Richly atmospheric but unevenly executed.
Three friends are devastated when they receive letters of rejection from Sibylline College of Magical Arts, the Ivy League equivalent “for the magically inclined”; little do they know that danger lurks behind its hallowed stone walls.
Desperate to understand their own powerful forms of magic, Raven Chen, Atticus Garcia, and Dorian Winthrop leave New York City for Vermont, taking staff jobs at the college in hopes of slipping into lectures and accessing lesson plans. Ensconced in strategic positions around campus, they quickly discover that the school isn’t the idyllic institution of learning they’d imagined it to be. Its history is filled with dark secrets, and when someone turns up murdered, the administration seems to know more than they’re letting on. To expose the truth, the trio must push their magical abilities (and their tangled feelings for one another) further than ever before, even if it means shattering the glittering facade of the country’s most elite magical college. This duology opener, with its shadowy library, cobblestone streets, and bookshop cafe where the characters eat cinnamon rolls, captures cozy dark academia at its best. However, too much time is spent rehashing the trio’s romantic feelings for each other, diluting the central mystery. An unexpectedly explicit sex scene toward the end feels jarringly out of place relative to the rest of the book, making the intended audience unclear. Names and physical descriptions cue ethnic diversity among the cast members. Dorian presents white.
Richly atmospheric but unevenly executed. (Fantasy. 17-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217002610
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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