A somewhat formulaic but ultimately satisfying military fantasy.
In Allen’s YA fantasy series starter, a teenage boy whose village is destroyed by raiders must find his way to safety and then train with a legendary order of knights.
Fifteen-year-old Fordain Abendroth and his twin brother, Amon, are days short of officially coming of age when their village is attacked by soldiers of the Primus Emprius, a faction that would plunge the Republic of Emprius into civil war. Their parents are killed and their village burned to the ground; Amon is captured, and Fordain escapes with only his horse, Solus, and a mysterious amulet he’s worn for his entire boyhood. He pursues the rebel soldiers, vowing to rescue Amon. Instead, he manages to free Ingred de Haas, a girl his age who was taken prisoner while journeying from the land of the reptilian humanoid Draga. Fordain and Ingred set out for Aralia, a renowned island kingdom whose knights fight for just causes. Along the way, the pair are joined by the Draga-raised woodsman Elagor Vos and orphaned farm boy Evander Carro; soon, they’re all taken under the wing of Lord Maritius, a general from Aralia. The four companions are trained as knights, but will they be ready when the time comes to fight? Allen writes in the third person, primarily from Fordain’s perspective but occasionally from those of his companions. This touch of omniscience takes away some narrative urgency, as does Fordain’s philosophical attitude toward misfortune; he spares barely a thought for his dead parents, and the search for his brother feels more like a plot device than a driving motivation. The setting is refreshingly suggestive of several historical Earth cultures—ancient Rome, heraldic England, and possibly Dutch South Africa—but its rendering feels haphazard, mingling generic fantasy with Cockney English and incongruous uses of the words ere, prithee, doest, and bade (speciously rendered as bad). Allen shows a deft hand at characterization and description, effectively investing readers in the land, its peoples, and their fate. Although the story is slow to build and the conflict proves relatively small-scale, it remains engaging throughout.
A somewhat formulaic but ultimately satisfying military fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2022
ISBN: 9781956619096
Page Count: 347
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 1, 2023
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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