Despite its intriguing premise, this sequel falls short of satisfying.
In a continuation of the events of the series opener, a mage finds herself at the center of multiple plots to seize control over the Empire of Dageis.
Outlaw mage Rosha Tar’elian is still working to fulfill her deal with Firekeeper Ceres, magically controlling the simulacrum of the Emperor of Dageis in return for (relative) freedom. At the same time, she must hide the fact that her powers are waning, forcing her to rely on forbidden blood magic. The situation worsens when Ivasus ban-Sokur, a spoiled aristocrat and antagonist from Rosha’s school days, voices suspicions about the death of Lord Cato, who was shown in the series opener to be the emperor’s puppetmaster. Though he’s unaware of this fact, Ivasus smells something rotten, threatening blackmail unless his demands for resources and power are met. In a parallel narrative, readers learn the true motives of Nasuha, Rosha’s traveling companion, who was revealed to be an operative for a fringe group called the Lost Ones. A lukewarm romantic plot between Rosha and Felan (a major player in the resolution of the first book) adds another element to the book’s already full plate. The chapters alternate between Rosha’s and Nasuha’s points of view. Unfortunately, these perspective shifts hamper the narrative momentum rather than enhancing it. Brown-skinned Rosha and Nasuha are Gorenten and coded as fantasy Southeast Asian; Dageians like Ivasus and Ceres have light eyes and hair.
Despite its intriguing premise, this sequel falls short of satisfying. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781958051658
Page Count: 510
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
A dark and gripping feminist tale.
A young woman faces her past to discover the truth about one of her nation’s heroes.
When Effy Sayre, the only female architecture student at her university in Llyr, wins the competition to design Hiraeth Manor for the estate of the late Emrys Myrddin, national literary figure and her favorite author, it is the perfect opportunity to leave behind a recent trauma. She arrives to find the cliffside estate is literally crumbling into the ocean, and she quickly realizes things may not be as they seem. Preston, an arrogant literature student, is also working at the estate, gathering materials for the university’s archives and questioning everything Effy knows about Myrddin. When Preston offers to include her name on his thesis—which may allow her to pursue the dream of studying literature that was frustrated by the university’s refusal to admit women literature students—Effy agrees to help him. He’s on a quest for answers about the source of Myrddin’s most famous work, Angharad, a romance about a cruel Fairy King who marries a mortal woman. Meanwhile, Myrddin’s son has secrets of his own. Preston and Effy start to suspect that Myrddin’s fairy tales may hold more truth than they realize. The Welsh-inspired setting is impressively atmospheric, and while some of the mythology ends up feeling extraneous, the worldbuilding is immersive and thoughtfully addresses misogyny and its effects on how history is written. Main characters are cued white.
A dark and gripping feminist tale. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780063211506
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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