A high-fantasy riff on The Princess Bride lacking both humor and heart.
When Princess Amarande’s true love is kidnapped, she doesn’t hesitate to set out to rescue him.
Princess Amarande and Luca, who is in charge of the king’s stables, have always shared a special bond. But recently, it’s felt different; a charged feeling simmers between them. Before either finds the courage to confront it, tragedy strikes: Her father, King Sendoa, falls dead. Amarande reels; she doesn’t believe the Warrior King died naturally—it must have been murder. But the Royal Council cares more about succession: In order to rule, Amarande must wed. Despite her resistance, it isn’t long before other kingdoms send eager suitors. The princess finds them abhorrent, conniving, and power hungry. Amarande spits in the face of tradition, pulling her sword on a suitor at her father’s funeral and declaring that she won’t settle. In the midst of her rebellion, Luca is kidnapped. A note left behind instructs her to marry a specific suitor or she’ll never see her love again. Ever fearless, Amarande sets off, determined to save Luca and her kingdom. Though the princess rallies valiantly against entrenched patriarchy, Amarande reads as one-note. Well-plotted action sequences and intricate political machinations can’t make up for Luca’s similar one dimensionality, which makes their love story—the backbone of the story—difficult to care about. Most characters appear to be white; some have brown skin.
A high-fantasy riff on The Princess Bride lacking both humor and heart. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-23742-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
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
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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