Though this debut feels unevenly paced, the writing is strong, and the author shows promise.
When an ancient evil descends on her city, one girl considers the sacrifices required to thwart it.
The city of Vaiwyn is alive; the streets are its veins, and its heart beats like a clock. Mina Strauss’ family has a long history of protecting both the sentient city and its inhabitants. The city’s five Vesper Bells were forged by the Lost Alchemist generations ago to hold back a great evil—if a bell tolled 13 times, that evil would be revived. A Strauss stands guard at each bell, cutting the clappers that grow back every night. Mina inherited her bell earlier than anticipated when her beloved father died of the Talus Pox. Now she contends with the weight of that responsibility—and her cold, distant mother’s persistent disapproval. Mina finds solace with Max, the boy she’s slowly been falling in love with, and she’s with him the night her bell tolls 13 times and unleashes terror upon Vaiwyn. Mina is desperate to save the people she loves from imminent destruction, but there’s more to Vaiwyn’s history—and her own—than she knows. Despite strong prose, the exposition-heavy beginning and a few overly telegraphed plot twists hamper the narrative’s pacing. Still, readers will likely be drawn to the original concept, complicated family dynamics, and well-articulated depth of demisexual Mina’s developing relationship with Max. Most characters read white.
Though this debut feels unevenly paced, the writing is strong, and the author shows promise. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781250322807
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce.
Houck kicks off a new story arc in the world of the Tiger’s Curse series with new tigers who live in a northerly setting.
The death of their widowed royal mother touches off a crisis in the Kievian Empire; neither Stacia nor Verusha Stepanov, 17-year-old sword-wielding twin sisters, wants to be named tsarina. But questions of succession get put on hold when a battle with a sorcerer inexplicably turns the two into nonspeaking Siberian tigers. Hints of a cure send them, along with a growing entourage of men to provide assistance (and, perforce, do all the talking), on a long trek. Though most of the cast sticks to genre type, Houck throws in a wild card in the form of hunky, inarticulate Nikolai, who joins the quest because he is enthralled by Verusha—and who also killed his whole family in an act of revenge. Occasional anachronistic dialogue (e.g., “Are you ready, ladies?”) disrupts the tale’s generally earnest tone, as do the clumsy attempts at banter. A third tiger, snarky and blind but conveniently able to see through others’ eyes, trots in late in the story. The events in this setup volume unfold with many a flashback and change in point of view and head toward no sort of resolution—only the cave-dwelling White Shaman of the Tundra’s advice that further journeys are in the offing. The central cast in this Russian-inspired fantasy world presents white; the Indigenous population includes nomadic reindeer herders.
Returning fans, anyway, will pounce. (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798212221696
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
A fantastical romp filled with intrigue and suspense.
Amid the approaching coronation of her cruel half brother, Jura, and agitation by pro-democracy rebels called the Dawnbreakers, Princess Teia Carthan of Erisia carves out her own fate.
Following her parents’ death, Teia learned to fight. In addition to being able to wield fire and water, she’s not above resorting to blackmail, bribery, and murder to ensure her survival. Through master thief Enna, she learns that Jura is after the Dawnbreakers’ symbolic figurehead: Kyra Medoh, a young woman said to be able to control fire, a skill believed to be passed down through the royal lineage. When Teia intercepts Kyra after the thief infiltrates the Golden Palace, the princess tells her she wants to join the Dawnbreakers. Teia plans to gain Kyra’s trust, discover the location of the Dawnbreakers’ base, and use this information as leverage with Jura to get out of the betrothal he’s arranged for her to an abusive murderer. As Teia works undercover, her camaraderie with and attraction to Dawnbreaker Tobias grows, and, moved by Kyra’s idealism, she starts to question her own motivations. Debut author Wang’s tightly written narrative deftly unravels surprising twists and intrigues. While several characters in this duology opener appear too eager to spill their deepest secrets, readers will forgive this weakness and anticipate the second volume. Teia’s mother came from the country of Shaylan; her skin tone is darker than most Erisians’. Kyra has coppery skin and black hair.
A fantastical romp filled with intrigue and suspense. (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781959411772
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Violetear Books/Bindery
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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