A fine questing adventure and a promising start to a series.
In Keridan’s fantasy series starter, a grieving young magic user must collaborate with an enemy to find answers about their world and themselves.
Eighteen-year-old Kyra Valorian has always been magically gifted, with many spells coming to her with ease. It’s assumed that she will one day take over her father’s job as the Princeps Shaman of Aeles. However, after a tragedy takes her father from her, Kyra discovers her powers are something much greater than she thought—and more dangerous. It turns out that she is a Recovrancer: a person who can travel into the world of the dead and come back. This type of magic is illegal in her society, and there haven’t been any Recovrancers for centuries. Meanwhile, in the realm of Nocens—home of Aeles’ longtime enemy, the Daevals—an assassin named Sebastian is looking for information on Recovrancers. His mother was killed 13 years ago, and ever since, he has had to rely on himself to adapt to a harsh world. He wants to retrieve an ancient, powerful sword called Rhannu, and while searching for a unicorn horn as part of a plan to do this, he nearly dies. Kyra helps heal him, and as they avoid authorities, they realize that they must work together to find the information about recovrancy. Neither knows if they can trust each other, but they feel a spark and familiarity around each other that’s hard to explain. Keridan’s worldbuilding is excellently crafted and seamlessly integrated into the story, enhancing the exposition. The author’s rich and immersive imagery further supports the atmosphere: “The warmth of the sun provided a nice contrast to the cool wind arriving in fits and spurts. Red and orange leaves stood out against the greenery of the forest, and the shrill warble of a bird sounded nearby.” The characters of Kyra and Sebastian feel complex and realistic, and they make dynamic, active decisions throughout. Secondary characters—family members, friends, colleagues, and enemies—all feel important to the story, as well, and have their own depth.
A fine questing adventure and a promising start to a series.Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68463-155-1
Page Count: 376
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
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