A fast-paced fantasy with elements of romance and violence.
Two orphaned teens are drawn to each other in a prequel to the Arthurian cycle.
A legend tells of a powerful magic yielder who will one day stand by a great king and ensure the kingdom’s survival. When Maggie discovers she has powers and that they are connected to the moon and to the feared draignochs that plague the kingdom, she hides behind Xavier, her surrogate father and traveling performer, hoping to pass him off as the real magician. When they are brought to the forbidding Walled City to present their magic before infamous King Umbert, Maggie becomes entangled with Griffin, the king’s champion draignoch slayer, who has conspicuous facial scars from his battles. As Maggie’s and Griffin’s lives collide, the kingdom’s ultimate fate hangs in the balance. Fantasy veteran Salvatore and debut young adult author Lewis collaborate in this brisk fantasy featuring magic, politics, and dragons, with a heavy dose of sweet romance on the side. The narrative switches between first person (Maggie) and third person (Griffin), and their voices skew young despite both being 17 and in contrast to the story’s overall heavy themes of violence (including a casually depicted sexual assault). Although the worldbuilding is superficially fleshed out and the ending rushed, the two main characters are well developed, and the story entertains. Main characters are assumed White; a slur for Roma people appears twice in the narrative.
A fast-paced fantasy with elements of romance and violence. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-291566-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
