This action-packed apocalyptic SF yarn will please attendees of comic book conventions and gamer expos.
In Gillespie’s YA SF series opener, a young female survivor of a radiation-ravaged planet becomes the protector of a psychic child.
The first installment in the author’s Riders of the Stars series takes place in a space-faring future in which human-colonized worlds throughout the cosmos are devastated by an alien species called the Kraal, who come from a mysterious void to feast on human beings. The only way to deter the scourge is to detonate nuclear warheads. The world of Arcadia, 25 years after the invasion, is now one of numerous hell-planets where people attempt to survive in the “badlands” despite radiation, zombies, other void-spawned monsters, brigands, and a heavy-handed military. Ashe is a young woman raised in safety in a subterranean Arcadian enclave until her family perishes when the ruling “Commissioner” suddenly evicts them. The vengeful Ashe scrounges among the surface ruins and falls in with a couple of misfits on a self-described treasure hunt. Joining their raid on a bandit lair, Ashe becomes the guardian of a captive held there: Jade, a 6-year-old boy who soon displays unusual psychic powers. Jade, the product of a laboratory project, is also known as JDE-82 and is urgently sought by sinister authorities. The protagonists face assorted perils, typically in the form of video game–like “boss” battles; the author is also a game developer with a taste for cinematic action (“An explosion rattled the walls from the path behind them, shaking bits of gravel loose—the raiders were coming. With renewed energy, they continued running, slowing only when approaching cross tunnels”). The plot ultimately transcends video game conventions, growing more twisty and compelling by the final act. The author works in a microgenre defined as astropunk, characterized by post-apocalyptic settings and violence blended with a space-opera sensibility (in a nice touch, the chapter titles are vintage pop-song titles). Many elements here strongly evoke Japanese anime, but the material is devoid of raunch or profanity—the body count among the supporting ensemble gets pretty high, though.
This action-packed apocalyptic SF yarn will please attendees of comic book conventions and gamer expos.Pub Date: June 22, 2023
ISBN: 9780998749921
Page Count: 322
Publisher: Revenant Press
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
© 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.
