An ambitious genre mashup.
A girl’s scorching desire for power threatens to consume her.
In a 1920s-inspired fantasy city called Candesce lives teenager Ingrid Ellis. Candesce is powered by flare, a substance that permeates all corners of human life, serving as beverage, fuel, weapon, electoral ballot, and even an aesthetic enhancement. Though Ingrid attends the prestigious Ainsley Academy, she’s had to fight for all she has, being the impoverished daughter of a convict and having spent her childhood in an orphanage. Ingrid is dating the handsome and affluent Linden Holt, whose senator father is a candidate in the presidential election. Desperate to elevate her social status, she ingratiates herself with Sen. Holt, becoming a spy for him within his rival candidate’s party. There she meets captivating staffer Alex Castille, who makes her question everything she’s ever wanted. Thor’s sophomore effort refuses to be simply defined, mixing fantasy, romance, and political intrigue. Although it feels a bit uneven in its broad focus and slow worldbuilding, themes of power and inequality are thoughtfully explored through Ingrid’s self-actualization: She is at times infuriatingly ruthless, but this makes her journey all the more intriguing. A central relationship is asexual and includes candid discussion of boundaries. Ingrid and Linden are White; Alex has brown skin, and the supporting cast includes ethnic diversity and queer representation.
An ambitious genre mashup. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-67911-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
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
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener.
Teens from different social spheres collaborate, investigating magical mysteries while navigating their shared attraction.
When 18-year-old Wren Hayes doesn’t receive a magical gift from the three Fates—Dawn, Day, and Dusk—she’s shunned by Aurilian high society. Unbeknownst to Wren, 19-year-old Damien, a thief from the Void (a part of the city she’s forbidden to visit) has taken the locket that should have been her gift from the Fates. He’s shocked to discover a photo of himself inside. Using his own Fates’ gift—a mirror with powers of invisibility—Damien infiltrates a party and steals a silver watch from a guest. But his gift isn’t fully functioning, and Wren tackles him, sending them both tumbling into the mud. They tussle and exchange flirty barbs before Damien makes off with his prize, losing Wren’s locket in the process. Unsure why someone from the Void would possess such a gift and determined to uncover why hers was “unjustly kept” from her, Wren tracks down Damien. Seeking answers of his own, he agrees to work with her. Their well-crafted dance of desire and restraint is on point (“She stifled a stunned noise as I placed a menacing kiss—a mere graze of my lips—on the back of her hand”), melding seamlessly with the plot. The story addresses sexism, privilege, and wealth while hurtling the characters into a whirlwind of action and disturbing revelations. Wren presents white, and Damien has tanned skin.
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener. (map) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217117215
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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