A sharp fantasy set in an original world that’s brimming with social conflict.
Two teenagers seek the floating land where the last of their people live free from subjugation.
Gineth Strong is a thief; it’s one of the few options open to her as an Ophir because her people are seen as worthless by the Laconians, who have been in power for 500 years. When a job goes wrong, Gin finds herself on the run in the company of another Ophir, Eban Sadreal, who’s after the same treasure. Their loot, it turns out, is important to both the Laconians and the Ophir. Gin wants to use it to help their people; Eban is hesitant to trust her. With their lives at risk, they turn to the ocean and the last, hidden stronghold of the Ophir—and in the process get caught between factions that are at odds with one another. Their world, influenced by its proximity to the sea, evokes the landscape of Southeast Asia, while also incorporating powerful ancestral magic and gritty, dystopian elements. The plot twists heighten the drama and hint at much more to come, but setting up the larger social conflict takes priority over in-depth character development in this duology opener. The novel nevertheless puts a new spin on the trope of teenagers leading a rebellion, and Gin and Eban will certainly win over readers. The Ophir, including Gin and Eban, are cued Filipino.
A sharp fantasy set in an original world that’s brimming with social conflict. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9781250361677
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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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