A thoughtful, exhilarating, and shocking continuation.
A teen guards her whale charges against new and deadlier threats in this follow-up to Under the Heavens (2022).
Kim Teng is no longer Caretaker for the Ark Project whales as they continue their journey on the spaceship Seiiki toward New Eden. Rather than abandon her duties, she continues communicating with the whales via her Link and updates her followers on Earth. Even with being accompanied by two Earth United scoutships and having withdrawn new Caretaker Yoshi, love interest Wren, and droid friend Adonai aboard, Kim fears an attack from the Crusaders, whom she previously supported, or the equally fanatical Adherants. When the Seiiki is sabotaged and crashes on New Eden, Kim races to get her friends into their new ocean home, struggling against limited resources, EU soldiers, and mysterious howling monsters lurking in the jungle. Compared to Kim’s solitary and more focused Caretaker experience, this journey, which includes a missing planet and multiple mind-bending mysteries, feels much broader, sometimes to the plot’s detriment. But the discussions of belief and the theme of change, as explored through the whales, the Seiiki’s computer, Adonai, and Kim herself, shine. Likewise, the religious overlay intersects thoughtfully with the element of colonialism. The romance is mature and realistically developed, and Kim’s history and its effect on her previous relationship is likewise understandable. The cast is diverse in race and nationality.
A thoughtful, exhilarating, and shocking continuation. (author’s notes) (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9780744309706
Page Count: 368
Publisher: CamCat Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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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