by L.C. Barlow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2020
A tight series installment that thrives on narrative risk.
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In Barlow’s thriller sequel, 18-year-old Jack Harper attempts to break free from a tragic past, until she hears the siren’s song of revenge.
As this installment opens, Jack watches a mansion burn. She’s destroyed the headquarters of the Infinitum cult run by her father, Cyrus. Lutin, a supernatural being known as a ferric, gave her the power to resurrect the dead, but has now vanished from her life. Jack drives Cyrus’ car from Basille, Louisiana, to New York City to “build my life, one brick at a time.” Initially, the stimulating metropolis invigorates her. Then she sees that Cyrus’ downfall—and the location of the car she stole—have made the news. She eventually settles into a routine of robbing people in Central Park so she can afford an apartment under the alias Sarah Anderson. She’s shocked when she starts receiving letters from children from around the country who are still trapped in the cult’s network; somehow, her precautions have come to naught, and Jack realizes that her attempt at a new life is a fantasy. As she attempts to retreat into drug use, she meets Patrick Flannigan, a princely party animal who turns out to be the target of a criminal syndicate; his father owns the mysterious Lucient Laboratories, which may have a connection to Jack’s past. Barlow’s remarkable sequel keeps the tension high, and the twists consistently feel fresh and unexpected. Jonathon Roth, later introduced as the leader of the criminal Outfit organization, proves a compelling foil for Jack. The protagonist’s quest for self-possession is never eclipsed by the supernatural pyrotechnics, although the action scenes are remarkably cinematic: “Blood exploded from beneath his right cheekbone. Teeth flew out of his mouth to rattle off the windshield.” The final third consists of carefully arranged surprises, each adding psychological complexity to the story—and hints that the next volume will be even grander.
A tight series installment that thrives on narrative risk.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64428-137-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Rare Bird Books
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by L.C. Barlow
by Hannah Kaner ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2024
A bold series continuation from a fantasy author to watch.
In a world where old gods can pass away, new divinities may be born.
Hseth, the fire god whose cult murdered Kissen’s family in Godkiller (2023), is no more. However, problems continue to mount for the intrepid young warriors who managed to kill her. The orphaned Inara and her minor-god companion, Skedi, persevere on a seemingly unending search for answers—she to the questions surrounding her paternity, he to an illustrious past he cannot recall. In the aftermath of the climactic battle, King Arren has chosen a path that his best friend, Elo the baker-knight, cannot bring himself to follow, and Elo must reckon with the ramifications of turning his back on his liege. Just as Arren stokes the fires of his own illicit cult—with himself as figurehead—a resistance movement to save what remains of the world’s outlawed gods begins to heat up. Unable to come to terms with Elo’s desire to keep her away from the dangers of war, Inara makes a rash decision that ultimately sets the stage for mass unrest shortly before Arren’s victory tour arrives at their doorstep. Meanwhile, a presumed-dead Kissen fights her way back from the shores of the god who saved her life, only to find herself at odds with her friends’ and family’s goals. You see, Elo, Inara, and the rest have forgotten one very simple rule: Dead gods can always come back. Tested alliances fuel this tightly plotted found-family thrill ride. The worldbuilding is complex, but the reader never feels bogged down beneath its weight. As with the previous installment, queerness and disability are woven into the fabric of the narrative; Kissen and her sisters are queer and disabled, a prominent secondary character is transgender, and several tertiary couples are gay and lesbian. Although the pacing does become a little too frenetic in the novel’s final chapters, as the point of view switches rapidly among protagonists, Kaner has penned another page-turner in this projected trilogy.
A bold series continuation from a fantasy author to watch.Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780063350106
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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by Hannah Kaner
by Brandon Sanderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.
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New York Times Bestseller
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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by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson ; illustrated by Charlie Bowater & Ben McSweeney
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