A riveting companion novel that will leave readers eager for more.
In this twist on the story of Persephone, a young woman makes a life-altering bargain to save her loved ones.
Years before Manisha, the protagonist of 2024’s A Drop of Venom, met monster slayer Pratyush, her older sister, Eshani, made a secret trade with the shades, exchanging her life to ensure the survival of her fellow naga. Hiran, the brooding Gatekeeper of the Nightmare Realm, whose spirited sister, Holika, can manipulate dreams, has repeatedly appeared in Eshani’s dreams, though she believes she’s simply imagining him. When the shades finally demand repayment, Eshani must locate the underworld’s Gatekeeper—unaware it’s Hiran—to fulfill a prophecy. Instead, she finds herself in the clutches of the nefarious Shadow King, Hiran’s sadistic half brother, who believes that Hiran died on their father’s funeral pyre. Patel carefully establishes the initial worldbuilding, which unfolds gradually, before pulling the characters together in a thrilling third act that blends action and introspection even as Eshani and Hiran confront their destinies and their growing romantic bond. The dual perspectives reveal each protagonist’s personal struggles—Eshani’s with mastering her power over plant life and Hiran’s with keeping his shadow self, the Gloom that “made him crave violence and darkness,” in check. Grounded in Indian lore, the story features brown-skinned human characters and offers a fresh cultural perspective on themes from Greek mythology.
A riveting companion novel that will leave readers eager for more. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098779
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents/Disney
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
