Mystery and romance abound in this engaging take on a classic fairy tale.
In Foley’s debut YA fantasy novel, a teen awakens to an entirely new world fraught with dark secrets and a powerful, malevolent Fae.
Seventeen-year-old Rose wakes up in a strange bed. Soren, a young man she doesn’t know, tells her she’s been in a cursed sleep for some time. Silaine, the Fae Queen’s sister (who tried and failed to kill the Fae King), has cursed the human kingdom of Valeria, which is now caught in a perpetual winter: “Silaine used their blood to bring the snow.” She also cursed Rose—but why? There’s a lot Rose doesn’t know, though she quickly learns that she’s been sleeping for over a century. After some men who claim Soren is a traitor to Valeria ostensibly rescue Rose, she reunites with her beloved younger brother, Alair, who’s now an elderly man. Readers learn that Rose has the ability to open a portal between realms. She wants to help stop the evil Fae, but who can she trust? Alair and his men? Or, maybe, Soren? Rose faintly remembers his kiss awakening her. Foley’s curious take on the Sleeping Beauty tale boasts an indelible hero—Rose is brave, empathetic, and skilled at archery. She comes with a thorny past, both remembered (raised by adoptive parents) and forgotten (she’d apparently fallen in love with a prince). As Rose and others travel to the Fae realm to warn the King about Silaine’s “growing power,” they endure a harsh, endless winter and the monsters Silaine has let loose, such as mavens (murderous ravens). What truly fuels this novel, however, is the narrative’s relentless tension, with characters keeping details from or outright lying to Rose, sometimes completely changing how she feels about something. The story introduces worthy romantic interests in addition to abilities Rose has yet to tap into; several questions linger by the end, allowing sequels to expand the book’s world.
Mystery and romance abound in this engaging take on a classic fairy tale.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
ISBN: 9798995585664
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Inalta Press
Review Posted Online: July 22, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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