Strong young women lead in this atmospheric tale that’s oozing with magic, secrets, and temptation.
The magic flows as easily as the champagne as cousins strive to best one another to earn the title of Holtzfall Heiress by winning the sometimes-deadly Veritaz Trials.
When Verity Holtzfall turns up dead—and her bodyguard knight, Alaric Rydder, is missing—everyone in Walstad knows that a new heiress must be chosen according to the centuries-old Veritaz, which tests the virtues of eligible candidates. Along with teenage cousins Nora (Verity’s daughter), Modesty, Constance, and Clemency, a fifth cousin, Lotte, appears, released from the convent where she’s been living, until recently unaware of her Holtzfall bloodline. The trials are always different, testing “bravery, or honesty, or temperance, or any of a dozen other virtues” in unexpected ways. The winner receives all the entrants’ magic. In Walstad, a society whose worldbuilding features Scandinavian cultural influences, the self-congratulatory upper crust lives in luxury, while activists called Grims agitate for reform. This sprawling story’s multiple narrators never lose their footing, even as they race along the twisty pathways of forbidden love and shocking alliances and reveals. Dark-haired Nora’s father was a “desert-born” Mirajin; references to his Arab-coded culture evoke some Orientalist tropes. Other major characters read white. The cliffhanger conclusion of this riveting series opener that explores themes of trust and growth will leave readers eager for the next installment.
Strong young women lead in this atmospheric tale that’s oozing with magic, secrets, and temptation. (family tree) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780451479662
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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