An exhilarating series closer.
Min Suhwa has spent her life hiding from reality.
Zhara, Ami, and Yuli are Guardians of Dawn, legendary magicians who are reborn when the world needs them to restore balance to the forces of order and chaos. Having embraced their powers, the three girls just need to find the Guardian of Water to seal the last portal to Tiyok and defeat the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. The problem? Suhwa is a master of illusion magic who has been keeping her true identity secret for most of her life. When a chance encounter with the Guardians of Dawn makes it clear that she can no longer hide from her destiny, Suhwa is forced to confront who she really is behind all her disguises. If they are to overcome the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons and restore balance to the Morning Realms, Zhara, Ami, Yuli, and Suhwa must combine their powers and unite the world against the forces of chaos—before everything they know is lost. This fourth volume in the East Asian–influenced Guardians of Dawn saga finishes the series on a high note, bringing the story that started with a focus on Zhara to a thrilling climax. The diverse cast of beloved characters continues to be the highlight, and their satisfying character arcs and relationships feel just as important as the magical conflict they’re entangled in.
An exhilarating series closer. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9781250191526
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
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 thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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