A largely engrossing dystopian science-fiction story about standing up to injustice.
A girl goes undercover to earn a place in her world’s elite combat force—but what she learns could upend everything.
Seventeen-year-old Naya Tambor was never a shoo-in for a spot in the Neo-Settlers Developers & Engineers: During her austere childhood, which was filled with military training, she struggled with combat. Because the aloof General was her mother, she also faced bullying and extra scrutiny. In the indoor city of Emas, the maze of corridors might suddenly “glitch” and change shape with lethal consequences. For her final test, Naya must infiltrate a nest of Spiravits, the creatures responsible for the glitches, who “shift and morph between human and monster” and threaten Emas’ very existence. But as Naya, who has light skin and curly hair, departs for an unfamiliar outside world with a Spiravit named Zayn, she learns surprising things. The Spiravits grow and eat delicious food—a contrast to the chemical-tasting, lab-grown food she had back home. And in overcrowded Emas, people avoid touch, “a primary carrier of disease,” unlike the Spiravits. Wondering if they’re more humane than the residents of her violent, unfeeling city, Naya must decide which side she’s on. After some clunky early exposition, debut author Gales’ plot lifts off. The dichotomies are a bit too neat, the characters’ feelings and motivations are baldly stated, and observant readers may guess the big reveals, but this is an otherwise gripping narrative set in an inventive world.
A largely engrossing dystopian science-fiction story about standing up to injustice. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780571385829
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
A lightweight, action-packed space adventure.
A diplomatic mission to a newly discovered human colony immediately goes pear-shaped for a Skyward Flight escort detachment when drone ships attack.
Supporting characters from the Skyward series take center stage in this spinoff trilogy opener that combines heavy military action with relationship drama. Still pining for his purple-skinned flight mate, Alanik, flightleader Arturo Mendez suddenly also finds himself in charge of persuading the long-isolated residents of Blightfall (who have “three genders—male, female, and agendered”) that the war with the Superiority is over after the diplomats he was escorting are killed in a sneak attack. Although many plot points don’t hold up to scrutiny, the story features lots of aerial dogfights, narrow escapes, struggles with a rogue AI, and even some gladiatorial arena action—more than enough to fill in the gaps between exchanges of banter, awkward boy-girl fumbling, and repeated efforts to teach an alien how to tell “your mother” jokes. Along with being diverse in both species and human race, the large ensemble cast features many adorable aliens, led by the cytonic hyperslug sidekicks that expedite the instantaneous travel of Arturo and his squad and are in essence talking puppies. Readers ought to be in turn dazzled by the cuteness, adrenalized by the fighting, and charmed to see Arturo and Alanik kiss at last. Schematic images of select structures and spacecraft between narrative sections add visual detail.
A lightweight, action-packed space adventure. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9780593707050
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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