Sophie Mercer is back, brandishing self-deprecating sarcastic wit while suffering from both a broken heart and a sizable chip on her shoulder after discovering that she is not a witch but an extremely powerful demon. In this follow-up to Hex Hall (2010), Sophie’s father, head of the Prodigium Council and also the only other known living demon, whisks her off to Prodigium headquarters in England to help her learn how to control her powers, and—he hopes—change her mind about her wish to have her powers removed. Meanwhile, having witnessed the damage unleashed by uncontrolled magical abilities, Sophie's vampire buddy Jenna is desperate to protect her friends and family by becoming a regular girl. Although everyone at Thorne Abbey is solicitous and welcoming, Sophie can’t shake the feeling that something is very wrong. Small wonder: First, someone is raising new demons, ones with unstable powers and a penchant for trouble. Adding to the thrills, Prodigium-haters L’Occhio di Dio are still on the hunt for Sophie, with the apparently evil, but crush-worthy, Archer Cross leading the charge. Soon, the plot twists fold back on themselves, revealing treachery within the Prodigium’s upper echelons, Archer’s own triple-agent leanings and his love for Sophie. The climax leaves chaos and many strings dangling. Brisk pacing, sparkling romantic chemistry and genuine heartache will satisfy fans and attract new readers to the series. (Fantasy. YA)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4231-2131-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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