Lovers of dark fantasy and edgy romance will enjoy this tale, which gives the stage to an asexual protagonist.
A soulwalker opens a forbidden door and lets in a world of danger.
When 17-year-old Kamai’s mother is killed and her life upended, Kamai gives in to the temptation to open the black door that always appears whenever she walks through others’ souls. She unleashes Vehyn, a darkly fascinating being who appears as a boy, her age and pale-skinned like herself, who resides in a grand, foreboding fortress that Kamai accesses when she sleeps. Despite warning signs, Kamai ill-advisedly finds herself romantically attracted to Vehyn, who proves himself to be manipulative and threatening. Sometimes in the physical world and sometimes in the sleeping realm of souls, Kamai strives to uncover her mother’s killer and discover Vehyn’s (likely menacing) intentions. The drama, which is at times unnecessarily sprawling, involves a plot to kill the king, two secret societies, and plenty of intrigue as the stakes soar. Strickland (co-author, as AdriAnne Strickland: Shadow Call, 2018, etc.) excels at rich descriptions, painting vivid settings and a patriarchal culture shaped by belief in three gods. The cast, which includes a transgender character, is also diverse in race and sexuality. Crucially, Kamai’s asexuality authentically affects how she moves through the world; her journey to understanding her identity includes a detailed explanation that cleverly ties in modern views of asexuality with in-world terminology.
Lovers of dark fantasy and edgy romance will enjoy this tale, which gives the stage to an asexual protagonist. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-19874-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
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
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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