A thrilling ride and dazzling denouement—but to a pentalogy, not a duology.
Two daughters of Death test their faith and meet their fate.
Rife with labyrinthine plotting, swoonworthy romance, and endless intrigue, the 500-plus–page conclusion to LaFevers’ Courting Darkness duology resumes in medias res. Sybella, an assassin trained by the convent of Saint Mortain and attendee to the former Duchess of Brittany, now Queen of France, makes contact with Genevieve, a fellow novitiate foundering five years into her infiltration of the French court. Surrounded by manipulators and shrinking in his father’s shadow, the king struggles to find his footing as a ruler. Meanwhile, France’s regent seeks power at every turn; Pierre, Sybella’s bloodthirsty brother, pursues malevolent ends of his own; and the enforced monotheism of 15th-century Europe grinds in tension with the Nine, a set of pre-Christian deities Sybella and Genevieve serve. Can Death’s own daughters survive the ceaseless scheming, much less while preserving France and Brittany, their chosen families, and the old gods? LaFevers’ dynamic, fully realized protagonists once again shine in alternating first-person accounts—and, better still, are afforded love interests every bit their equals. Though most readers will have no trouble following the narrative’s central thread, only the fully entwined will stitch together a tapestry on par with the five-volume arras begun in the His Fair Assassin series. Unfortunately, all characters adhere to the myth of a lily-white Europe.
A thrilling ride and dazzling denouement—but to a pentalogy, not a duology. (map, dramatis personae, author’s note) (Historical fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-544-99109-5
Page Count: 560
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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