Since slaying her best friend (Devil’s Kiss, 2009), Billi SanGreal has been frozen in grief, relieved only by her grim dedication to the Templars, a secret order sworn to defend humanity from supernatural enemies. Currently, these enemies are werewolves targeting a young psychic as a sacrifice to their goddess, Baba Yaga. The quest to rescue this Spring Child and avert global apocalypse sends the Templars to Russia, where ancient myths mix uncomfortably with modern oligarchs and where Billi must confront her inner Beast and (even more terrifying) a possible new romance. The grisly violence (lovingly depicted) and staggering body count (mostly offpage) keep this sequel firmly in the horror genre. The evocative contrast established in the previous title between the Templars’ glorious past and squalid present suffers when the action shifts from London backstreets to Muscovite palaces and primeval forest. Still, Billi remains a compelling heroine—strong, conflicted, yearning for tenderness—and the copious allusions to Slavic legends add exotic savor. The final confrontation with Baba Yaga falls a bit flat, but the bittersweet conclusion is ripe with potential repercussions that will keep readers hooked. (Horror. 12 & up)
Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4231-2759-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
Categories: TEEN SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEEN PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL
Did you like this book?
Sixteen-year-old Black whiz kid Bree Matthews battles grief and demonic forces on her college campus.
After her mother dies in an accident, Bree begins a residential program for enterprising teens at her mother’s alma mater and, soon after her arrival, witnesses a magical attack that triggers hidden memories about the evening her mother was killed. Haunted by the fact that their final conversation was an argument, Bree begins a redemptive quest to uncover the connection between her mother’s death and the university’s secret society, the Order of the Round Table, joining their ranks as an initiate and unwittingly stumbling into a centuries-old supernatural war. While competing in the tournament that determines entry to the society, Bree discovers the truth about her heretofore unknown magical abilities, unwinding a complex history that showcases the horrors chattel slavery in the American South perpetuates on the descendants of all involved. Push through clunky expositions and choppy transitions that interrupt the cohesion of the text to discover solid character development that brings forward contemporary, thoughtful engagement with the representation, or lack thereof, of race in canonical Arthurian lore and mythologies. Representation of actualized, strong queer characters is organic, not forced, and so are textual conversations around emotional wellness and intergenerational trauma. Well-crafted allusions to established legends and other literary works are delightful easter eggs.
Don’t look over sea or under stone, this is the fantasy novel for all once and future fans of suspense-filled storytelling. (author's note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4160-6
Page Count: 512
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Categories: TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
Did you like this book?
Heart-pounding.
GET IT
A gay, transgender brujo with burgeoning powers seeks answers about his cousin’s death.
Sixteen-year-old Yadriel also wishes for acknowledgement from his community but unexpectedly finds himself entangled in the unresolved wishes of a strong-willed, good-looking spirit. He descends from a long line of brujx who have been granted magic power by Lady Death to heal the living and to guide spirits into the afterlife. Although he’s grown up surrounded by a close-knit community, Yadriel feels alone, excluded indefinitely from a sacred rite of passage because he is transgender. When he senses that his cousin Miguel has died suddenly but the family can’t locate him, Yadriel sees an opportunity to prove to everyone he’s a true brujo by solving the mystery and releasing his cousin’s lost spirit. His plan quickly falls apart, as he accidentally summons the spirit of Julian Diaz, a boy with unfinished business who died the same day as Miguel. Both the romance and mystery burn slow and hot until the climax. Stakes begin high, and the intensity only increases with a looming deadline and a constant risk that Julian might lose himself, turning maligno. The cast of characters represents a diversity of Latinx identities sharing a community in East Los Angeles. Julian is Colombian while Yadriel is Cuban and Mexican. Their romance provides joyful, ground-breaking representation for gay, transgender boys.
Heart-pounding. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-25046-9
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Swoon Reads/Macmillan
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Categories: TEEN PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL | TEEN ROMANCE
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2020 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
