An enchanting introduction to a magical bitch on wheels, to be continued.
A freelance spellcaster is in love with drugs and on the run from a primeval evil in midtown Manhattan. What could go wrong?
Everything old is new again in this comically horrific team-up between prolific Malaysian horror writer Khaw and Kadrey, taking a brief and well-deserved break from his popular Sandman Slim series. Whether it’s the ancient, squelchy things hunting our heroes or the novel voice Khaw brings to the genre’s blood-and-one-liners schtick, this adults-only episode may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly something memorable. When we meet nearly-30 Julie Crews, she’s already tied up in exorcising a demon at a bachelorette party before retiring to her squalid apartment for Korean street food, vodka, and drugs. We’re soon introduced to the book’s New York City underground, where Lovecraftian horrors control Wall Street, things older than humans still walk the Earth, and people like Julie use magic to regulate funkiness. The book’s complicating events don’t take long to stir things up. First, Julie’s ex Tyler, a corporate bootlicker, hires her as part of his plan to get promoted by sucking up to his firm’s…patron?—an eldritch horror called The Mother Who Eats that would make Pinhead wet himself. Secondly, Julie’s best friend, Sarah, shows up at her door, the victim of domestic abuse. Bloodshed ensues, natch, but there’s some good stuff among the overstuffed plot, not least the Wick-ian worldbuilding the authors employ to lurid effectiveness. Tyler is saddled with Annabeth Fall, an ice queen from his firm’s security division with cutthroat ambition and a low tolerance for his bullshit, while Sarah’s violent ex Dan nearly kills Julie. Meanwhile, on Julie’s side, we meet her prehistoric landlady, St. Joan, and her “guy in the chair,” Dead Air, who join her reluctant crusade to kill an angel, kiss the girl, and end this spooky bullshit once and for all.
An enchanting introduction to a magical bitch on wheels, to be continued.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781250867025
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Nightfire
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.
Three women deal very differently with vampirism in Schwab’s era-spanning follow-up to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020).
In 16th-century Spain, Maria seduces a wealthy viscount in an attempt to seize whatever control she can over her own life. It turns out that being a wife—even a wealthy one—is just another cage, but then a mysterious widow offers Maria a surprising escape route. In the 19th century, Charlotte is sent from her home in the English countryside to live with an aunt in London when she’s found trying to kiss her best friend. She’s despondent at the idea of marrying a man, but another mysterious widow—who has a secret connection to Maria’s widow from centuries earlier—appears and teaches Charlotte that she can be free to love whomever she chooses, if she’s brave enough. In 2019, Alice’s memories of growing up in Scotland with her mercurial older sister, Catty, pull her mind away from her first days at Harvard University. And though she doesn’t meet any mysterious widows, Alice wakes up alone after a one-night stand unable to tolerate sunlight, sporting two new fangs, and desperate to drink blood. Horrified at her transformation, she searches Boston for her hookup, who was the last person she remembers seeing before she woke up as a vampire. Schwab delicately intertwines the three storylines, which are compelling individually even before the reader knows how they will connect. Maria, Charlotte, and Alice are queer women searching for love, recognition, and wholeness, growing fangs and defying mortality in a world that would deny them their very existence. Alice’s flashbacks to Catty are particularly moving, and subtly play off themes of grief and loneliness laid out in the historical timelines.
A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop.Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250320520
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© 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.
