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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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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