A stellar follow-up fraught with political turmoil, violence, pain, and grief.
War rages on in this epic sequel to Spin of Fate (2024).
Following Malin’s invasion of upper realm Mayana, former allies Aranel, Aina, and Meizan navigate their war-torn world. Upper-born Aranel, who believed in the ruthless Balancer leader Zenyra’s vision of a new future, regrets following her and longs to redeem himself. Despite their volatile relationship, Aina struggles to endure without her mother—the only family she’s ever had—and is hell-bent on avenging her. Meizan faces opposition as chief of the Kanjallen and must decide whether allying with the Preservation, which upholds Toranic Law, or Zenyra, who defies it, will keep his people safe. A fourth protagonist enters the fray: nature-loving Princess Himalia of Kirnos, whose intensive study of chitrons (the minuscule particles that make up human souls) leads her closer to unimaginable discoveries that could alter the universe. Vora stretches her worldbuilding skills here—from the frantic race to soul-bond the right humans with the awakening seitarius (the planetary beasts who created the world) to the poetic scriptures providing believers and non-believers insight into their history, this middle volume is intense, intricately wrought, and fascinating. Even diehard fans of the trilogy opener may need to refer to the author’s website for recaps. Characters are diverse in physical appearance, although their individual stratum, whether upper or lower, is most significant.
A stellar follow-up fraught with political turmoil, violence, pain, and grief. (content warnings, maps, glossary, author’s note) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780593617595
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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