A satisfying stand-alone with classic appeal.
A young warrior seeks revenge after suffering terrible loss.
As a child, Katyani was saved by Queen Hemlata of the Chandela kingdom, who used soulbinding magic that grants her control over Katyani’s actions. But Katyani, now 18, loves the queen, who raised her alongside the Crown Prince Ayan and his royal cousins, Bhairav and Revaa. She willingly obeys Hemlata’s commands, even if it means accompanying Ayan and Bhairav to be taught by the Acharya Mahavir, a reclusive spiritual warrior known for his monster-fighting abilities. Though Katyani dislikes the gurukul’s strict rules, she finds enjoyment in honing her combat skills and in teasing 19-year-old Daksh, Acharya Mahavir’s younger son, who is as handsome as he is uptight. When war threatens to break out between Chandela and the kingdom of Paramara, Katyani and the two princes are summoned back home only for disaster to strike the royal palace, revealing a long-hidden secret about Katyani’s identity. Betrayal and false accusations set Katyani on the path of vengeance, but in the process, she must face her fear of losing the few remaining people she loves. The book is set in the country of Bharat, an India-inspired world, where fearsome creatures from Hindu folklore lurk in forests and shadows. Mehrotra smoothly incorporates worldbuilding into the atmospheric narrative, highlighting themes of family and justice with a timeless blend of adventure, mystery, and romance.
A satisfying stand-alone with classic appeal. (glossary, tree descriptions) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-82368-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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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