A rambling religious sermon mixed with fantastical thriller elements.
A Colorado teenager changes the past to save his mother’s life, opening himself up to possibilities—and dangers.
“Nothing is as it seems” is a repeated refrain in this Christian political thriller that pits Satan’s and God’s plans against each other. When Jimmy’s mother was murdered, her unforgettable last words to 11-year-old Jimmy were: “This is not the end.” Now, 17-year-old Jimmy is asked out on a date by classmate Sasha, whose senator father is a presidential hopeful. The pair visit a carnival, where they consult a fortune teller who’s more than what he at first seems to be—and perhaps offers the key to understanding Jimmy’s mother’s dying words. Jimmy and Sasha’s relationship progresses rapidly, and the pair spark a chain of events that places their lives in danger and puts them in a position to find out the truth behind the lies of religious and government leaders that have kept people from following Jesus Christ. Will Jimmy and Sasha, who present white, believe Satan’s lies or will they trust Jesus’ assurances that they can “trample on serpents and scorpions” and reveal the truth? Written in the third person, the book, which would have benefited from being trimmed down, contains repetitive sermons and political screeds interspersed with a fantasy storyline that’s weakened by stilted dialogue and an overabundance of outdated pop-culture references.
A rambling religious sermon mixed with fantastical thriller elements. (Religious fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781915406927
Page Count: 374
Publisher: Black Spring Press
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 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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