Distracting alien language and languid first act aside, an improvement on the first outing.
The revelation of Eros’ parentage in Beyond the Red (2016) leads to political intrigues and a change in his relationship with Kora.
Half-human, half-Sepharon Eros, the son and heir to the Sira, is less concerned with the Sepharon than taking care of his 13-year-old human nephew, Mal, who struggles with partial blindness from the earlier attempted nanite genocide. Eros decides to take Mal to the Sepharon city Asheron to beg for medical treatment. In chapters that alternate in Kora’s voice, it’s revealed that to abort that genocide, all nanites were disabled, severely setting back Sepharon technology and destabilizing their civilization. Now an Emergency Council has been called to decide a new Sira, and Kora needs Eros to return and fight for his place. Her holding pattern is finally disrupted by charismatic Deimos, and the two go to find Eros—who has found human rebels who want him to become Sira, help take down the government, and bring equality to the two species. Padded exposition, endless cast introductions (including similarly named characters), and Sepharon words draw out the first act. The fun starts once Eros makes a play for the throne in earnest, a plotline with surprises. While the romance between him and Kora fizzles, he gains a new one that grows out of a friendship—and Kora gains a storyline separate from him. Most characters of either species are brown-skinned, and there’s positive LGBTQ representation. The ending sets up the trilogy closer.
Distracting alien language and languid first act aside, an improvement on the first outing. (Science fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5107-2236-1
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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
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