A solid duology closer that will satisfy returning fans.
Three highborn but underestimated teens want to save the world.
This sequel jumps right in, avoiding any risk of a slow start by assuming readers will remember all the complex plot elements revealed in Bonesmith (2023). Teens Wren, Julian, and Leo are all smiths (or magic workers) and heirs to noble lineages, but they’ve each spent their lives being undervalued. Wren and Julian were deliberately misled while their parental figures secretly vied for power. When those schemes were finally revealed toward the end of the first volume, the fallout was considerable. Desperate to stop the iron revenants, a powerful army of undead encased in magical iron armor that Julian’s uncle and Wren’s parents created to destroy the Dominions (the kingdom ruled by Leo’s family), the three set off to destroy the well of magic that fuels the revenants. They’re joined by Wren’s recently discovered twin brother. This volume mixes personal growth—Wren deals with her feelings for Julian, her highly dysfunctional family, and newfound powers that both fascinate and disgust her—with episodes of action. Occasional chapters more closely follow Julian’s and Leo’s perspectives. The characters are varied in physical appearance, and their interactions point to the acceptance of queerness in this world.
A solid duology closer that will satisfy returning fans. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781665910620
Page Count: 448
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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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