An enchanting treat for fantasy fans.
A princess with magical powers joins forces with a skeptical prince in a battle against a wicked army in this debut YA novel.
The Royal Legion of the Crown City of Myria has fought the Evil Queen and her warriors of darkness for 500 years. The queen commands an arsenal of creatures, including goblins, dragons, and trolls, but the princesses of the Legion possess magic that supplies their battle partner princes an advantage over the menacing hordes. A kiss from a princess accompanied by the right spell can heal a prince, give him strength in battle, or counter a curse. Princess Ivy Myriana, a direct descendent of founding Queen Myriana, has the strongest kiss. Her new partner, Prince Zach, is a skilled swordsman who, to her chagrin, refuses her kiss. He will only kiss out of love, a concept she believes is a “bloody fairy tale.” As the sinister band strengthens, Ivy and Zach embark on a mission to find and destroy a rare and deadly Sable Dragon. Together, they face dangerous griffins and a cursed village and share an attraction that prompts Ivy to reassess everything she thought she knew about kisses and love. Duga’s fantasy is a rousing romantic adventure with dynamic characters and thrilling action sequences. The author has a knack for creating well-rounded protagonists. Ivy is smart, resourceful, and confident in the power of her kisses. Then she meets Zach and discovers what can be achieved without a kiss. Her relationship with the prince unfolds at a slow-burning pace as her notions of love are challenged. The chemistry between Ivy and Zach is palpable, whether they are facing perils or enjoying a quiet dinner together. Duga does a fine job balancing the romance at the heart of the story with effective action scenes, including an episode in which Ivy and Zach dive into a well to retrieve an important amulet.
An enchanting treat for fantasy fans.Pub Date: July 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-64063-183-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A trick ending–in which the final three quarters of the book is revealed to have been only a (possibly prophetic)...
Potentially intriguing stylistic choices instead form a knot of incomprehensible prose in this convoluted sci-fi tale.
Starra Starbuck is a farmer on a polluted future Earth where human life is rapidly being driven to extinction by natural disasters. As one of the planet’s six potential psychics, Starra is drafted into an expedition to find a new home for humankind in a distant galaxy. The journey ends in disaster when the ship bursts open en route and only Starra survives. She successfully lands the craft on an alien planet, where she is pleased to find all the computers are programmed in English. Quickly resigning herself to the inevitable death of all her friends on Earth, Starra blithely steals a ship and jets off to an interplanetary poker competition. Her ensuing adventures–during which the environmental message of the narrative falls off the radar–are marred by malapropisms, grammatical errors and sloppy syntax. Starra’s narration is peppered with an excess of bland adjectives–one typical sentence describes three items as “blue” and three as “brown.” Constant repetitions of the phrase, “I sighed with,” to indicate emotion only contribute to the choppiness; Starra sighs with, among other things, “grit,” “confidence,” “determination” and “surprise.”
A trick ending–in which the final three quarters of the book is revealed to have been only a (possibly prophetic) dream–cheapens the already broken tale. (Science fiction. 11-13)Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-595-35799-7
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun.
Comedy and suspense dominate this imaginative twist on the Dracula legend.
Harnissey, Dracula’s vampire nephew, and his companion, the ancient spider Morleaux, arrive at the old homestead for a visit when Dracula leaves for London. Harnissey, innocent, well-meaning and constantly bumbling, is attacked by the vampire sisters in residence, who intend to take over the castle while the Master is away. He and his intelligent spider sidekick eventually form an alliance with Dracula’s undead butler, a nicely drawn character always surrounded by a halo of buzzing flies, and a kingly, sinister cat, to do battle against a centuries-old vampire sorceress who’s arrived holding a grudge, along with her skeleton army. Bayne has a flair for droll comedy. His monstrous characters stand out clearly and distinctly as individuals, and the author’s clever focus on the other side of Bram Stoker’s novel helps fill out the story. The humorous undead protagonists, who are afraid of ghosts, add plenty of flavor to the story, as does the author’s incorporation of historical detail. The only flaw is Bayne’s tendency toward too-flippant dialogue, which is clearly designed to appeal to adolescents, but is inconsistent with the more sophisticated style used in the narration. Still, this is an entertaining romp that displays originality and inventiveness.
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun. (Fiction. YA)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40242-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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