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 heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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