A fittingly epic but overstuffed finale weighed down by repetition.
Conrad’s battle against his tyrannical uncle reaches its climax in this conclusion to the Above the Black trilogy.
At the end of Among Serpents (2025), King Ulrich of Urwin conducted a brutal purge. Now he’s casting his nephew, Conrad, and 1,000 soldiers who are deemed disloyal into the perilous Below. Presumed dead, Conrad resurfaces under an assumed name, gathering ships, new allies, and old friends as he works toward an inevitable showdown with his uncle. Themes of leadership, sacrifice, and the cost of power thread through the narrative as Conrad grapples with the balance between mercy and strength as embodied by his mother’s pacifism and his father’s warrior ethos. He also relies heavily on the loyalty and quick thinking of his companions, who pull him out of danger time and again. Sebastian makes another appearance as a recurring villain, but his lack of growth renders him flat. The importance of trust and friendship remains central, with the found family crew providing both comic relief and heartfelt moments. The political purges and tests of loyalty echo contemporary conflicts, lending the fantasy a sharp edge. Unfortunately, the novel is bogged down by its length and pacing issues; too great a percentage of the book is devoted to monster battles in the Below that become tiresome. There’s some racial diversity among the supporting characters surrounding the white-presenting central cast.
A fittingly epic but overstuffed finale weighed down by repetition. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781682637081
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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 delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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