Dark, demanding, and delicious.
Twelve pitch-black original fairy tales form the backbone to an acclaimed fantasy series.
Fans of the Hazel Wood series know of Althea Proserpine’s cult anthology, the original stories whose characters escaped into our world. Featuring, among others, Hansa the Traveler, Twice-Killed Katherine, and, of course, Alice-Three-Times (whose tale’s much-speculated-about ending falls oddly flat), the stories feel both familiar—the first was already included in its entirety in the series opener and several others, in abbreviated and altered form—and revelatory, unfolding in all their rich, lush, macabre, and grisly glory. Despite their vaguely preindustrial Western European setting, these are anything but traditional folktales. While every protagonist is female, the themes are not explicitly feminist; rather, the overwhelming tone is savage, angry, bitter, and cruel. Most of the leads do achieve a vicious and vengeful sort of triumph, but only one even approaches a conventional happy ending. Relationships (exclusively heterosexual) are only an excuse for male lust, domination, and manipulation. Parents (especially mothers) are mostly neglectful, smothering, abusive…or dead. Death, often horrific death, is a constant presence, even as a literal character in several stories. Although this collection could well be read on its own, the unrelenting grimness can be wearying; it may be best appreciated for the context and commentary it offers for the preceding volumes. Tierney’s bold illustrations, many featuring stark, contrasting tones of red, black, and white, accentuate the mood. There is some diversity in skin tone.
Dark, demanding, and delicious. (Fairy tales. 16-18)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-30272-4
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Indelible characters, both good and evil, and a rescue storyline that refuses to dawdle.
In this second installment of a YA fantasy series, a boy’s friends rush to save him before a teen witch surrenders to dark magic.
Thirteen-year-old Sam Barconian, once a typical boy in Pilot Rock, Oregon, is battling evil witches in the Ninth Realm, Orkney. A descendant of both god Odin and he-witch Rubicus, Sam has the potential to become powerful but is still learning how to wield his magic. Unfortunately, he’s an ideal weapon for witch Catriona, who craves vengeance, having long ago witnessed Odin kill her father, Rubicus. She wants Sam on her side to kill Odin, which will likewise return Orkney to Earth, separated by the god for fear that magic would destroy the world. Meanwhile, Odin summons Sam’s Earth pals, Keely, Howie, and Leo, to Orkney. To see which path to take, Keely drinks from sage Mimir’s well, with an ensuing vision giving the trio ominous roles: she as The Seeker; Howie, Orkney’s Protector; and Leo, The Sacrifice. Keely further knows that Sam’s a captive of Catriona, who convinces him his friends’ futures are dire. Eventually succumbing to her persuasion, he becomes Kalifus, a servant of Catriona and her sister witches. At the same time, Keely searches for the Moon Pearl that reputedly can defeat the witches and pull Sam away from the darkness. The animated tale opens with action and ends in kind. Adams (The Egg Thief, 2016, etc.) is a master of exposition, never letting it slow the narrative by immersing it in rapid-fire dialogue: Keely learns of the pearl in a scene involving multiple characters—and squabbling from impetuous witch Mavery. Sam, whose discovery of his origin in The Red Sun (2015) was the series’ catalyst, is less of a protagonist this time, teetering between hero and villain, with his rescue driving the plot. But Keely handles the lead with panache, facing the same dilemmas as Sam, like struggling to understand her own magic (courtesy of Mimir’s drink). Leo’s inclusion adds suspense (will he be sacrificed?), while Howie serves as comic relief, asserting that Odin, in designating him Protector, was “just being optimistic about [his] prospects.” The Norse mythology–infused story also features a surprise appearance by a much more recognizable individual.
Indelible characters, both good and evil, and a rescue storyline that refuses to dawdle.Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-940716-84-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Spark Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fun, fast-paced tale about seven young, immensely powerful prisoners.
A YA thriller blends sci-fi, post-apocalyptic fiction, and a coming-of-age story.
In a near future when humanity has been laid low by a global pandemic, the vaccine that essentially saves the human race from eradication causes unforeseen side effects: a small percentage of the population is born with inexplicable mental abilities. Called psions, these children with intensely blue “starburst” eyes and unimaginable powers are forcibly separated from their families and sent to special institutions, which are more like prisons than schools. The storyline revolves around Devon McWilliams, a young psion (with the power to communicate with plants) whose failed attempt to escape his psi facility in the Badlands of North Dakota lands him in a mysterious government lockup with other detainees. Headed for death—or worse—the seven young psions include a butt-kicking telepath named Bai Lee Chen, the daughter of a U.S. senator, and a girl named Alya with healing powers who turns out to be Devon’s love interest. They must figure out a way to escape and find the mythical Psionic Underground Network (“They were all trapped within the same sinking vessel,” Devon muses. “In order to survive, they would have to find a way to work together”). Powered by adept writing, relentless pacing, numerous action scenes, and a cast of fully realized and authentic characters, this novel is undeniably a page-turner. But it is not without its faults. There are stories within the main story here: first-person narratives told from varying characters’ perspectives. While some of these are fully fleshed out, others seem rushed and incomplete. Additionally, the relationship between Devon and Alya comes across as contrived. The biggest flaw, however, involves the conclusion. After building tension throughout the entire tale, the book delivers an action sequence at the end that’s far too abrupt. And although Brotherlin (Monsters in the M.A.C., 1996) adequately examines potentially weighty YA themes like acceptance and self-confidence, some readers may be left wanting more thematic depth and profundity.
A fun, fast-paced tale about seven young, immensely powerful prisoners.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-63392-006-4
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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