An ambitious, engrossing fantasy epic from a talented young author.
A young soldier finds himself hunted by his own king in this second installment of a YA fantasy series.
Castien Varic is a Stormless—a person born without magical abilities. On the continent of Auris, this puts him at a disadvantage: The crystal-wielding Summoners are able to call upon the powers of the seven Tempests in battle, but Castien is forced to rely on his skills with a bow. He is in a particularly tricky spot at the moment, since one of his friends, the Summoner Ilyana, turned out to be a spy and assassinated Castien’s liege lord, the king of Arvendon, Avenos Titansworn. Now, Castien is an accessory to murder. For the sake of survival, he’s forced to flee to Celes, a rival kingdom with which Arvendon is now at war. Ilyana, it turns out, is the daughter of the king of Celes, who was also recently assassinated. Avenos ordered the killing, a move that sparked Ilyana’s retribution. Castien can only hope that at some point he will be able to sabotage Celes and redeem himself in the eyes of Arvendon. The new king of Arvendon, Summoner Faelyn Titansworn, is hellbent on tracking down his father’s killers, but will his desire for revenge be his undoing? Meanwhile, the powerful Asteros Silverglade awakens after a long sleep in the Void, ready to learn further secrets from the shadowy creature called the Emissary. What he learns will change his understanding of Auris’ past—and have grim ramifications for the coming conflict. Stitle’s prose is imbued with quiet magic that helps sell this fantasy world: “Ash swirled in the air, twisting and turning through the morning winds. It fell from the sky like rain, a quiet echo of destruction gently floating to the ground. White wisps swirled around, dancing in and out of the billowing smoke.” It’s all standard fare for the epic fantasy genre, but given Stitle’s youth—he’s only 17 years old, according to his author bio—it’s a highly impressive work of storytelling. Fantasy fans will devour this latest installment and look forward to the volumes that lie ahead for this promising writer.
An ambitious, engrossing fantasy epic from a talented young author.Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9798987896259
Page Count: 568
Publisher: Blazecrest Publishing, LLC
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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