Thrilling and romantic.
Three years after a human slayed the evil faerie king and took power in the Unseelie Court, two young women from different backgrounds are brought together by destiny.
Three years ago, Princess Jasalyn was freed from captivity under evil faerie king Mordeus, but she can’t escape the memories of torture. At night she uses a ring forged with witch magic, giving the kiss of death to those who once hurt her. She’s shocked to learn that Mordeus may somehow be alive. Then Jasalyn is kidnapped during one of her secret outings by Hale Kendrick, the man whose presence in the dungeons buoyed her when she felt ready to die, and she’s offered a chance to fight back against the Magical Seven, who helped Mordeus take power. All she must do is swap places with Felicity, an Eloran Echo whose magic allows her to take the form of others and access their memories. Felicity will pretend to be the princess while Jasalyn works with Kendrick to kill Mordeus for the safety of the realm. This duology opener, set in the world of Ryan’s These Hollow Vows series (but accessible to new readers), is told from Felicity’s and Jasalyn’s alternating first-person perspectives, and it takes readers on a journey of intrigue, conspiracy, romance, and healing. Both leads open themselves up to love and friendship, helping readers become invested. The writing is fast-paced, the narrative is engaging, and the characters are dynamic. Main characters present white.
Thrilling and romantic. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780063311909
Page Count: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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