Fast-paced and gripping—a stellar opening to a new sci-fi adventure series focused on social justice.
A 17-year-old girl is the universe’s most wanted criminal in Milan’s exhilarating debut.
After surrendering herself to the imperialist Olympus Commonwealth that is responsible for her home planet’s destruction, golden-skinned, black-haired Ia Cocha is forced to join the Royal Star Force Academy on Aphelion. Upon arrival, the notorious expert pilot is feared by her peers and immediately plots her escape. Naturally blue-haired Brinn Tarver, a Commonwealth citizen who conceals her half-Tawny heritage out of fear, enrolls in the Academy and is devastated to discover that her roommate is Ia. Meanwhile, blond-haired and blue-eyed Flight Master Knives has lost faith in the Royal Star Force after his sister died on a mission and receives a remote control for a device implanted on Ia’s heart. All three protagonists’ alliances come under question as they begin to empathize with one another and dissect their political beliefs surrounding the treatment of refugee groups. Meanwhile, a slaving nation known as the Armada drives the plot forward as it takes over Ia’s turf in Dead Space. Ia is a kick-ass fighter and complex heroine whose hot-and-cold attitude is often aimed at introspective Brinn, who has the greatest potential for growth. Knives comes close to being just a convenient love interest, but a future installment may redeem him.
Fast-paced and gripping—a stellar opening to a new sci-fi adventure series focused on social justice. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-3625-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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 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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