Disappointingly derivative and awkwardly contrived; skip.
A white British boy stumbles into the role of chosen one in this unimaginative urban portal fantasy.
Finmere Tingewick Smith has always lived a double life. Ever since he was left on the steps of London’s Old Bailey as an infant, he’s inexplicably spent his childhood secretly alternating years at two different schools, complete with two different uniforms and two different best friends. He has learned to blend into two completely different social environments without giving anything away. But on his 16th birthday, everything changes when Fin’s guardian is murdered. He learns that Judge Harlequin Brown was the leader of the (seemingly all-male) Order of the Knights of Nowhere, an organization dedicated to traveling between and protecting two distinct realms, The Somewhere (our known universe) and The Nowhere (the one of many parallel universes nearest to our own). When a Knight goes rogue, kidnapping The Nowhere’s Storyholder, a blonde woman, and throwing both universes into chaos, it’s up to Fin and his two best friends, upper-class white Christopher and working-class black Joe, to rescue the Storyholder and restore peace to the worlds. The third-person narration overflows with tedious information that distracts from and convolutes the plot. The few men of color and women who appear in the story are underdeveloped at best and stereotypical tropes or plot devices at worst.
Disappointingly derivative and awkwardly contrived; skip. (Fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4732-2189-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gollancz/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.
What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?
Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes. (author’s note) (Fantasy.14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
A fresh and compelling voice.
A second chance prompts a deadly game of wits.
Lu Mingshin is about to be executed. Her fiance, Prince Ren, has ordered her death after using her family’s wealth to vie for the position of crown prince from his half brothers, each of them born to one of the widower king’s Royal Ladies. If that wasn’t enough, Mingshin learns that her Uncle Yi arranged her mother’s murder, and Aylin, her two-faced noblewoman cousin, will be marrying Ren instead. On the verge of death, Mingshin desperately wishes for another chance—only to see flashes of light and wake up two years in the past. With her memories of the future intact, Mingshin intends to not become a victim again, training in combat and vowing to endear herself to King Reifeng to secure her family’s safety. Strange dreams reveal the source of the magic that allowed her to jump back in time. A powerful mage is also on Mingshin’s tail, along with the ruthless enemies she’s already aware of. As Mingshin starts to rewrite her life’s story, new individuals come into play: a visiting Elder with questionable motives; Princess Yunle, who becomes a new best friend; and Prince Jieh, one of Ren’s rivals for the throne. Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of imperial China, this debut novel’s structure has a few oddities, but the clever premise and intriguing and suspenseful plot will keep readers engaged.
A fresh and compelling voice. (Fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781454949923
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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