by Wes Craig ; illustrated by Wes Craig ; color by Jason Wordie ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
A tepid series opener with potential.
A girl with a magical prosthetic arm valiantly protects her half brother to fulfill a prophecy.
Kaya is tasked with getting Jin, the 8-year-old sibling she barely knows, to safety after their home of Kahaka is destroyed by the Atrian robots. Kaya’s golden mechanical arm, obtained from the wizards of the Black Mountains by the uncle who raised her, contains extraordinary power and saved her life when she was younger. Besides being the former prince of their nation, Jin is the hero of a prophecy that declares that he will overthrow the robots and save humanity. Kaya just has to evade the Atrians and get the boy to Monk Island. Jin is spoiled and naïve thanks to being raised as royalty with many privileges—a far cry from Kaya’s life. Her oath to safeguard and escort Jin is tested as their journey brings threats to their survival, including dangerous enemies and monsters. Told from Jin’s perspective and set in a world where humans, robots, and reptilian humanoid creatures coexist, this graphic novel is illustrated in saturated, highly contrasting colors, with black-and-white flashbacks for scenes of Kaya’s and Jin’s pasts. The vibrant artwork is the real standout, as the writing and storyline are less than gripping. Brown-skinned Kaya wears her hair in locs; Jin has light skin, elfin ears, and a shock of red hair.
A tepid series opener with potential. (Graphic science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781534324824
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Image Comics
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Share your opinion of this book
by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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
Share your opinion of this book
More About This Book
by Ava Reid ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 2023
A dark and gripping feminist tale.
A young woman faces her past to discover the truth about one of her nation’s heroes.
When Effy Sayre, the only female architecture student at her university in Llyr, wins the competition to design Hiraeth Manor for the estate of the late Emrys Myrddin, national literary figure and her favorite author, it is the perfect opportunity to leave behind a recent trauma. She arrives to find the cliffside estate is literally crumbling into the ocean, and she quickly realizes things may not be as they seem. Preston, an arrogant literature student, is also working at the estate, gathering materials for the university’s archives and questioning everything Effy knows about Myrddin. When Preston offers to include her name on his thesis—which may allow her to pursue the dream of studying literature that was frustrated by the university’s refusal to admit women literature students—Effy agrees to help him. He’s on a quest for answers about the source of Myrddin’s most famous work, Angharad, a romance about a cruel Fairy King who marries a mortal woman. Meanwhile, Myrddin’s son has secrets of his own. Preston and Effy start to suspect that Myrddin’s fairy tales may hold more truth than they realize. The Welsh-inspired setting is impressively atmospheric, and while some of the mythology ends up feeling extraneous, the worldbuilding is immersive and thoughtfully addresses misogyny and its effects on how history is written. Main characters are cued white.
A dark and gripping feminist tale. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780063211506
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
More by Ava Reid
BOOK REVIEW
by Ava Reid
BOOK REVIEW
by Ava Reid
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.