A twisty, well-developed story that builds to a dramatic finale.
Seventeen-year-old Vesper Vale wakes up to an unfamiliar world after becoming the Great Queen’s human vessel and ending the Storm that tormented her city in this sequel to The Darkening (2022).
In the three years that passed while she was unconscious, Vesper became a hero, revered by all who previously lived in the shadow of the Storm. A council replaced the Regia as the city’s governing body; the council’s members include Casvian, Vesper’s former ikonomancy teacher, and Izamal, the Storm-cursed Wardana protector who immediately takes charge of Vesper’s safety. Discomfited by the implications of Izamal’s security measures and overwhelmed by the public’s expectations, Vesper decides to see the rest of the city for herself—only to discover that the central rings have been taken over by a blinding light from the Great King who was released after a near-fatal attempt by Prince Dalca to take the Regia’s mark. Those who are exposed to the Great King’s light fall under his control and lure others to join them, though for what purpose no one knows. Picking up where the last volume concluded, this sequel swiftly establishes tension and mystery through Vesper’s limited perspective as she faces a powerful new enemy and her own self-doubt in a world that would prefer her to remain a silent figurehead. Vivid worldbuilding, tense action sequences, and a climactic showdown will keep readers at the edges of their seats.
A twisty, well-developed story that builds to a dramatic finale. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9780358561996
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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
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