Unforgettable characters enhance this taut dystopian tale.
In Nixon’s YA SF series kickoff, a group of teenagers undergo ruthless training to defend their city against hordes of deadly creatures.
Acadia, the last human city on Earth, surrounds its citizens with the Wall and the Eight Gates, which are steel-reinforced. However, true protection comes from the Validated: warriors enhanced by energy-pulsing, Greek Corinthian-style armor. They fight off Roaches—giant bug-like entities that periodically launch mass attacks. Cojax, like every Acadian at age 16, descends into the Mahghetto, where Disciples train and engage in battles to become the Validated. People expect good things from Cojax, as he’s the son of Titan, one of the Validated’s elite Fifty. Another Disciple, Jessica, is known as “the Aberration,” because she was discovered outside the Wall.Each Disciple needs to keep their “Sacred Score,”shown on a Placard on their chests, as high as possible; this is achieved in various ways, including defeating a fellow Disciple in combat. Many of the teens see Jessica as an outcast, but Cojax comes to see her as a worthy ally who knows a frightening truth about Acadia. Nixon masterfully blends action with suspense; Cojax and Jessica are in perpetual danger, because if their numbers drop too low, they’ll be “Rifted” and simply vanish from Acadia. Battles with Roaches showcase the Validated’s strength as they wield powerful Arc Blades, but also show their vulnerability, as anyone can fall prey to swarms. This book primarily sticks with Cojax and Jessica, but they’re just two members of a sublime cast that also includes Jessica’s guardian, Elena, who spends years preparing her for the Mahghetto, and Cojax’s older brother, Marcus, who’s worried about his upcoming Civil Union with a spouse he’s yet to meet. Pithy descriptions (“Panic built. Not a scream—but a still, clawing kind. The kind that curled inward and tried to make her disappear”) complement the author’s exceptional dialogue. Time in the Mahghetto entails plenty of politicking, especially from Adriana, a manipulative Disciple who seemingly targets Jessica. In the end, this opening installment leaves plenty to explore, including the likelihood that one person is plotting revenge.
Unforgettable characters enhance this taut dystopian tale.Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9781951780357
Page Count: 590
Publisher: S&J PUBLISHING LLC
Review Posted Online: Dec. 8, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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