An expansive and engaging sequel that builds on the fresh worldbuilding of the original.
Emory and Baz find themselves separated across time and space in this sequel to Curious Tides (2023).
Following the events in the Dovermere sea caves, Emory Ainsleif and Romie Brysden follow in the footsteps of their favorite book, Song of the Drowned Gods, and cross into the Wychwood. Cut off from their friends back at Aldryn College, Emory and Romie befriend a young witch named Aspen Amberyl in hopes of finding another magical door and continuing their journey toward the sea of ash. As the girls travel farther down the starlit path between worlds, they face heightened perils. Back in Emory and Romie’s home world, things aren’t much better. Baz, Romie’s brother, faces immense scrutiny and injustice for being Eclipse-born, and his friend Kai Salonga is hiding from the magical government after escaping from imprisonment. The boys rally their allies to try to help Emory and Romie, but it’s difficult to communicate across worlds. All the magic students can do is keep following the song they hear in their dreams. Lacelle continues the strong worldbuilding she established in the previous book, populating the story’s new realms with complex systems of magic and interesting mythologies. This sequel takes on a darker tone as the story develops, growing and shifting alongside its characters. Queer representation is present in the form of same-sex love interests and gender-diverse characters. Main characters are cued white.
An expansive and engaging sequel that builds on the fresh worldbuilding of the original. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781665939300
Page Count: 544
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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