Packed with engaging characters and nonstop action, this riveting SF adventure will delight readers.
In this middle-grade SF novel, a young hero searches for a space treasure.
Trinket is a 12-year-old whom locals derogatorily label a “piece of scrap.” Living in the city of Axiopolis on the planet Kepra-2 in the Milky Way, Trinket admits to her personal, built-in computer, Empty, that she “didn’t know whether she was a mortal being with a metal leg or an android with artificial emotions.” Regardless, Trinket is determined to prove herself. Her chance comes when Axiopolis is invaded by the Remnants, cruel warriors led by the ruthless Count Solomon Drakir—a man who fears no one but his boss, the Supreme Leader. The Remnants pillage Trinket’s old house, in which she lived with her creator, the Old Scientist, now deceased. The warriors discover evidence that points to the existence of a “Lost Space Treasure”—and to Trinket as the key to unlocking it. Now, Trinket must avoid capture by the Remnants and battle her way to the treasure first if she is to save the universe. Meanwhile, a war between the Remnants and the Interstellar Alliance looms. During her quest, she meets an unexpected ally in Woolver Talandrin, a wanted terrorist from the farming planet Plethora, who may harbor key secrets. In this series opener, Knightly’s worldbuilding is richly detailed, from its unique languages to its specific cultures like the A’hmuns and Sea Keprans. But while the story also offers gripping action, it is the personal connections that make this novel shine. Trinket’s bond with Empty is both funny and touching, and her growing friendship with Woolver evolves right alongside her confidence in her own abilities. This smoothly written story is ultimately about a spirited hero discovering who she is and what she’s really capable of—with a generous helping of some stellar fight scenes along the way.
Packed with engaging characters and nonstop action, this riveting SF adventure will delight readers.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2023
ISBN: 9781989605431
Page Count: 286
Publisher: PoCo Publishers
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world.
The journey to find a child becomes an existential quest for an abandoned teddy bear.
Buddy is not just any stuffed bear, but a blue Furrington Teddy with a Real Silk Heart. So why did he wake up in a landfill with other Furringtons of varying hues? A more pressing matter, however, is escaping Trashland and its murderous gulls and bulldozers. Yearning to connect with a child and achieve a state of peaceful Forever Sleep, Buddy and his new friends of differing temperaments and gifts set out on a harrowing journey through the city to find children who will want them. As they encounter other Furringtons in disarray, this opener in The Teddies Saga series becomes a mystery about why these teddies are being harmed in the first place. While the visceral narrative follows the teddy troupe’s adventurous challenges and survival, its focus is on Buddy’s inner struggles as he ponders identity, leadership, and other existential dilemmas. Kraus doesn’t shy away from anger, fear, death, and other dark subjects; instead they become opportunities for growth in difficult environments. Cai’s intense, slightly nightmarish grayscale illustrations add immeasurably to the text. Reminiscent of Watership Down in theme and structure, the novel’s intermittent teddy creation stories also become parables of a moral code and extend the epic story arc. A cliffhanger ending sets the scene for the next installment.
Reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-22440-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
An action-packed sequel that’s sure to please series fans.
The magically gifted students at Fern’s School for Wayward Fae attempt to head off destruction of their realm.
This second series installment picks up right where the first left off: with Rosemary Thorpe alone and in danger in the Seelie court. She escapes via the Grim Reaper’s home after “borrowing” a hoodie that renders her invisible, then returns to Fern’s School a few hours later—only to learn that she’s been gone for a month, and everyone’s been worrying about her. Rosemary’s gift for foreseeing people’s deaths has made her aware that something terrible is coming to the school, and her teacher Dante’s prophetic abilities have pinpointed her upcoming 13th birthday as the pivotal date. Rosemary and her roommate, Trym, are convinced the Seelie Keeper is behind everything, but the adults—other than Dante—laugh at and dismiss their concerns, leaving the students to investigate on their own and putting them in terrible danger. Fast-paced action sequences will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Those familiar with the events of the first book will experience the most enjoyment while following human-raised Rosemary as she continues to adapt to the magical world in which she finds herself and learns more about her own family. Rosemary and Trym read white.
An action-packed sequel that’s sure to please series fans. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593810507
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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