Sensual and strange.
Names hold utmost power throughout the empire; Raliel Dark-Smile, who chose her own, will come to know this better than any.
Raliel has forged herself into the ideal Heir, perfect and perfectly detached. She does not know who she is, but she knows what she wants: something she has earned on her own rather than things she has simply been given. She has an unbreakable, ineffable bond with Moon, the palace demon, and while she knows that her family chooses to remain bound to their roles, she wants Moon to have a choice, too. As Raliel sets out on her Heir’s Journey, accompanied only by Moon and Osian Redpop, a charming guard who is more than he seems, she comes to learn about not only her empire, but the true power—and danger—of a name. Identity, fluidity, and choice lie at the heart of this dense, darkly mystical companion to Gratton’s Night Shine (2020) that is best appreciated by those familiar with the earlier volume. It is a tapestry of self-discovery, redolent with vivid imagery: sometimes cloyingly ornate, sometimes breathlessly pithy. Some sections feel dreamlike, whereas others throb with life. The plot, transparent through its manifold layers, takes a back seat to the forging of relationships between the characters and the (at times heavy-handed) dismantling of the dualities that bind characters to false versions of themselves. Most characters present some form of queer identity; they are diverse in appearance.
Sensual and strange. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9815-0
Page Count: 432
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Thrilling, timely, and terrific.
Tragedy and heroism interweave in a story about revolution, resistance, and beautiful queer love.
After the devastating ending to We Set the Dark on Fire (2019), Carmen Santos, no longer the Segunda to Mateo Garcia, Medio’s most powerful heir, is on the run toward the La Voz headquarters. Carmen used to be one of the resistance’s most well-respected members, but after years away on undercover assignment, she finds the fabled El Buitre’s wavering leadership has taken a new, hazardous direction. Proving that her allegiance to the cause remains as strong as ever is more difficult than expected, her heart torn between her beliefs and Dani, the girl she has fallen in love with but doesn’t know yet if she can fully trust. Shifting perspective and setting to Carmen and the La Voz camp (after the first novel centered Dani and the capital) is a bold choice that ultimately pans out as readers are rewarded with Carmen’s strong, determined voice and Mejia’s lush writing depicting the complexities of the ongoing fight against oppression in a divided, Latinx-inspired world. Carmen’s divided heart rings true, her daring actions meeting deadly consequences that realistically intensify the narrative without losing track of what the fight is all about: equality for all. A second—and final—volume that not only surpasses the accomplishments of its celebrated predecessor, but takes it to a higher, brighter level.
Thrilling, timely, and terrific. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-269134-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Atmospheric but ultimately unfulfilling.
Reflections from a mirror world hold secrets long ago forgotten.
Ying Yue’s betrothal to the crown prince has not gone the way she had hoped. Instead of finding a man interested in getting to know her, she’s been locked away, seeing no one except her handmaiden. As her wedding draws nearer, Ying begins to see strange things in the mirror, until she’s suddenly pulled into a mirror world that’s much like her own but with its own dangers as well. There’s a Mirror Prince, too, and he’s different from the one she knows—more attentive and interested in her well-being. But not everyone from the mirror world is so friendly, and, like it or not, Ying discovers she’s at the center of an ancient prophecy that affects both this reflected world and her own. Unfortunately, Ying repeatedly falls for deceptions that come her way, all the while distracted by her feelings for two different princes, both of whom she barely knows. While the mirror world’s trappings are chilling and possess an alluring aesthetic, and the doubles are eerie, these elements unfortunately aren’t enough to elevate the novel, which gets bogged down in the plot contrivances that Ying encounters and ever-so-luckily survives. This quick read delivers a strong Chinese-based fantasy setting but leaves something to be desired in terms of character and plot development.
Atmospheric but ultimately unfulfilling. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593707500
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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