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
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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