A worthy follow-up to its predecessor, with a cliffhanger of an ending that will leave readers eager for more.
Told from the dual perspectives of Jenna Farrow, princess and dragonrider, and 16-year-old Reigh, a human boy raised in the elven jungle, Harbinger takes the baton from Savage (2017) and forges ahead.
Jenna is one of the fiercest warriors her kingdom has, much her father’s chagrin—he’d rather she pursue more ladylike endeavors. She and her brother do their best to protect Maldobar, but they prove no match for Tibran forces and are soon captured in battle and tortured for information by Lord Argonox. Jaevid Broadfeather has returned, much to the delight of the citizens of Luntharda and Maldobar, but he has his work cut out for him with the Tibran army increasing in size and brutality and with fate telling him he must join forces with Reigh to give Maldobar the victory it needs. Reigh must answer the call of the dark goddess who has chosen him or risk the destruction of the ones he loves. Can Jenna endure the cruelty of Argonox long enough to fight back? Can Jaevid be the savior his people so desperately need? The story is filled with fast-paced action and emotional arcs that pull readers in as much as the battle scenes. Main characters are implied white, and there is diversity of skin tone in secondary characters.
A worthy follow-up to its predecessor, with a cliffhanger of an ending that will leave readers eager for more. (map) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-948671-27-9
Page Count: 374
Publisher: Month9Books
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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