A sobering end to an unusual trilogy.
Iris’ friends and foes take center stage as they reconcile the impact of their choices in this follow-up to The Song of Wrath (2023).
In the wake of Iris’ murder, Max, Rin, Berta, Lulu, and the larger cast of curious characters are thrust into the wrath of the other Hiva, who orchestrated Iris’ demise. Having exacted his revenge, Hiva gives humanity one year before they face destruction. The third-person narration brings readers into the minds of Max and Rin as their paths diverge: Max is set to become Hiva’s guide while Hiva searches for a reason to spare humanity, and Rin sets off to find a way to stop Hiva’s threat. In an effort to draw Iris to him and continue plotting humanity’s downfall, power-hungry Adam is focused on bringing Britain into the great war that’s brewing. Unbeknownst to all, Iris is waiting in the Earth’s core to be reborn and exact her revenge. Even as the characters’ paths converge toward a cataclysmic event, bringing forth the responsibilities they have to each other, they question loyalties and examine the purpose of life. This trilogy closer slowly unveils the cores of its diverse cast of characters, forcing them to reconcile their beliefs and in turn offering more insights into what makes them tick. There’s plenty of cryptic plotting and action to keep readers engaged as they gradually make their way toward an unpredictable conclusion.
A sobering end to an unusual trilogy. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781534453623
Page Count: 496
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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
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