At least it has hobgoblins.
Yet another half-angel book, this one focuses more on physical combat than on supernatural warfare.
Milayna, 17, has just learned that she’s a demiangel, and she’s angry at her family for keeping the secret from her. Even her best friend already knows all about it. That’s fortunate, because until Milayna turns 18, she will be vulnerable to the demon Azazel, who will try to absorb her powers and conquer the world. Demidemons, many of which populate her high school, threaten her. A goodly number of demiangels also go to her school, and these unite to protect Milayna. Chay, a demiangel with supermodel looks, takes charge of Milayna’s defense and provides romantic heat. Despite the constant mortal danger, Milayna continues going to school and to the mall. To protect her, the team accompanies Milayna everywhere, except when they don’t. Milayna knows taekwondo, and the frequent fight scenes all rely on punches and kicks rather than paranormal abilities. Suspense builds when Milayna’s allies begin to switch sides. Sadly, the childishly angry Milayna doesn’t come across as an attractive character. Pickett does add some comic relief with the hobgoblins that tease Milayna throughout the book, but the arbitrary, unimaginative plotline and the writing style remain resolutely at amateur levels, with, for example, frequent use of one-word sentences to indicate emphasis.
At least it has hobgoblins. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)Pub Date: March 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-63422-038-5
Page Count: 287
Publisher: Clean Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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
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