Though not perfect, this is a layered and well-told story with an unlikely and endearing heroine.
With her boyfriend spending all of his time with his once-estranged uncle, 17-year-old Katy Ainsworth flees to Paris for cooking school and an adventure of her own. Little does she know that a summer abroad will nearly cost her her life.
Cochran (Legacy, 2011) cleverly interweaves Katy’s first-person, present-day narrative with flashbacks revealed through the pages of an ancient book to bring readers along for an exciting, sexy and sometimes-heartbreaking ride as Katy struggles to uncover the secrets of the mysterious women of the Abbey of Lost Souls. The stakes rise even higher when Peter turns up at the abbey, and Katy becomes increasingly aware that there is more to the remarkably beautiful, though shockingly shallow, women who reside there. Unfortunately, Katy and Peter’s interactions are so few and far between it’s difficult to root for them when Peter seemingly falls under the women’s spell. And when the sultry Belmondo makes a play for Katy, readers will want to shout “Peter who?” That said, Katy’s relationship with the mysterious hermit Azrael is as charming as it is critical to the story, and the passages from the ancient book Katy “borrows” from him are rich and haunting.
Though not perfect, this is a layered and well-told story with an unlikely and endearing heroine. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4814-0023-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
A promising debut.
A healer who wields powerful magic hopes to solve a terrible mystery and save her country.
Magic is a recessive trait passed down through families, and Wren Southerland’s magic can knit together sinew and bone and return life to the mortally wounded, a vital talent as a lieutenant in the Queen’s Guard. After an impulsive action lands Wren in hot water, she answers a summons to Lord Alistair Lowry’s vast estate in the snowy mountains of Cernos. If Wren heals Henry, his favorite servant, of a mystery illness that has ravaged his staff, Lowry will attempt to broker an alliance between neutral Cernos and hostile Vesria and Danu, restoring Wren’s standing with her aunt, Danu’s Queen Isabel, and Una, Wren’s commanding officer and the woman she loves. But something is definitely off about Lowry; Wren keeps hearing strange noises; and she and her (dangerous) new patient share a searing attraction. Wren’s magic relies largely on her deep scientific knowledge of human anatomy, and she discovers that, despite what she’s been told, her empathy and compassion are not weaknesses. In an alternate world seemingly set in the late 1800s, electric lights are new and people travel by horse and carriage. The Gothic atmosphere includes echoing, candlelit halls; a secret passage; and explosive secrets. Things get off to a slow start, but patient readers who love slow-burn romances will find much to enjoy. Wren is White; Una and Henry are brown-skinned.
A promising debut. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-62363-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Exciting and endearing.
A 16-year-old who predicts death teams up with a vampire to learn more about her powers.
When her skin touches another’s, Elise Beaumont visualizes and feels the manner of that person’s death. This began five months ago when she foresaw her brother’s imminent drowning. She desperately wants to be rid of this ability until vampire Claire Montgomery tells her that, as the Death Oracle, Elise can change people’s fates. Meanwhile, Claire hates being permanently 17 and a vampire. She agreed to complete one final case as a shepherd for the Veil, so now she’s responsible for teaching Elise and getting her to come work for them. Claire hopes that once she succeeds in this task, the leaders of the Veil will help her finally get the revenge she seeks against Rose, who made her what she is. The mission becomes complicated, though, with an unknown killer on the loose in town and Claire developing romantic feelings for Elise. The girls’ alternating first-person narratives aren’t terribly distinct, but they succeed in expressing their emotions realistically as they grieve, yearn, and grow. Heartfelt friendships with lovable side characters add lightness and charm. The pace is brisk throughout with plenty of thrilling action, even while the romance is a slow burn. Worldbuilding happens naturally, and the paranormal mythos is easy to understand. Elise and Claire are White and queer; side characters are diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and gender identity.
Exciting and endearing. (Paranormal. 13-18)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-35043-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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