A smoothly written religious fantasy enlivened by fiery antagonists.
Human kingdoms foment war as rival deities consolidate power in this fantasy novella.
Seventeen-year-old Rune Kallio lives in the northern kingdom of Kansanai. One day, she washes clothes by the river, singing songs to Jokaiu, the river god. Rune’s deepest desire is that during the Pairing Ceremony, Jokaiu will match her with Jyri Glycen, her beloved. But Adda, the teen’s 14-year-old sister, has a dream that the world will catch fire only for Rune to save it as “princess of the heavens.” Further, the dream nymphs whisper to Adda that Aivan, the mythological god representing “the One Truth,” will sponsor Rune’s ascent. Meanwhile, in the southern kingdom of Etalentin, 17-year-old Rolf Larsen heads to the local temple to pray to Vesai, one of the Vihishki gods. As he prays, he hears Aivan say that Vesai is a “false god” and that “I am not in the temple. I speak to you now through your heart.” Later, a village Elder sends Rolf to the court of King Petri with a message. When Master Alviss, the king’s adviser, learns that Rolf knows limited magic, he determines that the teen, if properly trained, will be the key to defending against the designs of Queen Isilda in the north. But Lord Paholai, a spirit who is Aivan’s opponent, plans to wield greed and power to sway Rune and Rolf to his plans. In this well-crafted series opener, Green offers a spiritual fantasy that hopes to illustrate the starkness of good versus evil. Yet many of the vivid scenes will remind history buffs of ancient Rome during Christianity’s rise, as when a man called Kirkus says, “I challenge your Vihishki gods against my One Truth,” and demands the temples’ destruction despite the solace they bring to many people. During his training, Rolf is indoctrinated by the phrase “Love is nothing. Power is everything.” It’s noteworthy that the intriguing protagonists are young enough to be swayed by such extreme viewpoints. Many important narrative choices are made once characters “Pray to Aivan for guidance.” Queen Isilda, learning that her clout is at risk, becomes the player with the most agency and provides the spark for the sequel.
A smoothly written religious fantasy enlivened by fiery antagonists.Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64960-136-0
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Emerald House Group, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
An engrossing, action-packed sequel with a compelling cast.
A woman must undergo fearsome trials to free the imprisoned Titans of Greek myth in Owen’s fantasy novel, the second in a series.
Advancing from minor office clerk in the Order of Thieves to Queen of the Underworld, Lyra Keres’ star should be rising. But thanks to Cronos, King of the Titans, she and her longtime friend and fellow thief Boone have been ensnared in a new challenge beneath the earth: Hot on the heels of winning the twisted Crucible Games, Lyra—who has recently been granted goddess powers—finds herself trapped in Tartarus. Separated from her beloved Hades, she must liberate the fearsome Titans from seven Locks to restore the cosmic balance. As Lyra progresses through the Locks engineered by the Gods—each as tricky and lethal as the last—the pressure mounts as the Titans repeatedly remind her, “You will be our savior.” Rhea, the wife of Cronos, reveals that Lyra began this quest “a hundred and fifty years ago,” adding further devastation to the task at hand; the knowledge is helpful, but also painful, as Lyra reflects, “Suddenly, I don’t want to know that it’s real. Because then I have to contemplate how many times I might have ended up in Tartarus already.” As she materializes in and out of time pockets, Lyra sees Hades’ troubled childhood unfold and struggles not to intervene to save the man she loves. In this second entry in the author’s Crucible series, following The Games Gods Play (2024), Lyra’s cynical quips continue to make her an engaging protagonist. Her inner monologues are balanced with hope, love, and longing for Hades as she meets various versions of him. While resilient, Owen’s heroine is also vulnerable (“Was I his pawn in more ways than I ever realized?”). Her introspection effectively contrasts with the simmering rage and restraint in Hades’ chapters. The supporting Titans are given more depth than the traditional myths allow, weaving a knotty family fabric for the reader to navigate alongside Lyra.
An engrossing, action-packed sequel with a compelling cast.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378538
Page Count: 500
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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