A woman’s striking metamorphosis and pain drive this compelling debut.
A sex worker with a tragic past discovers her inner strength and self-worth in Wright’s debut fantasy novel.
In a fantastical, sprawling, rural land divided into kingdoms of clans composed of divergent races, a young woman named Klara provides drink, sustenance, and sexual services to the patrons of an alehouse. One evening, she’s offered an unlikely opportunity by a tall, dark-haired foreigner. Waywyrd, a wizard, seeks a cook to join a traveling party, and he convinces her to accept his offer. Months pass before his return, and Klara’s dream of escape from her hated circumstances fades, but Waywyrd and his party, members of the Keltoi clan, show up as she is busy servicing a particularly loathsome customer. Her fortunes soon improve. The Keltoi appreciate having someone who can serve a tasty meal after months of enduring their own cooking. Eventually, Klara becomes thought of as the seventh member of the Keltoi party. As Karn puts it, “I don’t think of you as a whore that I could pay for pleasure as I wanted it. You’re a member of the company and I’d like to think we’re friends.” But being the only female in the group creates complications; Thorn and his nephew Karn both take a shine to Klara. She discovers that they are both royalty in need of future heirs. Unfortunately, there are those in the party who would sabotage any relationship between a Kelt and a commoner. In her debut novel, Wright does a masterful job of portraying Klara’s journey. The Klara that the reader first meets is guarded and cut off from emotion. After she joins the Keltoi, she begins to open her heart to the possibilities of family and love, though her growing trust proves to be dangerous. Wright also ably develops the rough-hewn Keltoi into distinctive, enjoyable characters. Wright has created an enthralling new series lead, so here’s hoping Klara hangs on until the second book.
A woman’s striking metamorphosis and pain drive this compelling debut.Pub Date: June 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781957910000
Page Count: 353
Publisher: Hart & Hind Publishing Company
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Warm and wonderful.
A prequel to the popular cozy fantasy Legends & Lattes (2022).
Viv is a fighter. It’s not just what she does, it’s who she is. So when she gets wounded during a battle with a necromancer’s skeletal wights, and her crew dumps her in a small seaside town to recover while they continue on after the necromancer, she is not happy about it. But soon enough, against her will, she’s drawn into the life of the town. There’s Fern, the unsuccessful bookseller, who has a knack for recommending exactly the right book. And there’s Maylee, the baker, who not only makes the world’s best baked goods, she actually winks at Viv. Before Viv knows what’s happening, she’s helping Fern out here and there, she’s reading—she’s involved. Meanwhile, there’s a pesky young gnome asking for an introduction to her mercenary crew, and a mysterious man in gray who looks like trouble. But Viv is leaving when her crew comes back through town. No matter what. This prequel gives readers a glimpse of Viv as a young orc, still committed to the fighter’s life, just taking an enforced break in a charming town populated by compelling, richly drawn characters, and the slightest hint of danger in the wind. Despite the lurking necromancer, the vibes are decidedly warm and cozy, and the plot is just as much about saving the bookstore and building relationships as it is about protecting the town from the man in gray. As a prequel, it can stand alone, but will certainly satisfy fans as well.
Warm and wonderful.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250886101
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.
A fantasy adventure with a sometimes-biting wit.
Tress is an ordinary girl with no thirst to see the world. Charlie is the son of the local duke, but he likes stories more than fencing. When the duke realizes the two teenagers are falling in love, he takes Charlie away to find a suitable wife—and returns with a different young man as his heir. Charlie, meanwhile, has been captured by the mysterious Sorceress who rules the Midnight Sea, which leaves Tress with no choice but to go rescue him. To do that, she’ll have to get off the barren island she’s forbidden to leave, cross the dangerous Verdant Sea, the even more dangerous Crimson Sea, and the totally deadly Midnight Sea, and somehow defeat the unbeatable Sorceress. The seas on Tress’ world are dangerous because they’re not made of water—they’re made of colorful spores that pour down from the world’s 12 stationary moons. Verdant spores explode into fast-growing vines if they get wet, which means inhaling them can be deadly. Crimson and midnight spores are worse. Ships protected by spore-killing silver sail these seas, and it’s Tress’ quest to find a ship and somehow persuade its crew to carry her to a place no ships want to go, to rescue a person nobody cares about but her. Luckily, Tress is kindhearted, resourceful, and curious—which also makes her an appealing heroine. Along her journey, Tress encounters a talking rat, a crew of reluctant pirates, and plenty of danger. Her story is narrated by an unusual cabin boy with a sharp wit. (About one duke, he says, “He’d apparently been quite heroic during those wars; you could tell because a great number of his troops had died, while he lived.”) The overall effect is not unlike The Princess Bride, which Sanderson cites as an inspiration.
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781250899651
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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