A smart, magnetism-driven SF/fantasy tale that gives a new series admirable power.
Centuries after a planetary disaster turns Earth into a sun-scorched wilderness, a teenager abandons her kingdom during a barbarian siege to embark on a forbidden quest for a legendary energy source.
Ting’s debut novel kicks off a YA SF/fantasy series. The principal setting, as tipped off by a map in the opening pages, is the “Arctic Fist”—recognizable as Alaska and its surroundings. Some 300 years ago, a 90-degree “Shift” in Earth’s magnetosphere exposed much of the planet to pitiless solar flares and radiation. The consequent mass extinctions and societal collapse have led to a strange, feudalist new world order, in which one portion of scattered humanity subsists near the poles. A small number of people, predominantly women, evolved as “Faradants,” able to generate magnetic fields via their cardiopulmonary systems. They can control certain metals, heal some forms of illnesses, generate heat, and, at least temporarily, erect force shields against the “Solscream” barrages of lethal radiation. Kaili, 16, is the royal heir to the matriarchal city-state of Kalulishi, an underground fortress that keeps her people safe from solar flares. It is one of the few relatively comfortable and prosperous settlements in the Fist, but it’s arrogantly estranged from adjacent fishing villages and under regular attack by “Arcfarer” barbarians. When a fearsome, mysterious “Iron King” with formidable Faradant abilities lays siege to Kalulishi, Kaili impulsively ventures into hazardous territories (with ruins of the long-gone civilization) after the Deoridium, a rumored artifact of immense power. But Kaili does seem to make more tragic mistakes and bad choices than the average plucky YA protagonist, and this may be one of them. Ting’s concept of metallurgical magic is at first one of those irksomely elastic fantasy gimmicks whose logic seems to come and go as is convenient to rescue the hero from seemingly hopeless peril. But a neat, last-act twist does explain the inconsistencies. The action-filled plot concludes with a number of dangling story strands, unaccounted-for villains still in play, and a romance (low on the author’s list of priorities) deep in the background. But genre readers should be attracted by the well-planned worldbuilding and clever narrative and not be repelled by the loose threads.
A smart, magnetism-driven SF/fantasy tale that gives a new series admirable power.Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2022
ISBN: 979-8-40665-453-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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
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