Plucky and perilous—a fast-moving fantasy romance adventure.
In Ramsey’s YA debut, a teenage girl quests through Afallon, the island of Arthurian legend, to rescue her best friend.
Fifteen-year-old Enid Davies and 16-year-old Dylan Roberts live near the Welsh town of Celliwig. They have been best friends for the last nine years, ever since Dylan rescued Enid from bullies. Lately, something more than friendship has sparked between them, but Dylan must leave Celliwig to attend school in London. Enid takes solace in Bendith, an enormous hound she befriends in the woods, and she wonders if things will change between her and Dylan. They certainly will: On the evening of Enid’s 16th birthday party, Dylan is revealed as a shapeshifting wyvern (a species of dragon) prince from Afallon Isle, the Avalon of Arthurian legend. He is abducted back to his homeland by the evil queen Malagant. Transported through a fairy circle that is activated by the wizard Merlin himself, Enid journeys to Afallon to rescue Dylan, accompanied by Bendith and Dylan’s cruel and conceited cousin, Aeddan. Opposed by implacable creatures from Welsh mythology, can Enid and her companions win through to face Malagant and free Dylan? Ramsey’s prose style is straightforward though somewhat excitable, with numerous stock recourses to eyes “narrowing,” “widening,” “bulging,” and “blazing”; hearts get a workout “hammering,” “soaring,” “pounding,” and “racing.” Enid and Dylan evince natural voices when writing letters to each other, but their actual speech tends toward the stilted over-formalism of high fantasy: “I’m so sorry you had to endure any of it. Was it merely a coincidence that you and Dylan ended up in the same spot?” The book’s greatest strength lies in Enid’s character. She exhibits a teen’s doubts and insecurities but is fiercely loyal, determined, and compassionate. In a world filled with powerful creatures, she looks into the hearts of those around her and solves problems by using her intelligence. It is through Enid’s personality that commonplace tropes such as love triangles and enemies becoming friends take on a persuasive magic. The story itself moves quickly, racing through peril and uncertainty. All told, teen fantasists will find much to like here.
Plucky and perilous—a fast-moving fantasy romance adventure.Pub Date: July 12, 2023
ISBN: 9798852072115
Page Count: 252
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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