An intricate and enchanting origin story.
A girl discovers her true identity and where she belongs in Azad’s latest fantasy.
Croi is a brownie, a being invisible to humans, who has lived in the Wilde Forest with the Hag, her guardian who is made of stone, memory, and tree—and the only family she’s ever known. Much to the Hag’s displeasure, Croi frequently ventures into the human city, visiting her only friend, a maid who has been turned to stone. When she overhears that the stone maid is to be moved from her current location, Croi begs her friend to consider trying to become invisible too. Upon touching the maid’s hand, Croi succeeds in making her disappear, but Croi’s own veil of invisibility drops, and she’s seen by nearby humans. When Croi reveals to the Hag what happened, she learns that she is not actually a brownie but has been glamoured to appear as one. The Hag gives Croi two books with useful information: A Compendium of the Peoples and the Magicks of the Otherworld and The Talamh Crown. The following day Croi is compelled to leave the forest by a summoning spell, embarking on a dangerous journey to explore the world of the high fae and discover her true origins. Divided into three acts, the lush narrative demonstrates an exceptional balance between being plot- and character-driven and also offers a light dose of romance. The mostly magical cast is colorful in every way.
An intricate and enchanting origin story. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8499-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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