A fire starter.
A fugitive witch from an oppressive fae kingdom plots to free himself from his past when his unwanted fiance, heir to the throne, forces him to return home under the threat of a life-or-death blood contract.
The fae of Asalin abuse and abandon witches, children born with no wings or horns and fewer limitations on their magic, like 17-year-old White transgender boy Wyatt Croft. Before he escaped the flames of his traumatic past and found a new life for himself in the human world, Wyatt’s family only valued him for his potential to produce heirs with the prince, who is bound to him by an inherent magical connection and a contract of marriage. When Prince Emyr, a Black fae with healing powers, demands Wyatt return so they can ascend the throne and stop an insurgency, all Wyatt wants at first is to escape again, but he’s swept up in unresolved feelings and a revolution. This romantically charged, anti-fascist fantasy presents a diverse cast of queer characters, including Wyatt’s best friend, who is bi, asexual, Seminole, and Diné. Fat characters are presented with no less power and beauty than those with chiseled muscles. Although Wyatt’s relationship with Emyr is fraught with tension, consent remains a central theme, resisting the romanticization of co-dependence and Stockholm syndrome. The page-turning resolution promises an irresistible duology closer to come.
A fire starter. (author’s note) (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-335-21279-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
A thrilling, beautifully written page-turner.
A young woman pursues a dangerous quest in late-1800s Egypt in this sequel to What the River Knows (2023).
After Inez Olivera was nearly murdered while assisting with her uncle’s archaeological expedition in Egypt, Tío Ricardo is eager to ship her home to safety in Argentina. But Inez burns with the need to stay and make sure that those who committed crimes against her family are held responsible. Unfortunately, the law precludes Inez, as a young unmarried woman, from accessing her inheritance (needed to fund her quest for justice) without her guardian uncle’s permission. Whitford Hayes, a former British soldier and her tío’s aide-de-camp, proposes marriage, which could solve her problems. But can Inez trust the secretive Whit? More danger and intrigue lurk at every turn in this exciting duology closer, which fully addresses the first entry’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The well-paced plot encompasses many fresh, new adventures and betrayals in this reimagined historical setting in which ancient magic abounds and not everyone or everything is what it seems. Even more captivating, however, is the complicated, nuanced love story between Whit and Inez. Their chemistry sizzles, but their relationship is achingly layered with both profound loyalty and deep deception. As their journey unearths new enemies and priceless archaeological finds, the duo must try to trust each other enough to survive.
A thrilling, beautifully written page-turner. (cast of characters, map, timeline) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781250822994
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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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