An action-packed and satisfying conclusion.
The final installment of the Aurora Cycle finds Squad 312 in far-flung reaches of space and time, racing to save the galaxy from being consumed by the Ra’haam.
After the disastrous battle of Terra that concluded the previous book, this entry opens with the members of Squad 312 in confusion. Squad leader Tyler Jones has just witnessed the abrupt disappearance of the Ra’haam-destroying Eshvaren weapon with Aurora and Kal aboard, while the ship bearing the remaining three members cannot be found at all. Where have they gone? Or rather, when? The weapon needed to save the galaxy has been severely damaged and flung into a terrible future, while Scarlett, Zila, and Finian have gone in the opposite direction, a couple of centuries into the past. Independently, the three cohorts must figure out what they are meant to do within their timelines, how to get back home, and how to defeat the Ra’haam. This volume is the most action-packed of the trilogy, with nonstop plot twists, battles, and revelations at every turn. Loose threads from previous installments are tied up, romances blossom, and throughout, there’s no shying away from the violence of battle. Even so, there’s room for humor, as the banter and affection between the humanoid squad members, who are diverse in skin tone, remains at the fore. The happy ending may be a tad melodramatic, but who’s complaining?
An action-packed and satisfying conclusion. (series overview and cast list) (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5247-2088-9
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
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
Truly fantastic.
This dark fantasy duology opener has a magic school, a death, and five students who find themselves stranded in the wilderness.
Ren Monroe is a promising student wizard at Balmerick, a private school in the city of Kathor. Along with her best friend, Timmons, Ren is one of the few welfare students attending on a scholarship, and despite being one of the most accomplished people at the school, finding a placement in one of the top houses is proving difficult and is a hurdle in the way of the secret mission Ren has set out to accomplish. When a portal spell goes awry and Ren, Timmons, and four other students from different walks of life are thrown together into the Dires, an uncharted land where the last dragons lived, one of them ends up dead and the rest need to learn to work together to make their way back home before they succumb to the harsh environment or the terrifying revenant following them. This may well be the chance Ren was looking for to prove her worth. Placing elements of a locked-room mystery and an original magic system within the familiar trappings of a school for magic, this is a no-holds-barred tale of revenge, atonement, and the pursuit of justice set in a world diverse in skin color and social classes. Ren is a protagonist for the ages: equal parts smart, calculating, and ruthless, forming a lethal package as an avenging angel.
Truly fantastic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-868-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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