Captivating.
With all jinnkind advancing toward Tulan, Alizeh must hasten to secure both crown and land to protect her people in this follow-up to These Infinite Threads (2023).
Alizeh knows that accepting King Cyrus’ proposal of marriage will bring her the power to protect her people and seek her destiny, but she’s unprepared to deliver the death that will release him from the Devil’s torment. Cyrus guards the terms of his deal with Iblees closely, but his passionate feelings for Alizeh, first implanted in sensuous dreams by the fallen jinn, are their own kind of torture. He refuses to believe that Alizeh’s feelings of contempt have evolved into real tenderness and desire for him. For her part, Alizeh cannot completely trust Cyrus, bound as he is to Iblees, even if she desperately wants to. Further complicating matters are the arrival of Prince Kamran and Alizeh’s Ardunian friends—the prince wants revenge against the Tulanian king for the death of his grandfather and demands an explanation of Alizeh’s perceived betrayal. Stunned by the accusation, Alizeh realizes that her feelings for Kamran have dissipated and is further shocked by his belief that the prophecy foretells their union. But the truth of the prophecy may not be yet known, and the devil, ever the master of deceit, has never lost a wager. Mafi continues her stunning, spellbinding epic narrative of secrets, confusion, and burning desire in a volume that’s more about characterization than action but is still a fast, gripping read.
Captivating. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780062972507
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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
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