A serviceable, if simple, high-fantasy tale for teens.
Agapoff continues his dragon saga in this second YA fantasy novel in a series.
Fifteen-year-old Dagan is the prince of Authia, but when his father, the king, is betrayed by an ally, the boy is unable to replace him on the throne. Instead, he’s forced to take his grandfather’s sword and flee into the Highlands to avoid being killed by his father’s enemy, Praetor Marius. The young prince is almost eaten by wolves in the Highland pass, but luckily he’s rescued by the 100-year-old dragon Aurifer. Dagan is taken to the dragon’s valley for safekeeping, but there, he’s involved in the accidental injury of Corylus, one of the dragon younglings. Dagan must do everything he can to heal the creature, so he sets out on a quest to the healing spring of Apenninus, at a place that the dragons refer to as “the Golden Land.” His journey to the spring will not be an easy one, however; to reach it, he’ll have to travel through the Twelve Kingdoms ruled by the same Praetor Marius that invaded his homeland. As Dagan and his new dragon friends make their way across the continent, the young prince soon learns that he can’t escape the tide of history. Agapoff’s prose is plainspoken and dramatic in the usual manner of high fantasy: “Aurifer spread out his golden wings and allowed the warm air to push him higher into the sky. The magical ice covering the lake neither melted nor released heat, but over the southern shores, the thawing of the snows created abundant thermals to rest his tired wings.” The author does not delve too deeply into the emotional lives of his characters, which makes it difficult to distinguish between a few of them—particularly as the cast swells with holdovers from the previous book; Dagan, in particular, feels like a bit of a cipher. The novel should satisfy those readers who love all things dragon. However, fans of more intricate fantasy sagas may find this offering to be a bit lightweight.
A serviceable, if simple, high-fantasy tale for teens.Pub Date: May 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-977225-42-9
Page Count: 570
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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