Readers unfamiliar with the first book should check it out before they tackle this one; that background under their belt,...
How does one go about saving one's family from history?
Tamsin Greene, now the Keeper of the Domani that controls the magical power of the evil Knight family, thinks her troubles are over. She has known of her magical Talent for a few months now, and she enjoys no longer being the only non-witch in her very Talented family. And didn't she manage to put an end to the evil Alastair Knight’s plan to thwart the Domani? But when a mysterious stranger intrudes and the mystic book that contains her family's chronicle is suddenly blank, she realizes that her troubles are not over. Back she goes to 1887 to infiltrate the Knight family mansion and stop Alastair from warning them about the not-yet-made Domani. She gets herself hired as a new lady's maid to the then-powerful Knights, where she waits for Alastair and begins to discover their secrets. As with Tamsin's first outing (Once a Witch, 2009), neither plot nor setting astound, but Tamsin is a perfectly likable narrator, and it doesn't hurt that the dreamy Gabriel uses his time-traveling Talent to appear on the scene. The Upstairs, Downstairs–style details of the Knights’ household intrigue, and they make effectively chilling villains.
Readers unfamiliar with the first book should check it out before they tackle this one; that background under their belt, this proves to be an enjoyable magical adventure. (Urban fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-22485-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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