An interesting frame for a story that ends up spinning its wheels.
A girl runs away from her wedding and meets the Angel of Death.
Seventeen-year-old Sorel Kalmans, motherless and wealthy, does not want to marry the rebbe’s son. For one, the young people’s fathers arranged the match to strengthen both their business relationship and the Jewish communities of the (likely) 19th-century Russian town of Esrog and its surrounding shtetlach. More importantly, Sorel doesn’t recognize herself as a blushing bride—when she looks in the mirror, she sees a stranger. So she steals a stableboy’s clothes and runs away. A mysterious young man named Sam helps her survive her new vagabond life, but Isser Jacobs, the false name she chooses at random, also belongs, unfortunately, to a local boy who’s deeply embroiled in Sorel’s father’s licit and illicit business interests. Lamb’s sophomore novel contains fascinating magical elements drawn from Ashkenazi Jewish lore, such as dybbuks, angels, and demons, but confusing timelines and a muted and anticlimactic ultimate reveal weaken the story. Relatedly, Sorel herself is a blank cipher at the center of this slice of Yiddishkeit life, a character who plays others so much that readers never quite learn who she is, what she wants, and what is at the root of her motivation to leave.
An interesting frame for a story that ends up spinning its wheels. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781646144563
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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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