Dramatic and romantic.
In the second book in the Fractured Kingdom trilogy, Persephone and Azriel must search for a mythical location in order to protect their own lives and the fate of their country.
The people of the kingdom of Glyndoria have yet to learn the shocking truth that Persephone and Azriel discovered about Mordesius’ role in the current king’s birth. Hoping to avoid execution, Azriel strikes a bargain with the Regent Mordesius: He and Princess Persephone will find the healing Pool of Genezing, which may only be the stuff of legends. Greedy, power-hungry Mordesius is desperate to heal his body, which was badly damaged in a fire; if the two fail to deliver, he’ll kill Persephone’s brother. Azriel and Persephone set off with their entourage on their quest, facing peril and deception. Their interactions, which run hot and cold, lead them to question whether they have a future together. Throughout all their challenges, Persephone and Azriel wonder how the prophecy of the kingdom’s future will come to pass and what their roles in it might be. With time running out and lives hanging in the balance, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and readers will be kept in suspense by this epic page-turner. The characters largely present white. As in the previous volume, the portrayal of Mordesius’ physical disability at times feels reminiscent of ableist villain tropes.
Dramatic and romantic. (content warning) (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781774886090
Page Count: 408
Publisher: Tundra Books
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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