A satisfying conclusion.
Reeling after the battle on Sharr, the zumra must find a way to retrieve their captive ally, the lost heart of a Sister of Old, and prepare Arawiya for the return of the Lion of the Night and the war to come.
Altair’s capture creates confusion for Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah, who are torn between a rescue attempt and following his plans, but without all five hearts they cannot restore magic to Arawiya. The zumra and their allies must also prepare for the Lion’s coming attack and the traps of the sultan, Nasir’s father, who is under the Lion’s control. Through an accidental blood pact, Zafira is bound to the Jawarat, a magical tome of the Sisters’ memories, whose presence in her innermost thoughts suggests terrible power and destruction. When the Lion steals the Jawarat, Zafira must risk using blood magic to set things to right, unaware of the seeds of doubt the Lion has already planted in Altair. Getting off to a slow start with minimal recap of the events of We Hunt the Flame (2019), this Sands of Arawiya duology closer will not disappoint readers with its plot twists, banter, tormented romance, and multiple betrayals and reveals. While at times overly ornate, Faizal’s prose truly shines in creating effective action scenes and dialogue. Characters from various regions and races—human, elflike safin, and ifrit—have skin tones ranging from pale to dark brown. Kifah is cued as asexual and aromantic.
A satisfying conclusion. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-374-31157-5
Page Count: 592
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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