A hoot of an adventure.
When people battle one another, it summons magic, and the power is trapped by the Weavers—but 18-year-old librarian-in-training Charlie prefers to avoid conflict.
Charlie’s teal hair, the result of a fight gone wrong, is a constant reminder of why. But everything changes when she’s reclaimed by her birth father, the King’s Blade, from her humble life as a carpenter’s daughter. She’s whisked off to the royal court, where the sheltered Prince Leopold develops a crush on her. Trouble is, he’s already betrothed to someone else—but he’s too naïve to realize he might start a war if he doesn’t honor the marriage contract. Resourceful Charlie goes to rescue Leopold’s fiancée, physically strong, pink-haired Princess Robin, from a tower, but it turns out that Robin’s witch-queen mother only put her there for tradition’s sake. Robin’s mother gives the three young people a quest: Discover the source of magic. Two talking animal companions—a vulture and a dragon—round out their party. The medievalesque setting feels original while evoking classic genre elements, and readers will appreciate the plentiful humor, crackling dialogue, and budding romance. This series opener leaves open elements in the narrative to be explored in subsequent entries. Presser’s paneling work is inventive, and the characters’ faces and body language are highly expressive, although the visual style is inconsistent. Charlie’s mother has dark brown skin, and her father reads white; her skin tone is medium brown. Robin and Leopold present white.
A hoot of an adventure. (Graphic fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781524896423
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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