A surface-level ending to the series.
It’s time to kill the Devil: He has the key to Heaven and a binding promise with the only being who controls that key.
Brielle Atwater-Grey escaped Hell weeks before, and now Lucifer is making his displeasure known. More and more frequently, demons infiltrate Angel City, proving that the Fallen Army doesn’t have the numbers to continue fighting them. Brielle begins an intense training regimen with the archangels to prepare to kill Lucifer, save Raksha, the dark mage who helped her escape Hell, and retrieve Sera, her infinity weapon. Alongside Lincoln, Brielle’s husband of two weeks, her best friend, Shea, Shea’s fiancé, Noah, four archangels, and a cast of other demon gifted and angel blessed people, Brielle fights the waves of demons Lucifer sends to Angel City, battles at Heaven’s gates, and enters Hell itself one last time. This quartet finale unfortunately adds nothing new emotionally to the characters’ arcs. Brielle and Lincoln, both white, are married and in love, and Brielle’s friendships remain important to her—all elements that are told rather than shown. The writing, while action-packed and fast-paced, offers readers very little connection with the characters, whose voices sound alike. The book may be easy to read, but it’s lackluster in its impact: Many moments feel recycled and uninspired, lacking the emotional depth that the more important aspects of the storyline needed.
A surface-level ending to the series. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9781464218958
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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