A solid, well-imagined beginning to what could be an outstanding YA fantasy saga.
Stadd’s debut novel—the first installment of a YA fantasy trilogy—chronicles the adventures of a teenager who, after discovering the existence of another realm, realizes that he may be the only person who can save the magical world and its inhabitants from annihilation.
Jordan, who lost his geologist father years ago in a tragic cave mishap, knows that forging his mother’s signature to go on a school field trip exploring a nearby cave system is a bad idea. When he arrives at the site late, gets stuck deep underground in an unstable tunnel, and has to be rescued, he knows he’s in big trouble. But his mother’s ire is worth it—as he was trapped deep beneath the earth, he found and pocketed a luminescent rock that looked like it contained an entire galaxy within it. The rock, Jordan quickly realizes, is a conduit that transports him to another world while he sleeps. The realm, Elatia, is a wondrous, seemingly idyllic place that has jaw-dropping, rejuvenating powers. But Jordan realizes that the world’s inhabitants—which include a beautiful teenage girl named Kaylaira—must suffer through a genocidal purge every eight years. The mysterious MonTu regularly arrive to steal the planet’s powers and callously kill its inhabitants. Jordan, however, has incredible abilities on Elatia. He’s a wind driver, a mythical warrior who can not only control the air, but also might be able to save Elatia’s people. Jordan’s authentic teen voice (“By no means an angel, I’m an average teen delving into my fair share of mischief. What teen hasn’t?”) and the author’s exceptional worldbuilding (“Lily pads the size of small cars stagger a footpath across water”) make this an undeniable page-turner. And although the latter half of the novel lags in places when it comes to momentum and overall intensity, the conclusion contains some impressive bombshell plot twists that will leave readers salivating for the sequel.
A solid, well-imagined beginning to what could be an outstanding YA fantasy saga.Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2022
ISBN: 979-8985509403
Page Count: 332
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This fresh reworking of a Greek myth will resonate.
An otherworldly Latinx retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth set in the South Bronx.
Pheus visits his father in the Bronx every summer. The Afro-Dominican teen is known for his mesmerizing bachata music, love of history, and smooth way with the ladies. Eury, a young Puerto Rican woman and Hurricane Maria survivor, is staying with her cousin for the summer because of a recent, unspecified traumatic event. Her family doesn’t know that she’s been plagued since childhood by the demonlike Ato. Pheus and Eury bond over music and quickly fall in love. Attacked at a dance club by Sileno, its salacious and satyrlike owner, Eury falls into a coma and is taken to el Inframundo by Ato. Pheus, despite his atheism, follows the advice of his father and a local bruja to journey to find his love in the Underworld. Rivera skillfully captures the sounds and feels of the Bronx—its unique, diverse culture and the creeping gentrification of its neighborhoods. Through an amalgamation of Greek, Roman, and Taíno mythology and religious beliefs, gaslighting, the colonization of Puerto Rico, Afro-Latinidad identity, and female empowerment are woven into the narrative. While the pacing lags in the middle, secondary characters aren’t fully developed, and the couple’s relationship borders on instalove, the rush of a summertime romance feels realistic. Rivera’s complex world is well realized, and the dialogue rings true. All protagonists are Latinx.
This fresh reworking of a Greek myth will resonate. (Fabulism. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0373-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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