A fantasy certain to please genre fans and readers seeking a new approach to vampires.
A mystical epic chronicles the adventures of a vampire warrior set for battle.
This first volume in mother-daughter team Katie and Debra Keller’s fantasy series is headlined by a resilient warrior princess who comes of age in the magical island realm of Fanticlear. The island is populated by two opposing factions of immortal vampires with flying and invisibility traits: the Kihnalta (compassionate), who have ruled the area for five centuries, and the Fiantes (fierce), who surrendered the region after the Clash War but remain poised to eventually reclaim their territory, now shared with mortals. The story opens with a hopelessly barren Queen Jennifer and Prince Liam, who appeal to the wise sister-goddesses to bless them with a child soon. A baby christened Princess Skyler Victoria Connellan arrives by carriage. As Skyler matures, she becomes obsessed with becoming a soldier and suffers frightful nightmares and visions about an army of torch-wielding warriors led by a Fiante poised to overthrow the monarch. Skyler secretly trains with local soldiers in the woods and soon develops true fighting skills, including their unique mind-reading talents. But she angrily separates from her family once she realizes the queen mother has orchestrated an arranged marriage to a wealthy Fiante prince. The Kellers impressively expand the story through intricate plotting and a colorful cavalcade of detailed characters, incorporating themes of revenge, family loyalty, romance, destiny, and Fanticlear island pride. Along the way, there are dragons, talking trees, glowing fairies, and large, yellow-eyed trolls to keep readers bewitched as the finale arrives, pitting Fanticlear’s heiress and her assembled mystical army of oddities against a legion of Fiante soldiers in a territorial war for the enchanted island. All the best elements of fairy tales and epic battles are here, complete with an opening map of the Fanticlear territories. The authors have forged a creative tale replete with brisk pacing, uniquely distinctive creatures, medieval vernacular, and the age-old battle between good and evil. Once Skyler’s thrilling journey to defend Fanticlear (and herself) begins, readers will be glued to the page and remain eager for the next installment.
A fantasy certain to please genre fans and readers seeking a new approach to vampires.Pub Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73-671401-0
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Bowker
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.
A fantasy adventure with a sometimes-biting wit.
Tress is an ordinary girl with no thirst to see the world. Charlie is the son of the local duke, but he likes stories more than fencing. When the duke realizes the two teenagers are falling in love, he takes Charlie away to find a suitable wife—and returns with a different young man as his heir. Charlie, meanwhile, has been captured by the mysterious Sorceress who rules the Midnight Sea, which leaves Tress with no choice but to go rescue him. To do that, she’ll have to get off the barren island she’s forbidden to leave, cross the dangerous Verdant Sea, the even more dangerous Crimson Sea, and the totally deadly Midnight Sea, and somehow defeat the unbeatable Sorceress. The seas on Tress’ world are dangerous because they’re not made of water—they’re made of colorful spores that pour down from the world’s 12 stationary moons. Verdant spores explode into fast-growing vines if they get wet, which means inhaling them can be deadly. Crimson and midnight spores are worse. Ships protected by spore-killing silver sail these seas, and it’s Tress’ quest to find a ship and somehow persuade its crew to carry her to a place no ships want to go, to rescue a person nobody cares about but her. Luckily, Tress is kindhearted, resourceful, and curious—which also makes her an appealing heroine. Along her journey, Tress encounters a talking rat, a crew of reluctant pirates, and plenty of danger. Her story is narrated by an unusual cabin boy with a sharp wit. (About one duke, he says, “He’d apparently been quite heroic during those wars; you could tell because a great number of his troops had died, while he lived.”) The overall effect is not unlike The Princess Bride, which Sanderson cites as an inspiration.
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781250899651
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
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