High-stakes competition, swoony romance, and expertly crafted worldbuilding distinguish this debut.
Against a backdrop of phoenix races, a dedicated tamer and a charismatic rider—initially at odds with one another—find love while fighting for their survival.
Kel is trying to keep her family’s farm and aviary afloat. As a phoenix tamer, she looks after and trains the phoenixes for their racing team, the Crimson Howlers; Dira, the team’s winger and Kel’s longtime friend, handles strategy. After the Howlers’ rider dies in a race, Dira connects with brothers Bekn, a mitigator (publicist who seeks sponsors), and Coup, a reckless rider in need of a team. Even though Coup’s arrogance frustrates Kel, they may be able to help each other survive the often-brutal world of phoenix racing. When a fire destroys Kel’s family’s aviary, tech giant Cristo Industries offers to sponsor her and Coup alone. Tempted by their financial generosity, Kel agrees, but she becomes suspicious that there are dark motives behind their interest in her and Savita, her phoenix. The relationships are a strength of the story: Kel’s love for and commitment to Savita adds layers to the suspenseful conflict, and Kel and Coup’s eventual romance creates bonds that strengthen the emotional reserves they’ll need to draw upon. The richly imagined island world, with its elaborate racing tracks and variety of mythical creatures, comes together seamlessly. Kel and Coup are cued white, and Dira has dark brown skin.
High-stakes competition, swoony romance, and expertly crafted worldbuilding distinguish this debut. (content warning, excerpt from The Saltan Bestiary) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780374393427
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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