An intriguing first installment of a promising fantasy series.
In Cassera’s YA fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy, a girl fights to uncover who she really is while a boy must repress his psychic powers to survive.
Natalie Covington and Henry Thorne are seniors at the elite Lockwood Academy, located on a private island on the Washington state coastline. Natalie hails from a wealthy family while Henry attends the school on a scholarship. Separated by social status and unlikely to connect, the two find their lives entwined following a ceremony in which Natalie’s boyfriend Jack Carter is sworn in as the student body’s president: When Henry appears distressed, Natalie runs to his aid, convinced he’s having a panic attack and appalled that no one steps up to assist him. However, when she approaches, Henry shoves her away, despite his immediate attraction to her. It turns out that he secretly has psychic, precognitive abilities, and his visions predict Natalie’s death: “An electric bolt pulses through my body and then I see… Natalie’s face—eyes wide in horror.She seems to be straining, trying to breathe.” Although precog support groups and family members forbid Henry from informing Natalie of her fate, another student precog named Wes Thompson challenges him to defy the odds, telling Henry a story about his brother, who successfully changed his girlfriend’s destiny. Natalie is drawn to Henry, and she embarks upon a quest to understand her deceased mother, herself, and her capabilities. Written in the first person, this contemporary fantasy novel alternates between Natalie and Henry’s perspectives, which effectively propels the plot forward. The narrative integrates themes of friendship, romance, and identity as it charts a journey to self-discovery characterized by strength, loyalty, and understanding in the face of evil. There are moments when prescribed gender roles impact the story; while Henry’s abilities take center stage, there is little foreshadowing about the fact that Natalie is also more than human. A more equitable presentation of Natalie’s budding superpowers and more extensive worldbuilding outside of Lockwood would enhance the story. Despite these flaws, the story is sure to whisk readers away from reality’s daily grind with its deft balancing of relationship plots and fantasy tropes.
An intriguing first installment of a promising fantasy series.Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9798987387801
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Mogul Scarf Productions, Inc.
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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