A fast-paced, entertaining fantasy with two appealing heroes.
In this debut YA fantasy, two young friends must separate and try to save their world.
Tyras has just returned from seizing an artifact in Koterra for his master, Lunaris. Since Tyras is the Senior Seeker, it is his job to go out into the world and bring back whatever artifacts Lunaris, as Argan Sovereign of Wisdom, deems important to add to their collection. But the journey home was long, and all Tyras wants is to deliver the item, file his report, and rest. Instead, he walks into a bloody scene—his best friend and fellow Seeker, Oren, is barely alive, having sustained injuries while defending their master from an attacker. Now, giving them no time to recuperate, Lunaris sends both Seekers on quests—Tyras must return to Koterra and locate the Conduit, a relic, and Oren must track down the assassin for answers about who ordered the assault. But things almost instantly go off the rails—Tyras is quickly captured by the person he stole the most recent artifact from. After learning they are on the trail of the same man, who has important information about the Conduit, Tyras and his captor form an unlikely and uncomfortable alliance. Meanwhile, Oren finds the assassin only to learn she doesn’t know who hired her—and the two decide to work together to get answers. Despite spending most of their lives together, Oren and Tyras are now on vastly different paths. But their perilous journeys may make them realize that their world isn’t as black and white as they were always led to believe. In this engaging novel, Knowlton gives readers a story that could very easily turn into a series, considering how big and creative the author’s worldbuilding is. With the amount of blood and wounds that are mentioned in this tale, it may not be suitable for younger teens. But older teens will love the swift pace and nearly constant action. Tyras and Oren are snarky and have their own flaws, but their sense of duty is quite admirable and will make readers root for them throughout the many hardships they face in this inventive story.
A fast-paced, entertaining fantasy with two appealing heroes.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 343
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A breezy and fun contemporary fantasy.
A tightly wound caseworker is pushed out of his comfort zone when he’s sent to observe a remote orphanage for magical children.
Linus Baker loves rules, which makes him perfectly suited for his job as a midlevel bureaucrat working for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, where he investigates orphanages for children who can do things like make objects float, who have tails or feathers, and even those who are young witches. Linus clings to the notion that his job is about saving children from cruel or dangerous homes, but really he’s a cog in a government machine that treats magical children as second-class citizens. When Extremely Upper Management sends for Linus, he learns that his next assignment is a mission to an island orphanage for especially dangerous kids. He is to stay on the island for a month and write reports for Extremely Upper Management, which warns him to be especially meticulous in his observations. When he reaches the island, he meets extraordinary kids like Talia the gnome, Theodore the wyvern, and Chauncey, an amorphous blob whose parentage is unknown. The proprietor of the orphanage is a strange but charming man named Arthur, who makes it clear to Linus that he will do anything in his power to give his charges a loving home on the island. As Linus spends more time with Arthur and the kids, he starts to question a world that would shun them for being different, and he even develops romantic feelings for Arthur. Lambda Literary Award–winning author Klune (The Art of Breathing, 2019, etc.) has a knack for creating endearing characters, and readers will grow to love Arthur and the orphans alongside Linus. Linus himself is a lovable protagonist despite his prickliness, and Klune aptly handles his evolving feelings and morals. The prose is a touch wooden in places, but fans of quirky fantasy will eat it up.
A breezy and fun contemporary fantasy.Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-21728-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
A masterful debut from a must-read new voice in fantasy.
Twin princesses—one fated to become a queen, the other a martyr—find themselves caught up in an unexpected battle of dark magic and ancient gods.
Four hundred years ago, a Valleydan princess facing a loveless betrothal sought refuge in the Wilderwood with her lover, the Wolf. The legendary Five Kings—including her father and her husband-to-be—pursued them only to be trapped in the Wilderwood. Now, according to legend, the only hope of restoring the Five Kings to power lies in the ritual sacrifice of every Second Daughter born to Valleyda's queen. There hasn't been a second daughter for 100 years—until now. On her 20th birthday, Redarys accepts her fate and walks into the Wilderwood to become the Wolf's next victim only to find that the stories she grew up on were lies. The handsome man who lives in a crumbling castle deep in the forest is not the original Wolf but his son, and he wants nothing to do with Red or her sacrifice. Afraid of her wild magic abilities and the danger they pose to her sister, Neverah, Red refuses to leave the Wilderwood. Instead, she clings to the new Wolf, Eammon, who will do whatever it takes to protect her from the grisly fate of the other Second Daughters. Meanwhile, in the Valleydan capital, Neve's desperation to bring her sister home sets her on a path that may spell disaster for Red, Eammon, and the Wilderwood itself. Whitten weaves a captivating tale in this debut, in which even secondary characters come to feel like old friends. The novel seamlessly blends "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast" into an un-put-down-able fairy tale that traces the boundaries of duty, love, and loss.
A masterful debut from a must-read new voice in fantasy.Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-59278-9
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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