A razor-sharp and action-packed science fiction romp that tackles social issues with aplomb.
An interstellar intern fights aliens, giant robots, and social inequality.
In this insightful extraterrestrial graphic novel, the Earth has been stripped of its resources, leaving humans to live among the stars on corporate colonies run by a company called Apatus. Eighteen-year-old Anna Greene is an unpaid intern at Hotelitor, a luxury hotel housed within a giant robot in the Apatus Colony 4CX. The guests live in plush accommodations with a spa, pool, and generously stocked bar, while the staff occupy different levels within Hotelitor. When a dazzling pink-and-purple wormhole opens in space-time, and an imposingly large purple creature bursts through it, Hotelitor falls under attack. As the hierarchical constructs of staff and guests dissolve and re-form amid the chaos, Anna must step up to save Hotelitor and its humans. As the cause of the attack becomes clearer, Anna also contends with something she never imagined: the fact that Apatus Corporation itself is a foe. Using cinematic action scenes rendered in a dazzlingly hued palette, Hicks blends space opera with clever commentary on wealth and social inequality. Despite its slim page count, this work is jam-packed with big robot fights, an alien cult, an evil corporation, and the trials and tribulations of working in the hospitality industry, making for an utterly intriguing genre mashup that’s sure to stay with readers. Anna is white; there’s racial diversity among secondary characters.
A razor-sharp and action-packed science fiction romp that tackles social issues with aplomb. (Graphic science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9798765623350
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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