Emotionally resonant and satisfying fun.
In this duology closer set in London, a Black British teen seeks his lost identity.
Months after his exhausting triumph over Mercy, the daughter of Death, in King of Dead Things (2024), Eli still can’t find his footing. Sure, he still has his job at Pam’s West Indian Takeaway and a room above the restaurant where he lives. And there are his friends Malcolm and Max, even if they’re more interested in each other these days. But his questions linger: Why did Sunny hide the fact that she was his sister and then abandon their group? Why can’t he remember so much about his past? Why is his magic as turbulent as his emotions? Worst of all, he keeps having vivid nightmares and waking up with injuries, including burn marks, that he’s unable to hide. In these terrible dreams, someone familiar keeps intervening to save him. Max, Malcolm, and their shape-shifting lagahoo companion, Ox, join Eli in trying to discover what or who keeps attacking him—and who is protecting him. Holness’ strong sequel addresses heavy themes, including choices, forgiveness, death, and right vs. wrong, with depth and nuance. The richness of the worldbuilding welcomes returning fans like old friends, building upon the series opener as it infuses the magic and folklore of Caribbean culture into the story. Readers would benefit from being familiar with the earlier volume before diving into this one.
Emotionally resonant and satisfying fun. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781665946940
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 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
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