A loose, beautiful tapestry of a tale that would be more satisfying if woven tighter.
Prehistoric young warrior Quiller must choose between helping her best friend, Lynx, survive his spirit quest in the glacial wilderness or saving her newly formed family from the Rust People.
When lions attack Lynx’s camp, leaving only him alive, Quiller must convince the Sealion People elders that Lynx is not a coward who abandoned his people—for which the punishment is death. Nightbreaker, the lions' giant and unusually intelligent pride leader, seems to have protected Lynx during the attack, so Quiller argues that he must be a spirit helper with a quest for Lynx. Maybe he’s even the mysterious old man who appeared during and after the attack, in a different form. Her ploy works, and the elders abandon Lynx on the Ice Giants, huge glaciers, to seek Nightbreaker’s guidance or die trying. Lynx has never been good at hunting or battle, so Quiller promises to defy the elders and help him. Before she can, she finds four children in an enemy village ravaged by disease and predators. After adopting the Rust People children, she must choose between finding Lynx or protecting her new family. Meanwhile, despite almost dying several times, Lynx finds the mysterious old man Dr. John Arakie. He shows Lynx there’s truth to the old stories about gods leaving Earth and disappearing underground when the ice came but needs Lynx to become part of the story for humanity to survive. Gear brings her vast knowledge of prehistoric cultures to this climate-fiction tale with beautiful and engaging worldbuilding. However, there are many seemingly contradictory and confusing details that may make it hard for readers to find their footing early on. Just enough hints and promises of revelation are doled out—often in exposition thinly disguised as “there’s an old story that says...”— to make readers hang on for answers. However, the big reveal after the slow and meandering buildup isn’t much of a surprise and only adds more unanswered questions—all to set up a sequel.
A loose, beautiful tapestry of a tale that would be more satisfying if woven tighter.Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7564-1584-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: DAW/Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
Great character work and interesting plot development make this an exceptional middle volume.
The second in a political fantasy trilogy concerning Kithamar, a powerful city-state in turmoil.
The first book, Age of Ash (2022), covered the monthslong reign of Prince Byrn a Sal of Kithamar, who inadvertently interrupted the centuries-old secret rule of a ruthless body-switching entity by not actually being part of the royal line and therefore incapable of hosting it. This installment takes place in that same year and begins with the exact same prologue but instead follows a separate group of characters who only appeared tangentially in the first book. It’s love at first sight for Elaine a Sal, daughter and heir to Byrn, and merchant’s son Garreth Left; their initial encounter is just the beginning of a profound shake-up in both their lives. As Elaine adjusts to palace life and begins to suspect sinister, impossible things about the dead Prince Ausai, Garreth defies his parents’ wishes to seal an important business transaction with a foreign marriage and runs away to join the city guard. Meanwhile, Captain Senit of the city guard makes it his mission to go after Aunt Thorn, a powerful crime kingpin apparently named after a trickster god, unaware that Aunt Thorn actually is the trickster god in question, among other things. Many authors have chosen to tell a story from two different perspectives in separate books, but Abraham’s effort is unusual in that it uses two different casts of characters, which allows for a more extensive tapestry of plot. It also serves to illuminate how profoundly people can be interconnected and never even understand how they are linked or even that they’re linked in the first place. The motivations and actions of a stranger can have a profound effect on someone’s life without the other person ever knowing about it. This parallel book both fills in the noticeable gaps in the previous volume and continues to highlight a favorite Abraham theme: the complex outcomes stemming from personal choice. Garreth’s decision to abandon the circumscribed position his family has established for him and his subsequent inability to fully devote himself to the city guard because of his newfound love for Elaine are understandable parts of his journey to find his own path and be true to himself; but they have significant, sometimes damaging consequences for those around him.
Great character work and interesting plot development make this an exceptional middle volume.Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9780316421898
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
A promising series starter that strikes a keen balance between court intrigue and romance.
Circumstances force a lost kingdom's uncrowned queen into a gambit of court intrigue in this Egypt-inspired debut.
Ten years after Jasad fell, its people live in hiding within the four nations that conspired against their homeland. The Jasadis were the last people in the world to possess magical abilities; to be outed as Jasadi is to face summary execution. Essiya is the heir to the Jasadi throne. Now calling herself Sylvia, the 20-year-old hides her magic behind a pair of invisible bracelets that help stifle its power. When her cousin Felix of Omal throws a young girl under his horses' hooves, Sylvia's magic flares, sending a dagger into Felix's leg...right in front of Arin, the Nizahl Heir, who has the power to sense magic via touch. Rather than apprehend her, Arin saves Sylvia's life by naming her his Champion in the upcoming Alcalah, a tournament pitting fighters from the four remaining nations against each other for honor and glory. Keeping her identity a secret proves more difficult the longer Sylvia remains in the competition, however. Arin and Sylvia's undeniable chemistry eventually pays off at the end of a very long, very slow burn, but Hashem never lets the story stray far from the heroine's journey. The novel's Egyptian inspiration maintains a strong presence throughout the narrative; a number of Arabic words, such as wilayah, khawagai, Qayida, and Awaleen, appear frequently. Sylvia is coded as a person of Middle Eastern descent, and Arin is White. Several secondary characters are Black-coded. Similarities between character and state names, most of which have only two syllables, have the potential to create confusion early on as Hashem introduces the major players and their world; readers may find themselves confusing Niphran, Niyar, and Nizahl, for example, or Mahair, Malik, and Marek. Readers looking for a new fantasy series to latch onto will find much to love here.
A promising series starter that strikes a keen balance between court intrigue and romance.Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9780316477864
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
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