An ambitious and immersive fantasy tale.
A young undercover rebel gets too close to the enemy in debut author Lewis’ first YA fantasy novel in a series.
The city of Bexbury has a rigid hierarchy, based on skin color, in which the “light class” has the most power and the “dark class,” the least. But there’s a group of people who are ostracized for their very existence: the “half-classes,” whose parentage is a mix of people from the dark and light classes. They include Evie, who lives with her brothel-owning aunt. In a couple of months she’ll be 18, and she’s expected to follow her cousin Kat into the family sex-work business—one of the few career paths open to half-classes. At night, however, she participates in an underground resistance movement that does such things as destroy government documents to chip away at the oppressive social order. Their rebellious acts capture the attention of leader King Dreux, who travels from the nation’s capital to Bexbury to quash the unrest. He brings along his son, Prince Cassian, whom Evie befriends one night at the brothel before she realizes who he is. Her connection provides a perfect way for the rebels to get close to the king, but as she develops real feelings for the prince, things become unexpectedly complicated. Lewis’ prose is rich and urgent, as when Evie comes across a victim of some of her fellow rebels in a public fountain: “Layers of red pooled down from the top tier into the second, then into the large pool below. Something hung limply over the cornice. Something big and lumpy. Something dark green. A body.” Readers will note many clear connections to real-world racism, particularly toward the beginning of the novel. However, Lewis has built a complex world in these pages, and as the plot unfolds, the novel feels less explicitly allegorical, with nuances and particularities all its own. Although much of the story is set in a brothel, it mostly keeps sex at a distance. However, the author does delve into the difficult relationships that can exist in a racially stratified society and how societal lines can become blurred.
An ambitious and immersive fantasy tale.Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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