A dark, haunting fantasy in which magic binds hearts as tightly as it binds fates.
In a brutal land shaped by myth, two unlikely companions set out on a perilous journey.
While helping his ironsmith father collect swords from a pile of corpses as part of a burial ritual, pale-skinned, blue-eyed, golden-haired village boy Siggi finds Hrafn, a manacled witch-boy with midnight-black hair and skin “darker than anyone’s in Midfjördur.” Hrafn, it turns out, is alive—and when Siggi saves his life, they become bound by Hrafn’s skin magic. Siggi asks for help finding his brother, Arnes, who vanished while seeking answers about the mystery surrounding their late mother, rumored to have been killed by a witch. The duo soon uncover a clue connected to Arnes, and they set off, navigating treacherous mountains and shadowy underground passages where they encounter figures from folklore: huldu, druids, darkwolves, and even a massive, whalelike lyngbakr. Their initially reluctant companionship kindles into a tender, slow-burn romance, offering them rare warmth amid the hardships. Inspired by Icelandic culture and written with dark lyricism, Wallace and Thomas’ collaboration introduces readers to a grim yet entrancing world in which beauty and terror coexist. Though the pacing occasionally drags under the richly textured worldbuilding and mythological exposition, readers drawn to folklore-laced fantasy and hard-won romance with sharp banter will find much to savor here.
A dark, haunting fantasy in which magic binds hearts as tightly as it binds fates. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
ISBN: 9781915585318
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Tiny Ghost Press
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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