A well-developed and fast-paced sequel.
In this follow-up to The Gilded Ones (2021), a 17-year-old young woman must defeat divine beings to save the lives of her bloodsisters.
This second entry in a West African–inspired fantasy series continues the journey of Deka, who is now known as the Nuru, or the only divine, full-blooded daughter of the mother goddesses she awakened six months earlier. Now these goddesses, the Gilded Ones, rest and gain strength from the devotion and worship of those who believe in them. Meanwhile, Deka travels with alaki and deathshrieks to fight the jatu, male worshippers and warrior descendants of the god Oyomo. Gifted with the ability to control those with divine blood, Deka is rattled when a rescue mission turns into a trap and she is unable to use her powers to subdue the jatu as she usually can. Eventually she is led down a path that makes her question everything she knows about the goddesses—including how and why she even came into being. In this outing, Otera is just as beguiling a setting as before, and it’s easy to dive deep in the richly developed characters and culture Forna has created. The book moves quickly, with surprising plot twists that showcase the complex and exciting structuring of the story. However, a couple of passages—one where a character’s trans identity is revealed by the protagonist, who has the ability to view the essence of all beings (“I saw you. All of you,”), and another where a trans woman is described as being “much stronger than the usual human woman”—feel at odds with the book’s message of gender inclusivity.
A well-developed and fast-paced sequel. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-984848-72-7
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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