Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time, 2018, etc.) marries sensuous storytelling with kick-ass protagonists in these...
A collection of three companion romance narratives featuring the spunky heroines of The Star-Touched Queen (2016) and A Crown of Wishes (2017).
In “Death and Night,” Dharma Raja, the god of death, is cursed by the Shadow Wife to lose the woman he loves. He is confident that he will never fall in love—until he meets Night incarnate. “Poison and Gold” traces the adventures of Aasha, a “vishakanya,” who wants to not just live, but also belong in the human world yet is unable to control her powers. She strives to regain her identity—and consequently, her confidence—under the tutelage of Bharata’s deadly Spy Mistress. Refreshingly, this story depicts same-sex desires. In “Rose and Sword,” young Hira listens to her paternal grandmother, Gauri, narrate the tale of a bride who sets out to rescue her fiance from the threshold of death on the eve of her wedding. Deftly woven with fantastical elements and Indian mythology, the tales reflect and materialize the characters’ internal struggles. Although Night’s narrative is at times clichéd and overrun with tedious descriptions, Aasha’s and Gauri’s stories explore complex themes of identity, ambition, love, and loss.
Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time, 2018, etc.) marries sensuous storytelling with kick-ass protagonists in these feminist romances. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-18079-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
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
An unwieldy but emotionally intense fantasy.
In the Riew siblings’ debut, inspired by their Korean grandparents’ experiences during Japan’s early-20th-century colonization of Korea, a hunt is on for the last surviving tiger.
In the Tiger Colonies, this fantasy world’s version of occupied Korea, tigers have been nearly wiped out by the Dragon Empire. These oppressive rulers believe that tiger ki, or powers, strengthen the Tiger people, and therefore, the animals must be exterminated. Lee Seung, who’s from a poor Tiger family, works for the wealthy Chois, a Tiger family who collaborate with the Dragons. Choi Eunji might live in material comfort, but her home feels like “a cage” thanks to her parents’ high expectations and control of her every move. She offers to tutor Seung for the Adachi Training Academy’s entrance exam; graduates attain elite, powerful positions. In return he’ll help Eunji experience life outside her cloistered manor. Despite their class differences, both teens long for freedom, but Seung fails the exam, and their paths diverge. They reunite during a frantic search for the last tiger—but are their motivations aligned? Some plot developments feel contrived, and the introduction of real historical elements at times feels deliberately educational rather than naturally emerging from the story. Nevertheless, the story vividly highlights the plight of Koreans during a traumatic era.
An unwieldy but emotionally intense fantasy. (authors’ note, diary excerpts) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9798217002047
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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