An engaging urban fantasy with an important message.
Six years ago, the first Darkbeast emerged and destroyed part of downtown Shanghai.
Today, 18-year-old Sascia, a member of the Umbra Program’s team of young scientists who are researching the Dark, is the expert on Darkmoths, who appear only for her. During Sascia’s side hustle—conducting tours of the Maw, a Dark portal in Manhattan—she inadvertently lets through the first known Dark humanoid, a genderfluid elf named Nugau. Nugau tries to kill Sascia in retaliation for an event that has yet to occur in Sascia’s timeline. The two meet twice more at different times, the last meeting revealing a romance in Nugau’s past that’s yet to come for Sascia. Their timelines converge when Sascia enters the elves’ temporary world, a Dark-ravaged section of the Manhattan subway, and begins to realize why the Darkmoths (considered to be gods by the elves) have opened a rift between the Dark and Earth. The book’s resolution deftly addresses timely topics, such as war profiteering, climate change, and cycles of violence. The supporting characters, both elves and Sascia’s family members and friends at the Umbra, are well developed, but the book’s breakout character is Mooch, the lovable ancient leader of the Darkmoths, so named by Sascia because of its penchant for stealing her food. Sascia is Greek American, and the supporting cast brings additional ethnic diversity. In this world, queer identities are accepted without question.
An engaging urban fantasy with an important message. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780593859377
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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