An unconventional but exciting start to a fantasy epic.
A fantasy abounding with imperial intrigue and ecological sensitivity.
This series kickoff features plenty of elements familiar to fantasy readers but soon veers off in an unexpected direction. When it begins, young siblings Aisha and Milucha Keluahn are on the run; they’re eventually captured by the forces of Lord Jookuchi. Aisha figures out that Jookuchi is being poisoned, which saves the siblings’ lives. Imperial inspector Masyu Kashuga—whose work involves “considering the empire as a whole”—connects Aisha to Olie, who is considered to be the reincarnation of the deity Lady Kokun, and with whom Masyu shares a romantic history. Olie seeks to prevent an agricultural catastrophe brought on by the arrival of insects called giant yoma. As it turns out, Aisha’s preternatural ability to recognize scents suggests that she, not Olie, is the true successor to Kokun, which may have broad political implications for the empire. As Olie points out, “the Kokun is like a beautiful statue of a goddess that has been given an important role to play.” Our heroes attempt to piece together the true history of the Umal Empire, and what hidden documents can tell them about the true location of “the land of the gods.” Uehashi’s attention to detail, in Hirano’s translation, should impress readers fond of palace intrigue, and the cliffhanger ending suggests a shift in direction for subsequent volumes. While some of the dialogue can be overly expository—“They’re descendants of Keluahn—a ruler so despised that his own people drove him from the throne!”—the attention to sensory detail and the theme of history as deception make this an enveloping read. You might be surprised how much dramatic tension can arise from crop layouts.
An unconventional but exciting start to a fantasy epic.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9798889661580
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.
Using mystery and romance elements in a nonlinear narrative, SenLinYu’s debut is a doorstopper of a fantasy that follows a woman with missing memories as she navigates through a war-torn realm in search of herself.
Helena Marino is a talented young healer living in Paladia—the “Shining City”—who has been thrust into a brutal war against an all-powerful necromancer and his army of Undying, loyal henchmen with immortal bodies, and necrothralls, reanimated automatons. When Helena is awakened from stasis, a prisoner of the necromancer’s forces, she has no idea how long she has been incarcerated—or the status of the war. She soon finds herself a personal prisoner of Kaine Ferron, the High Necromancer’s “monster” psychopath who has sadistically killed hundreds for his master. Ordered to recover Helena’s buried memories by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft-trod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance.
Although the melodrama sometimes is a bit much, the superb worldbuilding and intricate plotline make this a must-read.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593972700
Page Count: 1040
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
A delightful, genre-defying debut.
Historical horror? Dark fantasy? Queer romance? All of the above!
“I was hundreds of years old before I ever met him, but that day we were both young.” While visiting his Florence offices in 2013, attorney Sebastian Grave unearths a bloodstained lambskin glove that belonged to a past lover—a man he’d met in the 18th century. Nestled within this frame narrative is a tale of desire, werewolves, and the French Revolution. In telling his story, Sebastian introduces Sarmodel, the demon with whom he shares a body, and a succubus named Livia contributes chapters in which Joan of Arc, her notorious ally Gilles de Rais, and the archangel Michael all make appearances. First-time novelist Sullivan wields the tools of multiple genres deftly, but what really makes this book special is its central character. Sebastian has powerful magic at his disposal, but he’s also human enough to fall hard for a hot young nobleman. When Sebastian goes hunting for the Beast of Gévaudan, he’s not looking for adventure. The first time, it’s because he can’t resist Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne. The second time, it’s because he dreams of a reunion with his love—even though he knows this is a hopeless wish against the advice of Sarmodel. Using Sebastian as a narrator keeps things light, in part because he has a droll, contemporary voice and in part because it makes the worldbuilding feel natural. There are footnotes, but there are no infodumps. The fact that Sebastian doesn’t know exactly what he is sets the tone for storytelling that leaves a great deal unexplained while providing enough detail to keep the reader engaged. Deploying Sarmodel as a sort of alter ego and allowing Livia to offer her own perspective on Sebastian also adds both depth and charm.
A delightful, genre-defying debut.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781250362766
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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