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WIND DAUGHTER

A rich, romantic tale of identity, agency, and love.

Old, wild magic is tearing the world apart, and a 17-year-old girl is the only one who can bind it.

The child of a weaver and a storyteller who used to be the North Wind, Satu North is a girl who appreciates her solitary life in a remote mountain house alongside her beloved parents and the bees she keeps. But Satu’s family’s story is still unfolding: When the bargain her father once made to become a mortal finally catches up to them, the Unraveling begins, and everything she knows and loves is gone. However, the daughter of the North Wind has a power of her own, and if she claims it, she may be able to rebuild the world. But where she goes, the Winter Lord—menacing yet strangely familiar—follows, yearning to take the power of the North Wind for himself. This stand-alone companion to Meyer’s Echo North (2019) weaves a powerful, beautiful spell in a storyline threaded with fairy-tale magic and heartwarming romance. Satu’s debilitating anxiety and her uncertainty about being worthy of calling herself the hero of her own story are well written and, combined with a kindness that becomes her most powerful weapon, contribute to her refreshing characterization. Satu has dark hair and brown skin like her mother; other characters read as White.

A rich, romantic tale of identity, agency, and love. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-64567-436-8

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Page Street

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

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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CURIOUS TIDES

From the Drowned Gods Trilogy series , Vol. 1

The magical world is fresh, but the storyline is less satisfying.

In a world where everyone has a magical ability based on the moon’s phase on their day of birth, magical education is reserved for those with exceptional talent.

Students at Aldryn College for Lunar Magics pursue the advanced study of magic. Emory Ainsleif is a Healer, an ability associated with House New Moon. Last spring, she followed her best friend, Romie Brysden, and seven others into the Dovermere Caves. In the deepest cave, known as the Belly of the Beast, Emory unwittingly took part in a ritual that left a peculiar mark on her wrist and left the other students dead. Back at Aldryn for the new school year, Emory begins to develop magical abilities that go beyond healing—and that she’s unable to control. She turns to Baz, Romie’s brother, for help—Baz was born during an eclipse, giving him unpredictable magic. Reluctant to train Emory but eager to find out what happened to his sister, Baz finally agrees, and together they begin to unravel what happened last spring. This dark fantasy, told in Emory’s and Baz’s alternating third-person perspectives, has a spooky atmosphere and rich worldbuilding. It slowly unfolds to reveal what really happened to Romie, but predictable plot twists and a gratuitous deus ex machina may frustrate readers. The central characters are described as having pale skin.

The magical world is fresh, but the storyline is less satisfying. (content warnings, Sacred Lunar Houses & their tidal alignments) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023

ISBN: 9781665939270

Page Count: 544

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023

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