A trope-packed queer romance with a satisfyingly happy ending.
A failed mage who’s been dumped by his boyfriend must find a magical cure-all.
In the last six months, 17-year-old Kieran Pelumbra has broken his family curse, moved in with his sister and her girlfriend, and begun dating a handsome apprentice librarian named Ash Bartelle. Everything should be coming up roses—but for some reason, Ash is avoiding him. When Ash asks for some space, Kieran writes some deeply angsty poetry, in the process accidentally afflicting his erstwhile love with a curse. Now, in a manifestation of his feelings, Kieran is literally invisible to Ash. Aghast (and terrified of the Witches’ Council), Kieran and friends travel by aeroship on a quest for a panacea to break Ash’s curse. Once Kieran acquires the cure, Ash will love him again, right? With the help of Sebastian Feng, a gorgeous, bisexual 18-year-old, Kieran races against an evil CEO who’ll happily kill them all if he gets to the panacea first. Gloomy and businesslike, Sebastian is like catnip to Kieran, a talkative boy who wears ruffles and sweater vests. With so much going on—constant attempted murder, lustful efforts at curse alleviation, lots of side quests—it’s impressive that Kieran has time to discover his magical talent. Kieran is cued white, Ash has “warm brown skin” and “tight curls,” and Sebastian is from a fantasy analogue to East Asia.
A trope-packed queer romance with a satisfyingly happy ending. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780593814017
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
BOOK REVIEW
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