A diverting, dystopian tale with an action-oriented story and first-rate characterization.
In Andrews’ first novel, the post-apocalyptic struggle between humans and lycanthropes reaches new heights as each threatens to vanquish the other.
Following nuclear devastation, the only habitable place on Earth is Japan, now known as Ikigai. Sora Sakurai is one of the human Keepers, a police force that monitors the country’s different Sectors. She’s also secretly a wolf, though some believe wolves are extinct. After Sora rescues Kaze Hayashi, a young wolf, from a Keepers patrol, she rejects his father’s offer to join the family’s pack, preferring her lone wolf status. But in a dream, her late brother, Iki, tells Sora that she’s “the Saviour” who, according to a prophetic poem, “will rise.” And Ikigai may need a rescuer when Jougen, a “cult of wolves,” takes Sector Six by force. In response, humans are determined to exterminate the wolves once and for all. While Sora strives to protect her wolf kind, she has human friends as well, including Keeper Ted Yew. Making matters even more dire is Jougen leader Taiyo, who boasts a power that puts all beings in mortal danger. Though she wants peace, Sora may have to fight to save everyone. Andrews excels at organically introducing her characters, starting with a relative few and gradually adding more. The characters are appealingly diverse, from Ted’s Sector Five chancellor father, Aki, to Matsu Moriko, a wolf who learns that his close friend Sora is still alive. The author develops a grand dilemma: Both the wolf and human groups have valiant individuals as well as ruthless ones. Readers, however, may crave further details on topics for which they’re meager, such as wolf-human transformations and whether characters speak the same language(s), which isn’t clear. After an action-packed final act, the somewhat vague, open ending suggests both a definitive conclusion and the possibility of sequels.
A diverting, dystopian tale with an action-oriented story and first-rate characterization.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-72839-673-6
Page Count: 176
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A delightful, genre-defying debut.
Historical horror? Dark fantasy? Queer romance? All of the above!
“I was hundreds of years old before I ever met him, but that day we were both young.” While visiting his Florence offices in 2013, attorney Sebastian Grave unearths a bloodstained lambskin glove that belonged to a past lover—a man he’d met in the 18th century. Nestled within this frame narrative is a tale of desire, werewolves, and the French Revolution. In telling his story, Sebastian introduces Sarmodel, the demon with whom he shares a body, and a succubus named Livia contributes chapters in which Joan of Arc, her notorious ally Gilles de Rais, and the archangel Michael all make appearances. First-time novelist Sullivan wields the tools of multiple genres deftly, but what really makes this book special is its central character. Sebastian has powerful magic at his disposal, but he’s also human enough to fall hard for a hot young nobleman. When Sebastian goes hunting for the Beast of Gévaudan, he’s not looking for adventure. The first time, it’s because he can’t resist Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne. The second time, it’s because he dreams of a reunion with his love—even though he knows this is a hopeless wish against the advice of Sarmodel. Using Sebastian as a narrator keeps things light, in part because he has a droll, contemporary voice and in part because it makes the worldbuilding feel natural. There are footnotes, but there are no infodumps. The fact that Sebastian doesn’t know exactly what he is sets the tone for storytelling that leaves a great deal unexplained while providing enough detail to keep the reader engaged. Deploying Sarmodel as a sort of alter ego and allowing Livia to offer her own perspective on Sebastian also adds both depth and charm.
A delightful, genre-defying debut.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781250362766
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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