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 sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world.
The Pixie Dust Root is in danger, and one fairy is determined to save it—and the Pixie Dust Tree that all of Pixie Hollow depends upon.
In this stand-alone story set in the same world as Allison Saft’s Wings of Starlight (2025), Periwinkle, a frost-talent who has a gift for finding things—or maybe they have a way of finding her?—discovers a lost thread of magic that grants her the ability to dream. But not all dreams are as sparkly as Periwinkle. One night, she awakens from a nightmare to find herself in the Winter Woods with a fairy she’s never met, a sparrow man named Weaver, who claims to be a rare dream-talent. Disconcertingly, Weaver knows her—he calls her “perfect Periwinkle” and for some reason doesn’t seem to like her very much. Nevertheless, Periwinkle finds herself drawn to Weaver. When he tells her he can save the Pixie Dust Root by spinning her dreams into thread if she helps him find the magic tools he needs, Periwinkle agrees. Their journey leads the pair, who are pale-skinned, to discover things they like about each other, too. This is an opposites-attract adventure with romantic tension, a high-stakes quest, personal discovery, and betrayal. The characters struggle with inner turmoil while also adjusting their understanding of each other. Bright balances the fun with explorations of themes of snap judgments, labels, and weaponizing fear.
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9780736447362
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney/Random House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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