxen camp is also pushing a narrative that sporadic outbreaks of a deadly flu are caused by Luxens. The prose suffers from repetition, with detailed recaps coming sometimes in intervals of only a few pages—but at least that means the expanded worldbuilding (and the distinctions among Luxen, hybrids, Origins, Arum, and another new type of superbeing) is easy to keep straight. Storylines heat up—romances involve nongraphic physical intimacy, and the conspiracies-and-aliens violence hammers in the stakes. As an added treat for loyal Lux fans, characters from the original series appear. Gay and nonwhite characters are nominally present. In typical middle-book fashion, the ending does little in the way of resolving storylines; instead, it involves a character giving pages of exposition confirming characters’ theories and explaining a setup for the next book.
Aside from a splash of politics, pretty much what readers expect of the subgenre and author. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-17574-8
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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
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
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