Dark and thrilling, yet lovely and endearing.
A senior must discover the truth behind dark magic afflicting her magic academy.
Born with magic into a non-magical family, Faith Castillo found comfort in attending the Ellery Academy of Magic, West Campus, in Washington’s San Juan Islands. That is, until she and best friend Sydney entered the forbidden forest during junior year, and only Faith made it out alive. As punishment, Faith is placed on probation and given a curfew, becoming a social pariah. Close to being expelled and losing her magic, Faith is desperate to lie low until graduation. She’s plagued by nightmares about Sydney and the forest—and when the nightmares become a reality and other students get hurt, she realizes the forest isn’t done with her yet. Along with her fellow Red Stripes—so called for the red edging on their school blazers that marks them as the probationary class—Faith investigates the dangerous forces at work while trying not to get expelled. While dark academia at its core, this thrilling contemporary fantasy balances the darkness with a charming group of misfits who form a found family. Flashbacks from Faith and Sydney’s friendship provide further context about their relationship, the fatal incident, and Faith’s emotions. While the pacing is sometimes uneven, the characters’ growth and development are exceptional. Filipino immigrant Faith struggles with her sexual orientation; the other Red Stripes are diverse in race, sexuality, gender identity, and neurodiversity.
Dark and thrilling, yet lovely and endearing. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781250888570
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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