A deeper exploration of a compelling fantasy world.
Mira learns more about her existence within a complicated web of political intrigue in this sequel to 2024’s Compass and Blade.
Mira Boscawen is reeling from a painful betrayal and learning about her siren lineage when the rulers known as the watch set her village on the island of Rosevear on fire and demand that she be delivered to them. The enigmatic and infuriating Lord Elijah Tresillian arrives, ready to collect on the bargain that he and Mira previously made. After helping the village, the pair travel to Ennor, where they plan to deal with Capt. Renshaw and the watch, who have formed an alliance to take control of the Fortunate Isles. Mira and Elijah continue to grapple with their identities and the powers they don’t understand, all the while growing closer to one another. Meanwhile, Brielle, a monster hunter who tracks creatures and extracts their blood for spells, is assigned by her coven to hunt Mira. As Brielle learns more about Mira, she starts to question what’s being asked of her, especially when her own and Mira’s fates ultimately collide. Mira, at great cost, gains insight into herself while she tries to save Rosevear. Brielle’s perspective adds a much-needed view into a messy political system, and Mira’s and Elijah’s motives are explored more fully in this gratifying sequel, which satisfyingly addresses underdeveloped areas of the plot and characterization. Main characters are cued white.
A deeper exploration of a compelling fantasy world. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781335015310
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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