This duology closer delves deeper into mythology while depicting textured, realistic relationships.
Briseis goes on an even riskier journey with more menacing enemies in the sequel to This Poison Heart (2021).
Sixteen-year-old Briseis Greene’s story continues as she is tasked with reuniting all the pieces of the Absyrtus Heart in order to save Thandie, one of her adoptive moms, who is being held by Hecate in the underworld. Bri finds out that Circe (the biological aunt whose existence she only recently learned of following her supposed death) is actually alive and has been searching for the pieces of the Heart as well. This revelation marks just the beginning of the discoveries and twists that Bri has to deal with: The history of her biological family and their connections to mythological gods go deeper than she realized, and the adversaries she has to face are even more dangerous than everything she’s experienced thus far. But saving her mom is paramount, and Bri is willing to do anything and face anyone in order to do so. Readers who were hooked after reading the previous book with its cliffhanger ending will be pleased to follow more of Bri’s story. Bayron highlights themes of sisterhood, familial bonds, and intergenerational trauma in this novel centering Black characters. Bri’s story showcases how love can help give one the strength and courage needed to confront fears and weather uncomfortable truths.
This duology closer delves deeper into mythology while depicting textured, realistic relationships. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0920-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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