A taut, fast-paced, romantic close to a satisfying duology.
Josslyn Drake and Jericho Nox unravel the Empire’s web of lies in this follow-up to Echoes and Empires (2022).
Soon after finding out she is the biological daughter of Lord Banyon, the Empire of Regara’s greatest enemy, Joss finds herself on the run from Queen Isadora along with her newly found half brother, Prince Elian, and dangerous thief and assassin Jericho, the boy she is falling in love with. The trio hope to turn to Jericho’s powerful boss to learn how to control the wayward magic that plagues each of them in different ways, but when they do find the answers—in the most unexpected of places—it may well lead to cataclysmic changes to the very foundation of the Empire as they start to question everything they thought they knew about magic and how far the queen is willing to go to keep its secrets. Starting shortly after the events of the first book, this sequel ups the ante with nonstop action, further twists, huge revelations about the magic system, and a dynamic romance between Joss and Jericho. While some of the flair and snarky humor from the first book are sadly missing from this sequel, the skillful plotting and strong character development help make up for that. The majority of characters are assumed White.
A taut, fast-paced, romantic close to a satisfying duology. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780593351734
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
