Simple, endearing period Christian romance.
The son of a farmer falls in love with the daughter of a duke in this period romance set in a German-inspired world.
Adela dreams of traveling around the region and proving herself as a painter, but as the youngest daughter of Duke Wilhelm of Hagenheim, she isn’t even allowed past the castle walls without a guard. Twenty-one-year-old Frederick works on his father’s farm to support his parents and sisters. His hopes of becoming a woodcarver are realized when he gets the chance to carve biblical scenes on the cathedral’s new doors. One day Adela dresses as a servant and sneaks out to the market, where she meets Frederick and they have an instant connection. Adela entertains the idea of falling in love with a poor farmer, but her family has arranged suitors from noble families. When Frederick gets caught up in a plan to kidnap the duke’s daughter for ransom, secrets are revealed, and Adela and Frederick must decide how to cope with the truth. The story has many elements of “Cinderella,” altered just enough to make it feel original. The characters are charming and the plot is engaging. The text is heavily laced with Christian references and prayers, as both main characters have strong faith. Frederick’s family experiences domestic violence at his father’s hand. Fans of the series will enjoy the references to characters from previous entries, but the novel functions as a stand-alone story. All characters seem to be white.
Simple, endearing period Christian romance. (discussion questions) (Historical romance. 12-16)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7852-2833-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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