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SISTERS OF THE SNAKE

A fresh take on a classic tale.

As their country moves inexorably toward war, a thief and a princess swap places.

Dodging conscription is a crime punishable by death in the Raja’s Snake Pit, but 18-year-old Ria is willing to do anything to leave Abai—even stealing jewels from the royal palace. Governed by a ruthless king whose bloodline grants him and his heirs the ability to control snakes, Abai is about to reach the end of a centurylong peace treaty with its neighbor, Kaama, and all signs point to the bloody continuation of a feud that began after the ancient battle of the six Great Masters of Magic. When Ria is caught in the palace by the princess Rani, both are shocked to discover that they are identical twins. Rani, who lives in sheltered confinement, seizes the opportunity to prove herself to her father. She convinces Ria to temporarily stay in the palace, where she may find the answers to the twins’ separation, so that Rani can sneak out and locate the legendary Bloodstone, a powerful gem that could change the course of history. Themes of fate, identity, and sisterhood intertwine in this lush fantasy that incorporates Indian cultural elements into its worldbuilding. Chapters alternate between two distinct storylines that progress incrementally, following the sisters as they decide how they will shape the future of their kingdom.

A fresh take on a classic tale. (authors' note) (Fantasy. 12-17)

Pub Date: June 15, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-06-298559-0

Page Count: 512

Publisher: HarperTeen

Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021

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LEGENDARY

From the Caraval series , Vol. 2

Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.

Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.

Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.

Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)

Pub Date: May 29, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018

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THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

From the Girl of Fire and Thorns series , Vol. 1

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...

Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.

Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra—can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel, reminiscent of Naomi Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful (2002), keeps this entry fresh. (Fantasy. 12-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011

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