A busy YA fantasy novel with a solid story that will bewilder readers unfamiliar with previous series entries.
In Cox’s YA fantasy novel, the fourth in a series, two teens must aid an ancient race in defeating the darkness.
After spending time on Earth to mourn the loss of her mother and deal with real-life struggles involving school and family trouble, space-hopping teenager Ambrielle meets up with her crush, Gavian, to travel—using portals to return to the other worlds they’ve visited in the past. When passing through the citadel of Mekkinspire, Ambrielle notices that a legendarily impregnable vault that’s always remained sealed has now been opened, and she and Gavian resolve to track down the responsible party and learn what was removed. Following the trail to a mysterious glade, they discover that an ancient race has started to awaken. Ambrielle finds herself named as the next “awakener” and is joined by Wegin, a small orb and font of information that now acts as her guide. It’s imperative that Ambrielle awaken and gather as many warriors as she can to stop a looming, monstrous threat. As if this task weren’t enough, she and Gavian still need to navigate the other perils of the worlds they visit, including an impending war that might have already taken their friends and allies. The pair struggles to close rifts between worlds while trying to keep a rift from forming between themselves. The author deftly makes the characters feel authentic in their ages: Ambrielle steps up to do what needs to be done, but she still has typical teenage worries, like fretting over whether Gavian still likes her (“Maybe they didn’t have as much in common as she’d thought”) or debating whether to take some of the pretty jewelry she finds to show off to her friends. This is the fourth book in the Bewilderness series; interested readers should read the books in order. The author does a fair job of catching new readers up on the relevant previous adventures, but with so many unfamiliar names of places, people, and objects, readers who start the series with this installment will have an incredibly difficult time keeping up.
A busy YA fantasy novel with a solid story that will bewilder readers unfamiliar with previous series entries.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798986636870
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Silvettica
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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