Sure to appeal to teens raised on the Hunger Games and Divergent series.
The vanquished princess Carys, thought to have been killed in a mortal struggle with her twin brother, Andreus, in the first volume in the series, continues her arduous journey.
With a handful of loyal followers, Carys returns to the Palace of the Winds to reclaim the Throne of Light. Weakened by the severe punishment she received in the Trials of Virtuous Succession and addicted to a powerful painkiller, the Tears of Midnight, administered by her nefarious mother, Carys nevertheless begins to be aware of the hitherto subconscious influence of the magical wind on her actions. Meanwhile back at the castle, Andreus, now king, is adept at repairing and maintaining the wind-powered, steampunk-style electrical lights which keep the Xhelozi monsters at bay. However, he remains vulnerable to the Machiavellian plotting of the Elders and his delusional but still powerful mother. Carys realizes that the enemy is becoming stronger as chaos in the castle causes the virtues to become unbalanced in the kingdom. She feels compelled to return to help her brother, if only she can follow Seeress Kiara’s advice to safely wield the wind by retaining control over her anger. The ending indicates that a sequel will surely follow this fast-moving, intricately plotted thriller with a powerful, charismatic heroine, skilled in armed combat and learning to control her impulses.
Sure to appeal to teens raised on the Hunger Games and Divergent series. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-245387-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
Disappointing.
Unlikely friends fight their growing feelings for each other while placing bets on other people’s love lives.
Bailey met Charlie while flying from Alaska, where she grew up, to Nebraska, where she and her mom would be living after her parents’ divorce. Although they briefly bonded over their parents’ divorces, Charlie’s cynicism grated on the rule-following Bailey, and she was thankful to part ways with him. Three years later, to Bailey’s dismay, she runs into Charlie when they both land jobs at Planet Funnn, a mega-hotel that’s “like a giant landlocked cruise ship.” This time around, Bailey and Charlie begin to get along better. To entertain themselves during their long shifts, they observe and make bets about the hotel guests. But they risk taking it too far when they bet on whether their co-worker Theo will end up with Nekesa, Bailey’s best friend, who’s in “a perfect relationship with the perfect guy.” The book explores Bailey’s conflicted feelings toward her mom’s new relationship with Scott (who doesn’t “do anything wrong” but whose presence changes “the vibe” at home), but it does so in a way that diminishes a primary source of conflict. Bailey's and Charlie’s feelings become even more complicated when Charlie helps Bailey with a fake-dating scheme intended to scare Scott off. Some of the banter between the leads, who are coded white, feels more aggressive than playful, detracting from their intimacy, and the circuitous plot may fail to sustain readers’ interest.
Disappointing. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781665921237
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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