Anyone who enjoyed the first title will adore this sequel and be on tenterhooks for the next.
Alternative-Victorian magical intrigue, monstrous Lovecraft-ian abominations, and torrid romantic entanglements all intensify in the second of an enthralling fantasy series following A Shadow Bright and Burning (2016).
Henrietta Howel—sick of pretending to be the prophesied “savior” and panicked by her childhood love’s transformation into a shadow of the Seven Ancients—convinces her sorcerer friends to adopt the weapons of the outlawed magicians and even persuades a witch-in-hiding to employ her illegal craft. But none of Henrietta’s secrets or lies proves as devastating as those buried in her own past. Middle books are notoriously tricky, but Cluess executes every beat with panache. The overarching narrative of the sorcerers’ war advances apace, as momentary triumph unravels into complications, setbacks, betrayals, and disasters. The world remains default white and straight, but it contains hints of racial diversity among the magicians along with a gay relationship. The divisions and entanglements among the three branches of magic are further explored, and the deliciously horrific Ancients unfurl ever more grotesque maleficence. Secondary characters introduced mostly to help, thwart, or admire Henrietta begin to develop their own storylines, while Henrietta learns how heavily the price of her impulsiveness and deceit falls upon innocents. And although the romantic polygon centered on Henrietta is superficially resolved, this only ratchets up the underlying tensions.
Anyone who enjoyed the first title will adore this sequel and be on tenterhooks for the next. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-53594-5
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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
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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