A must-read if there ever was one.
After the bloody finale of Long Live Evil (2024), Rachel Parilla must set Key’s story to rights before she can go back to her own life.
Rae—or, as she’s known to the people of Eyam, Lady Rahela Domitia—has failed in her mission to steal the Flower of Life and Death, which she was promised would cure her “true” body of cancer. Her patchy memory of the fantasy series into which a mysterious stranger offered her escape helped her play the part of a mystic prophet to great success. But she forgot how her favorite character, the villainous Emperor, got that title in the first place. And now her beloved guard, Key, has returned from a violent death and claimed his power as a god-ruler at the wrong moment—before he can learn kindness and mercy from the rightful heroine. Rahela, the sexy villainess who died early in the books before Rae took over her part, betrayed Key at the moment of his death, lost the Flower of Life and Death, and, worst of all, fears that she’s destroyed Key’s chance at his happy ending. As if the loss of Rae’s path home weren’t bad enough, she’s certain she’ll lose her life in Eyam, too; Key claims he wants to marry her and make her his evil queen, but Rae knows from the books about the Emperor’s vengeance toward those who wronged him, and she knows she needs to move fast before she gets her heart ripped out—literally. Brennan’s fantastic sequel deepens and complicates themes from the first book, with explorations of the way ill and disabled people are treated by society, who is deemed worthy of love in fiction, and what it means to mark someone as a hero or villain. The world of Eyam is a loving homage to fantasy romance all the way down to the purple prose—which, in Brennan’s hands, makes any other style of writing seem dull gray by comparison. Between the brilliant character work, thrilling adventure sequences, devious political intrigue among the ministers of Eyam, and laugh-out-loud humor, it’s hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this series.
A must-read if there ever was one.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9780316568746
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.
In Green’s inspirational novel, a journalist boarding the wrong train discovers the right moment to speak the words that matter.
Daniel arrives at the Beacon station carrying a leather notebook filled with an unfinished eulogy for his still-living grandfather, only to be swept onto the mysterious 5:07 Gratitude Express, a steam locomotive that appears “for those who want to express gratitude.” His uncanny journey sends him through vividly rendered moments from his own life, where he witnesses the ripple effects of kindnesses he has offered and reunites—sometimes for the first time—with people who were permanently shaped by those actions. Each stop brings a new encounter: A childhood classmate says, “That morning, you altered the course of my life”; an elderly woman confesses, “Your simple act of kindness saved me that day”; a mentor tells him, “You need to figure out what you’re good at and what you like to do. Because when you do that, your potential is limitless.” By the time Daniel reaches Cedarville, intent on seeing his grandfather—the person who most profoundly shaped him—his reflections echo the conductor’s warning that “Time is unpredictable, and unsaid words bring pain and regret.” What follows is a moving affirmation of connection that honors the story’s central message: Appreciation should be expressed to the living. Green structures the narrative as a fable, with emotional clarity and cinematic pacing. The train’s dissolving walls, the recurring whistle rising “high into the dark sky,” and the symbolic briefcase filled with long-kept letters lend the tale a gentle magical-realist texture. While the storyline remains linear and accessible for all ages, the themes—regret, legacy, and intergenerational love—invite adult reflection. The prose is simple, intentionally so, grounding the fantastical elements in an earnest emotional register. This is not a plot-twist-driven story; it’s a quiet parable urging readers to act before time steals their chances. Readers who appreciate heartfelt, uplifting narrative journeys will find resonance in Green’s message.
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798891385252
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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