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
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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