A cheerful tone and clever premise let down by uneven execution.
A superintelligent humanoid escapes from the university lab where she was made—and gets a job in a coffee shop.
At Inkcap, Ruby sees all her tasks as systems to understand. Most of them, such as sweeping up spilled coffee beans, are simple systems with easily measurable success conditions. Humans, however, are systems that defy reason, so Ruby repeatedly revises her approach to finding their success conditions—in other words, what makes them happy. After observing a meet-cute between customers, Ruby begins to carefully orchestrate romances. Her targets include Mira, her coworker and best friend, and the hot “Comic Book Girl” who frequents Inkcap. While the scientists who created Ruby attempt to track her down, her own romance with the stranger “Decaf Americano” might prove to be her downfall. The supporting characters, while lightly developed, are delightful; a romantic subplot about two eccentric Inkcap patrons offers welcome pauses from the central narrative. But the queer romance at the book’s conclusion feels tacked on and leaves a loose end. Irreverent humor abounds, whether in the 20-foot-long tardigrade designed to control the population of squirrels on campus or in the recurring references to Mira’s constantly shifting college major. The full-color illustrations are pastel-forward, matching this graphic novel’s sprightly romantic tone. Ruby has light skin and pinkish hair, Mira has peach-toned skin and brown hair, and there’s some diversity in the secondary cast.
A cheerful tone and clever premise let down by uneven execution. (Graphic science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781534495869
Page Count: 208
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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