Fans of the first two books will cheer the way everything comes together in this gratifying conclusion.
Webb’s Everglenn fantasy trilogy concludes with a final showdown between a magical family and a ruthless tyrant.
Having unraveled centuries of mysterious family secrets, Freya O’Neill’s priority is the safety of her two daughters, Nora and Carra, and the rest of her family at the Everglenn estate in British Columbia. Months after escaping brutal captivity at the hands of Tyrell clan patriarch Cashel Tyrell, Freya (who has the supernatural ability to “to heal, to protect [her]self and to help protect those around [her]”) and a few family members sneak back into Ireland so her twins can be born there and be connected to the land through an ancient ritual. She spends the next 18 years concealing them at Everglenn and educating them about their heritage, knowing that Cashel intends to use them to fulfill an ancient prophecy that would cement his power in Ireland as it moves toward independence. When the girls turn 18, the family returns to Ireland to perform a handfasting ceremony on their birthday. Carra’s handfasting goes horribly awry and leads to her abduction by the Tyrells. Now, Carra must navigate her imprisonment using her own unique powers while Freya struggles to fight for her family without giving in to her pent-up rage. This novel provides a satisfying conclusion to the author’s trilogy as Freya’s entire family comes together to protect Carra and Everglenn. Freya is a much more active agent in this novel than in the last, and Carra comes into her own (with her magic) as well, though Nora doesn’t get much of a role. The final confrontation provides a welcome payoff for the intricate plotting of the first books, with every narrative thread neatly tied off. Though the novel shifts to Carra’s point of view when she’s taken, it wisely returns to Freya’s at the end; doing so allows her final plan to face Cashel to remain a surprise while keeping readers in her head during her most emotional moments. She has always been the heart of this rich and diverting story.
Fans of the first two books will cheer the way everything comes together in this gratifying conclusion.Pub Date: March 5, 2026
ISBN: 9781038366993
Page Count: 348
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.
In Green’s inspirational novel, a journalist boarding the wrong train discovers the right moment to speak the words that matter.
Daniel arrives at the Beacon station carrying a leather notebook filled with an unfinished eulogy for his still-living grandfather, only to be swept onto the mysterious 5:07 Gratitude Express, a steam locomotive that appears “for those who want to express gratitude.” His uncanny journey sends him through vividly rendered moments from his own life, where he witnesses the ripple effects of kindnesses he has offered and reunites—sometimes for the first time—with people who were permanently shaped by those actions. Each stop brings a new encounter: A childhood classmate says, “That morning, you altered the course of my life”; an elderly woman confesses, “Your simple act of kindness saved me that day”; a mentor tells him, “You need to figure out what you’re good at and what you like to do. Because when you do that, your potential is limitless.” By the time Daniel reaches Cedarville, intent on seeing his grandfather—the person who most profoundly shaped him—his reflections echo the conductor’s warning that “Time is unpredictable, and unsaid words bring pain and regret.” What follows is a moving affirmation of connection that honors the story’s central message: Appreciation should be expressed to the living. Green structures the narrative as a fable, with emotional clarity and cinematic pacing. The train’s dissolving walls, the recurring whistle rising “high into the dark sky,” and the symbolic briefcase filled with long-kept letters lend the tale a gentle magical-realist texture. While the storyline remains linear and accessible for all ages, the themes—regret, legacy, and intergenerational love—invite adult reflection. The prose is simple, intentionally so, grounding the fantastical elements in an earnest emotional register. This is not a plot-twist-driven story; it’s a quiet parable urging readers to act before time steals their chances. Readers who appreciate heartfelt, uplifting narrative journeys will find resonance in Green’s message.
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798891385252
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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