Fans of intricately crafted fantasy universes will find plenty to explore in this action-packed saga.
In More’s debut YA novel—set in an alternate universe—a young woman desires to become the first female warrior of her tribe.
Sakima Tamanend is a 17-year-old living on Mannahatta, the island of the Lenape people (similarities to peoples and places in our world are absolutely intentional). She’s determined to prove herself as the first female warrior in her people’s history but doesn’t quite know how. Sakima spies her brother-in-law, Machto, entering a strange building on the outskirts of her village. Inside, she discovers that Machto has kidnapped her younger sister, Tangetta, and fled through a portal into the “Land Below.” Sakima dives in after them only to find herself in a strange land called “New York City,” a place lacking the technological advances she’s accustomed to. As Sakima hunts down Machto in an attempt to rescue her sister, she realizes that her brother-in-law has unleashed a horrific mythological creature on the world; she will need to draw upon the Lenape spirits if she has any hope of defeating it. Along the way, she meets Mike “Blue” Biehn, MJ Tiptree, and Charles “Chuck” Benbova, a group of New York teenagers who decide to help their unusual new friend. More cleverly combines futuristic technology with Native American imagery in descriptions of Mannahatta: “[She smelled] artificial excrement from the digestive tracks of sisilieyòk, mechBison [sic]. In the past, this included metal shavings from operational gears and levers…migrating to the digestive tracks of the beasts.” The novel contains some harsh language (“damn ugly bitch!”), and the dialogue can feel jarringly modern in some contexts (“Mom, seriously! It’s nothing like that”), but these quibbles pale in comparison to the dazzling details that More gives to his universe.
Fans of intricately crafted fantasy universes will find plenty to explore in this action-packed saga.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781942947240
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Mannahatta Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2023
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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