An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.
A young mage and a magical Fae princess become magically entangled as war descends upon their lands in Nielsen’s YA fantasy series starter.
In the Fae realm of the Vail, Lady Dew Drop, known as Dewy, is late for a meeting at the Summer Court. Her aunt, Lady Radiant, Queen Regent of Summer, sends her to “water the marsh grasses” near the River Selden as punishment. After the deaths of her parents, Dewy acutely feels the constraints of being heir to the throne. Meanwhile, in the human kingdom of Telridge, Spense is a mage who’s struggling to get his spells right. He’s the unrecognized biological son of Lord Ferrous and half brother to the older Dirk, a noble and military commander. When Lord Ferrous learns that war with a neighboring land is imminent, he asks Spense to use a Claiming spell to protect the bridge at the River Selden. The young man succeeds at doing so, but he also accidentally catches Dewy in his thrall. She becomes infatuated with him, which leads to her banishment from the Summer Court. Spense feels terrible that his spell is making Dewy compulsively obey him, and he’s determined to reverse it. At the same time, it becomes clear that Telridge could use some magical Fae assistance in turning away its enemies. Nielsen deftly brings the question of consent into unique focus in this YA fantasy series opener. When Spense casually asks Dewy her name and sees that revealing it causes her pain, he understands the gravity of the Claiming spell immediately and his responsibility to Dewy. The action scenes are calibrated for maximum excitement without reveling in violence, as when Dewy uses her water magic: “Spense watched, open-mouthed at the mayhem. Dewy stood...her arms raised in quiet command, as calm as a stone in a stream.” Small cultural details, including Dewy’s puzzlement at human-created art, deftly present the challenges that the heroes face. Nielsen ensures that Spense and Dirk’s relationship also evolves for the next installment while also introducing a remarkable new mission for one of the main characters.
An astute and tasteful fantasy tale with a valuable message.Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781509246229
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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