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ANSUZ

From the Whisper of the Ravens series , Vol. 1

Intriguing, with bountiful Norse mythological and folklore connections, but marred by problematic elements.

A girl and her canine companion begin to unravel the intertwined mysteries of her visions and a series of local murders in this title translated from the original Danish.

Anna Sakarias’ reputation precedes her as she starts high school, but her new acquaintances don’t seem to be fazed by the stories. Mathias Hedskov and Luna Sekibo are persistent in their attempts to befriend her; when Luna’s mom and dad are revealed to have known Anna’s long-lost parents, Anna’s resistance falters. Aside from recurring visions foretelling a series of grisly murders, Anna has little knowledge of her own history, but she possesses other inexplicable supernatural powers and has a surreal canine companion named Monster. The missing pieces of her identity begin to fall into place now that “something evil” has arrived in Ravensted to fulfill an ancient prophecy. The extreme violence of the murders and the intrigue of the central mystery blend with fascinating symbolism, history, and mythology in a lengthy work that drags at times. Additionally, some dialogue feels unnatural, one villain’s moniker is a colonialist slur, a sexual situation involving a recurring peripheral character raises unresolved questions of consent, and the large cast feels a bit muddled at times. Most characters are white; biracial Luna’s father is described as generically West African.

Intriguing, with bountiful Norse mythological and folklore connections, but marred by problematic elements. (glossary; lists of characters, places, and concepts) (Fantasy. 14-adult)

Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023

ISBN: 9781646900268

Page Count: 710

Publisher: Arctis Books

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

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IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES

From the Impossible Creatures series , Vol. 1

An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters.

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  • New York Times Bestseller

Two young people save the world and all the magic in it in this series opener.

When tall, dark-haired, white-skinned Christopher Forrester goes to stay with his grandfather in Scotland, he ventures to the top of a forbidden hill and discovers astonishing magical creatures. His grandfather explains that Christopher’s family are guardians of the “way through” to the Archipelago, where the Glimourie Tree grows—the source of glimourie, or the world’s magic. Black-haired, olive-skinned Mal Arvorian, a girl from the Archipelago, is being pursued by a murderer, and she asks Christopher for help, launching them both on a wild, dangerous journey to discover why the glimourie is disappearing and how to stop it. Together with a part-nereid woman, a ratatoska, a dragon, and a Berserker, they face an odyssey of dangerous tasks to find the Immortal, the only one who can reverse the draining of magic. Like Lyra and Will from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Mal and Christopher sacrifice their innocence for experience, meeting every challenge with depthless courage until they finally reach the maze at the heart of it all. Rundell throws myriad obstacles in her characters’ way, but she gives them tools both tangible (a casapasaran, which always points the way home, and the glamry blade, which cuts through anything) and intangible (the desire “to protect something worth protecting” and an “insistence that the world is worth loving”). Final art not seen.

An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters. (map, bestiary) (Fantasy. 10-16)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024

ISBN: 9780593809860

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

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

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