Four young people divided by geography, class, and philosophy come together in the dream realm to fight the powers of darkness. Maeve, a Sliviite slave of noble descent, runs away from a sinister new master, as Jasper, a clever lowborn entrepreneur, risks his precarious freedom to help her escape. On the opposite side of the sea, Princess Saravelda of Archeld comes incognito to the Healer’s Keep of conquered Bellandra to study her magical gifts, while the outlander Dorjan enrolls, already proficient in his rare talent of walking in dreams. A plot by the disciples of the demonic Shadow King unites these four unlikely allies in a mystical battle to keep the spiritual light from being drained from the world. In this sequel to The Seer and the Sword (2001), Hanley again employs a complicated double narrative, intertwining the tales of her principals while keeping them physically apart. She extends the map of her world with decadent Sliviia and resentful Bellandra, and clarifies the underlying magical structure—although her excessive dependence on sound-alike terminology will force most readers to keep one finger in the glossary. The dramatic action keeps the characters hurtling from crisis to cataclysm, while forcing them to moral compromises that develop character depth. Although the one-dimensional villains, along with a tendency to tell rather than show, make this a more straightforward good-vs.-evil adventure than the subtly ambiguous conflict of Hanley’s debut, the tale works well both as a sequel and on its own. Solid and satisfying. (Fantasy. 12+)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2002
ISBN: 0-8234-1760-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2002
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
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
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