An atmospheric fantasy brimming with intrigue and heart.
A fae guardian and an English spy must team up to protect Scotland from magical invaders.
In the world of this duology opener, Scotland and the fae realm are magically linked; peace in the former ensures peace in the latter. So it’s up to Alyth Graham, daughter of the fae prince and lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary, to protect the barrier that keeps the bloodthirsty Red Caps, fae who rebelled against the Seelie Court, out of Scotland. But when Red Cap weapons turn up in the Scottish court—and in the hands of Lord Darnley, Mary’s scheming husband—Alyth knows something is very wrong. Samson Calthorpe, illegitimate son of William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth’s secretary (who in this universe assumes Sir Francis Walsingham’s role as spymaster), was cursed in childhood by fae magic that causes him to black out and commit violent acts. Samson is among the few humans who knows the fae are real. When Cecil offers him a chance to be rid of the curse in return for spying on Mary, Samson agrees. A chance meeting throws Samson and Alyth together. Their attraction is immediate, but Alyth senses he’s hiding something. As danger mounts, the two work together and begin to care for each other. Samson’s and Alyth’s alternating first-person narratives keep the pace moving. The court intrigue, set against lush descriptions of Scotland, is well-balanced with the fantasy elements. Most characters are cued white.
An atmospheric fantasy brimming with intrigue and heart. (content warnings, historical note) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781464236136
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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