An often enjoyable story of a brave girl’s journey with a well-developed setting and characters.
A teenage girl in ancient times starts a sacred journey to become the first person ever to tame and ride a horse in Barnes’ debut novel.
In this story set in 4000 B.C.E. in what is now southeastern Europe, Naya is the 14-year-old daughter of Potis, the chief of her clan. She chafes against traditional rules, wishing for the freedom that the boys in her tribe are afforded. An encounter with a wild, red filly, which appears to telepathically communicate with her, secures the girl’s belief she’s meant for something more—but she must also convince her family. Her grandmother proclaims the quest Naya’s “soul journey,” but Potis is resistant, realizing that the horses could be a source of both great power and great danger. Naya tracks the herd through the grasslands, but just as she finds them, a young nomad named Aytal accidentally impales her with an arrow. Guilt-ridden, Aytal tends to Naya while his father, Oyuun, and younger brother race to find Naya’s clan. Eager to move the clan before winter, Potis agrees to let Aytal and Oyuun watch over the injured girl with the help of Naya’s mother, Sata; in exchange, Aytal’s brother remains with the clan as a hostage. The bulk of the story centers on Naya’s recovery and reconnection with the filly, Aytal’s sacrifices as atonement, and the forbidden feelings Sata and Oyuun start to have for each other. This impeccably detailed novel illuminates Naya’s journey on the ancient Pontic-Caspian steppe. Barnes skillfully develops key relationships in a manner that will make readers invested in the narrative. She also captures the tentativeness of romance and conflicts between traditions and other strong beliefs. As this is the first book of a planned series, some story elements are only hinted at—including a potential overthrow of Potis and Aytal’s punishment—and the book may have benefited from a bit more resolution. Also, the inclusion of 20 pages of supplemental material, showcasing the research that went into this book, seems overly extensive.
An often enjoyable story of a brave girl’s journey with a well-developed setting and characters.Pub Date: May 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73696-733-1
Page Count: 278
Publisher: Lilith House Press
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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