Their journey is first derailed by a car crash, and then Connor gets hijacked along the way by a local yokel in Heartsdale,...
The third book of Shusterman’s best-selling series finds legendary “Akron AWOL” Connor and former tithe Lev making their way across the country to Ohio to find a woman who may be able to help them stop the Unwinding forever.
Their journey is first derailed by a car crash, and then Connor gets hijacked along the way by a local yokel in Heartsdale, Kan., who holds him hostage. He escapes, but a second car crash dozens of pages later lands Lev in the infirmary of a Native American reservation. Meanwhile, clappers—human bombs—destroy gyms; Cam, the Rewind, charms a senator’s daughter; Risa escapes a band of hungry coyotes; and several other characters from the previous two novels enter and exit the stage. At first, it’s hard to tell where Shusterman is leading readers. He spends so much time with side stories that the novel has trouble finding the momentum of the first two. Readers won’t really understand the lead plot arc until they’re at least halfway through; this installment reads like multiple subplots cobbled together. They do eventually connect, and readers will enjoy the temporary distraction of each one, but they’ll still be wanting Shusterman to get the heck on with the story. A meandering, stop-and-start continuation of the Unwind Dystology. (Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2369-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy.
Prison life gets even more punishing in this fantasy series opener.
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan is 10 years into a life sentence at “death prison” Zalindov. She’s succeeded her late father as the titular prison healer, dosing patients with herbs and possessing extensive, modern medical knowledge of bacteria, viruses, and immune systems. Aside from cheerful innocent/MacGuffin Tipp, Kiva befriends few fellow prisoners and even fewer guards, most of whom are harshly abusive. While Naari, a new female guard, and Jaren, a handsome new prisoner, chip away at her frozen facade, Kiva volunteers to undertake an epic Trial by Ordeal on behalf of the Rebel Queen, the newest political prisoner. Under pressure to save her friends, the Rebel Queen, and herself—and losing hope of rescue or release—Kiva faces four elemental magic Trials sans innate talent. In between grueling, gruesome spectacles, Kiva also acts as an epidemiologist, tracking down an illness plaguing the prisoners. The claustrophobic setting—evoking the horrors of a Siberian gulag or Nazi concentration camp—exudes dread and brutality; levity and lightness are minimal. A predictable romance ensues, and generic fantasy clichés abound—royals and rebels, lost heirs, vague magic—hastily concluded with a trite plot twist and setup for a sequel. Most main characters read as White; there is a diversity of skin tones in this fantasy world.
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy. (map) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-43455-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good time all around.
A Scottish beefcake tumbles through time.
When a ruggedly handsome Scotsman stumbles into the road, New Yorker Klara Spalding’s biggest worry is whether or not she hit him too hard with her car. But recent high school graduate Klara quickly discovers that distractingly muscular Callum isn’t just any old sexy Scot: He’s a sexy Scot from the 16th century! Callum’s adjustment to his brave new world is second to his primary objective: to protect the Pillars of Time, fixed anchor points on the timeline that ensure the safety of time and space. It doesn’t take pale, redheaded Klara too long to figure out that she herself is a Pillar of Time, one of the last to remain intact despite an evil force that lurks in hopes of destroying her. The two teens go on the run, and anyone who has read even the backside of a saucy paperback can see where this one is going. The plotting is weak, but the glances filled with desire pull their weight and fuel the endeavor. Callum and Klara are fun to spend time with, and readers will certainly root for them to get together. The action is crisp, the pacing is decent, and there are just enough gags to let the reader know that the author is more than in on the joke. The book ends on a cliffhanger that will have readers rolling their eyes and shaking the novel in gleeful frustration.
A good time all around. (Fantasy romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-28489-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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