The game’s afoot, if not the sleuth, and tongue-in-cheek elements lighten a weighty thematic load.
A cry for help draws a hurting, antisocial monster out of her den to investigate an ugly conspiracy in this third episode in the Brindlewatch Quintet.
Much of the fun comes from trying to figure out what Sable, Beiko’s mute, non-hearing protagonist, looks like. Slyly supplying only glimpses of both hair and scales, arms (but no legs), a powerful tail, an unruly second mouth, a cracked magic gem in her forehead, and other tantalizing descriptive details, the author pries Sable out of her bookish seclusion to search for Kepler, a beloved but alienated amphibicreature who has gone missing after moving to Ferren City, where friction between multiform monstros and human Brindles is rising. Burgeoning tensions and threats of cultural theft aren’t all that roil beneath the surface of ensuing events, but they do ultimately play a significant role in explaining where Kepler and other suddenly absent monstros have gone. Part toothy predator, part emotionally vulnerable loner, the eminently relatable sleuth finds allies both loyal and treacherous while getting handles on both her own story and an unruly, ingeniously unconventional magical power as she signs, lip-reads, and slithers her way to a thoroughly satisfying denouement. As in previous episodes, the cast members are racially diverse, and gender identity is a matter of accepted choice.
The game’s afoot, if not the sleuth, and tongue-in-cheek elements lighten a weighty thematic load. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: June 30, 2026
ISBN: 9781770416970
Page Count: 340
Publisher: ECW Press
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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