An exciting fantasy full of mystery and witchcraft.
Foundling witch Abigail risks everything to find her missing friend.
Legend at the Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft says that 100 years ago, a monstrous demon took a student who had entered the Untamed Woods. Now Noreen, one of Abby’s dearest friends, is believed to be missing in these same forbidden woods. With preparations for the Samhain festivities underway and the Coven supposedly looking for her, most students are quick to dismiss Noreen’s disappearance save for Abby and a few of her close friends. After breaking curfew and doing unsupervised magic, the young witches get into trouble, prompting her friends to give up searching, but Abby is convinced Noreen can be saved and persists in her search. Her investigation reveals secrets and truths about the century-old legend that might help her find Noreen. Spooky, mysterious, and also full of heart, this graphic novel is an enchanting story of friendship and found family. Each witch has a familiar—an animal companion with its own personality—that adds to the depth and charm of the story. Seymour, Abby’s familiar, is a Sphynx cat who suffers from anxiety. The luminous, full-color illustrations are striking and vibrant, adding to the magical, mystical feel. Abby presents as White, with pale, freckled skin and brown hair; her classmates and teachers are diverse in race as well as gender identity and sexual orientation.
An exciting fantasy full of mystery and witchcraft. (Graphic fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-305631-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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