A nuanced exploration of darker themes set in the world of the popular Avatar universe.
A 16-year-old refugee in a Chinese-inspired fantasy world delves into the mysteries of her new home in order to save a friend.
Jin and her grandfather Gong-gong live in Ba Sing Se’s Lower Ring, struggling to get by with delivery jobs. Gong-gong, once an expert calligrapher, taught Jin enough to earn a scholarship to a literature academy, but now he’s often mentally absent and confused. They’re part of a torrent of refugees whose families and villages were destroyed by the Fire Nation. Despite this, Ba Sing Se’s brutal enforcers, the Dai Li, insist that there is no war. Still grieving her parents, Jin dreams of a more comfortable life for Gong-gong and her best friend Susu’s family. After Susu is forced to take a servant job in the Upper Ring, risking a life of abuse by a wealthy employer, Jin begins accepting hazardous delivery jobs from the underground resistance, hoping to help Susu. Although this series opener takes place during the timeline of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series and contains cameos by characters from that world, it’s well-developed enough to succeed as a stand-alone. Lin delicately balances themes of inequality, societal control, insularity, and the impact of war with Jin’s resolve to help Susu, her burgeoning earthbending skills, and the struggle for a better world. Jin’s quest for a love like her parents’ leads to a realistic, supportive, slow-burn romance.
A nuanced exploration of darker themes set in the world of the popular Avatar universe. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: July 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781419776045
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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