An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.
A young mage and a magical Fae princess become magically entangled as war descends upon their lands in Nielsen’s YA fantasy series starter.
In the Fae realm of the Vail, Lady Dew Drop, known as Dewy, is late for a meeting at the Summer Court. Her aunt, Lady Radiant, Queen Regent of Summer, sends her to “water the marsh grasses” near the River Selden as punishment. After the deaths of her parents, Dewy acutely feels the constraints of being heir to the throne. Meanwhile, in the human kingdom of Telridge, Spense is a mage who’s struggling to get his spells right. He’s the unrecognized biological son of Lord Ferrous and half brother to the older Dirk, a noble and military commander. When Lord Ferrous learns that war with a neighboring land is imminent, he asks Spense to use a Claiming spell to protect the bridge at the River Selden. The young man succeeds at doing so, but he also accidentally catches Dewy in his thrall. She becomes infatuated with him, which leads to her banishment from the Summer Court. Spense feels terrible that his spell is making Dewy compulsively obey him, and he’s determined to reverse it. At the same time, it becomes clear that Telridge could use some magical Fae assistance in turning away its enemies. Nielsen deftly brings the question of consent into unique focus in this YA fantasy series opener. When Spense casually asks Dewy her name and sees that revealing it causes her pain, he understands the gravity of the Claiming spell immediately and his responsibility to Dewy. The action scenes are calibrated for maximum excitement without reveling in violence, as when Dewy uses her water magic: “Spense watched, open-mouthed at the mayhem. Dewy stood...her arms raised in quiet command, as calm as a stone in a stream.” Small cultural details, including Dewy’s puzzlement at human-created art, deftly present the challenges that the heroes face. Nielsen ensures that Spense and Dirk’s relationship also evolves for the next installment while also introducing a remarkable new mission for one of the main characters.
An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781509246229
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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