A gripping and deeply satisfying conclusion that’s sure to leave readers sighing with delight.
In this trilogy closer, three magical teens face their most villainous foe to save the fairy and human realms.
Jumping right in where The Summer Queen (2024) left off, this volume reintroduces hedgewitch Aziza as she continues her search for her missing friend, Meryl, a selkie. Leo, who has an enchanted eye, worries about his younger sister, Hazel, a changeling whose spot in the Faerie Court may imperil her. And necromancer Tristan finds himself wading further into dark and corrupting magic. Still cursed to forget his true love, Leo feels conflicted as his relationship with Tristan intensifies. The trio make a shocking discovery: Back in the human realm, magic is being siphoned into mysterious lanterns—but why and by whom? As Aziza, Tristan, and Leo dig deeper, they unearth a web of treachery and deceit, reverberating to the core of all they knew. This volume is a sprawling and densely packed epic, taking readers from the fairy realm of Elphame to Yale University, the wandering Half Moon Market, and a ravaged mining town in West Virginia that’s populated by witches, kelpies, nymphs, and a lich. Fans of the series will revel in seeing long-standing questions resolved, along with enjoying a heady mixture of action, magic, royal intrigue, and, of course, heart-pounding romance. Hassan’s cast is racially diverse (in terms of both real and imagined identities) and queer-inclusive.
A gripping and deeply satisfying conclusion that’s sure to leave readers sighing with delight. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250822277
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 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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