A poorly developed twist on magic school fantasy stories.
Two outcast teens join forces to fight an infamous witch who’s at the head of a violent rebellion.
Anabelle Gage has one year left to live unless she transfers her Pith to a new body. Working as a maid, she can’t afford the cost of replacing her decaying Edgar chassis; all her hopes ride on attending Paragon Runic Academy, Caimor’s ultra-exclusive magic school. But when her rejection letter arrives, desperation drives Ana into a reckless heist that goes horribly wrong and a criminal partnership with someone she never expected would help her: Nicholas Carriwitch, Paragon’s headmaster. Carriwitch sees Ana’s potential and wants her help hunting down Khaiovhe, the dark witch in charge of the international terrorist organization Commonplace. However, Ana won’t be working alone. Weston Brown, an Ousted noble and former Paragon student, lost everything when his mother exiled him—working for Carriwitch and killing Khaiovhe is Wes’ only chance to return to his old life. Although this debut shows glimmers of potential, with its characters’ urgent goals and its overarching sense of danger, the story suffers from messy worldbuilding and uneven pacing. Ana, who presents as the fantasy equivalent of white and East Asian, with her Caimorian father and Shenti mother, describes her Edgar chassis as ethnically vague. Wes is cued white. The exploration of gender identity in this world conflates sex and gender, presenting a stuck-in-the-wrong-body narrative.
A poorly developed twist on magic school fantasy stories. (content warnings, the four schools of magic, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781250362971
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
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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