An exciting, fully realized sequel that will leave readers craving more.
A young pirate continues battling evil to save humanity from destruction in this follow-up to Nightweaver (2025).
Aster Oberon was a pirate, a maid, and now, hiding her recently discovered Nightweaver heritage, she’s a double agent. She swears loyalty to the king she secretly plans to kill with the help of his son, Prince Titus, the very pirate who saved her life years ago. With them is Will Castor, best friend of Prince Titus and the noble who captured Aster at sea and forced her onto land. Will is also the boy Aster is falling for, despite the curse that makes him a monster who craves human blood for the Manan—“a glittering gold substance known as ‘the dust of creation’”—it contains. Along with the Order of Hildegarde, Aster, Titus, and Will work to determine who Morana has possessed and force her to reveal her corporeal form so they can destroy her and cure those afflicted with Underling curses. Encountering lies at every turn, Aster no longer knows whom she can trust. This second series installment—as bloated as the first and requiring a fresh memory of the series opener—is bursting with adventure, political intrigue, a love triangle, and numerous subplots readers must unravel. Yet it remains exciting, with plenty of action and drama balanced against self-discovery and the constant push and pull of young love. Most central characters present white.
An exciting, fully realized sequel that will leave readers craving more. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780316594073
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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