A blood feud in the long-ago past makes for an unforgettably heart-wrenching story.
In Moran’s historical fiction debut, two brothers’ mutual resentment turns them into brutal adversaries in 6th-century Britain.
Luca and his small family belong to the Dobunni tribe. His brother, Kennan, who’s only a year and a season younger, begrudges Luca’s apparent advantages, such as the education he receives at a monastery. But Luca is just as bitter; their perpetually angry father, Lucanus, unmistakably favors Kennan and reserves most disciplinary beatings for Luca. As the boys grow older, they unleash their hostility against each other in increasingly violent clashes. They’re at odds over a variety of things, including whose particular skills most benefit the family and, once they hit their teens, a girl named Bellica. Meanwhile, “foreign wolves” (tribes such as the Jutes and Saxons) have been taking land and ravaging neighboring villages. The Dobunni pin their hopes on a missing relic (allegedly, a martyr’s finger) that some believe will help them defeat the enemy tribes. This volatile climate may ultimately lead to a confrontation that one of the brothers won’t survive. The historical backdrop in Moran’s tale provides a dynamic setting; tension surges as the Jutes’ and Saxons’ continuing attacks inch closer to the Dobunni lands. But the focus is on the brothers, whose belligerence and savage fights foster a bleak narrative (“as my learning improved, I had less need of my brother’s shadow or the warmth of his shoulder against mine”). The novel is emotionally poignant as well, exploring each brother’s rationale (however misguided) and examining the relationships between Luca and his parents. Although many characters side with Kennan, some show Luca some much-needed warmth, including his younger sister, Minura, burdened with the impossible task of keeping peace between the brothers. The author’s black-and-white artwork brightens the pages with simple but affecting imagery, depicting the brothers facing off and a baby’s tiny hand clutching a thumb.
A blood feud in the long-ago past makes for an unforgettably heart-wrenching story.Pub Date: June 29, 2023
ISBN: 9798850361914
Page Count: 249
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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