Despite featuring familiar creatures, this series opener delivers solidly entertaining mythmaking.
A teenage princess in a mystical land secretly trains in mortal combat and survival strategies when elves unveil her destiny in liberating her people from dark magic.
Rothman’s heroic fantasy novel is the first chapter in his Prophecy saga, about the Rivertons, a contemporary American family. They accidentally pass through “the veil between worlds,” conveniently close to their house, and find themselves stuck in the magical land of Trimoria. There, all of them (even the family cat) assume legendary roles in a vast struggle of good against evil. But in this kickoff, the spotlight is off the Riverton household and on the natives of Trimoria. Hero Arabelle is the pampered and protected teenage daughter of Honfrion, a nomadic sheikh, and his caravan. In the aftermath of a “demon war” that left much of the planet partitioned off by deadly mist barriers, Honfrion’s people wander Trimoria in thrall to Azazel, a centuries-old dark wizard (who in turn serves an evil elf queen). Headstrong Arabelle, inheriting her mother’s prophetic powers, yearns for more out of life—and she gets it when an attack by a corrupted creature doses her with a venom she must counteract with exercise and other activities. The virtuous, secretive elves (and a godlike being called Seder) inform Arabelle that even with the poison threatening her life, she is crucial to fulfilling a prophecy that will free Trimoria from its diabolical tormentors. But the way is hard and dangerous, and it involves strangers (readers can guess who) coming from somewhere outside. Meanwhile, Azazel, ever on guard for any threat, including unauthorized magic, has his vicious, part-ogre minion Kirag and elite Talon patrols watching for any irregularities. The author adroitly handles genre mainstays like dwarfs, dragons, elves, and warlocks in a manner that will find approval among sword-and-sorcery fans, especially ones in the YA crowd seeking women-fronted material presented in a fairly noncondescending manner. During her adventures, Arabelle has to be rescued from time to time, but she also proves her mettle more than once in this captivating story. Those who enjoy this curtain opener will likely continue for the ride in the next volumes.
Despite featuring familiar creatures, this series opener delivers solidly entertaining mythmaking. (author bio)Pub Date: June 29, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Primordial Press
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener.
Teens from different social spheres collaborate, investigating magical mysteries while navigating their shared attraction.
When 18-year-old Wren Hayes doesn’t receive a magical gift from the three Fates—Dawn, Day, and Dusk—she’s shunned by Aurilian high society. Unbeknownst to Wren, 19-year-old Damien, a thief from the Void (a part of the city she’s forbidden to visit) has taken the locket that should have been her gift from the Fates. He’s shocked to discover a photo of himself inside. Using his own Fates’ gift—a mirror with powers of invisibility—Damien infiltrates a party and steals a silver watch from a guest. But his gift isn’t fully functioning, and Wren tackles him, sending them both tumbling into the mud. They tussle and exchange flirty barbs before Damien makes off with his prize, losing Wren’s locket in the process. Unsure why someone from the Void would possess such a gift and determined to uncover why hers was “unjustly kept” from her, Wren tracks down Damien. Seeking answers of his own, he agrees to work with her. Their well-crafted dance of desire and restraint is on point (“She stifled a stunned noise as I placed a menacing kiss—a mere graze of my lips—on the back of her hand”), melding seamlessly with the plot. The story addresses sexism, privilege, and wealth while hurtling the characters into a whirlwind of action and disturbing revelations. Wren presents white, and Damien has tanned skin.
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener. (map) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217117215
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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