A richly imagined trilogy opener with high-stakes adventure.
After unknowingly unleashing an ancient force, a teen joins forces with unlikely allies as they race to stop the destruction it leaves in its wake.
Seventeen-year-old Sparrow, who was raised by the members of the Thieves Guild, wants nothing more than to make the Guildmaster proud. She sees her chance when the Circle—a secretive group that controls the guild—assigns her to retrieve an artifact from a long-forgotten ruined underground city. During her journey, she meets Halek the Fatechaser and Raithe, an assassin. Though Raithe was sent to stop Sparrow, he becomes an unexpected ally—and maybe something more. Sparrow soon learns that she played a key role in the return of a Deathless King, inadvertently putting everyone she loves in danger. Although the Deathless Kings “once ruled the world,” nowadays “the stories left behind were mostly used to scare naughty children.” Along with her companions, Sparrow crosses the deadly Dust Sea in search of help to stop further devastation. But the Deathless King is hunting them because Sparrow is a Fateless, someone who poses a threat because she can defy curses. Kagawa’s worldbuilding is exceptional, introducing a realm filled with unique fantasy-world races, cultures, and religions. This novel, which is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, features layered, distinctly drawn characters who have humorous and heartfelt interactions. The romance is subtle, allowing the main plot to take center stage.
A richly imagined trilogy opener with high-stakes adventure. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781335448804
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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