Scheming and action carry readers at a breathless pace to an end that may surprise them and will definitely leave them...
The Grisha Trilogy turns from bildungsroman to political thriller in its second installment.
Sun Summoner Alina and former Ravkan army tracker Mal, once her childhood friend and now her would-be love, are on the run. All they want is to put Ravka and the megalomaniacal Darkling far behind them. Alas, this is not to be. Captured by the Darkling and forced onto a ship captained by the notorious pirate Sturmhond, they find themselves in pursuit of the second of three magical amplifiers that will make Alina powerful beyond belief—and bind her ever-closer to the ancient, evil Darkling. Sturmhond has an unexpected agenda of his own, though, and turns on the Darkling. Darkling temporarily thwarted, Alina and Mal find themselves back in Ravka’s capital as part of the ailing king’s younger son’s attempt to find his way to the throne. Bardugo’s sophomore effort smooths out many of the rookie wrinkles that marred Shadow and Bone (2012); Alina’s wry voice does not interfere with worldbuilding, instead keeping readers immersed in the plot. Characters are rich and complex, particularly the Peter the Great–like younger prince and Alina herself, beset by competing claims and desires. Is she Mal’s lover? Prince Nikolai’s pawn? Commander of the Grisha Second Army? Saint?
Scheming and action carry readers at a breathless pace to an end that may surprise them and will definitely leave them panting for the series’ conclusion . (Fantasy. 13 & up)Pub Date: June 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9460-2
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A dystopian world that is all too real and that has much to say about our own.
In an apocalyptic future Canada, Indigenous people have been forced to live on the run to avoid capture by the Recruiters, government military agents who kidnap Indians and confine them to facilities called “schools.”
Orphan Frenchie (Métis) is rescued from the Recruiters by Miigwans (Anishnaabe) along with a small band of other Indians from different nations, most young and each with a tragic story. Miigwans leads the group north to find others, holding on to the belief of safety in numbers. Five years later, Frenchie is now 16, and the bonded travelers have protected one another, strengthened by their loyalty and will to persevere as a people. They must stay forever on alert, just a breath away from capture by the Recruiters or by other Indians who act as their agents. Miigwans reveals that the government has been kidnapping Indians to extract their bone marrow, scientists believing that the key to restoring dreaming to white people is found within their DNA. Frenchie later learns that the truth is even more horrifying. The landscape of North America has been completely altered by climate change, rising oceans having eliminated coastlines and the Great Lakes having been destroyed by pollution and busted oil pipelines. Though the presence of the women in the story is downplayed, Miigwans is a true hero; in him Dimaline creates a character of tremendous emotional depth and tenderness, connecting readers with the complexity and compassion of Indigenous people.
A dystopian world that is all too real and that has much to say about our own. (Science fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77086-486-3
Page Count: 180
Publisher: DCB
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
A powerful commentary on colonization and the right to rebel.
A 15-year-old conscripted into an army of child soldiers investigates her mother’s disappearance.
Being born a Scion, or human who inherits the powers of Yoruba deities, is a crime in Nagea. Sloane, the powerful descendant of Shango, the god of heat and fire, has àse: blood magic that ripples under her dark skin. Not yet controlled, it makes her a literal walking inferno when she is distressed. Drafted into the army ruled by the 13 Luci bloodlines who conquered and colonized Nagea under one rotating monarchy over three centuries ago, Sloane chooses not to run away even though her Baba warns her about the risks of going to the Lucis’ island stronghold: “A Scion in Avalon is a sheep in a lion’s den.” Determined to find out what happened to her mother, Sloane will do whatever it takes, removing any obstacle—human or otherwise—in search of the answers she needs. Sloane’s internal conflicts over her necessarily kill-or-be-killed attitude once on the base are grounded and relatable even as she endures immense physical and emotional violence. The well-paced closing action of the book is tidy, providing satisfactory resolutions for enough of the main mysteries while still leaving readers wanting more. With so much conflict to engage with, however, it’s difficult to get a full sense of the worldbuilding in this intriguing duology opener set in a Nigerian mythology–inspired setting.
A powerful commentary on colonization and the right to rebel. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-295404-6
Page Count: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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