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
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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