A satisfyingly complex and magical introduction to a new world.
A powerless teen struggles to forge her own destiny in a tyrannical kingdom in this Chinese-inspired fantasy world.
In this series opener, Yining lives in a small village in the Iron Mountains, one of the Three Kingdoms, earning a meager living by pretending to be a fortune teller—and all the while yearning to make her own fortune and explore the outside world. Adopted as a child, she knows nothing about her birth parents and only has two possessions from her original life: a wooden ring and a threadbare handkerchief. Yining’s downtrodden life begins to change after she meets a talking carp in a pond, who reveals that she has a magical heritage connected to her ring—a “great gift and responsibility.” Having learned fighting skills from her now-deceased uncle and been taught to pickpocket by her abusive step-aunt, Yining embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads her to the Iron Mountains’ handsome Prince Zixin—and far beyond. The atmospheric descriptions slow the pacing, but they underscore Yining’s awareness of the beauty of palace life, which contrasts with the prince’s merciless rule. The themes of power, inequality, and truth ground this story, balancing the fantastical fairy-tale motifs that draw upon both Chinese and European tales. The romance, a slow-burn relationship that’s hampered by distrust, provides a nuanced exploration of love and power dynamics.
A satisfyingly complex and magical introduction to a new world. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9780316576208
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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