A provoking, attention-grabbing debut.
An 18-year-old Elven girl accepts the dangers that accompany an invitation to help save the people of her kingdom.
Lyria has grown up in seclusion in the Ironwood Mountains, home to the Elven kingdom of Evermore until 300 years ago, when a human tyrant stole the land and forced the Elves into hiding. Lyria yearns for freedom and a sense of purpose, which she lacks under her over-protective mother’s watch. One day, she responds to a cry for help from somewhere in the forest and saves a boy from an attack by a monster. He’s revealed to be Prince Finneas—and he asks Lyria to become an apothecary and help fight the plague that threatens Crown City. She enters the palace pretending to be human, but her bloodborne Talent—magic that fearful people tried to wipe out and which is now rare among Elves—isn’t always in her control. The threat of discovery is real, especially when Lyria meets Cygnus, the Head Healer, who takes an instant dislike to her. But not everything is as it seems—not the palace, not Finn, and not even herself. This duology opener has easy-to-follow worldbuilding and enough twists and turns to keep the plot moving. Lyria is both strong and emotional, uncertain of herself even while she accepts many challenges. Cygnus and Finn are opposites, creating a delightful tension. Main characters present white.
A provoking, attention-grabbing debut. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781368117517
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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