A promising series opener that’s sure to please adult readers of young adult novels.
A forbidden attraction and explosive secrets set a city aflame.
Eighteen-year-old Seraphine Marchant’s mother manufactures Shade, a dust sourced from the boneshade plant that’s imbued with the power to manipulate shadows. Shade magic is used by the rival guilds that rule the city of Fantome’s underworld—Cloaks swathed in Shade-infused garments blend into the shadows to commit thievery while Daggers ingest it and acquire the ability to kill with a single touch. When her mother is murdered, Seraphine flees from the countryside to Fantome, seeking sanctuary among the Cloaks. But she’s the Daggers’ newest mark, tailed by talented Ransom. The two are recklessly drawn to one another as a new danger emerges from the darkness and surprising discoveries upend the rules of Shade and shadows. The lush worldbuilding of cobblestones, catacombs, and saints includes a richly crafted history that’s deftly introduced and ripe for continued exploration in the next installment. While the first third of the novel is well paced and tenderly developed, the quality of the remainder is uneven. The juvenile, innuendo-filled taunts lack charisma, although the more sincere exchanges and reflections achieve sultry depths. The repetitive overuse of expletives becomes tiresome, cheapening the dialogue. A steamy encounter that lacks verbal consent and contains power dynamic–coded language feels reminiscent of romances written for adults. Main characters are cued white; the strong supporting characters add racial diversity and elevate the narrative development.
A promising series opener that’s sure to please adult readers of young adult novels. (map, character list) (Fantasy. 16-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665955119
Page Count: 512
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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