Adventure, intrigue, and romance; a Chinese-inspired fantasy debut that has it all.
A ganshi priestess becomes caught up in politics when the body she recovers isn’t entirely deceased—and turns out to be that of a missing prince.
Kang Siying, a “shepherd of the dead,” is desperate to secure funds for her father’s medical treatment. She accepts a lucrative job from Official Yi to recover a soldier’s body from across the enemy border in Wen. After she uses a talisman to reanimate the corpse, she’s shocked that he exhibits consciousness. Seeking advice from the elder wisewoman Mistress Ming, Siying learns she’s escorting no ordinary commoner but Sian’s Prince Ren, who died under suspicious circumstances. Mistress Ming gives Ren a mala bead necklace, explaining that he must collect enough qi, or life force, to warm all 54 beads if he’s to live without help from the reanimation talisman. Siying and Ren agree that she’ll exorcise evil spirits and purify their qi to give him; in return, they’ll meet Official Yi in the capital city of Hulin to ensure she’s paid. Mysteriously, Ren asks to stop in Baimu, Siying’s hometown, where he needs to recover “something precious.” The tightly written narrative builds suspense as the duo learn the spirits’ stories, which in turn deftly reveal the impact of the actions of Ren’s father and older brother, the king and first prince. Romantic feelings grow naturally as Siying and Ren navigate political and personal entanglements that unravel, revealing a compelling larger conspiracy.
Adventure, intrigue, and romance; a Chinese-inspired fantasy debut that has it all. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781250378927
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
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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