by Suzanne Lazear ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 8, 2014
Lazear’s fans have a high tolerance for convoluted nomenclature; anyone else will have given up on this series long ago.
Set in both Victorian-era Los Angeles and the Otherworld, Noli’s adventures among the Fae continue.
Minimal recap reminds readers that years earlier, Noli’s father had disappeared in San Francisco and that Noli spent the last book aboard the pirate steam-powered airship owned by her brother and his fiancee. Noli continues her romance with V, also called Steven and, in the Otherworld, Stiofán. When V’s little sister Elise, also called Ailís, escapes from pursuers into the Otherworld, the dark king, Ciarán, also called Kyran, enemy of the “earth court,” takes her in. There, she meets Aodhan, the little son of Creidmeamh, dead sister of the hunter Kevighn, who unites with Ciarán. While searching for Elise, Noli gets into a battle with V’s uncle, earth king Brogan, with unexpected results that Noli must learn to live with. Lazear’s imagination continues to bubble, creating a charming and dangerous fantasy world as well as an intriguing alternate-history mortal world with her steampunk version of Los Angeles. That creative vision helps the book overcome pedestrian writing and standard plotting. The book’s minimal action is interrupted by numerous and lengthy episodes of domestic chitchat and bickering. Noli and V, in fact, spend much of the book at odds, despite their undying love for each other. Major plot points, such as reassembling the fateful Staff of Eris, await resolution in another sequel.
Lazear’s fans have a high tolerance for convoluted nomenclature; anyone else will have given up on this series long ago. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7387-3986-1
Page Count: 456
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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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New York Times Bestseller
by Rebecca Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
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New York Times Bestseller
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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