Fury reverberates throughout this duology opener, making for a thrilling read.
In this debut that’s infused with elements of Inca history, a teen vows retribution after being torn from her family.
Living in a society where girls are snatched away and “trained to become wives and servants and gifted to houses” as the emperor wishes, 17-year-old Nina and her younger sisters, Sacha and Lali, are on alert when a kunay named Kasik, an adviser to Emperor Maicu, arrives unannounced on the family farm. When Kasik tries to take Sacha, Nina offers herself up instead. She soon learns she’s being brought back to the acllahuasi—the “house of the chosen ones.” What neither Nina nor her hot captor, Kasik, anticipate is that they’ll develop a steamy mutual attraction during their journey back to the palace of Amaru Kancha, which is a problem because Nina has been selected to become the emperor’s wife. When her attay, or magic, fully manifests, it further complicates everything. Told from Nina’s and Kasik’s dual points of view, the book allows readers to develop empathy for both leads as they grapple with their demons and insecurities. Inspired by the fate of the Maiden of Llullaillaco, this story levitates with its fierce rage. Nina is a charmingly flawed character, devoted to her sisters and seething with a desire to take vengeance against the emperor, but her struggles with the darker nature of her power at times borders on the repetitive and tedious.
Fury reverberates throughout this duology opener, making for a thrilling read. (map, glossary, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9780063388741
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
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
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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