An engaging cast and an intriguing interplanetary setting energize this series opener.
Teens hailing from different worlds train together on Mars in Roy’s debut YA SF adventure.
It’s been nearly 15 years since the war ended between planet Phaeton and Jupiter’s icy moon of Europa. The worlds fought over Mars, where a new academy now stands to signify the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Ten teenaged Nordics of Phaeton and 10 of Europa’s aquatic humanoid Natatory will be the academy’s first students. Maganie “Magzi” Zi, like her fellow multihued Natatory, can breathe underwater, but she’s already adjusted to “dry” environments. She quickly befriends the Nordics girl Kitina “Kitto” Tova. In this novel, which kicks off a series, the students primarily train, gaining hands-on experience while learning of the red planet’s hazards (both faunal and floral), riding genetically modified horses, and staying at a survival camp. When unforeseen circumstances separate Magzi and Kitto from their peers and instructors, they’re forced to survive by relying on skills they’ve only recently honed, and they must brave such menaces as an intimidating creature that’s not even native to Mars. Roy sets the action in an unexpected period—the story takes place 66 million years ago, when dinosaurs still walked the Earth. The eponymous teen shares the spotlight with Kitto, and the two leads are surrounded by other affable, conflict-free characters. Trouble brews outside the academy, however, with signs of old anti-Natatory beliefs (“Mars for Nordics!” some graffiti declares). Easygoing prose keeps the narrative moving and the dialogue popping. The author skimps on some of the finer points of worldbuilding—everyone apparently speaks the same language, and someone drops an inexplicable Jaws reference—but the backstory is truly compelling, especially regarding the thorny history shared by Phaeton and Europa. Both Magzi and Kitto have ties to the event that brought about the war’s end, as highlighted in a late flashback that gives a seemingly minor character the chance to shine.
An engaging cast and an intriguing interplanetary setting energize this series opener.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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