A medieval-inflected fantasy that will appeal to female action-hero aficionados.
The age-old battle between good and evil is fought in this swashbuckling feminist fantasy in which a courageous young woman saves the world from an evil phantom.
Davis Reign, a soldier and survivor of the apocalypse, kills the phantom’s host and, with his novice sorcerer friend Cassias, rebuilds the world. When his wife dies, Reign loses his power and dark magic returns to the land. It’s up to plucky 16-year-old Marianne Fitz to quell the rising powers of evil. Torn from her parents by Reign and left alone to care for her little brother, Newt, in the poor Link district, Marianne first encounters Reign’s son, her intimidating yet seductive adversary Crawford, when she is invited to the city for a coming-of-age ceremony. Using her incipient magical powers and her pronounced street-fighting talents, Marianne rescues her brother from the jail he is thrown in by Crawford’s henchmen, saves three maidens in peril, and helps to right the balance of good and evil in the world. Her true identity is finally revealed in the dramatic denouement. Marianne’s story is told in a fast-paced, engaging first-person narrative that moves skillfully between sympathy-evoking personal experience and broad-ranging, sometimes violent action. The city of Obanac and the surrounding landscape are evocatively portrayed, adding richness and depth to an otherwise mundane plot.
A medieval-inflected fantasy that will appeal to female action-hero aficionados. (bonus short story: “The Black Riders”) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: June 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64397-071-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: BHC Press
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Fast-moving and intriguing though inconsistent on multiple fronts.
Kids endure rigorous competition aboard a spaceship.
When Babel Communications invites 10 teens to participate in “the most serious space exploration known to mankind,” Emmett signs on. Surely it’s the jackpot: they’ll each receive $50,000 every month for life, and Emmett’s mother will get a kidney transplant, otherwise impossible for poor people. They head through space toward the planet Eden, where they’ll mine a substance called nyxia, “the new black gold.” En route, the corporation forces them into brutal competition with one another—fighting, running through violent virtual reality racecourses, and manipulating nyxia, which can become almost anything. It even forms language-translating facemasks, allowing Emmett, a black boy from Detroit, to communicate with competitors from other countries. Emmett's initial understanding of his own blackness may throw readers off, but a black protagonist in outer space is welcome. Awkward moments in the smattering of black vernacular are rare. Textual descriptions can be scanty; however, copious action and a reality TV atmosphere (the scoreboard shows regularly) make the pace flow. Emmett’s first-person voice is immediate and innocent: he realizes that Babel’s ruthless and coldblooded but doesn’t apply that to his understanding of what’s really going on. Readers will guess more than he does, though most confirmation waits for the next installment—this ends on a cliffhanger.
Fast-moving and intriguing though inconsistent on multiple fronts. (Science fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55679-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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