Dramatic and well-wrought, with strong crossover appeal for adult readers.
Human and dragon princesses navigate ancient magic and forbidden attraction to save their world.
To maintain diplomatic relations between dragons and humans, Kirek, a draconic princess, is sent in her human form from the dragons’ mountain keep to meet the human Queen of Andrath and her 18-year-old heir, Samansa. Although interspecies pairings are prohibited, the princesses are drawn to one another. When their stolen kiss breaks the Heartstone, which facilitates human-dragon communication, and forges a pair bond between them, the princesses are forced to travel across the realm to uncover the secrets that separate their kinds in the hope of uniting against a growing threat. Although both societies are matriarchal, the worldbuilding features high contrasts between the rugged, utilitarian dragon realm and the soft, lush human one, distinctions that are embodied physically and emotionally in the princesses themselves. Elements of Strickland’s fantasy world feel reminiscent of medieval Europe. The carefully plotted action sequences and battles between dragons result in carnage and aren’t for the squeamish. There is ample LGBTQ+ representation among the main and supporting characters, and the book explores timely topics, such as gender expression, sexism, reproductive freedom, and acceptance of transgender people. Pale, redheaded Samansa, who’s “short and soft and plump,” presents white, and Kirek, in her human form, has purplish gray hair, silver eyes, and pale skin. There’s diversity in skin tone among the supporting characters.
Dramatic and well-wrought, with strong crossover appeal for adult readers. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781250325907
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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