A blend of the paranormal and the romantic that ably sets the stage for the next series entry.
The first installment of Fernandez’s Blood and Hexes trilogy weaves a tale of witchcraft, vengeance, and supernatural conflict across centuries.
The story opens in Plymouth, England, in 1689, with 15-year-old Sybil Cotterill and her mother, Olivia, fleeing for their lives. The Cotterill family are no strangers to persecution, due to their practice of witchcraft. Olivia prepares Sybil for a life of secrecy and gifts her a magical silver pentacle, but they’re ultimately unable to avoid the witch-hunters pursuing them. Once caught, Sybil and her neighbor, Constance, are sentenced to death; however, Sybil’s magical abilities keep her alive while entombed for 300 years. She awakens in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts, struggling to understand the new world around her. She’s driven by a desire for vengeance against those who victimized her and her family, and soon finds herself entangled with Marcelo Abana Flores, a Spanish conquistador-turned-vampire, and Cauac, an Incan spellcrafter. Marcelo was transformed into a vampire after an encounter with an Incan demon, and he still struggles with his new identity and his powers, as well as guilt and a desire for redemption. Cauac’s failed attempt to summon a demon in 1532 led to the destruction of his people and connected him to Marcelo and to a broader conflict involving supernatural forces. The narrative converges in Machu Picchu, where Cauac is working to amass a demon army. Overall, Fernandez successfully conjures multidimensional characters, as when he shows Sybil’s evolution from a witch on the run to a powerful and vengeful figure. Marcelo’s conflict with his vampire nature and his quest for redemption effectively add another layer of emotional complexity. Additionally, the author’s writing style is engaging and descriptive as it captures the romantic tension between Sybil and Marcelo: “He lost himself in her eyes that had seen so much life and tragedy. She seemed on the verge of tears, and he only desired to bring her joy and respite.” However, the book’s brevity may leave some readers unsatisfied.
A blend of the paranormal and the romantic that ably sets the stage for the next series entry.Pub Date: June 24, 2024
ISBN: 979-8321144381
Page Count: 233
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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