A fantasy that offers compelling worldbuilding and rich character arcs.
In this YA novel, four teenage witches flee their families’ expectations.
Theodora “Thrash” Blumfeld-Wright didn’t expect her “knack” to show up in the library’s bathroom in full view of Cresca King, one of the three popular girls known as the Lunes. As the “plus-size” 16-year-old daughter of two witches, Thrash wasn’t guaranteed to get a knack and be a witch in her own right, but she had a better chance than most. The Lunes may be potential witches (“There was something that just screamed ‘coven’ about them, even though none of them had gotten their knacks yet”). Soon, Cresca confesses to Thrash that the Lunes are indeed witches, “but we haven’t told anyone.” She offers Thrash a deal—go on a road trip with her and the other Lunes, Saki Anderson and Emerald Atlandotir. Then the four of them can work together to decide their own destinies rather than letting their parents choose their futures. Thrash is unsure about the scheme until she discovers that her mom plans to give her the one power she definitely doesn’t want—the Gift of Glamour. Thrash runs away from home before her mom can officially bestow the power on her and grabs the Lunes. Now, they’re on a road trip to escape their parents’ expectations and maybe decide their own fates. But when the Lunes discover Thrash escaped with a mysterious “Gift,” a hollowed-out book filled with witchy artifacts like amulets and her baby teeth, the girls may be in for a worse fate than just parental disapproval. In this rousing fantasy, Ives turns the coming-of-age road-trip trope on its magical head. As the four teens open up to one another, YA readers will find that even witches have very relatable problems. Cresca tells Thrash: “Why should parents choose our Gifts for us? Just because some old crones decided it should work that way a hundred years ago?” Thrash’s tempestuous relationship with her mom, who frames her biting comments as just “wanting what’s best for you,” will sound familiar to many readers. With an imaginative magical system and world and intriguing characters, this novel will entertain teens and adults alike.
A fantasy that offers compelling worldbuilding and rich character arcs.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780996232456
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Sword & Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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