An almost-successful rehab-in-space story that falls victim to thematic overstuffing.
Is it a quest to save the remains of the human race or a cruel deception?
Seventeen-year-old Conway is the most promising Hydroseeker Recruit of his generation. He loves riding his moto-rover incredibly fast across the Martian terrain, training to find water for what remains of humanity. It’s been 130 years since some humans came to Mars from the Arid Planet on the Tsimmaon (which originally provided interstellar tours for the wealthy), abandoning everyone else to die. Now pale, blond Conway competes for one of the few prestigious Seeker spots. But on their first mission to the Arid Planet, everything Conway believes is disproved. The Arid Planet has trees, safe water—and people. If only it hadn’t taken a terrible bike accident, which leaves him with a grievous spinal cord injury, for him to learn about this miracle. His people leave him behind, so now Conway’s a prisoner of the locals, who call their planet Mayanah. Their leader, Selah, a gorgeous, brown-skinned girl with piercing blue eyes (that are repeatedly mentioned), forces Conway to do his physical therapy instead of allowing him to be self-pitying about his paraplegia. There’s a lot going on here: an injury and disability rehabilitation storyline, a post-apocalyptic setting with a grim view of sexuality and gender, a fun space adventure, and an overarching Christian allegory. The surprise introduction of spiritual magic is disruptive; the science fiction and the parable never fully synthesize.
An almost-successful rehab-in-space story that falls victim to thematic overstuffing. (author's note) (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9781454957959
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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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