A dark and emotionally charged fantasy.
A prince and a rebel’s daughter must find a way to stop a dangerous storm from consuming their city.
Years ago, Vesper’s parents led a failed revolt against their city’s ruler, the Regia. Her Ma was lost to the unceasing Storm that surrounds them all; her Pa, a talented ikonomancer, became a fugitive, hiding with Vesper in the city’s fifth ring among the poor and the outcast. When Pa is captured by Prince Dalca, the current Regia’s son and the leader of the Wardana, the city’s guardians, 17-year-old Vesper vows to rescue him. She finds an ally in Izamal, a revolution-minded Wardana from the fifth ring who helps her gain access to the ikonamancers’ headquarters—and to Dalca—as an apprentice. Vesper’s proximity to Dalca allows her to see an unexpectedly vulnerable side to the prince, complicating her animosity toward him, and when she learns about the true natures of the Regia and the Storm, Vesper realizes that she and Dalca may actually share a common goal. The book’s setting—a city trapped within a storm, ruled by a powerful deity in human form—is intriguing, as are the descriptions of its magic system, ikonomancy, which utilizes symbols to activate spells. The story moves briskly from start to dramatic finish, driven by the characters’ urgency and desperation to save their families and their city from destruction. Characters are diverse in appearance.
A dark and emotionally charged fantasy. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-56198-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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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