A well-crafted fantasy laced with frustrated romance.
In this high fantasy, a powerful young priestess must lock her emotions away while defending her kingdom from savage beasts and magical attacks.
Prince Janu is 14 years old and Princess Pria is 5 when their parents are killed by grinlo—wild predators who hunt in packs at the edges of their kingdom. Pria was born with the magic of a high priestess, one of only two in all the land, and by rights, she should be sent to the far-off Lorien for training alongside priestesses. Instead, she is allowed a reprieve. Pria is 12 years old when she finally leaves, and in her subsequent 10-year absence, the grinlo hordes continue to make inroads, overrunning one stronghold after another. The creatures have learned to coordinate their attacks. They seek out magic and are commanded by a rogue priest. When High Priestess Lana is killed, Pria returns home as a high priestess in her own right. She finds Janu on the throne and their childhood friend Mian serving as his battle leader. But Janu and Mian still see Pria as the little girl they grew up with. Pria, though a potent magic user, is inexperienced. One misstep and the Lorien might well recall her from service. Can Pria reconcile herself to Janu’s overprotectiveness and Mian’s love and, in doing so, save the kingdom? Kennedy writes in the third person, largely from Pria’s point of view. The prose style is a straightforward blend of narrative, badinage-peppered dialogue, and characters’ inner thoughts. The minor players are well developed. As for the protagonists, Pria in particular is given both space and time in which to grow. Events don’t move quickly, but there is a chilling inevitability to the grinlo encroachments. The author’s worldbuilding is astute, conjuring a sense of realism to underpin the story’s magical conflicts, nobility, and heroism. The plot is engaging throughout. But given the book’s length (over 500 pages) and the interactions between Pria and Mian, readers might have hoped for more from its ending, which merely cedes meekly to the promise of a sequel. Nonetheless, fans of the genre should approve.
A well-crafted fantasy laced with frustrated romance.Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1734089615
Page Count: 570
Publisher: Bowker
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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