A compelling mythology-based fantasy.
When the treacherous Shayla murders King Lohar, she becomes the Queen of Ambarvadi—and none of her subjects feel safe.
According to prophecy, the only ones who can end Queen Shayla’s brutal reign are Gul, the famed Star Warrior, and Cavas, Gul’s lover. Under the guidance of Subodh, a Pashu king dedicated to justice, Gul and Cavas train to use their magic together against Queen Shayla. But before they can hone their craft, Shayla sends her army to attack Gul, Cavas, Subodh, and the Legion of the Star Warrior, a group of women faithful to Gul and Amar, the rightful king of Ambarvadi. Cavas is captured, and Gul and her army are forced to flee through the dangerous desert. While Cavas is imprisoned in Shayla’s castle and tortured, Gul and her army remain determined to fulfill the prophecy and return Ambarvadi to its rightful owner—but can Gul do it without Cavas, who is her magical complement, lover, and best friend? The story is told through alternating perspectives, the most satisfying of which is Shayla’s, whose voice is the most distinctive. The final third of this novel offers the fastest pace and the most reveals. The richly built, South Asian–inspired world will be best appreciated by readers familiar with Hunted by the Sky (2020), the first book in the duology.
A compelling mythology-based fantasy. (map, glossary, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-374-31311-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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