Another winding tale of intrigue and adventures that leans heavily on the heart.
Vanja is back in the sequel to Owen’s Little Thieves (2021), and she has traded her title of thief for leader of a small-town cult.
Despite saving Minkja, gaining the affection of Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, and reassuming her own identity, Vanja still doubts she is good enough. One particularly bleak, drunken night, after Vanja appropriates a local legend to gain assistance in recovering her dropped rubies, she is named the prophet of the Scarlet Maiden. When Emeric shows up to investigate reports of a cult, he is surprised to discover Vanja at its center. And soon after he arrives, the Scarlet Maiden herself appears and claims Emeric as her servant and sacrifice. Vanja and Emeric set out to discover whether the Scarlet Maiden is a true Low God and attempt to save Emeric from her claim. Along the way, Vanja searches for her family and learns more about love as she grows closer to Emeric and faces the possibility of losing him. Struggles with identity and feelings of inadequacy are handled with an honest, thoughtful hand, while moments of humor punctuate the heavier subject matter. Owen's masterful storytelling skills are evident in the balancing of Vanja's self-doubt and vulnerability as well as the sex, romance, humor, and adventure that keep the narrative moving. The author's atmospheric black-and-white woodblock-style illustrations appear throughout.
Another winding tale of intrigue and adventures that leans heavily on the heart. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781250831163
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 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
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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