Repetitive elements aside, fans of the characters and vibe will find much to enjoy.
A new game begins after the events of Find Him Where You Left Him Dead (2023).
The empress, who’s not so dead after all, starts a new game with her estranged husband, the emperor: She can possess Ian (whose friends rescued him in the first volume) for one night before sharing his body kills him. Unless she can gather the three pieces of the powerful but broken tomoe and remake it, she won’t be able to “recreate her empress form.” But the pieces can only be gathered by willing mortals. The villainous empress uses Owen’s romantic feelings for Ian to gain his assistance. Meanwhile, Maddy’s determined to rescue half-human Dax from Meido—where he learns the truth about his heritage—and to do so, she also ends up back in the game. Emerson, the final member of the friend group, is along for the ride despite her insecurities about being the couples’ fifth wheel (she has a self-acceptance storyline regarding her asexuality, which is an effective foil to the romantic storylines). This time, the game takes them to Jigoku in a creative take on the Japanese Buddhist hell. The structure and plotting of the story results in a fair amount of repetition, but the horrific threats and the settings, deeply rooted in Japanese mythology, are strengths. Although the ending feels somewhat predictable, it’s a reward for readers who are attached to the multiracial cast.
Repetitive elements aside, fans of the characters and vibe will find much to enjoy. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781250851161
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
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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