Existing fans will appreciate this trilogy closer that ends on a reader-friendly high note.
Leena and Noc must stop their enemies and fix old wrongs in this follow-up to The Frozen Prince (2020).
Following Yazmin’s attack on the Charmers, newly named Crown of the Council Leena must unify her people with Noc’s assassins so that they can stand together against Yazmin’s plot to awaken Ocnolog and use that legendary beast to destroy the kingdom of Lendria. They spell out what they know of Yazmin’s plan and launch a counterplan to consolidate their forces, including having long-lost prince Noc take his crown to depose villainous King Varek and claim Lendria’s army to fight Yazmin. This path continues the visits to burial sites and finds action and tension in unexpected obstacles, ambushes, and—of course—the charming of (or merely surviving) dangerous beasts. Leena and Noc’s love story is a done deal (sealed in racy, physical love scenes), so romantic tension comes in side characters (whose narration unfortunately feels fairly indistinguishable). Yazmin’s chapters, however, have a stronger voice and fresher perspective. Frequent recaps of the near past and future plans help readers keep the plot straight—especially those who won’t be tackling it in a single sitting—though sometimes too much signposting undercuts the narrative tension, and some reveals are too obvious. The ending leans into a wish-fulfilling happily-ever-after after a massive battle. Most characters default to White.
Existing fans will appreciate this trilogy closer that ends on a reader-friendly high note. (bestiary, bonus chapter) (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72823-228-7
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Will appeal to fans of fast-moving fantasy adventures.
Pledged to each other since childhood, Adraa and Jatin navigate the complex politics of their respective kingdoms.
Adraa is the heir to Belwar, and while powerful in most types of magic, she has yet to take the royal ceremony to prove her competency in all nine forms and, with it, her right to someday rule. With half its population Untouched by the Gods—unable to use magic—Belwar struggles with inequities between the Touched and Untouched, reminiscent of societal class divisions. Adraa’s strong sense of duty to her people leads her to fight against the corruption within her kingdom. Jatin, heir to their more magical neighbor Naupure, has spent years polishing his nine colors of magic at the academy, away from the realities of ruling. He and Adraa compare their magical prowess and progress through letters. When Jatin finally leaves the academy, a series of mishaps results in both of them hiding their true identities even as they grow closer in their fight against a ruthless gang. This intricate world with magic-fueled, action-packed fight scenes and snarky, colloquial banter is loosely infused with Asian Indian cultural references. The story also discusses questions of gender inequality, freedom, self-worth, and identity. Adraa and Jatin both have black hair; in contrast to the cover image, the text makes clear that Adraa is very dark-skinned while Jatin has lighter brown skin.
Will appeal to fans of fast-moving fantasy adventures. (deities and their powers, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-12421-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Cracking page-turner with a multiethnic band of misfits with differing sexual orientations who satisfyingly, believably jell...
Adolescent criminals seek the haul of a lifetime in a fantasyland at the beginning of its industrial age.
The dangerous city of Ketterdam is governed by the Merchant Council, but in reality, large sectors of the city are given over to gangs who run the gambling dens and brothels. The underworld's rising star is 17-year-old Kaz Brekker, known as Dirtyhands for his brutal amorality. Kaz walks with chronic pain from an old injury, but that doesn't stop him from utterly destroying any rivals. When a councilman offers him an unimaginable reward to rescue a kidnapped foreign chemist—30 million kruge!—Kaz knows just the team he needs to assemble. There's Inej, an itinerant acrobat captured by slavers and sold to a brothel, now a spy for Kaz; the Grisha Nina, with the magical ability to calm and heal; Matthias the zealot, hunter of Grishas and caught in a hopeless spiral of love and vengeance with Nina; Wylan, the privileged boy with an engineer's skills; and Jesper, a sharpshooter who keeps flirting with Wylan. Bardugo broadens the universe she created in the Grisha Trilogy, sending her protagonists around countries that resemble post-Renaissance northern Europe, where technology develops in concert with the magic that's both coveted and despised. It’s a highly successful venture, leaving enough open questions to cause readers to eagerly await Volume 2.
Cracking page-turner with a multiethnic band of misfits with differing sexual orientations who satisfyingly, believably jell into a family . (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62779-212-7
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
BOOK TO SCREEN
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