A confident tale that deftly merges dense religious fantasy with unvarnished teen sensuality.
Teens become embroiled in a demonic war in this fantasy debut.
African American single mom Shanice Carter has just moved her family from Philadelphia to Roshaton, South Carolina. The housing market collapse ruined her real estate career, but her mother, Johnetta, has invited Shanice and her three teens to live on her spacious property. The teens, Shana, Luke, and Matt (who is adopted), make an eye-catching trio as they begin high school. Luke, the oldest, is a dark-skinned Casanova who’s nevertheless “a devout Christian.” He potentially meets his match in Clara Mae Connelly, a religious sophomore who agrees to show the Carters around the school. In the hallways, a bullying incident brings them face to face with Laraii and Carii, attractive siblings who rule the school. Luke is immediately drawn to Laraii’s icy blue eyes and domineering nature. But she’s of demonic descent and has most of the school and town under her control. Thankfully, a counterforce exists in Naya, an ancient soul reincarnated in the body of a 17-year-old girl. Naya is aided in her battle by two elementally powered demon hybrids, Ana and Carlo. Unbeknown to Luke, his soul is connected to Naya’s in a surprising manner. But first the Carters must survive a supernatural war that’s been brewing since humanity’s beginning. Mayo’s series opener aims for a broad teen audience with mature takes on sex and religion. The dialogue, which is sometimes coarse, works best with simple innuendo. Luke, for example, tells Naya while she’s driving: “You real cool when you wanna be. ’Specially the way you workin’ that stick shift.” Readers may need patience during lengthy worldbuilding chapters that flash back to fallen angel Lucifer and set up the present-day conflict. But the author rounds out the characters in thrilling ways, including Matt’s telekinetic power, which leads to gripping action scenes (“Carii felt the pressure increasing, then an invisible hand...draped itself over his skull”). Horror fans will love the gore-filled ritual in the woods reminiscent of the 1980s “Satanic Panic” phenomenon. By the end, the cast and Mayo’s fans should be ready for anything in the sequel.
A confident tale that deftly merges dense religious fantasy with unvarnished teen sensuality.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 701
Publisher: Taevo Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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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