Though bold and atmospheric, this high-concept story never achieves liftoff.
A girl enters into a marriage contract with a god to save her family.
Eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa “Lark” Arriscane expects to graduate from school and step into a curator position at the gallery housing the works of her favorite painter. She never imagines that instead she’ll be expelled from Marchmain Academy, sent away from the city and back to her seaside hometown of Verse, where her brothers run a salt mine. But her family’s troubles have only just begun; the mine is failing, and Lark’s brothers owe a steep debt to the neighboring Felimath family. When Lark learns she can save the mine and her brothers by agreeing to marry Therion, the chthonic god her family worships, she barely hesitates. But the betrothal goes horribly wrong, and Lark must form a fragile alliance with the Felimath siblings, Alistair and Camille, childhood friends with whom her relationship has soured. As the three delve into myths and mysteries, Lark’s romantic connections with both siblings begin to bloom. Clipstone’s dreamily romantic writing can be gorgeous, and this moody folktale is well imagined. There’s a lot of missed potential, however: Some underdeveloped plotlines slow the narrative, and vague characterization prevents the emotional beats from landing. Still, the unique premise and skillful prose may keep readers engaged. Lark and her brothers have olive skin and “hair and eyes the color of honey”; the Felimath siblings are cued white.
Though bold and atmospheric, this high-concept story never achieves liftoff. (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250348906
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
