A tightly written tale that, after a slow start, grounds itself in engaging, mysterious lore.
A debut YA SF novel about a young woman coming to terms with her destiny.
On 22nd-century Earth, 17-year-old Evren’s upbringing has centered on the unalterable fact that she will someday serve as the 12th and final Paladin—a human chosen as a physical vessel for the Leviathans, a powerful, mysterious alien species. In the opening pages, Coughlin introduces this species as “gods among men,” with a goal to “save Earth and push humans into their next state of evolution.” Evren undergoes rigorous physical training to prepare her body for its purpose, and Coughlin introduces her in early sections as a determined young woman who, despite her singularity of purpose, shows a healthy curiosity about the world around her—a perspective that’s often at odds with that of her mother, Ignis, who leads Nexum, the organization working to prepare Evren for her fate. Early on, the novel falls into the common fantasy-genre pitfall of introducing the world’s mythology too quickly instead of slowly peeling back its layers as the story goes on. However, once the novel starts hinting at mysterious forces that seek to prevent Leviathans from merging with Paladins, Coughlin’s writing tightens up considerably—particularly after another Paladin is found dead. From there, the teenage protagonist—and the reader—starts learning more about Nexum, and her increased knowledge coincides with her doubts about her mother’s role in her life. Soon, her relationships with other Nexum trainees effectively take center stage, and the work settles into a well-paced mystery plot. Throughout, the secrets of the Leviathans, and their mystical relationship to humans, loom enticingly in the background, waiting to be revealed.
A tightly written tale that, after a slow start, grounds itself in engaging, mysterious lore.Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2021
ISBN: 979-8476314745
Page Count: 251
Publisher: Darkstroke Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Bound to be popular.
A suddenly trendy trope—conflict and romance between members of conquering and enslaved races—enlivened by fantasy elements loosely drawn from Arabic tradition (another trend!).
In an original, well-constructed fantasy world (barring some lazy naming), the Scholars have lived under Martial rule for 500 years, downtrodden and in many cases enslaved. Scholar Laia has spent a lifetime hiding her connection to the Resistance—her parents were its leaders—but when her grandparents are killed and her brother’s captured by Masks, the eerie, silver-faced elite soldiers of the Martial Empire, Laia must go undercover as a slave to the terrifying Commandant of Blackcliff Military Academy, where Martials are trained for battle. Meanwhile, Elias, the Commandant’s not-at-all-beloved son, wants to run away from Blackcliff, until he is named an Aspirant for the throne by the mysterious red-eyed Augurs. Predictably, action, intrigue, bloodshed and some pounding pulses follow; there’s betrayal and a potential love triangle or two as well. Sometimes-lackluster prose and a slight overreliance on certain kinds of sexual violence as a threat only slightly diminish the appeal created by familiar (but not predictable) characters and a truly engaging if not fully fleshed-out fantasy world.
Bound to be popular. (Fantasy. 13 & up)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59514-803-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce.
Houck kicks off a new story arc in the world of the Tiger’s Curse series with new tigers who live in a northerly setting.
The death of their widowed royal mother touches off a crisis in the Kievian Empire; neither Stacia nor Verusha Stepanov, 17-year-old sword-wielding twin sisters, wants to be named tsarina. But questions of succession get put on hold when a battle with a sorcerer inexplicably turns the two into nonspeaking Siberian tigers. Hints of a cure send them, along with a growing entourage of men to provide assistance (and, perforce, do all the talking), on a long trek. Though most of the cast sticks to genre type, Houck throws in a wild card in the form of hunky, inarticulate Nikolai, who joins the quest because he is enthralled by Verusha—and who also killed his whole family in an act of revenge. Occasional anachronistic dialogue (e.g., “Are you ready, ladies?”) disrupts the tale’s generally earnest tone, as do the clumsy attempts at banter. A third tiger, snarky and blind but conveniently able to see through others’ eyes, trots in late in the story. The events in this setup volume unfold with many a flashback and change in point of view and head toward no sort of resolution—only the cave-dwelling White Shaman of the Tundra’s advice that further journeys are in the offing. The central cast in this Russian-inspired fantasy world presents white; the Indigenous population includes nomadic reindeer herders.
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce. (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798212221696
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
