An ambitious and immersive fantasy tale.
A young undercover rebel gets too close to the enemy in debut author Lewis’ first YA fantasy novel in a series.
The city of Bexbury has a rigid hierarchy, based on skin color, in which the “light class” has the most power and the “dark class,” the least. But there’s a group of people who are ostracized for their very existence: the “half-classes,” whose parentage is a mix of people from the dark and light classes. They include Evie, who lives with her brothel-owning aunt. In a couple of months she’ll be 18, and she’s expected to follow her cousin Kat into the family sex-work business—one of the few career paths open to half-classes. At night, however, she participates in an underground resistance movement that does such things as destroy government documents to chip away at the oppressive social order. Their rebellious acts capture the attention of leader King Dreux, who travels from the nation’s capital to Bexbury to quash the unrest. He brings along his son, Prince Cassian, whom Evie befriends one night at the brothel before she realizes who he is. Her connection provides a perfect way for the rebels to get close to the king, but as she develops real feelings for the prince, things become unexpectedly complicated. Lewis’ prose is rich and urgent, as when Evie comes across a victim of some of her fellow rebels in a public fountain: “Layers of red pooled down from the top tier into the second, then into the large pool below. Something hung limply over the cornice. Something big and lumpy. Something dark green. A body.” Readers will note many clear connections to real-world racism, particularly toward the beginning of the novel. However, Lewis has built a complex world in these pages, and as the plot unfolds, the novel feels less explicitly allegorical, with nuances and particularities all its own. Although much of the story is set in a brothel, it mostly keeps sex at a distance. However, the author does delve into the difficult relationships that can exist in a racially stratified society and how societal lines can become blurred.
An ambitious and immersive fantasy tale.Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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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