Deep in lore but hollow in heart.
Lira and Reyker face endless hardships as they search for a way to take down the Dragon.
After the fall of Stony Harbor, Lira mourns the supposed death of Reyker and rejects her new powers from the blood of the Fallen Ones. All she knows is that she wants to kill Draki, the half-god known as the Dragon who’s bent on conquering all. Now Veronis, the god who saved her from drowning, demands she free him, showing her visions of villages burning and her loved ones dying if she refuses. This propels Lira on a quest to find the serpent-goddess Ildja, Draki’s mother, deep in the Dragon’s kingdom. The sooner she frees Veronis, the sooner she can focus on the Dragon. Meanwhile, Reyker toils under Draki, having made a bargain that he’ll be his Sword if he’ll release captives after each raid. He’s also certain Lira is dead. The two unknowingly orbit one another as the Dragon and the Fallen Gods skillfully manipulate them. If they can reunite and work together, maybe they can figure out the Dragon’s weakness. Fueled by frustrating missed connections and a seemingly undefeatable antagonist, Lira’s and Reyker’s stories drag. Training and battle scenes trump character development, making the dramatic turns fall flat. The next installment hints at more of the same.
Deep in lore but hollow in heart. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-982556-28-0
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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