A melodic adventure that plumbs the depths of art and politics in a series entry that can more than stand on its own.
In Himeda’s fantasy novel, a long-simmering conflict is about to boil over, and two immensely gifted protégés stand in the middle.
The third book in The Bardic Isles series takes place over 200 years before Kaelin, the musical protagonist of both Master of Music (2023) and Cry of the Kestrel (2024), is even born. In the land of Eire, the Bardic and Druidic Orders are engaged in a longstanding but rapidly disintegrating alliance. Despite this, the Bards continue thriving, with many in the order able to hear the music contained within natural elements and thus manipulate them to their bidding. A series of strange events—such as the discovery of a secret meeting between Druidic leaders—indicates that trouble is finally coming to a head. Master Ferghus is the only Bard to recognize this crisis, and he attempts to equip his gifted apprentice, Cyral, for the danger that lies ahead. Meanwhile, Daithi, a Druidic Grovekeeper who can see and travel through energy lines, trains the young village boy Shay in his own growing powers. As the Bards face annihilation from the mounting Druid forces, Cyral and Shay’s unique gifts might just save them all. While some readers may find the dialogue a bit saccharine (“Must I define you to yourself before you believe in who you are, in what you have so magnificently become in just two seasons’ time?”), there is no denying the powerful positivity infusing the novel’s strong and elegant prose. And while knowledge of the previous series entries provides additional context to the significance of the Bard and Druid conflict, it is by no means necessary to enjoy Cyral and Shay’s adventure. Himeda has once again crafted a lyrical saga that manages to balance plenty of action with a thoughtful meditation on friendship, chosen family, and the power of believing in oneself.
A melodic adventure that plumbs the depths of art and politics in a series entry that can more than stand on its own.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781959900078
Page Count: 425
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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