A bracing drama that feels like a milestone for this series about a demonic war.
This fourth volume of a YA fantasy series pits Lucifer’s sinister minions against the forces of the ruler of Enoch.
Thirteen-year-old Philip Engel dreams of simpler times. He longs to be helping his mother with dinner at home and preparing for a play with his crush, Sabrina, at school. Instead, he’s in hell, asleep in Lucifer’s castle. He knows that his friend Satina has been kidnapped by Aziel, upstart ruler of Enoch, or New Hell. Philip already saw his demonic friend Grumblebeard die and has no wish to lose the young tempter whom he loves. As a tempter himself, he now has horns, wings, and a tail—as well as the power to change his face. He dons the identity of Malthorn Dargue and infiltrates Enoch. Philip learns that Aziel keeps Satina in his temple, held under a spell of forgetfulness by the waters of the river Lethe. Aziel himself, bitten by Death’s snake, has aged “several hundred years” but eats green apples to gradually reverse the process. But worst of all is that Aziel has teamed up with Cain, brother of the biblical Abel and the world’s first murderer. The two diabolical figures, along with an army of mortal demons, plan their vengeance on Lucifer for taking their immortality. Andersen, in his series’ most epic installment, brings the drama to a rolling boil. The volume also contains his grisliest scenes yet, including one in which an innocent man who has no eyelids begs Philip for death. This effectively reminds readers that Lucifer is the lesser of two evils, and Aziel is a threat the evolving hero may or may not vanquish. The author still peppers his saga with puns, like the “Hornmones” taken by Hisser, a young devil hoping to grow larger horns. A flashback to the final argument between Lucifer and the Archangel Michael rings with grandeur (“The snow-white wings unfold, sparkling like sword-blades in the sunshine”). While some may find the violence gratuitous, Andersen does enjoy pushing boundaries—as when God tells Philip the meaning of life. Fans will undoubtedly expect some big surprises in the next volume.
A bracing drama that feels like a milestone for this series about a demonic war.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 321
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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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