Lyricism notwithstanding, this tale falls short of spellbinding.
In Lupo’s debut, a deadly spell connects very different girls.
Lena is an outcast. A facial birthmark brands her as a cryptling—a disabled or disfigured person banished underground to tend the bodies of deceased Ancestors. In Duke’s Forest, Ancestors are worshiped and magic is outlawed. When a mysterious storm cloud brings a plague upon the kingdom and the Duke becomes ill, his representative, the sinister Justice, orders that all mages be executed. When she is convicted of magecraft, Lena must flee to the City of Kings and tame her powers by pledging herself to one of nine gods, forsaking the Ancestors. After six years, Constance, the Duke’s daughter and a talented mage, has returned to Duke’s Forest on a mission: to find and destroy the spell’s “heart.” But without the other, neither girl can succeed. Their stories build in alternating third-person chapters, increasing the suspense of their respective quests. Unfortunately, despite descriptive prose and musings on identity and self-acceptance, uneven character development and a rushed ending blunt the impact of their stories’ intersection and weaken a climactic twist. The magic and social class systems are familiar; a romance feels hasty and contrived. Most characters, including Constance, appear to be white; several characters, including Lena, are brown skinned. A minor character is gay and closeted.
Lyricism notwithstanding, this tale falls short of spellbinding. (maps, guide to the gods) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4088-9805-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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