A rousing sequel that’s stronger in its fantasy than its romance aspects.
Time is running out for the cursed ruler of Biringan in this follow-up to The Encanto’s Daughter (2024).
In the months following her coronation as queen, MJ Robertson-Rodriguez still struggles to control her magical powers as an encanto and to fully adapt to her royal role. She’s heartbroken over ex-boyfriend Lucas Invierno, her protector and the boy she still loves, who’s officially engaged to the unpleasant Amador Oscura, his childhood friend and MJ’s nemesis. Thankfully, MJ has her closest friend, Nix, by her side, but she finds herself trying to prevent a war when Crown Prince Qian of Jade Mountain, Nix’s monster-hunting brother, unexpectedly arrives at Biringan and demands that his sister return home immediately. However unfortunate all these circumstances are for MJ, the most troubling issue at hand is the news that a manananggal, a terrifying vampirelike monster, is terrorizing the kingdom at night. Meanwhile, MJ is haunted by nightmares in which she hungers for flesh. Her discovery of an ancestor who was similarly afflicted requires MJ to choose between her heart’s deepest desires and breaking a terrifying curse. The lush backdrop, infused with Philippine folklore, sets this fantasy series with a racially diverse cast apart. The horror elements are also well executed, but MJ’s passionate romance with Lucas and a potential love triangle fall flat due to weak characterization.
A rousing sequel that’s stronger in its fantasy than its romance aspects. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593533116
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Crowd-pleasing fun laced with political fire: a winner.
Bestselling author Faizal returns to the universe of We Hunt the Flame (2019) with a stand-alone duology opener.
Orphaned Arthie, brown-skinned with mauve hair, has created a criminal empire out of sheer pluck despite being Ceylani in Ettenia, where laws favor white people. She pulled legendary pistol Calibore from a stone plinth (though the prophecy that doing so would make her the nation’s leader turned out to be a hoax). She’s also built Spindrift, a teahouse-cum-bloodhouse, where she gathers secrets from wealthy humans and vampires, amassing power and security. Now Arthie has her sights set on vengeance—and the Ram, Ettenia’s masked monarch. When she and Jin, her brother-by-choice (who’s cued East Asian), are drawn into a heist, they assemble a diverse crew of immigrants whose roles riff on genre archetypes. The lush prose pulses with feeling as revelations are dropped and the tension ratchets up, keeping the pages turning as the motley gang plans to infiltrate a vampire society, retrieve a stolen ledger, and double-cross one of the Ram’s guards (who might be planning to double-cross them). Their ultimate goal: taking down the colonizing Ettenians and the exploitative East Jeevant Company. It’s all very exciting right up to the action-packed finale, which promises more conspiracy and (hopefully) justice to come. This compelling read offers interesting commentary on our society while feeling entirely real within the context of its own worldbuilding.
Crowd-pleasing fun laced with political fire: a winner. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780374389406
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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