An imaginative, well-crafted fantasy that’s weighed down by overused tropes.
An adventurous woman joins a crew of pirates and sets sail aboard the Wailing Wind in Kalous’ novel.
Sol Vesper was born for a life on the ocean. Her father was a sea captain and raised her on his ship after her mother died in childbirth. Her father was murdered in a mutiny when she was 12, and now, after a decade of “learning to survive without selling herself or being sold,” Sol arrives in the Aurtanian colonies of Barbaka, determined to get work as a sailor. Despite her experience and expertise, no one will hire her, as it’s considered bad luck to have a woman on a crew. A skirmish with a predatory captain leads to a chance encounter with Danken Vesper, her long-lost pirate uncle and the captain of the Wailing Wind. Sol joins his crew, eager to earn their respect; she forms friendships with Laius,a master swordsman who becomes her sparring partner; Will, the crew’s surgeon; and twin master gunners Derk and Jordan. She also earns the distinction of being the Wailing Wind's official thief after stealing a jeweled rapier from a Royal Navy ship. She faces challenges from misogynistic shipmates and enslavers at one of the ports that the crew visits. She also experiences a growing attraction to Curt, the ship’s surly first mate. When Capt. Vesper leads the crew in a mission to find and steal the mythical Hoard of Cerlax, Sol and Curt become closer, but Sol can’t risk a romance—there’s too much at stake. Kalous’ series starter showcases masterful worldbuilding, featuring mythology, royal politics, and richly detailed topography. However, some of its narrative elements are overly familiar; as a protagonist, Sol isn’t particularly compelling and falls into the not-like-other-girls cliché, even reflecting that “there had always been an oddness to her, things she couldn't explain away.” It doesn’t help that, until the final chapters, she’s the only significant female character; before that, unnamed innkeepers, barmaids, sex workers, high priestesses, and sex trafficking victims abound. Sun-and-moon symbolism throughout the novel is clever but heavy-handed.
An imaginative, well-crafted fantasy that’s weighed down by overused tropes.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781039198616
Page Count: 342
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.
Three women deal very differently with vampirism in Schwab’s era-spanning follow-up to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020).
In 16th-century Spain, Maria seduces a wealthy viscount in an attempt to seize whatever control she can over her own life. It turns out that being a wife—even a wealthy one—is just another cage, but then a mysterious widow offers Maria a surprising escape route. In the 19th century, Charlotte is sent from her home in the English countryside to live with an aunt in London when she’s found trying to kiss her best friend. She’s despondent at the idea of marrying a man, but another mysterious widow—who has a secret connection to Maria’s widow from centuries earlier—appears and teaches Charlotte that she can be free to love whomever she chooses, if she’s brave enough. In 2019, Alice’s memories of growing up in Scotland with her mercurial older sister, Catty, pull her mind away from her first days at Harvard University. And though she doesn’t meet any mysterious widows, Alice wakes up alone after a one-night stand unable to tolerate sunlight, sporting two new fangs, and desperate to drink blood. Horrified at her transformation, she searches Boston for her hookup, who was the last person she remembers seeing before she woke up as a vampire. Schwab delicately intertwines the three storylines, which are compelling individually even before the reader knows how they will connect. Maria, Charlotte, and Alice are queer women searching for love, recognition, and wholeness, growing fangs and defying mortality in a world that would deny them their very existence. Alice’s flashbacks to Catty are particularly moving, and subtly play off themes of grief and loneliness laid out in the historical timelines.
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250320520
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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