Better suited for fans of romance than fantasy enthusiasts, this concluding story will also satisfy those looking for...
The royal intrigue and twin bonding of The Princess in the Opal Mask (2013) continue in this sequel.
Ample back story from the start refreshes readers on the ongoing dilemmas from the first novel. The separated-at-birth twins carry on their secret, switched lives in the foreign land of Kyrenica and narrate alternating chapters. Wilha, once the Masked Princess of Galandria, serves as a seamstress while Elara, raised as an orphan, has assumed Wilha’s role (even possibly falling for the prince that Wilha was intended to marry). When the teens’ father, King Fennrick, dies and their younger brother, Andrei, not only assumes a position as Galandria’s next king, but quickly becomes a coldhearted ruler, the twins’ secret is made public. What ensues is an overcomplicated plot featuring opposing factions trying to control each of the three possible heirs and usurp their power. The story remains light, however, even as family secrets are revealed, the twins acknowledge their feelings for unlikely suitors, and the siblings grapple with the challenges of repairing their relationships with one another and the question of who will lead Galandria.
Better suited for fans of romance than fantasy enthusiasts, this concluding story will also satisfy those looking for “clean” reads. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7624-5422-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lightly developed cozy fantasy.
Two former best friends-turned-crushes in Northern California must push through an awkward reunion to solve a crime and save a classmate.
Sage Bishop, 17, has two major problems: Bishop Brews, her family’s beloved magical apothecary, is struggling financially thanks to the big-box store competitor that opened in the next town, and her grandmother just hired Ximena Reyes, the ex-bestie who broke Sage’s heart by ghosting her after they kissed in middle school. Sage knows the “emotional recovery tonic” she’s developing can cure heartbreak and solve her problems. But when a batch she brewed is stolen during a break-in and administered to a local teen, erasing all her memories, Sage (who’s “prone to accidentally misbrewed tonics”) realizes she must have made another mistake. The town council threatens to close Bishop Brews, and without a counter brew, the tonic’s effects on the victim could be permanent. Desperate, Sage reluctantly teams up with Ximena to catch the culprit, and they must confront their own unresolved issues in the process. This story shines brightest in its worldbuilding, which uses plants’ aromatherapy properties to explain brewing magic, creating a believable low-fantasy setting. The romance and characters feel fairly one-note, however, and the mystery is straightforward. But those seeking will-they, won’t-they drama followed by a happy ending may enjoy this light story. Sage is cued Black, Ximena presents Latine, and the supporting cast is diverse in race and sexuality.
A lightly developed cozy fantasy. (coven character list, love tonic recipe) (Fantasy romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780593897621
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Here’s hoping Watson’s teen debut will be followed by many more.
The summer before Maya and Nikki’s senior year of high school brings new challenges as their previously all-black neighborhood becomes attractive to other ethnic groups.
The twins, while still close, have been changing in recent years and now find they have very different views about the changes. Nikki is delighted with improvements in their surroundings, but Maya is concerned they come at too steep a price. When their best friend’s family is displaced, the rift deepens: Maya wants to maintain their connection to Essence, while Nikki has become close to newcomer Kate. Nikki may even be abandoning their long-held plan to attend Spelman College together. Their new principal appears willing to sacrifice many of the traditions the African-American students hold dear. And though Maya and Devin are a long-established couple, Maya finds herself drawn to Kate’s brother, Tony, despite her misgivings about interracial dating. Eventually, the students find a way to reach across the divides and honor the community’s past while embracing its changing present. Maya’s straightforward narration offers an intriguing look at how families and young people cope with community and personal change. Maya and her friends are well-drawn, successful characters surrounded by a realistic adult supporting cast. Readers may be surprised to find this multicultural story set in Portland, Oregon, but that just adds to its distinctive appeal.
Here’s hoping Watson’s teen debut will be followed by many more. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5999-0668-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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