A clever concept not quite fully realized.
Lovers separated by time fight for their lives.
Calizto and Sitlali are not from the same world: They may come from the same place, but they’re living centuries apart, pursuing completely different lives, and struggling with their own battles. In 1521 in the city of Tenochtitlan, Calizto is fleeing from pursuit by colonizing Spaniards when he throws a sacred shell, a moon conch, into the sea. In 2019, Sitlali is walking along the beach when it washes up at her feet. Sitlali’s father has left, and her mother passed away years ago; now her Abuela Lucía has died too. Forced by gang activity to quit her job and threatened by a young man who wants to force her into marriage, Sitlali decides to cross the border from Mexico to the United States in hopes of finding her father. Although all of Calizto’s family died in the recent plague, he’s accompanied by Ofirin, a Yoruba man formerly enslaved by the Spaniards whom his father rescued. Sitlali and Calizto start to communicate in Nahuatl and Spanish as the conch connects their thoughts. Calizto learns from Sitlali what the future brings, and the two fall in love. Although the premise is interesting and the worldbuilding is solid, the narrative moves slowly, and the characterization makes it difficult to understand why the two main characters connect so deeply with each other, keeping readers from fully investing in the story.
A clever concept not quite fully realized. (historical figures, gods and legendary figures, maps) (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781547609895
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion.
In this much-anticipated trilogy closer following 2019’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance, an enemy from a land across the sea carries out conquests to fulfill a prophecy that threatens the entire world.
The war between the maji and the crown of Orïsha ends when the Skulls, a tribe of masked, pale-skinned invaders, interrupt the pivotal battle, abducting Zélie, Tzain, Amari, Inan, and dozens of maji from their homeland. Caged on a ship and cut off from their magic, they have no choice but to set aside their bitterness and distrust to fight for their freedom. Ruthless and empowered by the volatile magic of bloodmetal weapons, the Skulls hunt for Zélie, “a girl with the blood of the sun,” at the command of their king, Baldyr, who prepares for his ascension to godhood during the Blood Moon. As much as she longs to return home, visions and an intertwined fate pull Zélie, along with her companions, to the land of New Gaīa in search of a girl with russet-brown skin and eyes that glitter like diamonds. United goals, fresh conflict, and impending doom provide invigorating gusts of momentum that push the story out of the doldrums of the previous book. On its own, this installment is a suspenseful and compelling expansion of the world, but as a series finale, the conflict seems disconnected from the first two books, and the resolution feels rushed.
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion. (guide to clans) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
