A heady sequel that ups the stakes, further explores compelling internal dilemmas, and delivers horror laced with hope.
A young woman plots to outmaneuver a secret society that embraces lifelong alliances with vampires.
In the alluring series opener Immortal Dark (2024), Kidan Adane discovered that she and her missing sister, June, were the last living descendants of Adane House. Kidan believed a bloodthirsty vampire stole June away; her search led her to Uxlay University, where vampires and their willing human companions sustain a delicately balanced coexistence. Now Kidan’s goals are not only shaped by vengeance and her hatred of vampires, they’re also grounded by her motivation to save June from the seductive danger of their birthright. But Kidan is sent reeling by the realization that June has betrayed her—how could someone she trusted and loved turn out to be her enemy? As she races to learn how to become the true master of Adane House, Kidan’s charged relationship with the vampire Susenyos threatens to erase an ever-weakening boundary. Girma’s cinematic continuation of Kidan’s journey crackles with the heat of forbidden romance and the prickly paranoia of sociopolitical intrigue. June’s characterization presents a stark contrast to Kidan’s, but both sisters ride the line of moral grayness, and the story’s multiple points of view provide an immersive narrative experience. The ending sets up unresolved questions, leaving readers eager to dive into the next twisty act.
A heady sequel that ups the stakes, further explores compelling internal dilemmas, and delivers horror laced with hope. (content warning, map) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780316593649
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
